Florida Energy Pipeline Association

2012 Summer Symposium

Role of the State Emergency Operations Center

Danny J. Kilcollins, FPEM

Florida Division of Emergency Management

State Emergency Operations Center

• Emergency Types:– Routine/Minor emergency - limited

consequence event; No Governor’s Executive Order in effect• State and local agencies and partners can respond

within their existing authorities• Emergency event can be monitored and state

response managed at SEOC by a limited number of staff (i.e., State Watch Office)

State Emergency Operations Center

• Emergency Types:– Major emergency or disaster; Governor’s

Executive Order signed and in effect• Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

activated• State agencies and partners may require

temporary relief from certain rules and regulations• Complex and/or large-scale event requiring extra

staff to monitor and manage response

State Emergency Operations Center

• Receive, monitor and assess emergency/ disaster information

• Identify needs, acquire and track available resources

• Keep policy makers, senior officials, SERT agencies and partners, and local jurisdictions informed

State Emergency Operations Center

• Provide state-level direction and control, set priorities and establish strategies

• Execute tactical operations to implement policy, strategies and missions, and monitor and adjust operations as necessary

State Emergency Operations Center

State Watch Office

• Located within State EOC• Staffed 24/7/365• Operations, Plans, Meteorology…others

as needed• In constant communication with Florida’s

67 County Warning Points and Emergency Management Staff, SERT members, Nuclear Power Plants, Federal Partners and Governor’s Office

State Watch Office

State Watch Office

• Receive, analyze and monitor information• Assess resource needs and coordinate

response by SERT agencies & partners for routine/minor emergencies

• Distribute information and reports• Disseminate public emergency

information, warnings and instructions

Local Ownership

• All disasters start and end at the LOCAL level

• State and Federal officials provide support and resources when local agencies are overwhelmed

Example Energy Pipeline Emergency

1998 NG Pipeline Disruption, Perry Florida

• Friday, Aug 14 @ after 2:00 PM - Lightning strike causes explosion at Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) pipeline compressor plant

• Responding firefighters injured by second explosion

• State Warning Point notified and Division of Emergency Management deploys liaison to County

Aug 14, 1998 - Perry, Florida

1998 NG Pipeline Disruption, Perry Florida

• Public Service Commission (PSC) as SERT Emergency Support Function (ESF) 12-Energy reports to SEOC– Serves as liaison to communicate with NG

and electric utilities (i.e., customer outages & restoration activities)

• Initial reports indicate only local impacts to NG distribution

1998 NG Pipeline Disruption, Perry Florida

• Local emergency response reinforced through local mutual aid assistance (firefighting)

• Governor and staff, DCA Secretary, FEMA, SERT agencies and partners, and county warning points notified of incident– Initial reports indicate negligible regional or

statewide impacts anticipated• Pipeline shutdown and fire burned out overnight

1998 NG Pipeline Disruption, Perry Florida

• August 15 @ AM – FGT and PSC report that 36” and 24” pipelines damaged--later third (30”) pipe reported damaged; NG fuel cut-off to peninsula– Natural Gas curtailment to electric plants and others– Electric demand met by use of other fuel sources– “Pack” in pipeline available for most customers

• Governor and staff, DCA Secretary, FEMA, SERT agencies and partners, and county warning points notified of situation

1998 NG Pipeline Disruption, Perry Florida

• State EOC partially activated to support local governments– Primary Agencies: DEM, PSC and DEP– No local resource needs anticipated– Agencies can respond with existing resources

and authorities– DEP coordinated waiver for temporary relief

from certain regulations; increased electric supply to grid

1998 NG Pipeline Disruption, Perry Florida

• Communications via conference calls– Technical staff calls to discuss restoration activities– Public affairs calls to coordinate public information

messaging (e.g., calls for conservation)– Emergency Management calls with local agencies

• Partial restoration about three days after explosion; full restoration in about four days

Questions??