Resolution/City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan Page 1 of 2 Rev: 11/22/17
RESOLUTION NO. 24-9354
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA,
ADOPTING THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS PLAN
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara is subject to various hazards , including natural and man- made disasters;
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara recognizes that natural and man-made disasters may occur at any time and without warning;
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara seeks to maintain and enhance both a disaster -resistant City while accelerating economic recovery from those di sasters; WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara is committed to disaster preparedness and response; WHEREAS, the Emergency Operations Plan provides a comprehensive, single source of guidance and procedure for the City to respond to and manage significant or catastrophic natural or man-made threats, crises, incidents or events that produce situations requiring a coordinated response;
WHEREAS, an Emergency Operations Plan is required for each local government in California with guidelines for the plan that come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) ; WHEREAS, the purpose of an Emergency Operations Plan is to provide a legal and operational framework for the local implementation of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the Incident Command System (ICS) across the entire incident management enterprise, and des cribes the means of managing emergencies and disasters and the conduct of bu siness amongst all responding agencies, jurisdictions, and operations centers/command posts ; and WHEREAS, an Emergency Operations Plan is required by Section 2.140.080 (Emergency Plan) of the Santa Clara City Code.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the City adopts in its entirety the Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan.
2. That the City will use the adopted and approved Emergency Operations Plan to guide response to emergent crises, emergencies, and disasters.
3. That the City will coordinate the strategies identified in the Emergency Operations Plan with other planning programs and mechanisms under its jurisdictional authority .
4. That the City commits to continuing to make updates as required to maintain the Emergency Operations Plan as a working document that will enhance efficiency and emergency actions taken in the City of Santa Clara.
5. That the City will maintain the Emergency Operations Plan in accordance with California's Standard Emergency Management System and FEMA's National Incident Management System.
6. Effective date. This resolution shall become effective immediately.
I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED
AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A REGULAR MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 27TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2024, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: COUNCILORS:
NOES: COUNCILORS:
ABSENT : COUNCILORS:
ABSTAINED : COUNCILORS:
Attachments incorporated by reference:
1. City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan
Becker, Chahal, Hardy, Jain, Park, and Watanabe,
and Mayor Gillmor
None
None
None
ATTEST:~ . /)
l+O........._RA...,,_P .... IM_ E_N_T"'E~L,~M~M_____,C ____ _
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
CITY OF SANTA CLARA
Resolution/City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan Rev: 11 /22/17
CITY OF SANTA CLARA
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
AUGUST 27, 2024
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, California 95050
TH
IS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to acknowledge contributions from the various City Departments and local planning partners who participated in the planning and development process of the City of Santa Clara’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) as well as the cities and towns; special districts; county departments and agencies; state agencies; federal agencies; and other planning partners who participated in the operational area-wide planning and development process of the Santa Clara County Operational Area J urisdictional Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Model, which established the framework for this specific City EOP:
City of Santa Clara Departments
City Attorney’s Office Human Resources Department
Finance Department Information Technology Department
City Clerk’s Office Santa Clara City Library
City Manager’s Office Parks & Recreation Department
City Communications Santa Clara Fire Department
Community Development Department Santa Clara Police Department Department of Public Works Water & Sewer Utilities
Electric Utility/Silicon Valley Power (SVP)
O
perational Area City and Town Partners County of Santa Clara Partners City of Campbell Animal Services
City of Cupertino Behavioral Health Services (BHS)
City of Gilroy Consumer & Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA) Town of Los Altos Hills County Communications (911)
City of Los Altos Office of the County Counsel (CCO)
Town of Los Gatos Office of the County Executive (CEO)
City of Milpitas Department of Environmental Health (DEH) City of Monte Sereno Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
City of Morgan Hill Employee Services Agency (ESA)
City of Mountain View Fleet and Facilities (FAF)
City of Palo Alto County Health System (HHS)
City of San José Medical Examiner-Coroner (MEC)
City of Saratoga Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
City of Sunnyvale Office of the Sheriff (SHO)
Parks and Recreation (PRK)
Special District Partners Planning and Development (PLN) Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District Procurement (PRC) Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD aka Valley Water) Public Health Department (PHD) Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Roads and Airports (RDA) Social Services Agency (SSA)
Other Planning Partners
American Red Cross (Red Cross) State of California Partners California Resiliency Alliance
Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief Network (CADRE) California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) California Highway Patrol (CHP) Santa Clara County ARES/RACES
Santa Clara County Emergency Managers Association (EMA) Silicon Valley Community Foundation Federal Partners
Stanford Hospital Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region IX Technology Services Solutions (TSS) Moffett Federal Aviation, Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United Way / 211 Santa Clara County
E
XECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is an all -hazards document describing the City’s incident management organization, compliance with relevant legal statutes, other relevant guidelines, whole community engagement, continuity of government focus, and critical components of the incident management structure. The incident management system described herein is modular and can be scaled up with components activated as necessary to reflect the incident/event escalation from routine incident(s) to emergency, disaster, or catastrophe impacting the City of Santa Clara. This EOP is not intended to address specific emergency responses, scenarios, hazards, or threats . Function and hazard specific anne xes to this EOP will outline specific response activities for response organizations.
This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) accomplishes the following:
• Establishes an incident management organization for the City which includes situational awareness, facilitation of effective communication between incident command posts and operations centers at various levels of government, continuity of government, and interaction with public information sources.
• Establishes the overall operational concepts associated with the management of incidents, emergencies, crises, disasters, and catastrophes at the City/local level in relation to neighboring, county, regional, state and federal partners. • Provides a flexible platform for planning and response to all hazards, incidents, events, and emergencies believed to be important to the City of Santa Clara. It is applicable to a wide variety of anticipated incident events, including, but not limited to, earthquakes, floods, public health issues and other human-caused incidents.
• Updates the previous C ity EOP, published in 201 6, to incorporate new directives, best practices, cultural competencies, and lessons learned from recent disasters. This pertains to updated concepts, language and guidance; includes implementation of the Emergency Support Function (ESF) concept and recently promulgated laws and regulations, including those laws and regulations related to people with access and functional needs (AFN).
This EOP was developed in accordance with the latest edition of FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide to demonstrate the County’s compliance with the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Incident Command System (ICS) and alignment with the National Response Framework (NRF) and the National Preparedness Goal. It facilitates multi- agency and multi -jurisdictional coordination during emergency operations, public information functions and resource management.
This EOP serves as the legal and conceptual framework for incident management to be utilized by the City and its various departments. There may be several separately published annexes that support this EOP. These supporting annexes will further describe the hazard-specific or function- specific considerations, actions and responsibilities for identified C ity departments or other local agencies.
PROMULGATION
PROMULGATION
The preservation of life, property, the environment and the economy is an inherent responsibility of local, state and federal government . While no plan can completely prevent death and destruction, reasonable plans carried out by knowledgeable and well-trained personnel can and will minimize losses.
The City of Santa Clara has prepared this SEMS and NIMS compliant EOP to ensure the most effective and efficient allocation of resources for the maximum benefit and protection of the civilian population during times of emergency .
This EOP establishes the emergency organizat ion, assigns tasks, specifies policies and general procedures, and provides for coordination of planning efforts for respective staff.
This EOP will be reviewed and exercised periodically and revised as necessary to satisfy changing conditions and needs.
The Santa Clara City Council gives their full support to this EOP and urges all officials, employees, and residents-individually and collectively-to do their share in the whole community emergency effort of the City of Santa Clara. This EOP became effective on August 27, 2024, when approved by the Santa Clara City Council.
CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
a chartered California municipal corporation
APPROVED AS TO FORM :
Approved as to Form:
~ s y Attorney
Emergency Management Officer
Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
Dated :
C ty Manag
City of Santa Clara
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara , CA 95050
Telephone : (408) 615-2210
Fax: (408) 241-6771
Page I 111
COUNC
IL ADOPTION APPROVAL
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
COUNCIL ADOPTION APPROVAL
RESOLUTION NO. 24-9354
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
ADOPTING THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS PLAN
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara is subject to various hazards, including natural and man- made disasters;
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara recognizes that natural and man-made disasters may occur at any time and without warning;
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara seeks to maintain and enhance both a disas ter-resistant City while accelerating economic recovery from thos e disasters; WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara is committed to disaster preparedness and response; WHEREAS, the Emergency Operations Plan provides a comprehensive, single source of guidance and procedure for the City to respond to and manage significant or catastrophic natural or man-made threats, crises, incidents or events that produce situations requiring a coordinated response;
WHEREAS, an Emergency Operations Plan is required for each local government in California with guidelines for the plan that come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES); WHEREAS, the purpose of an Emergenc
y Operations Plan is to provide a legal and operational framework for the local implementation of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and the Incident Command System (ICS) across the entire incident management enterprise, and describes the means of managing emergencies and disasters and the conduct of business amongst all responding agencies, jurisdictions, and operations centers/command posts; and WHEREAS, an Emergency Operations Plan is required by Section 2.140.080 (E mergency Plan) of the Santa Clara City Code.
COUNCIL A
DOPTION APPROVAL
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the City adopts in its entirety the Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan.
2. That the City will use the adopted and approved Emergency Operations Plan to guide response to emergent crises, emergencies, and disasters.
3. That the City will coordinate the strategies identified in the Emergency Operations Plan with other planning programs and mechanisms under its jurisdictional authority.
4. That the City commits to continuing to make updates as required to maintain the Emergency Operations Plan as a working document that will enhance efficiency and emergency actions taken in the City of Santa Clara.
5. That the City will maintain the Emergency Operations Plan in accordanc e with
California's Standard Emergency Management System and FEMA's National Incident Management System.
6. Effective date. This resolution shall bec
ome effective immediately.
I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED
AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A REGULAR MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 27TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2024, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: COUNCILORS: Beck
er, Chahal, Hardy, Jain, Park, and Watanabe,
and Mayor Gillmor
NOES: COUNCILORS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILORS: None
ABSTAINED: COUNCILORS: None
AN
NUAL REVIEW
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
ANNUAL REVIEW
The City of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management (OEM), with input from essential stakeholders across the City and Operational Area (OA), is responsible for maintaining, reviewing and updating this EOP. They will— at a minimum —review this EOP every two ( 2) years and formally revise it every five (5) years in alignment with the County, which is in accordance with requirements for subrecipients of the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP). It is essential that OE M make revisions and updates , in collaboration with participating local jurisdictions and other planning partners identified in the EOP , to ensure accuracy, validity and efficacy. If the EOP requires an immediate change due to lessons learned from trainings, exercises or actual incidents, the OEM will identify a course of action for the review, update and implementation of the necessary changes. All changes will be noted in the table below.
DATE NAME/ORGANIZATION CHANGE DESCRIPTION
08/27/2024 OEM, City of Santa Clara Publication of EOP
TA
BLE OF CONTENTS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. II PROMULGATION ........................................................................................................ III COUNCIL ADOPTION APPROVAL ..................................................................................... IV ANNUAL REVIEW ....................................................................................................... VI TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ VII PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, AND ASSUMPTIONS ............................................... 1 PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW AND ASSUMPTIONS ............................................ 2 PURPOSE ............................................................................................................... 2 SCOPE .................................................................................................................. 3 SITUATION OVERVIEW .............................................................................................. 4 HAZARD ANALYSIS OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 7 THREAT/HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT (THIRA) .................................. 19 PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................................................ 20 CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS ........................................................................................... 23 CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS ....................................................................................... 24 NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (NRF) .................................................................. 24 STANDARD EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SEMS)............................................... 24 NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS) ................................................... 25 INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS) .......................................................................... 25 INTEGRATING FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL SYSTEMS ..................................................... 25 CORE CAPABILITY OVERVIEW ................................................................................... 25 PHASES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ..................................................................... 32 ORGANIZATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES ..................................................... 35 ORGANIZATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES ................................................. 36 FIELD RESPONSE .................................................................................................... 36 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ............................................................................................. 36 OPERATIONAL AREA (OA) ....................................................................................... 40
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
REGION ............................................................................................................... 42 STATE ................................................................................................................. 43 FEDERAL .............................................................................................................. 43 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS ................................................. 43 DIRECTION, CONTROL, AND COORDINATION .................................................................... 47 DIRECTION, CONTROL, AND COORDINATION ................................................................ 48 DIRECTION AND CONTROL INTERFACE ......................................................................... 48 OPERATIONAL AREA COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION ........................................... 48 MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION GROUPS ................................................................... 50 INFORMATION COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION .............................................. 53 INFORMATION COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION ........................................... 54 INFORMATION COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT TOOL ................................................... 54 CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION ....................................................... 57 CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION ................................................... 58 JOINT INFORMATION SYSTEM (JIS) ............................................................................ 58 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER (JIC) ............................................................................ 58 EOC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS .............................................................................. 58 PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ........................................................................ 60 ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, AND LOGISTICS .................................................................... 65 ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, AND LOGISTICS ................................................................ 66 FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................... 66 MUTUAL AID ........................................................................................................ 68 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................... 71 PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE ....................................................................... 73 PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE ................................................................... 74 PLAN DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................. 74 PLAN MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................. 74 PLAN CONCURRENCE .............................................................................................. 74 PLAN TRAINING AND EXERCISE.................................................................................. 74 AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES .................................................................................... 79
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES ................................................................................. 80 FEDERAL .............................................................................................................. 80 STATE ................................................................................................................. 80 LOCAL ................................................................................................................. 81 AFTER-ACTION REPORTS/INCIDENT EVENTS REVIEWED DURING PLAN DEVELOPMENT ........... 81 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................... 83 ACRONYMS .......................................................................................................... 84 DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................ 86 APPENDIX A – CITY OF SANTA CLARA POTENTIAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN ANNEXES ....... A1 APPENDIX B – LOCAL / STATE / FEDERAL CROSSWALK ....................................................... A6 FEDERAL / STATE / LOCAL CROSSWALK ....................................................................... A7
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, AND ASSUMPTIONS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW,
AND ASSUMPTIONS
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, AND ASSUMPTIONS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW AND ASSUMPTIONS
PURPOSE
This City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) provides a comprehensive, single source of guidance and procedure for the City to respond to and manage significant or catastrophic natural or man-made threats, crises, incidents or events that produce situations requiring a coordinated response. This EOP is intended to conform to the requirements of the NIMS, SEMS, ICS and the California State Emergency Plan for managing the response to multi - agency and multi-jurisdictional incidents, and to be consistent with federal and state emergency plans and guidance documents. The plan is one of four (4) foundational Office of Emergency Management (OEM) documents, each intended to reflect one of the four “phases of emergency management.” Specifically, the EOP represents the “response phase” and is intended to integrate cohesively with the other three foundational documents and their supporting documents.
Best practices and lessons- learned have been integrated into this plan where possible ; these were identified in the review of after-action reports from recent national large -scale disasters, incidents and events (to include Stafford Act, non-Stafford Act, terrorist non-Stafford act and off- shore non-Stafford act incidents and events).
This EOP is intended as a concept of collaboration and consistency amongst various internal departments and their specific departmental incident management and department operations plans, procedures, functions and capabilities . As such, the EOP is flexible enough to use in all
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, AND ASSUMPTIONS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
incident types and will facilitate the efficient transition to short-term and long -term recovery activities. Furthermore, the EOP is intended to be supplemented by a number of support documents in the form of Annexes, standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists and resource guides. These supplemental documents are developed in collaboration with internal departments and partnering agencies with the appropriate technocratic expertise to inform the content of such documents.
In the event o f an emergency or disaster, the City’s primary responsibility is to maximize the safety of the public, minimize property and environmental damage and ensure the continuity of government. To aid in accomplishing this goal, the City has adopted the principles of SEMS, NIMS and ICS so that responses to such conditions are handled in the most organized, efficient and effective manner possible. All jurisdictions within the OA operate under SEMS, NIMS and ICS, which are used to manage and control the response operations.
SCOPE
This EOP provides guidance on response to the city’s most likely and demanding emergency conditions. It does not supersede the well -established operational policies and procedures for coping with and responding to day-to-day emergencies involving law enforcement, the fire service, medical aid, transportation services, flood control or other discipline-specific emergency response systems. It is intended as a supplement and complement to such systems. This EOP places emphasis on those unusual and unique emergency conditions that w ould require extraordinary response beyond the ability of any one or common set of organizations to respond.
However, this EOP does not include detailed response-level operating instructions or procedures.
Each organization identified in th is EOP is responsible for, and expected to develop, implement and test policies, instructions and SOPs or checklists that reflect the tactical, operational, strategic and executive mission spaces and incident management concepts contained in this EOP.
Coordinated response and support roles must be defined by these organizations to facilitate the ability to respond to and manage any given incident.
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, AND ASSUMPTIONS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
This document is not intended to be an overview of the city/jurisdiction Emergency Operations Center (EOC) functions, procedures, section responsibilities or position- specific standard operating procedures. These issues are covered more specifically in the Emergency Management Annex to this EOP, and in the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) position- specific checklists that are maintained in position-specific binders in the City’s EOC at 1990 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
General Background: The City of Santa Clara encompasses over 19 square miles in the middle of the County of Santa Clara , also referred to as “Silicon Valley,” which is located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay. The City of Santa Clara shares borders with the cities of Cupertino, San Jose and Sunnyvale. The geography is predominantly b uilt metropolitan infrastructure with interspersed parks and open spaces. There are four (4) seasonal creeks/rivers which traverse the city— Calabazas Creek, San Tomas Aquino Creek, Saratoga Creek, and Guadalupe River.
The City’s diverse population of over 127,000 people (U.S. Census Bureau, 20 20) makes it the eighth most populous city in the Bay Area and the third most populous in the County (after San Jose and Sunnyvale). Based on the data tracked by the State Department of Finance, the City of Santa Clara has experienced a gradual rate of growth since the year 2000. The overall population has increased by 11.73% percent since 2010 and growth averaged 0.72% percent per year from 2017 to 2022. The City is an important employment center and houses approximately 122,000 jobs. The City is projected by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) in 2030 to have a resident population of 141,700 and to support 137,480 jobs.
Higher Education: The city is home to a university and a community college. Santa Clara University (SCU) was established in 1851 , and the campus is situated on 106 acres within th e City. It has over 1,000 faculty (Fall 2022) and over 111,000 alumni (living, Winter 2023). Mission College is a public two -year community college that has been serving the community for over 40 years.
Mission College enrollment headcount is just under 6,000 (Fall 2022).
Sports and recreation: The City of Santa Clara is home to the Santa Clara University Broncos, which are the Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletic programs of SCU. The red and white of the Broncos is featured on the City flag of the, as is the Mission which lies at the heart of the campus.
The George F. Haines International Swim Center (ISC) is home and host to numerous local, regional and international competitive swimming matches. It is home to the Santa Clara Swim Club , the premier swim club in the South Bay, founded in 1951 by George Haines, c onsidered internationally to be one of the best swim coaches in history. It is also home to the world famous Santa Clara Aquamaids, who have been producing world -class synchronized swimmers and Olympic athletes since 1964.
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City of Santa Clara
Lastly, and perhaps most notably, t he San Francisco 49ers National Football League (NFL) team, which has a long standing success ful nationally recognized legacy , has its headquarters and practice facilities in Santa Clara at Levi’s® Stadium.
In addition to these recreational outlets, the City operates over 40 parks and pools covering approximately 300 acres. Additionally, the city is home to California’s Great America theme park, the Triton Museum of Art, and hosts several annual city and community events.
Commerce: The local industry is dominated by the technology sector. Computer software and hardware manufacturing, wholesale and services are some of the largest industry segments in terms of both annual r evenues and employees. Additionally, data centers have become a large part of the city’s industrial and tech makeup. Ac ademia, theme parks and public sector employment are also major players in the city’s local industry. The City also owns a large Convention Center which hosts professional and trade conventions, loca l business and governmental events, and other entertainment and exhibit events Medical: The Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara hospital campus has over 1,000 physicians and other health care professionals dedicated to serving more than 400,000 members in the Santa Clara service area.
Utilities: Unique among most other California cities, the City of Santa Clara is served by a City - owned municipal power utility, Silicon Valley Power. The City is also jointly served by a city owned and managed municipal water and sewer utility and by the Valley Water District.
Transportation: The city has two main interstate highways — I-280, and U.S. Route 101, and a number of expressways, including Central Expressway, Lawrence Expressway, Montague Expressway, San Tomas Expressway, as well as El Camino Real.
The City has two (2) major train stations: the Santa Clara – Great America station and the Santa Clara station. Both stations are served by Amtrak's Capitol Corridor train and the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE); the latter is also served by Caltrain. The City is served by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail, which operates five stations: Great America Station, Lick Mill Station, Old Ironsides Station, Reamwood Station, and the Santa Clara Transit Center.
The Santa Clara Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station project, adjacent to the Santa Clara Caltrain Station and the future Gateway Crossings development, will be the end of the line station for VTA’s BART Phase II Extension. By 2040, 10,100 weekday riders are expected. The station will be within walking distance to SCU and PayPal Park and will connect to the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) via VTA’s Route 60. (SJC is located adjacent to the City and has several ancillary transportation impacts on the city.)
PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, AND ASSUMPTIONS
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Office of Emergency Management
City of Santa Clara
EVENT TYPES DEFINED
CATASTROPHE - A series of cascading human-caused/influenced events or incidents with or without a human- caused genesis, the adverse effects/consequences of which are potentially, seemingly or definitively irreversible.
DISASTER - Any natural event or emergency (hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind - driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, etc.), or regardless of cause, any fire, flood or explosion which the President determines to be of such severity as to warrant major federal disaster assistance.
EMERGENCY - Incident(s) or crisis(es) (air pollution, fire, flood, storm, pandemic/epidemic, civil unrest/ riot, drought, sudden/severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestation or disease, or power outage (planned or unplanned) Governor’s warning of volcanic predictions, and earthquakes, etc. ,) posing threat to safety of persons, property or the environment that exceeds an organization’s resources/capability.
INCIDENT - The physical manifestation of crisis, event or occurrence that has adversely affected life, property or the environment requiring the response of at least one individual.
STATE OF EMERGENCY - An eminent impending incident(s) or crisis(es) posing threat to safety of persons, property or the environment and likely to exceed resources/capability of
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the proclaiming political jurisdiction, or, the existence of an active incident which threatens a population, and the adequacy of local resources is unknown.
CRISIS – Phenomenon, event, active threat or trend, with or without specific location, posing seemingly inevitable harm to life, property, environment, organizational performance, reputation or way of life reasonably or ethically necessitating deliberate urgent intervention. (A crisis may be local, regional, national, or global).
ACTIVE THREAT - Known communicated, demonstrated or inferred timely intent and capability to harm life, property, environment, organizational performance or way of life with specified or unspecified target.
PASSIVE THREAT - Existing communicated, demonstrated or inferred intent and potential capability to harm life, property, environment, organizational performance or way of life.
HAZARD ANALYSIS OVERVIEW
This section of the EOP consists of a series of threat summaries based upon a city hazard analysis. This hazard analysis was conducted by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in collaboration with the County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and other partners as part of the Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Planning effort and provides a description of the local area, risk factors and the anticipated nature of situations, which could threaten, or occur, in the county. If future annex or hazard mitigation plan development efforts result in more current or robust hazard or threat analysis data, future EOP revisions will incorporate that data into this section. The following identified threats are discussed:
• Major Earthquake
• Flood/Dam and Levee Failure
• Severe Weather
• Drought/Land Subsidence
• Climate Change
• Wildland/Urban Interface Fire/Smoke/Air Quality
• Thunderstorms and Lightning
• Tsunami
• Landslide/Mass Movement
• Heat and Cold Events
• Public Health Emergency
• Technological and Resource Emergency
• Hazardous Material Incident
• Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Complex and Coordinated Attack
• Civil Unrest
• Cyber-Attack
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City of Santa Clara
It is important to note that these hazards are not mutually exclusive hazards. One or more of these events may occur simultaneously. Specific tactical or operational actions to be accomplished in response to these hazards are contained in the functional and hazard specific annexes that are separate from this EOP as well as department /position specific SOPs and checklists.
Annually, the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) coordinates a regional effort to identify, catalog, and prioritize threats and hazards across the Bay Area. This effort culminates in an annually updated report called the “ Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA).” The THIRA helps local public safety agencies prioritize grant funding and preparedness/mitigation endeavors to improve capabilities to address the most serious and highly prioritized risks and gaps. The hazards below (in addition to other risk factors) are addressed within the THIRA and are specific to the hazards present in the City of Santa Clara.
MAJOR EARTHQUAKE - The City is in the vicinity of several known active and potentially active earthquake faults including the San Andreas, Hayward, and Calaveras faults. A 2014 U.S.
Geological Survey ( USGS) Earthquake Probabilities Working Group updated the 30 -year earthquake forecast for California. They concluded that there is a 72 percent probability (or likelihood) of at least one earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater striking somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area region before 2043. A major earthquake of this magnitude occurring in or near the Santa Clara County OA, or the City of Santa Clara specifically, could cause many deaths and casualt ies, extensive property damage and ot her ensuing hazards. The effects could be a ggravated by aftershocks and by the secondary effects of fire, hazardous material/chemical accidents and possible failure of waterways and dams. Such an earthquake would be catastrophic in its effect upon the population and could exceed the response capabilities of the City, the OA, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and other state agencies. Emergency operations could be seriously hampered by the loss of communications and damage to transportation routes within and to and from the disaster area, and by the disruption of public utilities such as power, water and sanitary sewer infrastructure.
Two major local earthquakes that have impacted the city include:
• San Francisco Earthquake (1906); magnitude 7.8; 3,000 fatalities reported • Loma Prieta Earthquake (1989); magnitude of 6.9; 63 fatalities Other significant local earthquakes near the city include:
• Concord Earthquake (1955); magnitude 5.4; one fatality • Daly City Earthquake (1957); magnitude 5.3; one fatality • Morgan Hill Earthquake (1984); magnitude 6.1; no fatalities • Alum Rock Earthquake (2007); magnitude 5.6; no fatalities The most significant earthquake action in terms of potential structural damage and loss of life is ground shaking and fire. Ground shaking is the movement of the earth's surface in response to a seismic event. The magnitude of the earthquake, distance from the epicenter,
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and characteristics of surface geology determine the intensity of the ground shaking and the resultant damages.
Damage may include destruction of buildings , making some un inhabitable due to the phenomenon of liquefaction. Liquefaction is the los s of shear strength of soil. The shear strength loss results from the increase of water pressure caused by the rearrangement of soil particles induced by shaking or vibration. Liquefaction has been observed in many earthquakes, usually in soft, poorly graded granular materials ( i.e., loose sands), with high water tables. Liquefaction usually occurs in the soil during or shortly after a large earthquake.
Every building in the city is exposed to high risk of damage in earthquakes by virtue of being located in a seismically active part of the country. Some of these structures face an elevated risk because they are located in high hazard zones, such as near a fault, or on liquefiable soils.
Other structures face high risk because their construction quality is inadequate to withstand strong shaking, having been built decades ago, before modern building codes were enacted.
Major power plants are expected to sustain some damage due to liquefaction and the ground shaking intensity of the earthquake. The potential impact on the city is l essened by the availability of power from other sou rces outside the affected area a nd the expectation of significant reduction in consumer demand.
Another major concern is whether an earthquake disrupts water availability and distribution to support life, treat the sick and injured , and for fire suppression activities. Local county dams and water distribution and sewer conveyance systems, including the Delta in the Central Valley, may be damaged during earthquakes, potentially impacting the city.
FLOOD/DAM AND LEVEE FAILURE – There are approximately 700 miles of creeks and rivers in the county, some of which run directly through the City of Santa Clara or feed the creeks and rivers that flow through the city, all of which are susceptible to flooding. Th e four (4) major waterways of concern in the City are as follows:
• Calabazas Creek
• Saratoga Creek
• San Tomas Aquino Creek
• Guadalupe River
Floods are generally classed as either slow -rise or flash floods. Slow -rise floods may be preceded by a warning time la sting hours, days or possibly weeks. Evacuation and sandbagging for a slow-rise flood may lessen flood-related damage. Conversely, flash floods are the most difficult to prepare for because the warning will be short, if any is given at all.
Flash flood warnings often require immediate evacuation.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issues flash flood watches and warnings. A flash flood watch is issued when flash flooding is possible within the designated watch area but the occurrence location, and/or timing is still uncertain, indicating all persons should be alert. A
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flash flood warning indicating all persons should take necessary precautions is issued when a flash flood has been reported, is in progress, is imminent or highly likely.
No area is immune to flash floods. On small streams, especially near the headwaters of river basins, water levels may rise quickly in heavy rainstorms, and flash floods can begin before the rain stops falling. Flash floods also occur in or near mountainous areas where torrential rains can quickly change a dry watercourse or small brook into raging torrents of water. This can result in downstream flooding in low-lying areas, such as in the City of Santa Clara.
All low-lying areas are subject to flood conditions. Urban development in flood plain areas is often subject to seasonal inundation. The flood plain is a natural extension of any waterway, although infrequently used. Storm water runoff that exceeds the capabilities of stream and drainage channels results in the natural flooding of a localized area.
Dam inundation refers to flooding that occurs as a result of a dam’s structural failure. The most common cause of dam failure is overtopping when the water behind the dam flows over the face of the dam and erodes the structure. St ructural failure may be caused by seismic activity. Seismic activity that produces inundation generating a seismically induced wave that overtops the dam without also causing dam failure is referred to as a seiche.
Valley Water maintains emergency action p lans for the following water system facilities within the county, which specifically may impact the City of Santa Clara downstream:
• Anderson Dam
• Guadalupe Dam
• Lenihan Dam
• Rinconada Water Treatment Plant and Dam
• Stevens Creek Dam
Valley Water installs, operates, and maintains over one hundred surface water sensors that measure rainfall and water levels in streams and reservoirs throughout Santa Clara County, some of which are in the City of Santa Clara. Many of these sensors report data in near real- time, and information is shared with state and federal partners.
SEVERE WEATHER - Severe weather can include high winds that may occur during severe thunderstorms, with strong weather systems, or can flow down a mountain. High winds are defined as winds of 40 mph or greater lasting for an hour or more, and gusts to 58 mph or greater (NOAA). Windstorms are especially dangerous in areas with significant tree stands and areas with exposed property, poorly constructed buildings, mobile homes (manufactured housing units), major infrastructure, and above -ground utility lines. A windstorm can topple trees and power lines, cause damage to residential, commercial, and critical facilities, and leave tons of debris in its wake.
DROUGHT /LAND SUBSIDENCE - Droughts are short or long-term water deficiencies that cause agricultural, environmental, infrastructure and/or societal impacts. Droughts can and often
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do occur in the city and the broader county and state and can last for indeterminate periods of time.
According to the “2021 Santa Clara Valley Water District Ground Water Management Plan, ” land subsidence occurs when large amounts of ground water have been withdrawn from certain types of rocks, such as fine-grained sediments. The rock compacts because the water is partly responsible for holding the ground up. Land subsidence is most often caused by human activities, mainly from the removal of subsurface water. Compaction of soils in some aquifer systems can accompany excessive groundwater pumping and it is by far the sing le largest cause of subsidence. Subsidence can lead to flooding that dama ges properties and infrastructure, and saltwater intrusion that degrades groundwater quality.
The northern Santa Clara Valley was the first area in the United States where permanent land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal was recognized. From about 1 915 to 1966, groundwater pumping into the Santa Clara Plain increased dramatically due to growing agricultural use and population growth, resulting in a decline of groundwater levels by as much as 200 feet and long -term overdraft. Fluid pressure in the aquifers was reduced, resulting in the dewatering and compression of fine-grained materials (e.g., clays) and a broad sagging of the land surface. Up to about 14 feet of inelastic (permanent) subsidence was observed in San Jose between 1915 and 1969. The land subsided by three (3) to eight (8) feet over a large area encompassing north San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View and subsidence of over a foot stretched over 100 square miles. The City of Santa Clara specifically has experienced as much as eight (8) feet of subsidence historically.
Significant inelastic (permanent) subsidence was essentially halted by about 1970 through Valley Water’s expanded conjunctive management programs, which allowed artesian heads to recover substantially. Some amount of elastic subsidence occurs annu ally in response to seasonal pumping and recharge as indicated by ground surface elevations measured by Valley Water’s annual land surface elevation benchmark surveys and with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). Valley Water has established a n acceptable subsidence rate of no more than 0.01 feet per year based on multi-year average, which was endorsed by the Water Retailer Groundwater Subcommittee many decades ago. Valley Water has evaluated remaining land subsidence potential under prolonged overdraft conditions and has established water level thresholds at ten (10) subsidence index wells. These thresholds are the groundwater levels that must be maintained to ensure a low risk of unacceptable land subsidence.
Even with the managed recharge of local and imported water, groundwater alone cannot support the Santa Clara Plain, which is a heavily urbanized area. Programs that reduce or offset groundwater pumping (e.g., treated water deliveries, water conservation, and water recycling) are critical t o avoid long -term overdraft, additional subsidence and seawater intrusion. The potential for renewed inelastic subsidence in the Santa Clara Plain is an ongoing concern, and Valley Water carefully monitors and manages water supplies to minimize the risk of permanent subsidence recurring.
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CLIMATE CHANGE - With over 132,000 residents, Santa Clara is the third most populated city in the County. According to scientific projections, climate change will bring more frequent extreme heat events, worse air pollution, sea level rise, more frequent and extreme droughts.
These conditions will cause residential and commercial displacement, and more coastal and riverine flooding from extreme storms. As a result, there will be a significant impact on public health. In addition, the changing conditions will disproportionately impact the area’s most vulnerable populations of children, elders, people with chronic health conditions, outdoor workers, people living in poverty and some communities of color. The 2024 Multi- Jurisdictional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan more thoroughly addresses risks posed by climate change specific to the City of Santa Clara.
WILDLAND /URBAN INTERFACE FIRE - Fires starting in urbanized areas can grow into wildland fires. Wildland/urban i nterface fire hazards are especially pronounced in areas of high structure densities adjacent to undeveloped open space areas with dense vegetation. A wildland/urban interface fire can result in death, injury, economic loss and a large public investment in fire-fighting activities. Fires can rapidly proliferate to the point that local resources are inadequate.
Wildfire behavior is based on three (3) primary factors —weather, topography and fuel.
Wildland fire season in the city spans the months after the las t spring rains have fallen until the first fall or winter rains occur. The months of August, September and October have the greatest potential for wildland fires as vegetation dries out, humidity levels fall, and offshore winds blow.
Wildland/urban interface fires can be caused by natural events, such as lightning or high winds. However, most wildland/urban interface fires are human caused. Campfires, careless smokers, electrical sparks, and arson cause most w ildland/urban interface fires. While wildfires are not very common within the city due to limited exposure to such spaces, there are some areas, such as drainages and creek beds, where structures interface with natural fuels. In the City of Santa Clara, electrical equipment, such as power lines and transformers , have potential to create fires ; human-caused fires in drainages and creek beds are also relatively common. An emerging cause for concern is fires started by the use of mowing and power equipment around very dry vegetation.
Fire agencies in the county have signed a countywide mutual aid agreement to ensure firefighting resources and personnel will be available to combat wildland/urban interface fires and large structure fires. If these resources within the county are not sufficient to meet the threat, fire resources from throughout California can be summoned under the State’s Master Mutual Aid Agreement administered by CalOES. All fire agencies in Santa Clara County have signed the California Master Mu tual Aid Agreement and participate in mutual aid operations as required.
THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING - Some thunderstorms can be seen approaching, while others strike without warning. It is important to learn and recognize the danger signs and to plan ahead.
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A severe thunderstorm watch is issued by the NWS when damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or hail three -fourths of an inch in diameter or greater is likely to develop. A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a severe thunderstorm has been sighted or is indicated by weather radar.
As light travels much faster than sound, lightning flashes can be seen long before the resulting thunder is heard. Lightning has been known to strike up to 15 miles away from the parent cloud. Lightning causes an average of 87 fatalities each year across the nation.
TSUNAMI - A tsunami consists of a series of high-energy waves that radiate outward like pond ripples from an area where a generating event occurs. Earthquakes may produce displacements of the sea floor that can set the overlying column of water in motion, initiating a tsunami, depending on the magnitude of the earthquake and the type of faulting.
Landslides, including from glaciers melting, and underwater volcanos are also sources of these events.
Tsunamis are typically classified as local or distant. Locally generated tsunamis have minimal warning times, leaving few options except to run to high ground. They may be accompanied by damage resulting from the triggering earthquake due to ground shaking, surface faulting, liquefaction, or landslides.
The general consensus at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is that the Santa Clara County OA would not likely see significant impacts from a tsunami originating in the Pacific Ocea n, given the area’s primarily inland location. The extent of the damage would be limited to the immediate area. Boats, docks, and property near the bay may suffer some impacts if they were to be hit directly. Additionally, the OA would likely see minor tsunami impacts on creeks from a local earthquake event, with any floodwaters flowing up creeks impacting people visiting the creeks. A local earthquake tsunami can occur any time, and the resulting floodwater waves can carry damaging debris.
LANDSLIDE /MASS MOVEMENT - The U.S. Geological Survey defines landslides to include a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debris flows. Although gravity acting on an over -steepened slope is the primary reason for a landslide, there are other contributing factors.
Landslides and mudslides can be initiated by storms, earthquakes, fires, volcanic eruptions, or human modification of the land. They can move rapidly down slopes or through channels and can strike with littl e or no warning at avalanche speeds, posing a serious hazard to properties on or below hillsides.
When landslides occur—in response to such changes as increased water content, earthquake shaking, addition of load, or removal of downslope support—they deform and tilt the ground surface. The result can be destruction of foundations, offset of roads, breaking of underground pipes, or overriding of downslope property and structures.
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The USGS defines land subsidence as the loss of surface elevation due to the re moval of subsurface support. In California, the two principal causes for land subsidence are aquifer compaction due to excessive groundwater pumping and decomposition of wetland soils exposed to air after wetland conversion to farmland.
HEAT EVENTS - While heat waves do not elicit the same immediate response as floods, fires and earthquakes, heat waves kill more people in the United States than all of the other weather-related disasters combined. The 10 -year average (2013 -2022) for heat related deaths in the U.S. is 153 in a typical year. Over the decades, heat waves have steadily increased in severity. One heat wave event in California occurred in Southern California in 1955, when an eight-day heat wave resulted in 946 deaths. A heat wave in July 2006 was the attributing cause of deaths to 138 people throughout C alifornia over a 13-day period. More recently, however, a record-breaking heat wave occurred across California f rom August 31 through September 9, 2022. Temperature records were set in approximately 1,500 locales and excessive heat warnings were issued for much of the state. During the 10-day span of the heat wave, there were 8,324 deaths in California, compared to an average of 7, 929 in the comparison periods during summer 2022. This translates to 395 excess deaths during the heat wave period, or 5.0 percent more deaths than would be expected.
The NWS uses the Heat Index to issue excessive heat watches and warnings. The Heat Index combines air temperature and relative humidity to determine the human- perceived equivalent temperature. NWS will issue an excessive heat watch when conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event within the next 24 to 72 hours. An excessive heat event is generally defined as when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least two (2) days and nighttime air temperatures will not drop below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. An excessive heat warning is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions.
COLD EVENTS - While the City of Santa Clara is not generally known for having extremely cold weather, temperatures nearing freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius) can be dangerous when exposed to for extended periods without proper shelter or clothing.
Unusually cold temperatures pose a risk to several demographic cross sections within the city.
The NWS issues Wind Chill Watches and Warnings, Freeze Watches and Warnings and Frost Advisories. These notifications are based on a number of factors, including temperature, wind speed, humidity and various other factors. These notifications may illicit a response in various forms, such as the activation of a warming center located within City boundaries.
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY - A public health emergency involves the occurrence of any situation or event involving the presence and risk of exposure to any hazardo us substance, waste or material, or communicable disease, virus or contagion that significantly impacts life safety. A public health emergency is proclaimed when a toxic substance or communicable disease is present in such a form as to significantly impact life safety within the population at large.
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Typical public health emergency situations include exposure to the following:
• Released toxic substance, chemical or material
• Fluid or airborne pathogen
• High levels of environmental pollution
• Infectious disease
• Contaminated food and beverages
• Untreated liquid and solid waste
Widespread exposure to communicable diseases and released hazards can have devastating effects on unprotected populations. Past epidemics , including influenza , have claimed millions of lives. New strains of viruses and other communicable diseases are being identified that are resistant to existing vaccinations and medical inoculations. Public health emergencies can occur or might generate from any of the following locations:
• Locations where hazardous materials are stored, processed, used or transported • Hospitals, clinics and other medical treatment facilities • Laboratories and research facilities
• Natural environments that are breeding grounds for pathogens • Areas subject to high concentrations of pollutants
Several public health emergencies have impacted the City of Santa Clara and/or the wider county in recent years, including:
• Ebola, 2014
• Shigella, 2015
• Zika, 2015
• Meningitis, 2016
• Coronavirus, 2020
The introduction of any contagious pathogen or disease into the general population can result in the development of an epidemic. The occurrence of an epidemic in the county could result in the death of hundreds, if not thousands, of people over a relatively short period of time.
The Public Health Department (PHD) has prepared for pandemic disease events, including pandemic flu.
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Various components of the County’s incident management organization, including the Medical -Health Joint Operations Center (MHJOC) and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), were activated as early as January 2020 in response to the COVID -19 threat identified in China during the Fall and Winter of 2019. To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the costliest, most devastating disaster to impact Santa Clara County in its history. As of this draft (December 15
th, 2023) , 2,988 people residing in the
County have succumbed to the disease. The County’s expenditures on response and relief efforts total in excess of $600 million. The City of Santa Clara has reported a total of 29,095 COVID-19 cases as of December 15, 2023.
TECHNOLOGICAL AND RESOURCE EMERGEN CY - Technological and resource emergencies may involve the disruption of critical lifeline systems, collapse of engineered structures, failure of
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essential service facilities, or widespread shortage of critical materials, supplies and subsistence items. Generally, technological emergencies occur when a human engineered system fails, whether due to poor design, lack of effective preventive maintenance, sabotage, virus or demand overload.
The following hazards are associated with technological and resource emergencies:
• Disruption of essential services (i.e., electricity, gas, water and sewer) • Loss of government’s ability to provide services
• Potential adverse impact to the environment
• Panic resulting from shortages of key commodities and subsistence items • Disruption of commerce and business activity vital to the community • Significant economic impact associated with production delays, lost revenues and costs with associated system restoration and recovery
The City of Santa Clara is dependent upon a highly complex technological infrastructure. The public depends on the continuation of commercial utility operations, the safety of transportation structures and facilities, the production of critical commodities and the distribution of essential supplies.
The following facility /structure types are generally considered to be at risk for disruptions and/or outages:
• Power generation and distribution substations
• Wastewater collection, pump stations, system and treatment plants • Water storage, pump stations, wells and distribution system facilities • Hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and other essential service facilities • Key highway bridges, airport facilities, and rail lines • Critical government and commercial communications and broadcast facilities • Key subsistence production, processing, storage, and distribution facilities • Fuel processing and distribution facilities
• Flood control facilities
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENT - The release of hazardous materials has the potential for adverse impacts upon human health, the environment and property, depending upon the type, location and quantity of material released. Jurisdictions near roadways that are frequently used for transpor ting hazardous materials and jurisdictions with industrial facilities that use, store or dispose of such materials all have increased potential for major hazardous material incidents.
There are three (3) major highways that cross through or border the city in some capacity and may carry large quantities of hazardous materials: U.S. 101, I -880, and I-280. U.S. 101 and I- 880 are the most heavily traveled in terms of truck traffic and are the most frequent location of hazardous materials spills which occur on major roads. Natural gas pipelines also run south to north along U.S. 101. Truck, rail, and pipeline transfer facilities are concentrated along this
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highway in or near the city and are involved in considerable handling and transport of hazardous materials.
City of Santa Clara industries often use and produce hazardous materials that require on-site management and off -site disposal. These materials could be released during disasters such as earthquakes or terrorist attacks. Some of the hazardous waste generated in the c ity may be transported off-site to pre -approved treatment and disposal sites throughout the state.
The balance may be disposed of on- site through methods including evaporation ponds, incineration, pre-treatment of sewage discharge and/or recycling.
Emergency response actions associated with hazardous materials are presented in the “County of Santa Clara Hazardous Materials Area Plan ” which is maintained by the Department of Environmental Health Hazardous Material Compliance Division The Santa Clara Fire Department enforces the 2013 California Fire Code with local amendments. The local amendments to the Santa Clara Municipal Fire & Environmental Code are available online. As a CUPA (Certified Unified Program Agency), the Santa Clara Fire Department Community Risk Reduction Division also enforces portions of the California Health and Safety Code and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) that relate to hazardous waste, hazardous waste treatment at fixed facilities, underground storage tanks, petroleum stored in aboveground tanks and the California Accidental Release Prevention Program.
TERRORISM AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION - Terrorist activities are those that involve an illegal use of force, are intended to intimidate, or coerce, and are committed in support of political or social objectives. Terrorism utilizes the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of the criminal laws of the United States for purposes of intimidation, coercion or ransom. Terrorists often use threats to create fear among the public, to try to convince community members that their government is powerless to prevent terrorism, and to achieve immediate publicity for their causes. Acts of terrorism include threats of assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, bomb scares and bombings, cyberattacks, and the use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive weapons.
A terrorist activity emergency has its own unique characteristics and must be dealt with in accordance with its magnitude and with an appropriate level of response. P lans and procedures have been created, exercised and revised for both the most likely and worst-case scenarios. Intentional release of such weapons could cause considerable damage. Early detection and control of biological or chemical attacks is vital to t he success in limiting the scope of damage. Chemical terrorism acts are likely to be identified by first responders because of their immediate and obvious symptoms.
Conversely, attacks with biological agents are liable to be covert, and therefore much more difficult to recognize. Biological agents will not have an immediate impact because of the delay between exposure and the onset of illness (the incubation period), thus compounding the difficulty of early detection. Recognizing that the symptoms are a res ult of a biological agent will be challenging without prior experience or training, and an awareness of a
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preceding event. Only a short window of time exists between the identification of the first cases and before a second, larger wave of the populace becomes ill.
DOMESTIC TERRORISM - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines domestic terrorism (DT) as violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial or environmental nature.
Domestic Violent Extremists can be divided into several threat categories:
• Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist – those with ideological agendas derived from bias, often related to race or ethnicity, held by the actor against other s, including a given population group.
• Anti-government/Anti-authority violent extremist – those with ideological agendas derived from anti-government or anti- authority sentiment, including opposition to perceived economic, social or racial hierarchies; or perceived government overreach, negligence or illegitimacy.
• Animal rights/environmental violent extremist – those seeking to end or mitigate perceived cruelty, harm or exploitation of animals or perceived exploitation or destruction of natural resources and the environment.
• Abortion-related violent extremist – those with ideological agendas in support of pro- life or pro-choice beliefs.
• All other domestic terrorism threats – those with ideological agendas that are not otherwise defined under one of the other domestic terrorism threat categories, including a combination of personal grievances and beliefs with potential bias related to religion, gender or sexual orientation.
COMPLEX AND COORDINATED ATTACK - A complex attack is conducted by multiple hostile elements which employ at least two (2) distinct classes of weapon systems (i.e., indirect fire, direct fire, homemade explosives) against one or more targets. A coordinated attack exhibits deliberate planning conducted by multiple hostile elements or against one or more targets from multiple locations. A coordinated attack may involve any number of weapon systems.
The key difference between a complex attack and a coordinated attack is that a coordinated attack requires the indication of long-term planning.
CIVIL UNREST - A civil unrest activity such as a demonstration, riot or strike that disrupts a community and requires intervention to maintain public safety. A civil unrest activity may disrupt many areas of the community, and possibly include interruption of daily operations of essential services, such as law enforcement and healthcare systems.
CYBER-ATTACK - A cyber incident involves either the theft or modification of information on a computer system, or a system compromise with the potential to disrupt essential services.
A system compromise can impact one or more County agencies, local jurisdictions, a private utility, or specific Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources (CIKR) such as the power grid, public transportation systems and wireless networks.
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A cyber incident can affect a system’s:
• Confidentiality: protecting a user’s private information • Integrity: ensuring that data is protected and cannot be altered by unauthorized parties • Availability: keeping services running and giving administration access to key networks and controls
Cyber-attacks differ by motive, attack type and vector, and perpetrator profile. Motives for cyber-attacks can vary greatly, ranging from the pursuit of financial gain —the primary motivation for what is commonly referred to as “cyber- crimes”—to political or social aims.
Hacktivism is the act of hacking, or breaking into a computer system, for a political or social purpose. It is the most common motivation for incidents affecting New York City, based on historical occurrences. Cyber espionage is the act of obtaining secrets without permission of the holder of the information, using methods on the Internet, networks or individual computers.
A cyber-attack has the potential to compromise the digital infrastructure and security of any individual or organization. Such attacks vary in nature and are perpetrated using digital mediums and social engineering. Generally, the impact of cyber- attacks is felt for a few minutes or up to a few days; however, large-scale cyber incidents can create longer term impacts. Cyber -attacks may be carried out by a variety of perpetrators, which may be external, internal, and partners to the organization, agency, institution or business.
THREAT/HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT (THIRA) The THIRA is a three-step risk assessment completed every three (3) years on a regional-level through the Bay Area UASI. The THIRA helps communities understand their risks and determine the level of capability needed to address those risks. The outputs from the process lay the foundation for determining a community’s capability gaps during the stakeholder preparedness review (SPR).
The THIRA addresses the following questions:
• What threats and hazards can affect our community?
• If they occurred, what impacts would those threats and hazards have on our community? • Based on those impacts, what capabilities should our community have?
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Step 1: Identify Threats and Hazards. Based on a combination of experience, forecasting, subject matter expertise, and other available resources, the Bay Area UASI developed a list of threats and hazards that could affect the region.
Step 2: Give Threats and Hazards Context. Then regional stakeholders described the threats and hazards identified in Step 1, showing how they may affect the region and create challenges in performing the core capabilities. In other words, the group identified the impacts each threat or hazard may have on a community.
Step 3: Establish Capability Targets. Using the impacts described in Step 2, stakeholders determined the level of capability that plans should achieve over time in order to manage the threats and hazards it faces. The Bay Area UASI used standardized language to create capability targets for impacts, objectives, and timeframe metrics. A core capability is comprised of several functional areas in which a community may have a gap. Each required standardized target addresses one or more functional areas.
The most recent Bay Area UASI THIRA, published in 2021, included the following:
• Added a pandemic influenza scenario
• Added improvised nuclear device (IND) scenario
• Updated radiological dispersal device (RDD) scenario
PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS
The organizations described or noted in this EOP will be aware of significant emergency conditions as they arise. These conditions will trigger a response consistent with the respective responsibilities and roles defined either by the EOP , or other legal and policy frameworks. The responding organizations will be constrained in their response by the level of training, readiness activities, and interagency coordination undertaken prior to the incident . The planning assumptions are as follows:
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• The citizens in the City of Santa Clara will be expected to provide for their immediate needs to the extent possible for potentially several days following a catastrophic event, or for at least 24 hours following a location-specific incident. This may include public as well as private resources in the form of lifeline services. • Public, private, volunteer organizations and the general public should be prepared to utilize their o wn resources and be self- sufficient for potentially several days , possibly longer.
• In the event of a large -scale incident or event , it may become necessary to shelter a substantial number of the city population due to either evacuation or damage to residences.
• A catastrophic earthquake would adversely impact local government and response capabilities. Consequently, a number of local emergencies may be proclaimed. • Communications, electrical power, water lines, natural gas lines, sewer lines and fuel stations may be seriously impaired following a major incident and may not be fully restored for 30 days or more.
• Transportation corridors will be affected so only equipment, foodstuffs, supplies and materials currently on hand may be available for use during the first several days or more of emergency operations.
• Large numbers of medically fragile evacuees may require transportation to/from shelter locations.
• It is possible only emergency response personnel on duty at the time of a significant earthquake will be available during the first operational period. • Infrastructure damage may limit the number of emergency response personnel available to staff, the City EOC or other incident management organization functions for at least the first 12 hours.
• In the event of a complex large incident or event, a clear picture regarding the extent of damage, loss of life and injuries may not be known for well over a day. • County support of City emergency operations will be based on the principle of self-help.
The City will be responsible for utilizing all available local resources along with initiating mutual aid and cooperative assistance agreements before requesting assistance from the county per SEMS.
• There may be multiple operations or logistics needs for the same facilities located in the city, many of which may be owned and controlled by outside agencies , including the County, State, or Federal governments, or the private sector. • The City’s planning, policies, strategies, operations and tactics will make every effort to consider the needs of the general population, children of all ages, individuals with disabilities, and others with AFN.
• Some evacuees may require specialized medical care found only in a hospital, and/or access to medication, refrigeration, mobility devices, or service animals.
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• The EOC Mass Care and Shelter Branch, in collaboration with the Red Cross will ensure shelters meet the minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, As Amended (ADA), and AB 781 regarding the accommodations of persons with pets.
• City EOC capabilities may be limited for the first operational period if communication links to other agencies and City departments are impacted. • Essential city services will be maintained as long as conditions permit. • An emergency will require prompt and effective response and recovery operations by the entire city incident management enterprise, to include emergency services, mutual aid resources, disaster relief and volunteer o rganizations, the private sector, the elected, executive, strategic, operational and tactical incident responders, and the whole community.
• Because of damage to the transportation infrastructure, out -of-region, State and Federal resources and mutual aid, may not begin to arrive for several days. • All emergency response staff are trained and experienced in operating under the SEMS/NIMS/ICS protocols and procedures.
• Parts o f the entire city may be affected by environmental and technological emergencies.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide threat conditions and identify possible targets through the regional intelligence collection and dissemination structures.
• Control over city resources will remain at the city-level, although the Governor has the legal authority to assume control in a State Proclamation of Emergency.
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CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
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CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
The Office of E mergency Management identifies potential threats to life, property and the environment, and then develops plans and procedures to respond to those threats in as consistent and flexible a manner as possible. These plans and procedures will help to coordinate and support emergency response and recovery activities , will be tested through exercises , and validated by the results of actual response. The goal is to maintain a robust incident management organization with strong collaborative ties among governments, community-based organizations, volunteers, public service agencies and the private sector. The City conforms to, and this EOP complies with, SEMS, NIMS and ICS guidelines.
NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (NRF)
The NRF is based upon the premise that incidents are handled at the lowest jurisdictional level.
In the vast majority of incidents, state and local resources and interstate mutual aid will provide the first line of emergency response and incident management support. When state resources and capabilities are overwhelmed, g overnors may request federal assistance. The NRF provides the framework for federal interaction with state, local, tribal, private sector and non - governmental entities in the context of domestic incident m anagement to ensure timely and effective federal support.
The NRF is the core operational plan for national incident management and establishes national- level coordinating structures, processes and protocols that will be incorporated into certain existing federal interagency incident or hazard -specific plans. The NRF is intended to facilitate coordination among local, state, tribal and federal governments and the private sector without impinging on any jurisdiction or restricting the ability of those entities to do their jobs. The NRF does not alter or impede the ability of first responders to carry out their specific authorities or perform their responsibilities.
The NRF and NIMS are designed to work in tandem to improve the Nation’s incident management capabilities and overall efficiency. Use of NIMS enables local, state, tribal and federal governments and private-sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to work together effectively and efficiently to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from actual or potential domestic incidents regardless of cause, size or complexity.
STANDARD EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SEMS)
SEMS is required by California Government Code Section 8607(a) for managing response to multi- agency and multi -jurisdiction incidents in California. SEMS incorporates the use of the ICS, the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, the Operational Area Concept and multi -agency coordination. Local governments must use SEMS to be eligible for reimbursement of their response-related personnel costs under state disaster assistance programs.
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NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS)
NIMS provides a comprehensive, whole community, whole government approach to incident management for all hazards and integrates existing best practices in to a consistent nationwide approach to domestic incident management that is applicable to all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines. NIMS is based on a balance of flexibility and standardization that allows government and private entities at all levels to work together to manage domestic incidents, regardless of their cause, size, location or complexity. Five (5) major components make up this system’s approach: preparedness; communications and information management; resource management; command and management; and ongoing management and supporting technologies.
INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS)
A primary component of SEMS and NIMS, ICS is a standardized on-scene emergency management system designed to allow for an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS addresses both organization and process. ICS is used to manage facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications through the use of a common organizational structu re and standardized procedures, per the ICS Field Operations Guide (ICS 420-1).
INTEGRATING FEDERAL , STATE, AND LOCAL SYSTEMS
Taken together the NRF, SEMS, NIMS, ICS and this EOP integrate the capabilities and resources of various governmental jurisdictions, incident management and emergency response disciplines, non-governmental organizations ( NGOs), and the private sector into a cohesive, coordinated and seamless national framew ork for domestic incident management. It should be understood that field level emergency responders, Department Operations Center (DOC) and Emergency Operations C enter (EOC) staff, department executives, elected officials and public information officers all have a vital role in successful comprehensive incident management and make up the Incident Management Enterprise. For a complete crosswalk of the Federal Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), State Emergency Functions (EFs), and county and local EOC functions, see Appendix B.
CORE CAPABILITY OVERVIEW
In the National Preparedness Goal , FEMA describes 32 core capabilities for the incident management enterprise that address the greatest risks to the nation. As a community , the city contributes to the Goal and strengthens our local and national preparedness by preparing for the risks that are most relevant and urgent for the City of Santa Clara. It is important to note that these core capabilities may have different incident management enterprise disciplines that are more specialized in some of these areas than others, while other core capabilities may be
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universally applicable to all incident management enterprise disciplines/practitioners. The 32 core capabilities are:
Planning – Conduct a systematic process engaging the whole community, as appropriate, in the development of executable strategic, operational and/or tactical-level approaches to meet defined objectives.
Public Information and Warning – Deliver coordinated, prompt, reliable and actionable information to the whole community through the use of clear, consistent, accessible and culturally and linguistically appropriate methods to effectively relay information regarding any threat or hazard, as well as the actions being taken and the assistance being made available, as appropriate.
Operational Coordination – Establish and maintain a unified and coordinated operational structure and process that appropriately integrates all critical stakeholders and supports the execution of core capabilities.
Forensics and Attribution – Conduct forensic analysis and attribute terrorist acts (including the means and methods of terrorism) to their source, to include forensic analysis as well as attribution for an attack and for the preparati on for an attack in an effort to prevent initial or follow-on acts and/or swiftly develop counter-options.
Intelligence and Information Sharing – Provide timely, accurate and actionable information resulting from the planning, direction, collection, exploi tation, processing, analysis, production, dissemination, evaluation and feedback of available information concerning physical and cyber threats to the OA, its people, property or interests.
Information sharing is the ability to exchange intelligence, infor mation, data or knowledge among government or private sector entities, as appropriate.
Interdiction and Disruption – Delay, divert, intercept, halt, apprehend or secure threats and/or hazards.
Screening, Search, and Detection – Identify, discover or locate threats and/or hazards through active and passive surveillance and search procedures. This may include the use of s ystematic examinations and assessments, bio -surveillance, sensor technologies or physical investigation and intelligence.
Access Control and Identity Verification – Apply and support necessary physical, technological and cyber measures to control admittance to critical locations and systems.
Cybersecurity – Protect (and if needed, restore) electronic communications systems, information and services from damage, unauthorized use and exploitation.
Physical Protective Measures – Implement and maintain risk-informed countermeasures and policies protecting people, borders, structures, materials, products and systems associated with key operational activities and critical infrastructure sectors.
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Risk Management for Protection Programs and Activities – Identify, assess and prioritize risks to inform Protection activities, countermeasures and investments.
Supply Chain Integrity and Security – Strengthen the security and resilience of the supply chain.
Community Resilience – Enable the recognition, unders tanding, communication of, and planning for risk and empower individuals and communities to make informed risk management decisions necessary to adapt to, withstand and quickly recover from future incidents.
Long-term Vulnerability Reduction – Build and su stain resilient systems, communities and critical infrastructure and key resources lifelines so as to reduce their vulnerability to natural, technological and human-caused threats and hazards by lessening the likelihood, severity and duration of the adverse consequences.
Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment – Assess risk and disaster resilience so that decision makers, responders and community members can take informed action to reduce their entity's risk and increase their resilience.
Threats and Hazards Identification – Identify the threats and hazards that occur in the geographic area, determine the frequency and magnitude , and incorporate these into analysis and planning processes so as to clearly understand the needs of a community or entity.
Critical Transportation – Provide transportation (including infrastructure access and accessible transportation services) for response priority objectives , including the evacuation of people and animals, and the delivery of vital response personnel, equipment and services into the affected areas.
Environmental Response/Health and Safety – Conduct appropriate measures to ensure the protection of the health a nd safety of the public and workers, as well as the environment, from all -hazards in support of responder operations and the affected communities.
Fatality Management Services – Provide fatality management services, including decedent remains recovery and victim identification, working with local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area and federal authorities to provide mortuary processes, temporary storage or permanent internment solutions, sharing information with mass care services for the purpose of r eunifying family members and caregivers with missing persons/remains, and providing counseling to the bereaved.
Fire Management and Suppression – Provide structural, wildland and specialized firefighting capabilities to manage and suppress fires of all types, kinds and complexities while protecting the lives, property and the environment in the affected area.
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Infrastructure Systems – Stabilize critical infrastructure functions, minimize health and safety threats, and efficiently restore and revitalize systems and services to support a viable, resilient community.
Logistics and Supply Management – Deliver essential commodities, equipment and services in support of impacted communities and survivors, to include emergency power and fuel support, as well as the coordination of access to community staples. Synchronize logistics capabilities and enable the restoration of impacted supply chains.
Mass Care S ervices – Provide life -sustaining and human services to the affected population, to include hydration, feeding, sheltering, temporary housing, evacuee support, reunification and distribution of emergency supplies.
Mass Search and Rescue Operations – Deliver traditional and atypical search and rescue capabilities, including personnel, services, animals and assets to survivors in need, with the goal of saving the greatest number of endangered lives in the shortest time possible.
On-scene Security, Protection, and Law Enforcement – Ensure a safe and secure environment through law enforcement and related security and protection operations for people and communities located within affected areas and also for response personnel engaged in lifesaving and life-sustaining operations.
Operational Communications – Ensure the capacity for timely communications in support of security, situational awareness, and operations by any and all means available, among and between affected communities in the impact area and all response forces.
Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services – Provide lifesaving medical treatment via Emergency Medical Services and related operations and avoid additional disease and injury by providing targeted public health, medical and behavioral health support and products to all affected populations.
Situational Assessment – Provide all decision makers with decision-relevant information regarding the nature and extent of the hazard, any cascading effects and the status of the response.
Economic Recovery – Return economic and business activities (including food and agriculture) to a healthy state and develop new business and employment opportunities that result in an economically viable community.
Health and Social Services – Restore and improve health and social services capabilities and networks to promote the resilience, independence, health (including behavioral health) and well-being of the whole community.
Housing – Implement housing solutions that effectively support the needs of the whole community and contribute to its sustainability and resilience.
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Natural and Cultural Resources – Protect natural and cultural resources and historic properties through appropriate planning, mitigation, response and recovery actions to preserve, conserve, rehabilitate and restore them consistent with post- disaster community priorities and best practices and in compliance with applicable environmental and historic preservation laws and executive orders.
The 32 core capabilities have been grouped into five (5) mission areas to serve as an aid in organizing our preparedness activities. Some capabilities fall into only one mission area, while others apply to several mission areas. The mission areas are not to be confused with the four (4) phases of emergency management, which are discussed in greater detail in the following section of this EOP. The five (5) mission areas and their aligned core capabilities are as follows:
Prevention – Prevention includes those capabilities necessary to avoid, prevent or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism. It is focused on ensuring we are optimally prepared to prevent an imminent terrorist attack within the community. The core capabilities that support the Prevention mission include:
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Intelligence and Information Sharing
• Interdiction and Disruption
• Screening, Search, and Detection
• Forensics and Attribution
Protection – Protection in cludes the capabilities necessary to secure the homeland against acts of terrorism and manmade or natural disasters. It is focused on actions to protect the citizens, residents, visitors, and critical assets, systems and networks against our greatest risks to our community in a manner that allows our interests, aspirations, and way of life to thrive. The core capabilities that support the Protection mission include:
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Intelligence and Information Sharing
• Interdiction and Disruption
• Screening, Search, and Detection
• Access Control and Identity Verification
• Cybersecurity
• Physical Protective Measures
• Risk Management for Protection Programs and Activities • Supply Chain Integrity and Security
Mitigation – Mitigation includes the capabilities necessary to reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. It is focused on the premise that individuals, the private sector, communities, critical infrastructure and the community as a whole are made more resilient when the consequences and impacts, the duration and the financial
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and human costs to respond to and recover from adverse incidents are all reduced. The core capabilities that support the Mitigation mission include:
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Community Resilience
• Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction
• Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment
• Threats and Hazards Identification
Response – Response includes the capabilities necessary to save lives, prote ct property and the environment, and meet basic human needs after an incident has occurred. It is focused on ensuring that the community is able to effectively respond to any threat or hazard, including those with cascading effects, with an emphasis on saving and sustaining lives and stabilizing the incident, as well as rapidly meeting basic human needs, restoring basic services and community functionality, establishing a safe and secure environment, and supporting the transition to recovery. The core capabilities that support the Response mission include:
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Infrastructure Systems
• Critical Transportation
• Environmental Response/Health and Safety
• Fatality Management Services
• Fire Management and Suppression
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Mass Care Services
• Mass Search and Rescue Operations
• On-Scene Security, Protection, and Law Enforcement
• Operational Communications
• Public Health, Healthcare, and Medical Services
• Situational Assessment
Recovery – Recovery includes the core capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively. It is focused on a timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of the infrastructure; housing; a sustaina ble economy; and the health, social, cultural, historic and environmental fabric of communities affected by a catastrophic incident. The core capabilities that support the Recovery mission are:
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Infrastructure Systems
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• Economic Recovery
• Health and Social Services
• Housing
• Natural and Cultural Resources
The following is a chart visually describing the alignment of the various core capabilities in relation to their respective mission areas:
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PHASES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
In addition to the 5 Mission Areas, Emergency management functions are generally grouped into the four (4) phases of mitigation, preparedness, response, and r ecovery, within which the 5 Mission Areas take place . The grouping of
emergency management functions is useful for classifying and conceptualizing activities. While useful for targeting efforts and resources, the phases of emergency
management are not distinct; activities in each phase often overlap with other phases. For example, recovery projects often include elements of mitigation ( i.e., rebuilding structures using current building codes) and response often includes recovery measures ( i.e., immediate debris
removal). The phases are also cyclical in nature . L essons learned from an incident are applied in preparedness efforts for future emergencies and major disasters. The following se ctions provide examples of the types of activities that take place in each phase.
MITIGATION
Mitigation activities occur before, during and after incidents. Post-disaster mitigation is part of the recovery process. Eliminating or reducing the impact of hazards that exist within the city and are a threat to life and property are part of the mitigation efforts.
Mitigation tools include:
• Detailed plans to mitigate future hazards
• Land use planning
• Local ordinances and statutes (i.e., zoning ordinances, building codes, etc.) • Structural measures
• Tax levies or abatements
• Public information and community relations
PREPAREDNESS
Preparedness activities occur in ad vance of an emergency and develop operational capabilities, enact protective measures and enhance effective responses to a disaster. These activities can include emerge ncy/disaster planning, training and exercises, and public education. Citizen preparedness activities are key elements in this phase and a significant factor in the success of a community in responding to an emergency. Members of the incident management enterprise and local organization develop EOPs, SOPs and checklists detailing personnel assignments, policies, notification rosters and resource lists. Personnel are familiarized with these EOPs, SOPs and checklists through periodic training in the activation and execution of procedures.
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OEM maintains se veral contact lists of agencies and personnel critical to emergency operations. Those lists include City EOC responders, key contacts within external cities/towns and county agencies, state agency contacts and other organizational contacts.
RESPONSE
The response phase can be further broken down into three (3) types of response — pre-emergency, immediate and on-going emergency responses.
PRE-EMERGENCY RESPONSE (OR CRISIS RESPONSE ) If warning mechanisms exist for a particular hazard , then respons e actions to emphasize protection of life, property and environment can be anticipated. Typical pre -emergency and crisis response actions may include:
• Alerting necessary agencies, placing critical resources on stand-by • Warning threatened populations of the emergency and apprising them of safety measures to be implemented
• Evacuation of threatened populations to safe areas
• Identifying the need for mutual aid
• Proclamation of a Local Emergency by local authorities IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE During this phase, emphasis is placed on saving lives and property, attempting to establish and maintain control of the situation and minimizing effects of the disaster. Immediate response is accomplished within the affected a rea by local government agencies and segments of the private sector. The primary activities are on-scene by first or early responders.
ON-GOING (OR SUSTAINED ) EMERGENCY RESPONSE In addition to continuing preservation of life and property operations, mass care, relocation, public information, situation analysis, status and damage assessment operations may be initiated. Ongoing response usually involves many organizations and the activation of the City EOC.
RECOVERY
Recovery includes both short-term activities intended to return vital life -support systems to operation, and long-term activities designed to return infrastructure systems to pre-disaster conditions. The major objectives of the recovery period include:
• Reinstatement of family and community integrity
• Provision of essential public services
• Restoration of private and public property
• Identification of residual hazards
• Preliminary plans to mitigate future hazards
• Recovery of costs associated with response and recovery efforts • Coordination of state and federal public and individual assistance
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ORGANIZATION AND ASSIGNMENT
OF RESPONSIBILITIES
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ORGANIZATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES
SEMS designates five (5) organizational levels —
field response level, local government level, OA
level, regional level, and state level with each level
being activated in a modular component network
style as needed.
FIELD RESPONSE
The field response level is where emergency
response personnel and resources, under the
command of an appropriate authority, carry out
tactical decisions and activations in direct
response to an incident, multiple incidents or
threat. This is the incident level where the
emergency response begins. SEMS regulations
require the use of ICS at this level of an incident. Field response agencies are most often represented by fire, law enforcement, EMS and public health ; public works and parks departments may be early responders in the field as well.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Local governments include
cities/towns, counties and special
districts. Local governments
manage and coordinate the overall
emergency response and recovery
activities between emergency
agencies and operations centers
within their jurisdiction (such as
local EOCs and DOCs) . This is the
first coordination level above the
field response. Local governments
are required to use SEMS when their
emergency operations center is
activated or a local emergency is
declared.
CITY EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION
In accordance with the Santa Clara City Code (SCCC) 2.140, The City of Santa Clara Code of Ordinances establishes the C ity Manager as the Director of Emergency Services. SCCC
2.140.050 additionally identifies succession of the Director of Emergency Services to include
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the Deputy Director of Emergency Services, who shall be appointed by the Director and shall act fo r the Director when the Director is incapacitated or otherwise unable to carry out his/her duties. The Director of Emergency Services is responsible to the City Council.
CITY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (CITY EOC)
The Director of Emergency Services is supported by OEM staff and will coordinate the C ity’s strategic disaster response and management out of the City EOC.
An EOC is a location from which centralized emergency management can be performed during an emergency or disaster. An EOC makes possible a coordinated response by the Director of Emergency Services, emergency management staff and representatives from agencies and other organizations who are assigned emergency management responsibilities.
An EOC p rovides a central location of authority and information . It also allows for face -to- face coordination and collaboration among personnel who represent governmental incident management functions and/or capabilities who must make strategic emergency decisions to ensure incident support and continuity of government.
The City EOC is the focal point for communication between the city and the county, as well as between the City’s departmental strategic leadership , the DOCs and field incident command structures within the city. Position-based SOPs and checklists are followed during an EOC activation. The level of staffing will vary based on the needs of the specific event or incident. Ensuring the C ity EOC readiness to activate at any time is the respo nsibility of the Director of Emergency Services and is carried out by City OEM staff.
The following is a list of example activities that are performed in the city EOC:
• Information sharing
• Limited resource management
• Support of field response operations
• Collect and disseminate warning information
• Collect intelligence from, and disseminate information to, the various EOC representatives, the county, neighboring cities, special districts and state and federal agencies, as appropriate
• Prepare intelligence/information summaries, situation reports, operational reports and other reports as needed
• Maintain general and specific maps, information display boards and other data pertaining to city emergency operations and situational awareness • Ensure continuity of government priorities, objectives and actions are taken • Analyze and evaluate all data pertaining to city emergency operations • Maintain contact and coordination with city DOCs and other EOCs, including other local jurisdictions, the County, region, and the State
• Provide emergency information and instructions to the public, making official releases to the news media and scheduling press conferences, as necessary
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• Develop emergency policies and procedures in collaboration with senior policy advisory executives
OBJECTIVES The overall objective of emergency management is to ensure effective government preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery for situations associated with natural disasters, terrorist attacks, technological incidents and national security emergencies.
To carry out its responsibilities, the city EOC organization will accomplish the following objectives during a disaster/emergency:
• Support and coordinate emergency response and recovery operations • Provide an active presence of the City Manager, or designee, in setting objectives, establishing priorities and making decisions that affect city government and the general public
• Coordinate and work with appropriate federal, state, county and other local government agencies, as well as applicable segments of private sector entities and volunteer agencies to assess situation status, monitor resource needs, and coordinate requests for resources from outside agencies and jurisdictions • Establish priorities and resolve conflicting demands for support or scarce resources • Ensure continuity of government priorities, objectives and actions are taken • Prepare and disseminate information to alert, warn and inform the public • Collect and disseminate damage and other essential data about the situation • Fulfill obligations for intelligence gathering and information flow as described in SEMS and other guidelines
• Provide logistical support for the emergency response where appropriate and requested
• Oversee and manage activities incurring costs and expenditures • Collect records needed for successful cost recovery
• Integrate equity into all aspects of emergency management, ensuring delivery of services to the whole community, including the needs of individuals with access and functional needs
LOCATION
The City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Center is located at 1990 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050, and various locations have been identified as potential alternate EOC sites .
Other “pop-up” alternate EOC locations could be set up, utilized or identified on an as-needed basis depending on the nature of the catalyst incident and the availability of facilities/locations. The primary EOC was built in 1982 and has undergone a number of technological, power and other infrastructure improvements and upgrades in the years and decades since its construction. The EOC has been activated for a number of real -world and exercise events.
ACTIVATION The city EOC shall be activated, and SEMS used when any of the following conditions exist:
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• A Department Operations Center (DOC) within the city has activated and requested activation of the EOC to support their emergency operations • Two (2) or more neighboring border cities proclaim a local emergency for related events/incidents
• The county has activated the OA EOC and requested activation of the city EOC to support their emergency operations
• The Director of Emergency Services determines that conditions (including a pre- planned special or large-scale event) warrant activation of the City EOC. • A state of emergency is proclaimed by the governor for the county and/or two or more neighboring border cities
• The city is requesting resources from outside its boundaries, except those resources used in normal day-to-day operations which are obtained through existing mutual aid agreements
In all other cases, activation will be at the discretion of the Director of Emergency Services as advised by OEM emergency management staff. SCCC 2.140.050 acknowledges the current designation by the Director of Emergency Services of the order of succession to that office.
ORGANIZATION The diagram below is the current EOC organizational structure.
DEACTIVATION Deactivation of the City EOC occurs upon order of the EOC Director based on incident status. Deactivation may occur through a gradual decrease in staffing or all at once.
City EOC responders must follow applicable deactivation procedures as directed by the EOC Director and identified in the EOC position-specific checklists.
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OPERATIONAL AREA (OA)
The “Operational Area ” is conceptual in nature and incorporates the effective incident management collaboration of the various jurisdictions within the boundaries of Santa Clara County. The County of Santa Clara, as a jurisdiction and organization , is charged with taking the lead coordination and arbitration role within the OA and with being the primary point of contact and for the region and state. In an OA lead entity capacity, the County manages and/or coordinates information, resources, and priorities among local governments and serves as the link between the local government level and the regional level. At this level, the governing bodies are required in SEMS to reach consensus on how resources will be allocated in a major crisis affecting multiple jurisdictions or agencies.
California G overnment Code , Title 2, Division 1, Chapter 7, Article 9 —California Emergency Services Act— defines an operational area as:
“Each county is designated as an operational a rea. In a state of war emergency each operational area shall serve as a link in the s ystem of communications and coordination between the state’s emergency operating centers and the operating centers of the political subdivisions comprising the operational area.
The governing bodies of each county and of the political subdivisions in the county may organize and structure their operational area.
An operational area may be u sed by the c ounty and the political subdivisions comprising the operational area for the coordination of emergency activities and to serve as a link in the communications system during a state of emergency or a local emergency.” (2 California Code of Regulations § 8605) Additionally, in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 2, Chapter 1, Article 4—Standardized Emergency Management System—“The county government shall serve as the lead agency of the operational area unless another member agency of the operational area assumes that responsibility by written agreement with county government.” (19 California Code of Regulations § 2409)
OPERATIONAL AREA AGREEMENT
In accordance with state statute, the OA was organized in 1995 with a cooperative agreement (Santa Clara County Ordinance Code § A8 -5) between the County and the 15 c ities/towns located within the c ounty’s geographic area. The “Santa Clara County O perational Area Disaster Response and Recovery Organization Interim Agreement ” defines the OA and provides for sharing of critical information and emergency resources in a disaster, as well as for compliance with SEMS requirements.
OPERATIONAL AREA RESPONSIBILITIES
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In accordance with State SEMS guidelines, t he implementation of SEMS and NIMS is a cooperative effort of all departments and agencies withi n the c ounty, cities /towns and special districts which make up the Operational Area that have an incident management and/or emergency response role. While every jurisdiction is charged with SEMS and NIMS compliance, County OE M has the lead responsibility for SEMS and NIMS collaboration, implementation, and planning with responsibilities for:
• Communicating information within the OA on SEMS and NIMS requirements and guidelines
• Coordinating SEMS and NIMS training and development among County departments and agencies, and providing offerings to local jurisdictions within the OA • Reporting NIMS compliance to Cal OES and DHS
• Incorporating NIMS requirements into the County EOP and County of Santa Clara Ordinance Code with adoption by the County Board of Supervisors • Identification of all county departments and agencies involved in field level response • Identification of departments and agencies with a DOC • Coordinating with local jurisdictions and volunteer and private agencies on development and implementation of SEMS and NIMS
• Identification of special districts that operate or provide services within the OA • Determining the emergency role of the OA special districts and making provisions for coordination during emergencies
• Identification of local volunteer and private agencies that have an emergency response role
• Determining the emergency role of the OA volunteer and private agencies and making provisions for coordination during emergencies
OPERATIONAL AREA EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (OA EOC)
The OA EOC is collocated with the County EOC (and may indeed be functioning as both concurrently depending on the nature of the activation) . It is the focal point for communication between the OA (of which the City of Santa Clara is a part of) and the State, as well as between the County and local jurisdictions within the county (e.g., cities/towns and special districts). Position -based SOPs and checklists are followed during an OA EOC activation. The level of staffing will vary based on the needs of the specific event or incident.
The following is a list of example activities likely performed in the OA EOC:
• Information Sharing
• Limited Resource Management
• Support of field response operations
• Receive and disseminate warning information
• Collect intelligence from and disseminate information to the various OA EOC representatives and, as appropriate, to county, cities/towns, special districts, state and federal agencies
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• Prepare intelligence/information summaries, situation reports, operational reports and other reports as needed
• Maintain general and specific maps, information display boards and other data pertaining to OA emergency operations and situational awareness • Ensure continuity of government priorities, objectives and actions are taken • Analyze and evaluate all data pertaining to OA emergency operations • Maintain contact and coordination with County DOCs, other local jurisdiction EOCs and the State
• Provide emergency information and instructions to the public, making official releases to the news media and the scheduling of press conferences, as necessary • Develop emergency policies and procedures in collaboration with senior policy advisory executives
ACTIVATION Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 2, Chapter1, Article 4 —Standardized Emergency Management System —the OA EOC shall be activated, and SEMS used when any of the following conditions exist:
• A local government within the OA has activated its EOC and requested activation of the OA EOC to support their emergency operations
• Two (2) or more cities/towns within the OA have proclaimed a local emergency • The County and one or more cities/towns have proclaimed a local emergency • A city/town, or the County has requested a governor’s proclamation of a state of emergency
• A state of emergency is proclaimed by the governor for the county or two (2) or more cities within the OA
• The OA is requesting resources from outside its boundaries, except those resources used in normal day-to-day operations, which are obtained through existing mutual aid agreements
• The OA has received resource requests from outside its boundaries, except those resources used in normal day-to-day operations, which are obtained through existing mutual aid agreements
In all other cases, activation will be at the discretion of the C ounty’s Director of Emergency Services, as advised by OEM duty officer and emergency management staff.
REGION
Because of its size and geography, the state has been divided into three (3) administrative regions, each with an EOC , to include the Southern, Coastal, and Inland regions . Santa Clara County is in the Co astal Region. Additionally, the state has been divided into six (6) mutual aid regions. Santa Clara County resides in Mutual Aid Region Two, which is based out of Alameda County. The Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC) prioritizes requests and prov ides support to the OA s in their region. This is to provide for more effective application and coordination of mutual aid and other related activities.
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STATE
The State Operations Center (SOC) level is located in Sacramento at the Cal OES headquarters and manages state resources in response to the emergency needs of the other levels. The state also serves as the coordination and communication link between the state and the federal disaster response system.
FEDERAL
Federal Coordinating Officers and agency representatives may be deployed to the State/local area to support response and recovery operations via the FEMA Region IX headquarters in Oakland. The National Response Coordination Center located at the FEMA headquarters may also be activated to support a local event of appropriate magnitude. FEMA manages federal resources in response to the emergency needs of the other levels.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS
The groups, committees and organizations identified below all participate in ensuring the city’s preparedness to respond to emergencies and disasters.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS (DSWS)
The Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program (DSWVP) was created as the result of legislation to provide workers’ compensation benefits to registered Disaster Service Worker (DSW) volunteers who are injured while participating in authorized disaster-related activities, including pre-approved training. Disaster service, as defined for the Program, is designed to aid in the response and recovery phases in a disaster or emergency. It does not include the day-to-day emergency response activities typically associated with, for example, law enforcement, fire services or emergency medical services. The Program also provides limited immunity from liability.
In accordance with state law California Code of Regulations Title 2, Division 2, Chapter 2, Subchapter 3) and City of Santa Clara ordinance (SCCC 2.140.140.060 (f) (3), all city employees are designated as disaster service workers (DSWs). In the event of an emergency , the expectation is that c ity employees will secure their own homes and families and then, if possible and if so instr ucted, they will return to the C ity to assist in response activities.
Continuity of government services is critical during disasters, and City employees will play an important role in maintaining the services necessary for the community to recover from a disaster. Additionally, a call for volunteers may be made in a time of disaster by the City Manager in their role as Director of Emergency Services; if such a call is made, an Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC) or a volunteer registration portal may be established to allow volunteers to register as DSWs on an emergency , as-needed basis to fill important roles in the overall response effort. Volunteer DSWs may include:
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members
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• Amateur radio operators
• Other volunteers
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) The CERT program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their immediate area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as: fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.
Using classroom and simulation-based education; CERT members can assist others in the neighborhood or workplace immediately following an event when emergency responders may not be immediately available to help.
AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES /RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICES (ARES/RACES ) The City of Santa Clara has trained amateur radio operators registered with the national ARES/RACES organization. Local ARES/RACES radio operators can be a primary source of initial damage assessment in any significant incident , as well as potentially serving as a “last resort” communications capability between field , DOC and EOC structures, and between jurisdictional boundaries. They respond immediately to any obvious incident with assessment of their local area and report to the County lead ARES/RACES radio personnel at the OA EOC. ARES/RACES radio equipment is installed at the City EOC.
EMERGENCY OPERATIONAL AREA COUNCIL (EOAC)
The Santa Clara County Emergency Operational Area Council (EOAC) is charged in Santa Clara County Ordinance Code § A8-19 with the purpose to enhance planning and preparedness for large-scale emergencies; to create effective partnerships in emergency planning, preparedness, training and exercise within the OA; to consolidate activities of cities and special districts to participate more efficiently in planning for future emergencies and disasters; to provide access to public-private partners to participate in emergency planning and preparedness; and to develop broad-based emergency preparedness and planning funding priorities and recommendations.
OPERATIONAL AREA SIGNATORIES (OAS)
The Operational Area Signatories (OAS) is an advisory body to the EOAC and is made up of emergency management representatives from the various jurisdictions and special districts within the OA . The OAS collaborates on emergency and incident management planning, logistics, and training and exercise priorities to ensure greater OA consistency and interoperability, as well as ensuring periodic information sharing and situational awareness.
Additionally, OAS makes recommendations to the EOAC for Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) proposals and funding.
OPERATIONAL AREA ADVISORY GROUP
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The Operational Area Advisory Group is the mechanism by which the OAS ensures and captures whole community engagement, as recommended by FEMA, in its planning priorities, processes and development; its training and exercise priorities, curriculums and schedules; and the capability, interoperability and functionality of its operations centers (EOCs & DOCs).
Various core teams, working groups and sub-working groups are established in topical areas to develop products, trainings and exercises, prioritize projects and advise and report to the OAS on progress and status.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER S ASSOCIATION
The Santa Clara County Emergency Managers Association (SCC EMA) is a local professional organization of emergency management represen tatives. The group meets to discuss and coordinate local emergency preparedness , disaster recovery , hazard mitigation and emergency and incident management-related issues and trends.
SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS .
Many special districts, utilities and private companies such as the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Valley Water, and San Jose Water Company also have incident management systems for continuity of operations and to provide resources in support of an emergency response. Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private-sector organizations provide a range of services to address needs that are wholly or partly unmet by local, state and federal governments during response and recovery operations.
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DIRECTION , CONTROL, AND COORDINATION
The emergency response is coordinated under SEMS, which provides a flexible, adaptable and expandable response organization to address all hazards of varying magnitude and complexity.
An EOC is activated to support field operations and ensure continuity of government when an incident threatens government services, requires additional resources beyond the capacity of the responding agency, or when resources exceed that which is available from within the jurisdiction as a whole. Communications between the field response, DOCs and the EOC are established when the EOC is activated in support of field operations . Each local government’s EOC will establish communications with the OA EOC, which in turn will communicate with the state through the REOC.
DIRECTION AND CONTROL INTERFACE
Personnel who are part of a field-level emergency response will utilize ICS to manage and direct on-scene operations. Tactical management of responding resources is always under the leadership and control of the on- site Incident Commander (IC) at the Incident Command Post (ICP). IC s may report to th e DOC dispatching resources amongst incidents , which in turn will coordinate with the local EOC who will work to ensure broader city organizational continuity and incident support. In some jurisdictions, ICs may report or communicate directly to the local EOC— usually to their counterpart in the operations s ection. (The City of Santa Clara’s EOC has the capability to do this if necessary).
During multiple -incident situations within the county where mutual aid resources are being prioritized, an A rea Command may be established to provide for the ICs at separate locations/ICPs. Unified Co mmand is an application of ICS and may be established at the field response level when more than one agency has jurisdictional responsibilities . Agencies work together through the designated members of the Unified Command to establish their designated ICs at a single ICP . Under Unified Command, entities develop a common set of objectives and strategies which provides the basis for a single Incident Action Plan.
OPERATIONAL AREA COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION
As outlined previously, coordination and communication should be established between an activated local EOC and the OA EOC. Common communications modalities to the cities/towns in the OA EOC, and to agencies not represented in that EOC include, but are not limited to, landline telephone, fax, cell phone , satellite phone, computer networks, amateur radio and low -band EOC-to-EOC radio. The OA responsibilities in volve coordinating with the cities/towns and other
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organizations to support field-level emergency response personnel, activat ing the OA EOC , ensuring continuity of government and issu ing orders to protect and inform the public. In accordance with ICS principles, units in the field receive tactical direction from an on -scene IC.
When and where possible, the C ounty will include jurisdictional representatives in plann ing for jurisdictional support.
When an incident occurs and the City of Santa Clara activates the EOC and requests OA EOC support; or additional cities/towns have proclaimed a local emergency , the County is r equired under SEMS to activate the OA EOC. The OA EOC then becomes the focal point for information sharing and dissemination and supports or arbitrates requests by cities/towns within the county.
EMERGENCY OPERATION S CENTER NOTIFICATION
The City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) should maintain a roster of pre- identified/appointed city EOC staff and will notify those personnel to report to the City EOC.
The EOC staff list includes City department and agency representatives who are part of each SEMS (and NIMS compliant) EOC section —Management, Operations, Plans/Intelligence, Logistics and Finance/Administration.
The list may be utilized when directed by the Director of Emergency Services or designee to activate the City EOC. The Director of Emergency Services or designee will determine what positions of the City EOC will initially be staffed and requested to report. The EOC responders list includes:
• Employees from city departments and agencies with appropriate authority and expertise
• Representatives from outside agencies including:
Special districts
Other government agencies
Volunteer organizations
Private sector organizations
COORDINATION WITH OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT
The City has identified the other jurisdictions , special districts, private non -profit ( PNP) organizations and volunteer agencies within the geographical boundaries of the city or which might direc tly border the City that may have an emergency response role during an emergency or disaster. Their emergency roles have been identified and provisions for coordination with each of them made. The City will also work with the county to request support from state and federal agencies that have emergency responsibilities to ensure they are integrated into coordination of emergency operations as appropriate.
COORDINATION WITH SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Special districts are defined as local governments in SEMS and often have unique resou rces, capabilities and vulnerabilities. The emergency response role of special districts is generally
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focused on the return to normal services. During disasters, some types of special districts will be extensively involved in the emergency response by assisting other local governments.
Coordination and communications should be established with special districts that are involved in emergency response. Relationships among special districts, cities /towns, the county, and the OA, as a whole, are complicated by overlapping boundaries and by the multiplicity of special districts. Special districts need to work with the local governments in their service areas to determine how best to establish coordination and communications in emergencies.
Typically, special district boundaries cross municipal boundaries. A special district may serve several cities/towns and county unincorporated areas. Some special districts serve more than one county. In such a situation, the special district may provide a liaison representative to the city EOC to facilitate coordination and communication with the various entities it serves. The city works closely with key utility providers and transportation agencies.
COORDINATION WITH NON-PROFIT AND VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS The City recognizes the valuable assistance and resources provided by NGO partnerships and the importance of organizations that perform voluntary services in the commu nity. As a result, the City continues to cultivate relationships with PNP (Private Non -Profit) organizations and has established an extensive trained volunteer base to support emergency response operations within the City. The City EOC will generally be a focal point for coordination of response activities with many PNPs and volunteer groups.
Private n on-profit agencies and volunteer groups that have a key response role will have representatives at the City EOC. For example , American Red Cross (ARC) personnel will be assisting the staff of the City EOC Care and Shelter Branch. Collaborative Agencies Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE), the local Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster ( VOAD) organization, also may staff a City EOC position as an allied agenc y in order to facilitate coordination with numerous NGOs involved in emerg ency response and recovery efforts within communities across the city.
During an emergency, the C ity EOC may establish communication with PNP agencies and volunteer groups through an agency representative, volunteer coordinator or other authorized personnel. Coordination, activation and deployment of these members may be incident driven and will follow the appropriate organization response guidelines that have been established for the specific PNP organization or volunteer group.
MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION GROUPS
The Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) System is one of the four (4) pillars of SEMS, which are the ICS, MAC System, the Master Mutual Aid System and the Operational Area Concept (as identified in the Emergency Services Act, Section 8607). In accordance with the “2013 California Statewide Multi-Agency Coordination System Guide, ” MAC groups are convened to address incidents or
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situations in which resources are considered scarce and decision-makers need to prioritize their allocation in order to best serve the communities in need.
MAC groups are establis hed to allow subject matter experts and agency representatives to evaluate complex situations and problem sets and make actionable recommendations to the MAC group activating body (IC, DOC, EOC, etc.). Activating a MAC group ensures that operational tempo is not hindered for the MAC group parent organization/operations center, objectives may still be set, and progress continues to be made while still addressing difficult or complex problems or issues.
A MAC group may be convened by an EOC Director or other authority to establish priorities among multiple competing incidents, provide coordinated decision making for resource allocation among cooperating agencies, harmonize agency polic ies and offer strategic guidance and direction to support incident man agement activities. MAC g roups convened to prioritize incidents for the allocation of scarce resources should consist of administrators or executives, or their designee, who are authorized to commit agency resources and funds. A MAC g roup may also be referred to as a multi -agency committee, emergency management committee, interagency policy group or as otherwise defined by the MAC System.
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INFORMATION COLLECTION , ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION
A primary objective of the City EOC is the timely gathering of accurate, accessible and consistent information during an emergency and sharing vetted intelligence to ensure coordinated, timely emergency response and continuity of government. Status boards and other technologies for tracking emergency activities will be utilized . All City EOC sections must maintain and display current status information so that other sections can quickly comprehend what actions have been taken, what resources are available, and to track damage status across the city. Situation reports create a common operating picture and will be used to inform the operational objectives, priorities and strategies.
To ensure effective intelligence flow, emergency response agencies at all levels must establish communications systems and protocols to organize, integrate and coordinate intelligence among the responding agencies.
The flow of situation reports among the levels of government should occur as follows:
• Field level reports disseminated to local DOCs/EOCs
• The city EOC provides a jurisdictional situation report to the OA EOC based on field reports, DOC reports and EOC activities and intelligence
INFORMATION COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT TOOL
An Information Collection and Management Tool is used in EOCs to accomplish the objective of timely gathering of accurate, accessible, and consistent information during an emergency. Every emergency event is unique ; therefore, an Information Collection and Management Tool should be developed and tailored to fit the circumstances and particular needs demanded by individual incidents.
At a minimum, every Information Collection and Management Tool should include the following information elements:
Essential Element of Information (e.g., boundaries of the disaster area, access points to the disaster area, jurisdictional boundaries)
Specific Information Requirement in support of an Essential Element of Information (e.g., traffic control points, safe routes, special permits required to access the disaster area) Proposed Method or Source that could be used to obtain the Specific Information Requirement (e.g., field operation reports, Geographical Information System ( GIS), reconnaissance)
Responsible Element, Section, or Agency identifies the responsible party tasked with collecting the specified information (e.g., EOC Operations Section, EOC Plans Section) Deliverable Product specifies the mechanism the Responsible Element, Section, or Agency utilizes to relay a particular Specific Information Requirement (e.g., ICS Form 209, EOC Action Plan, incident map)
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Collection Suspense or Schedule defines the reporting frequency for each Specific Information Requirement (e.g., daily, hourly, status change).
Distribution Requirement identifies the position, personnel, agency or organization receiving the most up -to-date info rmation in accordance with the specific information’s collection suspense or schedule (e.g., all EOC Section Chiefs, the REOC)
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CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS AND
PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CRISIS COMMUNICATION S AND PUBLIC INFORMATION
Per NIMS, public information is coordinated and integrated across jurisdictions and functional agencies; among Federal, State, local and tribal partners; and with private -sector entities and nongovernmental organizations. In order to effectively ensure timely and a ccurate public information and alert and warning messages are disseminated , systems, structures, plans, policies and equipment must be identified and developed to accomplish these tasks.
JOINT INFORMATION SYSTEM (JIS)
The Joint Information System (JIS) provides the mechanism to organize, integrate and coordinate information to ensure timely, accurate, accessible and consistent messaging across multiple jurisdictions and/or disciplines with nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. It includes the plans, protocols, procedures and structures used to provide public information.
The JIS structure is used for ensuring that:
• Public Information Officer (PIO) functions are coordinated and integrated. • A structure and system for developing and delivering coordinated interagency messages is provided.
• Public information plans and strategies on behalf of the incident management leadership can be developed, recommended and executed.
• Leadership is effectively advised on public affairs issues that could affect a response effort, and rumors and inaccurate information that could undermine public confidence are controlled and managed.
Federal, State, tribal, territorial, regional or local PIOs and established Joint Information Centers (JICs) are critical supporting elements of the JIS. A robust and competent city JIS is integral to an effective and comprehensive city incident management capability.
JOINT INFORMATION CENTER (JIC)
The Joint Information Center (JIC) is:
• A central location that facilitates operation of the Joint Information System. • A location where personnel with public information responsibilities perform critical emergency information functions, crisis communications and public affairs functions.
JICs may be established at various levels of governmen t, at incident sites or can be components of Multiagency Coordination (MAC) Systems (e.g., MAC Groups or EOCs). A single JIC location is preferable, but the system is flexible and adaptable enough to accommodate virtual or multiple JIC locations, as required.
EOC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
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The City of Santa Clara EOC is equipped with multiple redundant communication modalities allowing the sharing of situational awareness, resource status, raw intelligence and data, and alerting and warning. The communication capabilities are routinely reviewed and updated as technology advances. Current c ommunication resources in the C ity EOC include, but are not limited to:
• Land-line based phones - traditional copper line and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) • Cell phones
• Satellite phones
• Fax machines
• Internet enabled desktop computers and laptops
• Emergency Alert System (EAS)
• Radio systems
ARES/RACES amateur radio
Public safety frequencies (i.e., law, fire, EMS)
Government frequencies (department/agency radios)
Low band frequencies (EOC-to-EOC radios)
PUBLIC ALERTING AND NOTIFICATIONS
During an emergency, the City of Santa Clara is responsible for the dissemination of information to the public. P ublic Information O fficers (PIOs) disseminate emergency instructions and critical information to affected audiences —including governments, media and the public—to provide messages that are accessible to all sectors of the community. PIOs from the City of Santa Clara, neighboring cities /towns, several County departments, special districts, PNP organizations and private companies share the responsibility for disseminating complete, coordinated and correct information to the public.
The City of Santa Clara has various systems in place for disseminating warnings and emergency information to the public which are describe below:
ALERTSCC AlertSCC is the C ounty’s public alert and notification system which has been made available for use to each of the 15 cities/towns within the county , including the City of Santa Clara. AlertSCC uses the 9-1-1 database to deliver messages to the public via landline -based telephones. Additionally, t he public can register through a W eb portal to directly receive AlertSCC alerts and notifications on cell phones , via email and SMS. City of Santa Clara representatives (Police Department personnel) h ave been trained and authorized to create and send public alerts and notifications. County OEM duty officer staff and County Communications staff are available 24/7 to assist the City of Santa Clara in creating and sending public messages, as needed.
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that may be used by local authorities to deliver important emergency information to the public via local broadcast media. The County’s primary station is KCBS (740 AM) and KSJO (92.3 FM) serves as a backup station. County OEM and County Communications have the credentials to access EAS and script emergency messages to inform the public of a threat, the
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steps to be taken by them and where additional information can be obtained. The City of Santa Clara may contact the County to request an EAS message be disseminated/broadcast.
INTEGRATED PUBLIC ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEM The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is an internet-based capability Federal, State and local authorities can use to issue critical public alert s and notifications. County OEM has been provided a federal credential and maintains it on behalf of local jurisdictions, inclusive of the City of Santa Clara.
That credential is provided to those citie s/jurisdictions/individuals who have completed the applicable County mandatory training t o be accessed through the AlertSCC system. IPAWS delivers alerts simultaneously through multiple communications devices , reaching as many people as possible to save lives and protect property. These communication pathways include EAS (described above) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The WEA system is capable of delivering alerts and notifications to cell phones within a designated geographic area without the cell p hone being registered with the local alerting system. Best practice is to have the local Public Safety Access Point (PSAP/Dispatch) be the primary point of contact for dissemination of time sensitive alert and warning messages due to the fact that they hav e the timeliest awareness of threatening events , are often in direct communication with incident responders and incident commanders about the nature of rapidly evolving incidents and have a familiarity with reverse-911 and other similar systems. In the City of Santa Clara, the Police Records Dept, whic h is collocated in the same facility as the city PSAP/Dispatch, manages the IPAWS alerting on behalf of the City.
PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
The public’s response to any emergency is based on their understanding of the nature of the emergency, the potential hazards, the likely response of emergency services, and knowledge of what individuals and groups with or without access and AFN should do to increase their chances of survival and recovery. Individuals caring for the elderly, children or pets also need an increased understanding of their specific situation as it pertains to disaster preparedness.
The City’s OEM makes emergency preparedness information from local, State and Federal sources available to the citizens of the City of Santa Clara. Further, the City OEM will provide special emphasis on specific hazards throughout the calendar year, aiding in the disaster preparation and education of the communities within the city and the larger OA.
The City of Santa Clara utilizes the following communications channels for distributing incident management and preparedness information to the public and partnering stakeholders:
The City of Santa Clara Office of Emergency Management Website:
SantaClaraCA.gov/EmergencyPreparedness
The City of Santa Clara Facebook page: facebook.com/cityofsantaclara The City of Santa Clara X feed: twitter.com/SantaClaraCity
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The City of Santa Clara Instagram feed: instagram.com/santaclaracity The City of Santa Clara YouTube channel: youtube.com/cityofsantaclara The City of Santa Clara Nextdoor feed: nextdoor.com/agency-detail/ca/santa-clara/city-of- santa-clara/
Nextdoor has an emergency “Alert” function, allowing City communications staff to message to the entire network via in-app notification and email.
Silicon Valley Power (SVP) Website: siliconvalleypower.com Silicon Valley Power (SVP) X feed: twitter.com/santaclarapower Silicon Valley Power (SVP) Facebook page: facebook.com/SiliconValleyPower Additional Social Media Channels: SantaClaraCA.gov/SocialMedia City of Santa Clara Website: SantaClaraCA.gov
An alert banner can be displayed on all City websites in order to notify the public of important public safety information.
City News: SantaClaraCA.gov/News
Email Subscriptions: SantaClaraCA.gov/enews
City Website Event Calendar: SantaClaraCA.gov/EventCalendar City Hall News: SantaClaraCA.gov/CityHallNews
City Hall News is a digital publication provided to the community. The publication includes a summary of updates related to City projects, responses to City Council inquiries, and events and activities of interest to the community.
Inside Santa Clara: SantaClaraCA.gov/InsideSantaClara
Inside Santa Clara is the official newspaper of the City of Santa Clara for residents and businesses. The publication is mailed to residents and businesses two times a year (Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter). The paper provides updates about key issues, projects and events in the City.
City Calendar & Annual Report: SantaClaraCA.gov/AnnualCalendar The City produces a 12-month calendar and annual report that is distributed to residents and business by mail, typically in mid-December, for the following calendar year.
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MySantaClara Mobile App: SantaClaraCA.gov/MySantaClara
Mobile app used for residents to submit service requests and communicate with City staff as they work to inspect and address service issues throughout the City.
Santa Clara City Television (Comcast cable channel 15 and AT&T U-verse channel 99): Santa Clara City Television | City of Santa Clara (santaclaraca.gov) The City’s government access channel offers playback of pre-recorded and live video and graphical content.
Public Meetings: SantaClaraCA.gov/Meetings
To view the schedule of meetings, watch past meetings, meetings in progress, or search meeting files.
Nixle: SantaClaraCA.gov/Nixle
Public safety alerts from the Santa Clara Police Department.
Digital Billboard
The City operates a digital billboard along the highway 101 corridor, which may be used to display important information in the event of an emergency.
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ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE,
AND LOGISTICS
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ADMINISTRATION , FINANCE, AND LOGISTICS
FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS
To enhance the capability of the City of Santa Clara to respond to incidents by providing financial support and coordination to city incident management operations and coordinating the recovery of costs as allowed by Federal and State law, the financial priorities during incident management operations are:
• Preserve life, property and the environment
• Provide continuity of financial support to the city, and OA when appropriate • Cooperate with and support the other sections of the city EOC • Document the city’s costs and recovery of those costs as allowable • Maintain a positive image for the city in its dealings with the public The Finance/Administration function will operate under the following policies during a qualifying incident/event as the situation dictates:
• The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) will be followed.
• All existing county and departmental fiscal operating procedures will be adhered to, unless modified by the City Council or the EOC Director. • For incidents/events that render the accounting systems either inaccessible or unusable for any period of time, appropriate personnel will be staffed on an operational period, as determined by the EOC Director. This may be a period of 12 hours.
The Finance/Administration function’s primary responsibility is to maintain , to the greatest extent possible, the financial systems necessary to keep the C ity functioning during an incident or crisis of any size or type. These systems include, but are not limited to:
• Payroll
• Payments
• Revenue collection
• Claim processing
• Cost recovery documentation
The function also supervises the negotiation and administration of vendor and supply contracts and procedures in collaboration with the incident management procurement functions.
The extent and complexity of the incident or crisis will determine the extent to which the Finance/Administration function will mobilize. For some incidents/events , only part of the section may need to be engaged. In larger, more complex incidents, the entire function will likely engage.
The Finance/Administration function acts in a support role in all incidents/events to ensure that all required records are preserved for future use and Cal OES and FEMA filing requirem ents through maintenance of proper and accurate documentation of all actions taken.
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To carry out its responsibilities, the Finance/Administration function will accomplish the following during a disaster/emergency:
For incidents/events where the city’s computer systems and bank are accessible and usable:
• Notify the other parts of the incident management organization and City departments that incident management accounting procedures will be initiated and used for the event
• Determine (in collaboration with technical staff) the extent to which the county's computer systems are accessible and/or usable
• Determine if the City's banking institutions can continue handling financial transactions
• Inform the incident management organization and City departments that the payroll and payments processing will be handled on a "business-as-usual" basis, except that incident management accounting procedures will be used for incident/event-related costs
• Disseminate information about the incident management accounting procedures to other EOC sections and departments as necessary
• Upon proclamation or declaration of a disaster by the State and/or Federal Governments, coordinate to initiate the recovery process of the City's costs • Coordinate with the other EOC sections and departments on the collection and documentation of costs pertaining to the incident/event • Coordinate with the State and Federal disaster assistance agencies for the required inspections, documentation, audits and other necessary work in order to recover costs
For incidents/events where the City's computer systems and/or banking institutions are either inaccessible or unusable
• Notify the other parts of the incident management organization and City departments that incident management accounting procedures will be initiated and used for the event
• Determine (in collaboration with technical staff) the extent to which the City's computer systems are accessible and/or usable
• Determine if the City's banking institutions can continue handling financial transactions
• Inform the incident management organization and City departments that payroll and payments will be on hold for a short time and that processing will continue on a normal basis as of a specified date
• Activate other Finance/Administration functions as necessary • Maintain, as best possible, the financial continuity of the City (payroll, payments and revenue collection)
• Disseminate information about the incident management accounting procedures to other EOC sections and departments as necessary
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• Upon proclamation or declaration of a disaster by the State and/or Federal Governments, coordinate with those agencies to initiate the recovery process of the City's costs
• Coordinate with other EOC sections and City departments on the collection and documentation of costs pertaining to the incident/event • Coordinate with State and Federal disaster assistance agencies for any required inspections, documentation, audits and other necessary cost recovery work
MUTUAL AID
The foundation of California's emergency planning and response is a statewide mutual aid system, which is designed to ensure adequate resources, facilities and other support is provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a give n situation. The basis for the system is the “California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement” (MMAA).
The MMAA was developed in 1950 and has been adopted by the State, all 58 counties, and most incorporated cities in the state . The agree ment creates a formal structure wherein each jurisdiction retains control of its own facilities, personnel and resources, but may also receive or render assistance to other jurisdictions within the state. State government is obligated to provide available resources to assist local jurisdictions in emergencies. It is the responsibility of the local jurisdiction to negotiate, coordinate and prepare mutual-aid agreements.
Mutual-aid agreements exist for:
• Law Enforcement
• Fire Services
• Emergency Medical Services
• Emergency Management
• Public Utilities
• Building Inspectors
• Medical Examiner-Coroner
• Transit Operators
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MUTUAL AID SYSTEMS
A statewide mutual -aid system, operating within
the framework of the MMAA , allows for the
progressive mobilization of resources to and from
emergency response agencies, local governments,
OAs and state regions with the intent of provide
requesting agencies with adequate resources.
Emergency mutual- aid response and recovery
activities are generally conducted at the request
and under the direction of the affected local
government.
The statewide mutual-aid system includes several
discipline-specific mutual aid systems, such as fire
rescue and law. The adoption of SEMS/NIMS does
not alter existing mutual- aid systems. These
systems work through local government, OAs ;
regional and state levels consistent with
SEMS/NIMS guidelines.
Fire agencies in Santa Clara County have signed onto a countywide mutual-aid agreement to ensure that firefighting resources and personnel will be available to combat wildland/ urban interface fires. If these resources are not enough to meet the threat, fire resources from throughout the state can be requested under the MMAA. Requested mutual aid resources will be provided and utilized in accordance with the MMAA. During a proclaimed emergency, mutual aid will be coordinated at the local government, OA, or mutual aid regional level. The City of Santa Clara EOC has to make mutual aid requests through the OA EOC for resources not covered under the MMAA.
During and following an incident, the coordination of resources is critical when there are multiple requests for similar resources or when resources are scarce. It is anticipated that a Mutual Aid MAC Group will be establish ed to coordinate mutual aid resources . The 2013 “California Statewide MACS Guide ” provides the architecture to support coordination for incident prioritization, scarce resource allocation, communications systems integration and information coordination.
VOLUNTEER AND PRIVATE SECTOR AGENCIES IN MUTUAL AID
Volunteer and private sector agencies may participate in the mutual aid system along with governmental agencies. For examp le, the disaster medical mutual aid system relies heavily on private sector involvement for medical/health resources. Some volunteer agencies such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army and others are an essential element of the statewide emergency response to meet the needs of disaster victim s. Volunteer agencies mobilize volunteers and other resources through their own systems. They may identify resource needs
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that are not met within their own systems that would be requested through the mutual aid system. Volunteer agencies with extensive inv olvement in the emergency response should be represented in the City EOC.
Some private sector agencies have established mutual aid arrangements to assist other private sector agencies within their functional area. For example, electric and gas utilities have mutual aid agreements within their industry and established procedures for coordinating with a governmental EOC (though, the City of Santa Clara maintains its own electric utility). In some functional areas, services are provided by a mix of special district, municipal, and private sector agencies. Mutual aid arrangements may include both governmental and private sector agencies. Liaison should be established between an activated EOC and private sector agencies involved in a response. Where there is a need for extensive coordination and information exchange, private sector agencies should be represented in an activated EOC at the appropriate SEMS level.
SPECIAL MUTUAL AID CONSIDERATIONS FOR TERRORISM INCIDENTS Terrorism incidents require respon se by law enforcement at many levels and crime scene management. As such, the information flow, comman d structure and mutual aid processes can be different from those in the management of other emergency situations.
A terrorist activity emergency has its own unique threat and crisis characteristics, which must be dealt with in accordance with its magnitude and with an appropriate level of response.
Plans and procedures have been created, exercised and revised for both the most likely and worst-case scenarios.
MUTUAL AID AUTHORITIES , PLANS, AND GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS
Mutual-aid assistance may be provided under one or more of the following authorities:
• California Master Mutual Aid Agreement (MMAA)
• California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan
• Coroner Mutual Aid Plan
• California Fire Service and Rescue Mutual Aid Plan
• California Medical Mutual Aid Plan
• Emergency Managers Mutual Aid Plan
• San Francisco Bay Area Transit Operators Mutual Aid Agreement • Santa Clara County Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Protocol • California Statewide Multi-Agency Coordination System Guide • CalWARN (California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network) The Police & Fire Departments are part of the Countywide mutual aid plan that requires resource sharing for unplanned events. The City’s Electric Utility has mutual aid through California Utilities Emergency Association (CUEA).
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The City of Santa Clara Water and Sewer Utilities is a member of the California Water (Wastewater) Agency Response Network (CalWARN). CalWARN’s Mutual Assistance Agreement is comprised of water and wastewater agencies throughout California. CalWARN also has agreements with nearby WA RNs in Arizona and Nevada. CalWARN collects data regarding agency resources and provides information and training for member agencies. The California Utilities Emergency Association (CUEA) Utility Operation Center may provide additional assistance. Assistance may include equipment, supplies and personnel.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
It is state policy that resource requests for emergency response and disaster repair and restoration be entered into by the lowest level of government. When city local resources are exhausted and additional resources are required, resource requests will follow an established process for ordering, tracking, mobilizing and demobilizing.
Maintenance of resources is important throughout all aspects of resource management.
Maintenance prior to deployment ensures their availability and capability. Maintenance during the deployment phase ensures continued capabilities (e.g., ensuring adequate fuel supplies during use). Post-operational inspection and maintenance ensures future availability.
INTEGRATION OF MUTUAL AID RESOURCES
In order to receive County, S tate, and Federal resources , coordination needs to be handled through the City EOC, OA EOC, and field level command structures . The discipline specific OA Mutual Aid Coordinators will oversee tracking of requests for equipment, resources and manpower unde r existing mutual aid protocols. The requesting agencies are responsible to report to OA EOC the number and status of resources deployed on a mission on a daily basis.
Resources requested through the County EOC will be done following the prescribed C ounty resource requesting process below:
Resource typing of equipment will be handled by individual disciplines—law, fire, EMS, public works, and others—under the guidance issued by Cal OES regarding NIMS implementation.
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PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE
PLAN DEVELOPMENT
This City of Santa Clara EOP was developed in collaboration with stakeholders throughout the OA in a whole community approach in compliance with “Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans .” Additionally, internal and relevant external nationwide after-action reports from exercises and real-world events (Stafford Act and non- Stafford Act), other c ounty and jurisdictional EOPs, the 2017 NIMS Guidance, the 2017 Cal OES Emergency Operations Plan Crosswalk for Plan Review, and current incident management trends were reviewed and considered in an effort to address common issues and systemic operational hindrances. Annexes to the EOP are further developed in a whole community approach to augment this foundational document. Annexes are composed of major functional activities, as well as specific hazard topics that present unique or complex considerations that require more elaborate planning. A complete list of planned and potential annexes is provided in Appendix A. The composition and planning priority of these annexes is determined by the C ity’s Office of Emergency Management staff in collaboration with the City Manager’s Office and applicable City departments/subject matter experts.
PLAN MAINTENANCE
This EOP is reviewed, updated, republished and redistributed on a 2-year review, 5-year revision cycle in accordance with best practices and the Homeland Security /Emergency Management Grant Program (EMPG) guidance. This EOP may be modified as a result of post-incident analyses and/or post exercise critiques. It may also be modified if responsibilities, procedures, laws, rules or regulations pertaining to emergency or incident management and operations change. Those agencies having assigned responsibilities under this EOP are obligated to inform OEM when changes are needed to reflect current process. OEM will maintain records of revision to this EOP and each of the annexes as they are reviewed and updated. All changes will be noted in the Annual Review table at the beginning of this document.
PLAN CONCURRENCE
Supporting agencies and organizations include all C ity departments who received a copy of this Plan. These City departments are expected to comply with how the EOP describes their tasks.
PLAN TRAINING AND EXERCISE
A progressive, multi- year exercise plan enables the City of Santa Clara to develop a series of increasingly complex exercises, with each successive exercise building upon the previous one until mastery is achieved. Regardless of exercise type, each exercise within the progressive series is linked to a set of common program priorities and designed to test associated capabilities.
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Further, by defining training requirements in the planning process, the C ity can address known shortfalls prior to exercising capabilities. Below is a list of the different progressive exercise types:
Seminar – Seminars generally orient participants to, or provide an overview of, authorities, strategies, plans, policies, procedures, protocols, resources, concepts, and ideas. As a discussion-based exercise, seminars can be valuable for entities that are develop ing or making major changes to existing plans or procedures. Seminars can be similarly helpful when attempting to assess or gain awareness of the capabilities of interagency or inter - jurisdictional operations.
Workshop – Although similar to seminars, works hops differ in two (2) important aspects:
participant interaction is increased, and the focus is placed on achieving or building a product. Effective workshops entail the broadest attendance by relevant stakeholders.
Products produced from a workshop can i nclude new standard operating procedures (SOPs), emergency operations plans, continuity of operations plans or mutual aid agreements. To be effective, workshops should focus on a specific issue with clearly defined objectives, products or goals.
Tabletop Exercise – A tabletop exercise (TTX) is intended to generate discussion of various issues regarding a hypothetical, simulated emergency. TTXs can be used to enhance general awareness, validate plans and procedures, rehearse concepts and/or assess the types of systems needed to guide the prevention of, protection from, mitigation of, response to and recovery from a defined incident. Generally, TTXs are aimed at facilitating conceptual understanding, identifying strengths and areas for improvement and/or achieving changes in perceptions.
During a TTX, participants are encouraged to discuss issues in depth, collaboratively examining areas of concern and solving problems. The effectiveness of a TTX is derived from the energetic involvement of participants and their assessment of recommended revisions to current policies, procedures and plans.
TTXs can range from basic to comp lex. In a basic TTX (such as a facilitated d iscussion), the scenario is presented and remains constant —it describes an emergency and brings discussion participants up to the simulated present time. Participants apply their knowledge and skills to a list of problems presented by the facilitator; problems are discussed as a group; and resolution is reached and documented for later analysis.
In a more advanced TTX, play advances as participants receive pre-scripted messages that alter the original scenario. A facilitator usually introduces problems one at a time in the form of a written message, simulated telephone call, videotape or other means.
Participants discuss the issues raised by each problem, referencing established authorities, plans and procedures for guidance. Participant decisions are incorporated as the scenario continues to unfold.
During a TTX, all participants should be encouraged to contribute to the discussion and be reminded that they are making decisions in a no -fault environment. Effective TTX
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facilitation is critical to keeping participants focused on exercise objectives and associated capability targets.
Games – A game is a si mulation of operations that often involves two or more teams, usually in a competitive environment, using rules, data and procedures designed to depict an actual or hypothetical situation. Games explore the consequences of player decisions and actions. The y are useful tools for validating plans and procedures or evaluating resource requirements.
During game play, decision -making may be either slow and deliberate or rapid and more stressful, depending on the exercise design and objectives. The open, decision -based format of a game can incorporate “what if” questions that expand exercise benefits.
Depending on the game’s design, the consequences of player actions can be either pre - scripted or decided dynamically. Identifying critical decision-making points is a major factor in the success of evaluating a game.
Drill – A drill is a coordinated, supervised activity , usually employed to validate a specific function or capability in a single agency or organization. Drills are commonly used to provide training on new equipment, validate procedures or practice and maintain current skills. For example, drills may be appropriate for establishing a community -designated disaster receiving center or shelter. Drills can also be used to determine if plans can be executed as designed, to assess whether more training is required, or to reinforce best practices. A drill is useful as a stand- alone tool, but a series of drills can be used to prepare several organizations to collaborate in a Full-Scale Exercise (FSE).
For every drill, clearly defined plans, procedures and protocols need to be in place.
Personnel need to be familiar with those plans and trained in the processes and procedures to be drilled.
Functional Exercise – Functional Exercises (FEs) are designed to validate and evaluate capabilities, multiple functions and/or sub -functions or interdependent groups of functions. FEs are typically focused on exercising plans, policies, procedures and staff members involved in management, direction, command and control functions. I n FEs, events are projected through an exercise scenario with event updates that drive activity , typically at the management level. An FE is conducted in a realistic, real-time environment; however, movement of personnel and equipment is usually simulated.
FE controllers typically use a Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) to ensure that participant activity remains within predefined boundaries and exercise objectives are accomplished.
Simulators in a Simulation Cell (SimCell) can inject scenario elements to simulate real events.
Full Scale Exercise – Full Scale Exercises (FSEs) are typically the most complex and resource- intensive type of exercise. They involve multiple agencies, organizations and jurisdictions and validate many facets of preparedness. FSEs often include many participants operating under cooperative systems such as the ICS or Unified Command.
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In an FSE, events are projected through an exercise scenario with event updates that drive activity at the operational level. FSEs are usually conducted in a real -time, stressful environment that is intended to mirror a real incident. Personnel and resources may be mobilized and deployed to the scene, where actions are performed as if a real incident had occurred. The FSE simulates reality by p resenting complex and realistic problems that require critical thinking, rapid problem solving and effective responses by trained personnel.
The level of support needed to conduct an FSE is greater than that needed for other types of exercises. The exercis e site for an FSE is usually large, and site logistics require close monitoring. Safety issues, particularly regarding the use of props and special effects, must be monitored. Throughout the duration of the exercise, many activities occur simultaneously.
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AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES
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AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES
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AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES
Emergency response, like all governmental action, is based on legal authority. The City of Santa Clara Emergency Operat ions Plan (EOP), follows federal, state, and local regulations and guidelines. Additionally, best practices and lessons -learned have also been integrated into this plan where possible; these were identified in the review of after -action reports from recent national large -scale disasters, incidents and events (to include Stafford Act, non-Stafford Act, terrorist non-Stafford act and off-shore non-Stafford act incidents and events).
FEDERAL
• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (PL 93-288) as amended • Homeland Security Act of 2002 (PL 107-296)
• Presidential Policy Directive / PPD-8: National Preparedness • Homeland Security Presidential Directive / HSPD-5: Management of Domestic Incidents • Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PL 109-295) • Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PL 109-308) • Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (Executive Order 13166)
• Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness (Executive Order 13347) • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (PL 101-336) as amended • Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (PL 93-112, Section 504) as amended • Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL 88-352, Section VI)
• Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 (PL 920)
• National Incident Management System (2017)
• National Response Framework (2019)
• Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans ( 2021)
STATE
• California Emergency Services Act (Title 2, Division 1, Chapter 7 of the Government Code)
• California Disaster Assistance Act (Title 19, Division 2, Chapter 6 of the California Code of Regulations)
• Standardized Emergency Management System (Title 19, Division 2, Chapter 1 of the California Code of Regulations)
• Standardized Emergency Management System Guidelines
• State of California Emergency Plan
• California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement • California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan
• California Coroners’ Mutual Aid Plan
• California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid Plan
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• California Constitution (Article XI: Local Government) • Disaster Service Worker (Title 1, Division 4, Chapter 8 of the Government Code and Section 3211.92 of the Labor Code)
• California Assembly Bill 2311. Emergency Services: Access and Functional Needs. (2016) • California Senate Bill 833. Emergencies: Office of Emergency Services: Guidelines: Alert and Warning Systems. (2018)
• California Senate Bill 160. Emergency Services: Cultural Competence. (2019) • California Senate Bill AB 781 Emergency Services: Persons with Pets (2023) LOCAL
• County of Santa Clara Ordinance Code, Division A8: Civil Protection and Emergency Services
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Disaster Response and Recovery Organization Interim Agreement 1995
• Santa Clara City Code, Chapter 2.140 Disaster Ordinance • Santa Clara City Code, Chapter 15.60 Municipal Fire and Environmental Code
AFTER-ACTION REPORTS /INCIDENT EVENTS REVIEWED DURING PLAN
DEVELOPMENT
• Super Bowl 50 After-Action Report, City of Santa Clara, 2016 • Super Bowl 50 After-Action Report, County of Santa Clara, 2016 • Gilroy Garlic Festival Active Shooter Event, County of Santa Clara, 2019 • CoViD-19 Pandemic Response Review, City and County of Santa Clara, 2023 • San Diego Wildfires After Action Report, May 2014
• NYC Hurricane Sandy After Action Report, New York 2013 • Hurricane Sandy FEMA After-Action Report, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2013
• After Action Report for the Response to the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
• U.S. Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa, Fact Sheet, 2014 • Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR)—Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, March 2011
In addition to the above AAR’s, lessons learned from Operational Area practitioners deployed through the California Emergency Management Mutual Aid system and the FEMA Emergency Management Assistance Compact to Chico, Lak, Santa Barbara and Sonoma Counties in the State of California, and the State of North Carolina, informed this document.
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GLOSSARY
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GLOSSARY
GLOSSARY
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ACRONYMS
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
AFN Access and Functional Needs
ALERT Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time
ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Services
CADRE Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort
CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Cal OES California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services CBO Community-Based Organization
CERT Community Emergency Response Team
DOC Department Operations Center
DPEC Disaster Preparedness Executive Committee
DSW Disaster Service Worker
EMS Emergency Medical Services
EAS Emergency Alert System
EF Emergency Function
EMPG Emergency Management Performance Grant
EOAC Santa Clara County Emergency Operational Area Council EOC Emergency Operations Center
EOP Emergency Operations Plan
ESF Emergency Support Function
FE Functional Exercise
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FSE Full-Scale Exercise
HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive
HSEEP Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program IC Incident Commander
ICP Incident Command Post
ICS Incident Command System
IPAWS Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
JIC Joint Information Center
JIS Joint Information System
MAC Multi-Agency Coordination
MACS Multi-Agency Coordination System
MMAA California Master Mutual Aid Agreement
MSEL Master Scenario Events List
NRF National Response Framework
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NIMS National Incident Management System
NWS National Weather Service
OA Operational Area
OA EOC Operational Area Emergency Operations Center
OASIS Operational Area Satellite Information System
OEM Office of Emergency Management
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PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company
PIO Public Information Officer
PL Public Law
PNP Private Non-Profit
PPD Presidential Policy Directive
RACES Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services
REOC Regional Emergency Operations Center
SCCD Santa Clara City Code
SCC EMA Santa Clara County Emergency Managers Association SCVWD Santa Clara Valley Water District, a/k/a Valley Water SEMS Standardized Emergency Management System
SimCell Simulation Cell
SMS Short Message Service
SOC State Operations Center
SOP Standard Operating Procedures
SVIRA Silicon Valley Interoperability Radio Authority
SVP Silicon Valley Power
TTX Tabletop Exercise
VOAD Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters
VTA Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
WEA Wireless Emergency Alert
DEFINITIONS
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DEFINITIONS
Accessible – A facility is accessible if it has the legally required features and/or qualities that ensure entrance, participation, and usability of places, programs, services and activities by individuals with a wide variety of disabilities.
Affected Population – Anyone who has been displaced, injured or suffer ed some loss due to a disaster.
American Red Cross (Red Cross) – The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. It does this through services that are consistent with its Congressional Charter and the Principles of the International Red Cross Movement.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications and governmental activities. The ADA also establishes requirements for telecommunications relay services.
Annex – An annex is an addition to a document.
Appendix – Appendices provide relevant information already referenced in the guidance.
Typically, this includes forms used or other necessary information.
Catastrophe – A series of cascading human -caused/influenced events or inciden ts with or without a human caused genesis, the adverse effects/consequences of which are potentially, seemingly or definitively irreversible.
Civil Unrest – Civil unrest involves a disruption of the typical social order; it can involve a strike or protest, and it can be non-violent or involve violence. R iots and rebellions are both forms of civil unrest.
Community-Based Organization (CBO) – Non-profit organizations that operate within a single local community and constitute a subset of the wider group of NGOs. They are frequently run by volunteers and often self- funding. Some are formally incorporated with written charters and boards of directors, while others are much smaller and more informal.
Crisis – Phenomenon, event, active threat or trend, with or without specific location, posing seemingly inevitable harm to life, property, environment, organizational performance, reputation or way of life reasonably or ethically necessitating deliberate urgent intervention. (A crisis may be local, national or global.)
Dam Failure – Partial or complete collapse of a dam causing downstream flooding.
Disaster – Any natural event or emergency (hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind- driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm,
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drought, etc.), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood or explosion which the President determines to be of such severity as to warrant major federal disaster assistance.
Disaster Service Worker (DSW) – The Disaster Service Worker program is a state-funded worker’s compensation program for government employees and affiliated volunteer s who provide services to protect the health and safety, and preserve the lives and property, of the people of California. Government -affiliated volunteers, including members of the public who spontaneously volunteer to assist during a disaster, may be registered as DSWs under California’s DSW Volunteer Program.
Emergency – Incident(s) or crisis(es) (air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, drought, sudden/severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestation or disease, Governor’s warning of earthquake/volcanic predictions and earthquakes, etc .) posing threat to safety of persons, property or the environment that exceeds an organization’s resources/capability.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) – A service providing out- of-hospital, acute medical care, transport to definitive care and other medical transport to patients with illnesses and injuries which prevent the patient from transporting themselves.
Emergency Operations – Actions taken during an emergenc y to protect life and property, care for the people affected and restore essential community services.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – A site from which government officials coordinate, monitor, and support response activities during an emergency.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) – A document that describes how people and property will be protected in disaster and disaster threat situations; details who is responsible for carrying out specific actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies and other resources available for use in the disaster; and outlines how all actions will be coordinated.
Evacuation – Organized and supervised dispersal of people from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas.
Evacuee – All persons removed or moving from areas threatened or struck by a disaster.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction, response and rec overy. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency programs and providing technical guidance and training.
These coordinated activities at the federal, state and local levels ensure a broad- based emergency program to ensure public safety and protect property.
Flood – A general and temporary condition of inundation of normally dry land areas from overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual or rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters, or mudslides/mudflows caused by accumulation of water.
Hazard – Any source of danger or element of risk to people or property.
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Hazardous Material – Any substance or material that, when involved in an accident and released in sufficient quantities, poses a risk to people’s health, safety, and/or property. These substances and materials include explosives, radioactive materials, flammable or combustible liquids or solids, poisons, oxidizers, toxins and corrosive materials.
Incident – The physical manifestation of a crisis, event, or occurrence that has adversely affected life, property or the environment, requiring the response of at least one individual.
Incident Command System (ICS) – The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized emergency management concept designed to provide an integrated organizational structure for managing emergencies, and to enable coordinated emergency response across jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of reso urces during emergencies. It is based on proven management tools that contribute to the strength and efficiency of the overall system.
Limited English Proficiency – Persons who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability t o read, speak , write or understand English. Such communication barriers may require an interpreter or document translation in order to provide meaningful access to information.
Local Jurisdiction – Local jurisdiction refers to the cities , towns, school districts and special districts that are encompassed within the geographical borders of the County of Santa Clara. In the case of unincorporated areas, local jurisdiction refers to the county itself.
Mitigation – Pre-event planning and actions that aim to lessen the occurrence or effects of potential disaster.
Mobilization – The process and procedures used by federal, state and local organizations for activating, assembling and transporting resources that have been requested to respond to or support an incident.
Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) – The participation of government and other organizations involved at any level of the SEMS organization working together in a coordinated effort to facilitate decisions for overall emergency response activities, including the sharing of critical resources and the prioritization of incidents.
Multi-Jurisdiction Incident – An incident where multiple jurisdictions have a statutory responsibility. Under ICS, these incidents will be managed under Unified Command.
Mutual Aid – The voluntary aid and assistance by the provision of services and facilities, including, but not limited to fire, police, medical and health, communication, transportation and utilities.
Mutual aid is intended to provide adequate resources, facilities and other support to jurisdictions whenever their own resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a given situation.
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Mutual Aid Agreement – Written agreement between agencies and/or jurisdictions in which they agree to assist one another upon request, by furnishing personnel and equipment.
Natural Disaster – Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind -driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire or other catastrophe which causes, or which may cause, substantial damage or injury to civilian property or persons.
National Incident Management System (NIMS) – The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a comprehensive approach to emergency management for all hazards. NIMS integrates existing best practices into a consistent nationwide approach to domestic emergency management that is applicable to all jurisdictional levels (public and private) and across functional disciplines. NIMS is based on a balance of flexibility and standardization. NIMS is flexible and allows government and private entities at all levels to work together to manage domestic emergencies, regardless of their cause, size, location or complexity. NIMS also provides a set of standardized organizational structures.
National Response Framework – The National Response Framework (NRF) presents the guiding principles that enable all response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies —from the sm allest incident to the largest catastrophe.
The Framework establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework documents the key response principles, roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, s tates, the federal government, and private-sector and non-governmental partners apply these principles for a coordinated, effective national response. The Framework describes special circumstances where the Federal Government exercises a larger role, including incidents where Federal interests are involved and catastrophic incidents where a State would require significant support. It allows first responders, decision makers, and supporting entities to provide a unified national response.
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) – An entity with an association that is based on interests of its members, individuals or institutions, and that is not created by a government, but may work cooperatively with government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not a private benefit.
Examples of NGOs include faith-based charity organizations and the Red Cross.
Office of Emergency Manage ment (OEM) – OEM is the lead agency in fulfilling the City’s responsibility under the California Emergency Services Act.
Operational Area (OA) – A geographical area that encompasses all local governments within a county, including the county. The OA serves as the coordination and communications link between the l ocal government and the state . The OA prioritizes resources and coordinates mutual aid among entities within the OA. Each OA is responsible for activating and operating an EOC.
Operational Area Emergency Operations Center (OA EOC) – The physical location at which the coordination of information and resources to support OA activities normally takes place.
DEFINITIONS
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Plan – A document that describes the broad, overall jurisdictional response to potential extraordinary emergencies or disasters.
Preparedness – The range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve operational capability. Preparedness is a continuous process involving efforts at all levels of government and between government and private-sector and NGOs to identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and identify required resources. Preparedness is operationally focused on establishing guidelines, protocols and standards for planning, training and exercises, personnel qualification and certification, equipment certifications and publication management.
Recovery – The long -term activities beyond the initial emergency response phase of disaster operations that focus on returning all systems in the community to a normal status or to reconstitute these systems to a new condition that is less vulnerable.
Resources – Personnel and equipment available, for assignment to incidents or to EOCs.
Response – Activities that address the direct effects of an incident; immediate actions to save lives, protect property.
Shelter – Facilities providing safe, sanitary, and secure refuge before, during, and after disaster incidents. (Note: This may also include some facilities that provide immediate necessary safe haven sheltering during an incident but are not capable of ongoing operations once other options are available.) Shelters may include general population, medical needs or household pet shelters.
Special District – A unit of loca l government (other than a city or county) with authority or responsibility to own, operate or maintain a project (e.g., a water district).
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) – The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) is used to manage emergency responses in California. SEMS consists of five (5) hierarchical levels: field, local, operational area, regional and State. SEMS incorporates the principles of the Incident Command System, the Master Mutual Aid Agreement, existing discipline-specific mutual aid agreements, the Operational Area concept, and multi- agency or interagency coordination and communication. Under SEMS, response activities are managed at the lowest possible organizational level.
State of Emergency – An eminent impending incident(s) or crisis(es) posing threat to safety of persons, property, or the environment likely to exceed resources/capability of the proclaiming political jurisdiction, or, the existence of an active incident which threatens a population and the adequacy of local resources is unknown.
Terrorism – The use of , or threatened use of, criminal violence against civilians or civilian infrastructure to achieve political ends through fear and intimidation.
Threat – Communicated, demonstrated or inferred intent and potential capability to harm life, property, environment, organizational performance or way of life.
DEFINITIONS
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Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) – Established disaster relief organizations, which, for the most part, are faith-based and national in scope, yet play a major role in disaster recovery at the local level. Services include, but are not limited to:
• Repairing and replacing low-income housing
• Mass feeding services
• Home clean-up and repairs
• Facilities for in-kind disaster relief supplies
• Disaster childcare
• Material resources (e.g., blankets, health kits, and clean up kits) • Trauma, stress, or grief care for responders and affected population • Shelter management
• Emergency sheltering of animals
• Clean-up and debris removal
• 2-1-1 information and referral
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APPENDIX A – CITY OF SANTA CLARA POTENTIAL EOP ANNEXES
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APPENDIX A – CITY OF SANTA CLARA
POTENTIAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
PLAN ANNEXES
APPENDIX A – CITY OF SANTA CLARA POTENTIAL EOP ANNEXES
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The following is a list of potential hazard-specific and function- specific annexes to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan , which would detail supplemental response -phase considerations or activities specific to the identified functions or hazards relevant to the City.
While the EOP is written in such a way as to allow a flexible and broad approach to all -hazards events and incidents, some hazard-specific or function-specific considerations may be useful to outline and may expedite responses or improve response or coordination efficiency. All, some, or none of the annexes may be developed, and may each require a dedicated “whole- community” planning effort with an established planning team of functional subject matter practitioners. In the absence of these annexes , the City will employ best practices and refer to existing model documents at the County, State and Federal level.
ANIMAL AND PET CARE – An “Animal and Pet Care Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” may identify responsible agencies —public, private, and volunteer— that are responsible for providing animal and pet care during an emergency, to include; rescue, evacuation, shelter, or care of household pets. Currently City libraries allow pet access during extreme heat and cold weather events.
CONSTRUCTION , ENGINEERING , AND INFRASTRUCTURE – A “Construction, Engineering, and Infrastructure Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” may detail pre - incident and post- incident assessment process for public works and infrastructure; establish protocols for providing technical engineering ; and construction management assistance (or guidance on how to obtain such technical assistance). Additionally, this annex should provide a damage assessme nt framework, while documenting steps to begin needed restoration of damaged infrastructure and public facilities.
CRISIS /EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION – A “Crisis/Emergency Communication Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would likely provide a framework for the most efficient, accurate, and thorough dissemination of information. It would outline the conduct and coordination of public information activities and establish a mutual understanding of responsibilities, functions, and operations within the OA using the Joint Information System as a foundational model.
DEBRIS MANAGEMENT – A “Debris Management Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would identify points-of-collection for debris following a disaster, procedures for monitoring such debris for both environmental impact and reimbursement purposes and delineate the jurisdictional & contracted roles & responsibilities for debris planning, removal, monitoring and management activities.
DISASTER COST RECOVERY – A “Disaster Cost Recovery Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would outline the disaster cost recovery process, to include the establishment of necessary roles and responsibilities for City departments and staff; prepare best practices for long-term recovery efforts and documentation; and ensure compliance with all applicable local, State and Federal laws, regulations and rules.
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EARTHQUAKE – An “Earthquake Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” may provide guidance on coordination among City departments and within the OA related to earthquake-specific response considerations.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT – An “Emergency Management Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would provide specific information regarding the Emergency Operations Center (i.e., organization, training requirements, activation/notification procedures, considerations for sustained operations, etc.).
EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT – An “Emergency Procurement Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would establish in advance a policy for purchasing in an emergency, with pre -established spending limits, account codes, and available procurement cards for spending.
FLOOD – A “Flood Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would provide guidance on coordination among C ity departments and within the OA related to flood -specific response considerations.
LOGISTICS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – A “Logistics and Resource Management Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would provide a framework for the integration of internal and external logistics partners (agencies in and out of the emergency operations structure) through collaborative planning, sourcing, acquisition and utilization of resources with the purpose of re-establishing self-sufficiency as rapidly as possible. Additionally, this annex could establish a platform for collecting and sharing information pertaining to key equipment nee ded during common hazard types.
MASS CARE AND SHELTER – A “Mass Care and Shelter Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” should define the C ity disaster sheltering organization in relation to the Operational Area, operational concepts, and responsibilities to provide care and shelter (including for persons with pets, which are currently allowed in City libraries during extreme heat and cold weather events).
MASS FATALITY – A “Mass Fatality Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would provide guidance on coordination among City departments and within the OA, specifically the Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office, related to mass fatality-specific response considerations.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL EMERGENCY – A “Public Health and Medical Emergency Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would address public health and medical emergencies through all emergency phases and the role of the City in such an event. Additionally, in an effort to plan for public health and medical emergencies more comprehensively throughout all e mergency phases, the topics of pandemic and behavi oral h ealth would be specifically addressed.
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SEVERE WEATHER – A “Severe Weather Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would provide guidance regarding the coordination among City departments and within the OA, related to severe weather-specific response considerations and triggers , including extreme heat, cold weather, and the activation of heating and cooling respite locations (inclusive of pets).
SPECIAL EVENT/LARGE EVENT – A “Special Event Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would provide guidance regarding the coordination among City departments and within the OA, drawing on lessons learned from previous large special events (such as the Super Bowl or World Cup at Levi’s Stadium).
TERRORISM , COORDIN ATED ATTACK, AND CIVIL UNREST – A “Terrorism, Coordinated Attack, and Civil Unrest Annex to the County of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would provide guidance regarding the coordination among City departments and within the OA, related to terrorism, coordinated attack and civil unrest-specific response considerations and triggers.
TRANSPORTATION – A “Transportation Annex to the C ity of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan” would establish a framework for monitoring and reporting the status of and damage to the transportation system and related infrastructure as a result of a disaster. The annex may also identify (or help facilitate the identification of) temporary alternative transportation solutions that could be implemented when systems or related infrastructure are damaged, unavailable, or overwhelmed.
VOLUNTEER AND DONATION MANAGEMENT – A “Volunteer and Donation Management Annex to the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Plan ” would detail volunteer and donations management strategies related to outreach and education programs, guidance on volunteer integration, procedures to activate a Volunteer/Donations Coordination Team, call centers, relevant points of contact, safety and security considerations and a demobilization process.
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APPENDIX B– FEDERAL / STATE / LOCAL CROSSWALK
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APPENDIX B – FEDERAL / STATE / LOCAL CROSSWALK
APPENDIX B– FEDERAL / STATE / LOCAL CROSSWALK
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FEDERAL / STATE / LOCAL CROSSWALK
This table provides a crosswalk that approximates equivalent terms used by the City of Santa Clara and the County Operational Area, the State of California, and the Federal Government.
APPENDIX B– FEDERAL / STATE / LOCAL CROSSWALK
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