EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN SUMMARY

This annex provides information and guidance concerning the communication and warning capabilities of the City of Peoria, which contributes to effective and efficient emergency response operations. Due to security considerations, the total communications and warning system is discussed in general terms.

Communications play a critical role in emergency operations. Extensive communications networks and facilities are in existence and operational throughout Peoria. The City of Peoria Office Of Emergency Management has over-all responsibility in insuring that these facilities provide effective and efficient communications.

The general public will be notified of the immediate threat to their safety, such as hazardous materials or severe weather, via the Outdoor Warning System, Cable interrupt system, EAS stations, NOAA Weather Radio, or other means as necessary. The alerting of local officials, local organizations, and individuals having emergency management responsibility is also covered in the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) standard operating guidelines.

The purpose of this annex is to describe the City of Peoria Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and responsibilities of the associated agencies in large scale emergency situations.

Many of the hazards that exist in the City of Peoria have the potential for causing disasters of such magnitude as to make centralized direction and control desirable and essential. The City utilizes the Unified Incident Command System (UICS), Incident Command System (ICS), and National Information Management System (NIMS) for all major emergency operations.

The City of Peoria Fire Department Office Of Emergency Management is an independent unit with accreditation through Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).

The purpose of this annex is to describe the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and responsibilities of OEM associated with management of emergency operations from that facility, or from the alternate EOC or Incident Command Post (ICP), in large scale emergency situations.

Emergency services’ dispatching is handled through the Emergency Communications Center (ECC). Warnings from the State and Federal levels of government can be received through the ECC via the National Alert Warning System (NAWAS) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Notifications of other emergency situations would also be received through the ECC.

Emergency situations vary markedly in speed of onset and in their potential for escalation to disaster proportions. The extent to which the EOC is activated and when it assumes command of emergency operations depends upon the type of emergency situation, its potential for escalation, its geographical extent and other factors. The Incident Commander may request an activation of any part of the EOC staff through the OEM Director or his designee. Such action will be reported immediately to the Superintendent of Police, Fire Chief, Public Works Director, and City Manager.

Provisions are in place to ensure that all domesticated animals are cared for in the event of an emergency. The general public needs to also make the provisions by having a 72 hour kit available for each pet they own. This includes collar, leash, food, medicines, and other essential items. The only pets that are allowed in a shelter are the service animals. All other pets will be housed as near to your shelter as possible, thus allowing you access to your pets while you are in a shelter.

This annex is designed to assign responsibilities and provide direction for the City of Peoria Police Department in the event of a disaster within the City. This takes into consideration the responsibilities for notification, warning, communications, evacuation, law enforcement, and security for the citizens and their properties.

Disaster situations are an expansion of the normal daily operations of the Police Department. These responsibilities include maintenance of law and order, traffic control, and crowd control. Security must also be provided for any public safety elements of local government involved in the disaster or in the disaster area.

The challenges of fire prevention and control are exacerbated when other emergency situations occur simultaneously or have already impacted the local area. Uncontrolled fires may reach such proportions as to become a major emergency situation. If not promptly controlled, even small fires can threaten lives and cause significant destruction of property and the environment.

Natural hazards and emergencies, such as flash flooding, may necessitate the use of fire service resources.

The Peoria Fire department is equipped and trained to handle several incidents (normal residential house fires) at once without relying on mutual aid. Fire scenes may escalate and present problems requiring a response mutual aid fire departments, law enforcement, public works, utilities, public health authorities, local EMS providers and environmental protection agencies, and other agencies. In these cases, effective interagency coordination using the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) is essential.

Large-scale emergencies, disasters, and acts of terrorism may adversely impact firefighting personnel, equipment, facilities, and communications systems.

This annex describes the planning and operational responsibility of the Public Works Department during emergencies and disasters. All divisions and sections under the Public Works Department have either primary or support responsibilities, depending upon the hazard. The timely response to damage of public structures, streets and utilities will assure the community’s capability to efficiently and effectively return to normal, day-to-day life.

The purpose of this annex is to provide guidance for the proper coordination of public and private resources to insure their prompt and orderly deployment to effectively respond to an emergency. After a disaster, people and organizations will rush to provide resources to aid Peoria. These offers, made with the best intentions, can (and do) add to and prolong the suffering of disaster victims by jamming logistics channels and overwhelming government and volunteer agencies. Chaos surrounding the arrival of resources in a disaster area can significantly hamper immediate life-saving response operations. In addition, demand for resources to deal with these unsolicited resources competes with demand for resources needed for emergency response activities. Solicitation for resources will be handled through the Emergency Operations Center and the public will be informed on the best way they can assist.

The management of resources requires a united and cooperative effort in the preparedness and disaster response phases by all government levels, volunteer agencies, community-based organizations, business sector, and the general public.

The primary responsibility of determining the need for mass care services to affected individuals is assigned to the EOC. All appropriate City, voluntary agency, and private sector resources will be used as available. Mass care services will be provided through the coordinated efforts of the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, other volunteer agencies and/or mutual aid agreements with various support and volunteer groups. All mass care services will be provided without regard to economic status or racial, religious, political, ethnic or other affiliation. This annex will not supersede individual mass care service providers’ regulations and procedures.

Emergency mass care services are designed to meet basic human physical and psychological needs during and after a disaster. These services include feeding, clothing, temporary shelter, bulk distribution of supplies, and crisis counseling. The coordination of emergency mass care services is vital to the alleviation of immediate and long-term human suffering and stress caused by a disaster.

There are a wide variety of emergency situations that might require an evacuation of portions of the local area. Limited evacuation of specific geographic areas might be needed as a result of a hazardous materials transportation accident, major fire, natural gas leak, or localized flash flooding.

Large-scale evacuation could be required in the event of a major hazardous materials spill, terrorist attack with chemical agent, extensive flooding. While it is impossible to know exactly when situations we plan for areas where evacuation could be necessary. Mass evacuation could be required in the event of an enemy attack.

Authority for Evacuations. State law provides a county judge or mayor with the authority to order the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within their respective jurisdictions. Hence, the Mayor may order a mandatory evacuation of our City upon issuing a local disaster declaration. The Mayor may also take subsequent action to control re-entry, curtail movement, and deny building occupancy within a disaster area.

This annex has the provisions for providing Emergency Medical Services Guidance in the event of a disaster, be it natural, man-made, or terrorism. This annex also shows policies and procedures to be followed by various agencies, city, county, state and the private sector.

The purpose of this annex is to provide for the effective collection, control, dissemination of emergency public information, and for the minimization of confusion, misinformation, and rumors during times of emergency. Long-term public educational efforts related to hazard awareness and family disaster preparedness planning is also outlined in this annex.

During periods of emergency the public needs, and generally desires, detailed information regarding protective actions to be taken to minimize loss of life and property. There are times, however, when disaster strikes without warning and the public information system cannot react rapidly enough to properly inform the public about the hazard. For this reason, it is important that prior to the occurrence of an emergency, the public should be made aware of potential hazards and the protective measures that can be employed.

This annex describes procedures to be followed in the assessment of damage resulting from a natural disaster, enemy attack, or other major incident. Guidelines for the restoration of public services and facilities are also included.

This annex establishes the policies and procedures under which City of Peoria will operate in the event of a hazardous material incident or oil spill. It defines the roles, responsibilities and organizational relationships of government agencies and private entities in responding to and recovering from an oil spill or incident involving the transport, use, storage, or processing of hazardous material.

This annex outlines our concept of operations and organizational arrangements for transportation of people, supplies, and materials during emergency situations, assigns responsibilities for various transportation tasks, and outlines related administrative requirements.

The purpose of this annex is to outline the local organization, operational concepts, responsibilities, and procedures to accomplish coordinated public health and medical services to reduce death and injury during emergency situations and restore essential health and medical services within a disaster area.

The purpose of this annex is make provision for legal services during emergency situations or when such situations appear imminent and to provide guidance for invoking the emergency powers of government when necessary.

The purpose of this annex is to define the operational concepts, organizational arrangements, responsibilities, and procedures to accomplish the tasks required for the local government and its citizens and businesses to recover from a major emergency or disaster.

This annex describes the organization of the local HMT, and assigns tasks, and responsibilities for coordinated hazard mitigation planning and implementation activities and actions. This annex addresses mitigation as a long-term, on-going process, and identifies planning and implementation actions applicable to both pre-incident and post-incident situations. This annex is applicable to and ensures that mitigation planning and implementation services address and are provided to the entire area of responsibility covered in the [County/City] Emergency Management Plan.

This annex explains the methodologies and progressive steps as to how we plan to identify the hazards that affect us and to systematically reduce the identified levels of risk and vulnerability to these hazards. This annex explains our active partnership, and participation in City of Peoria mitigation planning and implementation activities.