RRT Meeting

1
EPAs Response to National Emergencies The
Incident Management Assistance Team Emergency
Communications and Outreach Team Community
Involvement Professionals How They All Fit
Together
2
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Jan Shubert, U.S. EPA, HQ
• Natalie Koch, U.S. EPA, HQ
• Virginia Coffey, U.S. EPA HQ
• Ginny Narsete, U. S. EPA R5
• Ken Clark, U.S. EPA R6

3
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Lessons Learned from 9/11 Anthrax
• Nationally Significant Events
• Two Questions
• Resources
• Inclusion of other EPA programs

4
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• What is a Nationally Significant Incident
• Exceeds Regional Resources
• One or More Regional Events
• Affects other EPA programs
• Requires HQ Involvement

5
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Mid 2002 Crisis Response Support Group (CRSG)
• Early 2003 Lessons learned from Columbia
  Recovery Efforts
• Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)

6
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• What is an Incident Command System
• A tool for managing personnel, resources, and
  communications at the scene of large and small
  emergency incidents or non-emergency events,
  establishing an identifiable line of
  accountability throughout the organization, and
  establishing unity of command (i.e., only one
  person in charge)

7
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• How is ICS organized?
• Build 5 major management activities
• Command
• Operations
• Planning/Intelligence
• Logistics
• Finance/Administration

8
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
9
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Kenneth Clark Region 6, U.S. EPA
• On Scene Coordinator

10
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Purpose
• To provide a national response management
  system for nationally significant events
• Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT)
• Incident Management Team (IMT)

11
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Proposed IMT/IMAT Staff and Distribution
• IMAT
• 5 Nationwide Teams, with Regional, HQ and ERT
  Personnel
• Each IMAT consists of 8 staff trained
• 3-5 On Scene Coordinators
• Remaining positions filled by ERT, ECOT, CISMT,
  CAST

12
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Regional IMTs
• One regional team, with 9 regional personnel
  trained for specific positions
• 4-6 On Scene Coordinators
• Remaining positions filled with specially trained
  regional personnel such as public information,
  safety, contracts etc.

13
IMAT Structure
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• IC Position
• Deputy IC
• Public Information Of.
• Liaison Officer
• Health Safety Off.
• Operations Chief
• Planning Chief
• Logistics Chief
• Finance Chief

• Staffing Source
• OSC
• ECOT
• OSC/ERT/Other
• OSC/ERT/CISMT
• OSC
• OSC
• OSC/Other Staff
• Regional HQ Specialties

14
Regional IMT Structure
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• OSC
• OSC
• Regional Staff (ECOT)
• Regional Staff
• OSC/IH/CISMT
• OSC
• OSC
• OSC/Regional Staff
• OSC Regional Staff

• Incident Commander
• Deputy Incident Cmdr
• Public Information Of.
• Liaison Officer
• Health Safety Off.
• Operations Chief
• Planning Chief
• Logistics Chief
• Finance Chief

15
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• IMAT IMT Training Requirements
• Pre-requisite All EPA response staff will have
  ICS 300 level training by the end of FY2004
• All IMAT and IMT members will receive ICS 400
  level training

16
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• IMT and IMAT Implementation Plan

• Brief Senior HQ and Regional Managers on Work
  Group Recommendations
• Obtain Approvals for Immediate Resource
  Commitments

• Key Objectives
• Develop EPA Specific ICS 420 Course
• Develop EPA Field Operations Guide
• Designate an IMAT Test Team for ICS Training

17
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
IMT and IMAT Implementation Plan

• Selection and Training of 5 National IMATs
• Training Regional IMTs
• Integration of IMAT/IMT Into Core ER Program

18
Jan Shubert, HQ EPA
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
19
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Lessons Learned
• Importance of Stress Management For Our Disaster
  Responders
• Peer Support and Critical Incident Stress
  Management Team
• IMAT Assistant Safety Officer for CISM

20
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Emergency Communications and Outreach Team
• Virginia Coffey, HQ EPA
• Ginny Narsete, U.S. EPA R5

21
Emergency Communications and Outreach TeamA
group of U.S.EPA public affairs, community
involvement coordinators, press officers, program
managers, writers, graphics, photographers with
at least less 3 years experience available to
respond to national emergencies when EPA regions
need assistance. They may fill the role in
initiating a Joint Information Center, media
relations, or community outreach within the
Incident Command System
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
22
ECOTs History
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Role is to Respond to Emergencies in Regions
• Anthrax, Homeland Security, California Fires,
  Hurricane Floyd, Oil Spills, US Postal Service,
  Homeland Security
• Rotation schedule
• Experts in various fields

23
IMAT Role/ECOT member
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Continues backup
• ECOT system
• Rotation schedule
• ICS Trained/3 Years
• Field Experience
• Implementation - IMAT

24
ECOTs Future
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Team Building Field Incident Exercises
• ICS Training
• IMAT Team Member
• Media and Communication Training/JIC
• Equipment ID clothing
• Response Tools
• Field Guide/Go-Kit

• Partnership with RRT

25
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
IMAT, ICS, ECOT, NIMS, NRP, DHS Department of
Homeland Security
26
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• IMAT, ICS, ECOT, NIMS, NRP, DHS
• IMAT Incident Management Assistance Team
• ICS Incident Command System
• ECOT Emergency Communications Outreach Team
• NIMS National Incident Management System
• NRP National Response Plan
• DHS Department of Homeland Security
• PIO Public Information Officer

27
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
ECOTs Role in the IMAT
ECOTs ROLE
28
ICS Public Information Officer
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Change from Mixed Titles in ECOT to One Name
  Titled Public Information Officer
• Lead the On-scene Joint Information Center
• News Conferences
• Photo/Video Communications
• Research and Writing
• Multi-Agency public Affairs Coordination
• Media Relations

29
Joint Information Officer
EPAs Response to National Emergencies

• Community Relations
• Rumor Misinformation Control
• Satellite Broadcast Operations
• Special Events
• Editorial Production
• JIC Manager

Public Information Officer - title ECOT member
skilled in multiple areas
30
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
ECOTs ROLE in the IMAT/NIMS Consistent with the
National Response Plan for Homeland Security
31
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
ECOTs ROLE in the IMAT/NIMS Consistent with the
National Response Plan for Homeland Security

• Public Information
• Serve as media community point of contact
• Regional staff to Respond to field Emergencies
  look for good news stories
• Work in multiple areas
• Field to JIC roles

32
Future Risks and Problems and Customer
RequirementsPublic wants increased information
about roles and missionIncreased speed of
worldwide media, internet and TVTodays world
is visualPublic goes directly to
mediaAccountability and cost of cleanups
EPAs Response to National Emergencies
33

Annual Communications and Outreach Plan

• VISION
• National Coordinated effort in Supporting the
  Emergency Response and Removal Program
• MISSION
• Ensure that the Emergency Response Center is
  prepared to communicate the assigned mission in
  support of Emergency Response Actions to protect
  Human health and the environment to a diverse
  audience

34

35
Annual Communications and Outreach PlanTraining
and Resources