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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 - EMA Grant Program AuthorizationNovember 23,1998 Council Agenda Item No. 4 TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: Tim Riley, Fire and Marine Chief 22-- SUBJECT: EMA Grant Program Authorization Recommendation: Approve Resolution 98- and designate the City Manager as the City's Authorized Official responsible for executing applications and documents for the purpose of obtaining financial assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Grant Program. Designate the Fire and Marine Chief as the Alternate Authorized Official responsible for executing applications and documents for the purpose of obtaining financial assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Grant Program. Discussion: The Federal Emergency Management Agency administers the Emergency Management Assistance Grant program in an effort to provide support to state and local government emergency preparedness programs. By providing this assistance, FEMA stresses the importance of all jurisdictions having emergency management programs that: 1) have a dedicated staff to conduct and coordinate emergency management activities; 2) prepare and maintain comprehensive emergency management plans; 3) ensure all members of the emergency response organization receive necessary training; 4) ensure there is an aggressive exercise program providing a means to evaluate and test plans, people, procedures, and equipment; and 5) apply the results and lessons learned from self assessments, exercise critiques, plan reviews, and post- disaster response critiques to improve the jurisdiction's emergency response capabilities. The EMA Grant Program offers the City the opportunity to obtain funds based on a per capita allocation of the total funds available to Orange County cities. This amount is contingent on the number of cities participating in the EMA Program. The minimum amount available to Newport Beach is approximately $4,197. Since not every city will participate, the amount will most likely rise. The EMA Program consumes minimal staff time and participation is in the City's best interest. The EMA Program does not require the City to match any funds other than those already earmarked for emergency preparedness. Funds will be available to the City during the 1998 -1999 Federal Fiscal Year, running from October 1, 1998 to September 30,1999. Attached is a copy of the Emergency Management Assistance Grant Application. RESOLUTION NO. 98- A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AS THE CITY'S AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL AND THE FIRE AND MARINE CHIEF AS THE ALTERNATE AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL TO SIGN AND EXECUTE DOCUMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PARTICIPATING IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. WHEREAS, The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in a partnership with the State of California, administers the Emergency Management Assistance Grant Program nationally as state and local emergency preparedness assistance; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach is eligible to apply for Emergency Management Assistance Grant Program funds; and WHEREAS, the procedures established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Governors Office of Emergency Services require the applicant to certify by resolution the designation of individuals authorized to sign and execute the Emergency Management Assistance Grant Program. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council designates the City Manager of the City of Newport Beach as the City's Authorized Official to sign and execute in the name of the City of Newport Beach all necessary applications, contracts, agreements and amendments hereto for the purposes of securing grant funds and to implement and carry out the purposes specified in the grant application. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council authorizes the Fire and Marine Chief as the Alternate Authorized Official to sign and execute in the name of the City of Newport Beach all 1 2 necessary applications, contracts, agreements and amendments hereto for the purposes of securing grant funds and to implement and carry out the purposes specified in the grant application. ADOPTED, this ATTEST: City Clerk 2 day of Mayor 1998. Table of Contents: Introduction.......................................................................................... ..............................1 MissionStatement ................................................................................ ..............................2 Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Objectives.............................................................................................. ..............................2 Objective 1 .................................................................................»......... ..............................3 Objective 2 5 Objective3 ............................................................................................ ..............................6 Objective4 ............................................................................................ ..............................7 Objective5 ................................................................................._......... ..............................9 BudgetProposal ................................................................................... .............................10 Assurances / Certification ..................................................................... .............................11 SignatureAuthority ............................................................................ .............................14 Introduction: Newport Beach, a City of 69,301 people was incorporated in 1906. Newport Beach is a beach community with a land mass of nearly 14 square miles and approximately 22 square miles of Ocean and Bay area. The City of Newport Beach approaches Emergency Management with an "all- hazard" outlook, meaning emergency planning encompasses'all potential threats facing Newport Beach, rather than concentrating on a few popular hazards. This "all- hazard" strategy is represented in the Newport Beach Emergency Management Plan. Other components of the emergency management program within the City of Newport Beach include: one full -time dedicated position assigned to coordinate emergency management activities, functioning as the Emergency Services Coordinator; an evolving exercise program promising to aid in the evaluation of plans and procedures; a developing community preparedness program based on the FEMA based Community Emergency Response Team Program; and the regular application of "lessons learned" from responses to incidents, emergency exercises, assessments from outside agencies, and training guidelines. The City of Newport Beach assumes an active role in Public Safety, and will continue to offer its residents and businesses the highest level of service. Page 1 7 Mission Statement: To provide for the mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery from emergencies and disasters affecting the population of Newport Beach and the Operational Area, as well as to develop and improve upon the proficiency in incident response and management. Goals: To ensure the City of Newport Beach will respond to all potential and/or actual emergencies and disasters in a proficient and effectively coordinated manner, create response standards for both immediate and long term operations, and prepare for the possibility of long term recovery efforts. To enlist the rapid assessment, verification, and notification of both predictions and/or warnings of potential and/or actual emergencies or disasters, thereby enabling the possibility of protective actions, as well as facilitating response effectiveness. To provide comprehensive and practical training and exercises related to existing hazards to emergency responders involved in the Newport Beach emergency response effort, as well as to the affected public through Community Emergency Response Teams. Objectives: 1. Enhance and upgrade communication systems and implement the Response Information Management System (RIMS), while also expanding interagency coordination and communication. 2. Improve upon the existing SEMS training program for emergency responders, including the incorporation of RIMS into this training. 3. Participate in the comprehensive Operational Area exercise program in accordance with SEMS. 4. Design a time -line for regular emergency exercises for both EOC and Field Responders. 5. Develop, organize, and implement a Community Emergency Response Team Program for Newport Beach residents and businesses. Page 2 0 Objective 1: Enhance and upgrade communication systems and implement the Response Information Management System (RIMS), while also expanding interagency coordination and communication. Objective and Need: The first objective which addresses the enhancement and upgrade of the communication systems and implementation of RIMS, while also expanding interagency coordination and communication pertains to the goal of managing emergencies in a coordinated manner. This objective will also help achieve the goal of enlisting rapid assessment, verification, and notification of actual or possible emergencies, thereby enabling the possibility of protective actions, as well as facilitating response effectiveness. Results and Benefits: Enhancing and upgrading the communication system by implementing RIMS will aid in a coordinated response effort to both potential and/or actual emergencies by capturing necessary data and sharing that data with both the Operational Area and the State Office of Emergency Services. This information management tool will result in a more rapid assessment of either damage or possible impending damage, which will allow the Operational Area to obtain a more detailed illustration of the exact situation. Approach: 1. The City of Newport Beach will improve upon communication transmissions which have been overlooked in the recent past, including EOC to EOC Radio Test participation and Operational Area FAX Tests. 2. The City of Newport Beach will acquire the Response Information Management System (RIMS) forms and program and incorporate them into the normal response functions of EOC responders. 3. The City of Newport Beach will use RIMS in all exercises in order to facilitate training and knowledge of the forms and program. 4. The City of Newport Beach will explore the use of alternate methods of interdepartmental communications, meet with neighboring jurisdictions and special districts to discuss present and future communication capabilities, and develop a stronger relationship with the local RACES group. The method of evaluation will consist of participant and controller exercise critiques. These critiques will establish a rating system which will show the progress of the communication systems. By using input from both a participant and a controller perspective, the City will be able to assess the communication systems fairly. By the end of Federal Fiscal Year 98 -99, the City expects to increase the amount of information shared with the Operational Area by approximately 50% and decrease the amount of time to accomplish this transaction of information by 20 %. Page 3 G'1 Geographical Location: The areas which will benefit from this objective include the City, the Operational Area, and the State of California, since the information is shared in a vertical fashion. Page 4 /D Objective 2: Improve upon the existing SEMS training program for emergency responders, including the incorporation of the RIMS into this training. Objective and Need: Improving upon the existing SEMS training program and incorporating RIMS into this training will help to achieve the City's goal of providing comprehensive and practical training to emergency responders. Relevant training is necessary in order to ensure the highest level of service to the public during an emergency. Results and Benefits: The positive benefits of improving the existing SEMS training program and incorporating training on RIMS will be demonstrated in a more proficient and effective emergency management program. This improvement on the City response will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the Operational Area, since both levels of response are often dependent upon each other. Additionally, the City will gain valuable time in reporting emergency information using both SEMS and the RIMS forms. Approach: 1. Evaluate existing methods for Standard Emergency Management System (SEMS) training and establish which areas need to be changed. 2. Improve upon training for specific SEMS functions including Management, Planning and Intelligence, Operations, Finance and Administration, and the Field Responders. 3. Create a training calendar to facilitate consistency each year, for example: every January a Basic SEMS Course is taught, every March a SEMS EOC Course is held, etc. The method of evaluation will consist of evaluations, critiques, and pre- course and post - course quizzes. All of these tools will aid in the shaping of the training offered to emergency responders. In order to evaluate the SEMS training courses and program, responders will be given a pre- course quiz, post - course quiz, and a course evaluation. The three forms of course evaluation will shape the evolution of this training program. Geographical Location: The improvement upon training for City emergency responders will directly benefit the City's ability to effectively manage and coordinate an emergency. The Operational Area will also be indirectly effected by the City's improved training, since the two entities share the goal of promoting public safety, therefore if the City can manage its responsibilities effectively, the Operational Area will not have an increase in its responsibilities. As mentioned above, a raised level of City training will also benefit the Operational Area directly, since the City will respond to the Operational Area's requests with accurate information through the use of established communications methods, such as the RIMS Forms. Page 5 Objective 3: Participate in the comprehensive Operational Area exercise program in accordance with SEMS. Objective and Need: Participating in the comprehensive Operational Area exercise program in accordance with SEMS will help to accomplish several goals previously mentioned, including: providing practical training and exercises to emergency responders; creating response standards for the City; and creating methods for rapid assessment, verification, and notification of potential and/or actual emergencies. Results and Benefits: Being a participant in the Operational Area exercise program will benefit the City by creating another training opportunity. This exercise program is geared towards the entire county, thus the participation of Newport Beach will positively impact both the City's, Operational Area's, and County's planning efforts. Approach: 1. Participate in the Planning effort for the Operational Area and contribute to the overall exercise development with staff support. 2. Participate in the actual emergency exercise. 3. Assist the Operational Area with debriefings, critiques, and after action reports for the emergency exercise. Exercise debriefings and critiques will evaluate the City's participation in the Operational Area Exercise. Both of these tools will add in the responders' understanding and knowledge of how both SEMS levels will function in an emergency. The City of Newport Beach expects to increase its participation in Operational Area exercises by 80 %, as well as increase responder knowledge of both SEMS levels by 40 %. Geographical Location: The City of Newport Beach's participation in Operational Area exercises will benefit the City, County, and Operational Area by creating a combined planning effort, better communication in each jurisdiction's response procedures, as well as the advantage of a coordinated training program. Page 6 la, Objective 4: Design a time -line for regular emergency exercises for both EOC and Field Responders. Objective and Need: The objective of designing a time -line for regular emergency exercises for both EOC and Field Responders will accomplish all three previously listed goals of ensuring the City of Newport Beach responds to all potential and/or actual emergencies and disasters in a proficient and effectively coordinated manner; enlisting the rapid assessment, verification, and notification of both predictions and/or warnings of potential and/or actual emergencies; and providing comprehensive and practical training and exercises related to existing hazards to emergency responders. Emergency exercises are an excellent method to develop and improve upon response capabilities, plans, and procedures. Regular exercises will also help to demystify exactly how the City will manage large -scale emergency events involving other agencies or special districts. It is expected that the establishment of regular exercises will aid in the training goals for employees, as well as contribute to the overall organization of the emergency preparedness program for the City of Newport Beach. Results and Benefits: By creating an annual time -line for emergency exercises, response personnel will become familiar with emergency response operations, yielding multiple benefits. The City of Newport Beach will enable the existence of a streamlined and efficient emergency response organization and the Operational Area will benefit by being able to communicate with an informed and organized jurisdiction. And lastly, the inclusion of special districts by the City of Newport Beach will enhance the coordination effort further. Obviously, the positive impact will be overwhelming where the planning and coordination of emergencies are concerned. Approach: 1. Develop an annual time line for planning exercises based on City events and seasonal demands. 2. Hold the exercise at a time agreeable to participants and controllers. The time line will begin each Federal Fiscal Year, and the proposed exercises will occur once the initial year, and then twice each following year. 3. Critique the exercise with all participants and controllers. 4. Evaluate the "lessons learned" and incorporate into plans and procedures. 5. Schedule a follow -up exercise for following year and proceed with the same time line for planning the exercise, although a different hazard will be used. The method of evaluation will be based on the critiques completed by exercise participants, controllers, and " graders." These critiques will allow the assessment of modifications, which need to be made to areas such as plans, procedures, and even exercise design. As a result of this Page 7 13 effort, the City expects to increase communication with Special Districts by 50 %, fixlly incorporate the use of RIMS into emergency procedures at the City level (increase use by 100 %), and increase the levels of proficiency and effectiveness where responder training and preparedness is concerned by 30 %. Geographical Location: The area benefiting from these semi - regional exercises includes the City of Newport Beach, Special Districts, and the Operational Area. Page 8 iW Objective 5: Develop, organize, and implement a Community Emergency Response Team Program for Newport Beach residents and businesses. Objective and Need: Establishing a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program for Newport Beach residents and businesses will address the goal of providing community preparedness information and training. By creating CERT, the public of Newport Beach will possess a self -help avenue for emergency preparedness. It is widely known emergency responders quickly become impacted beyond immediate capabilities, therefore, training the public to be self - sufficient during a large - scale disaster will enable responders to concentrate their efforts on the immediate life- safety needs. Results and Benefits: Allowing the community to properly prepare and train for emergencies through the CERT Program will improve the community's preparedness while lessening the impact on responders. The CERT Program will also facilitate understanding of responder's objectives during an emergency situation to the public. This program will benefit the City's Emergency Organization as well as indirectly benefit the Operational Area by the community's improved self - reliance. Approach: 1. The CERT Program Course Curriculum will be developed based on the FEMA CERT Program example and resident interests. 2. Establish a time -line for courses. Courses will be offered two or three times per year based on the public's demand. 3. Organize CERT Program volunteers in a database for possible supplemental emergency response to an emergency situation. The method of evaluation for the CERT program will be based on participant and instructor evaluations, and the program will be modified as required. By input from both the volunteers and emergency responders the program's impact will be assessed accurately and fairly. Geographical Location: The City of Newport Beach's Community Emergency Response Teams will benefit the City residents and businesses. Impact will also be felt by the Operational Area through increased community emergency preparedness and a decrease in projected loss of life in the Newport Beach area in the event of an emergency. Page 9 IS PROPOSED BUDGET PERSONNEL SERVICES Position Title Salary Benefits Total Emergency Services Coordinator 42,756 10,207.46 $52,963.46 OPERATING EXPENSES AND EQUIPMENT (OE &E) Public Education Materials Training Public Education Publications Graphic Reproduction/Slides 1,500.00 1,700.00 1,500.00 500.00 650.00 Total (OE &E) $5,850.00 TOTAL PERSONNEL SERVICES AND OE &E Page 10 84