Emergency Support Function

Leadership Group

Hurricane Seminar

July 19, 2012

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Welcome and Introductions

Steve Sharro

Facilitator

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Seminar Purpose

To provide an opportunity for Emergency Support Function

Leadership Group (ESFLG) to discuss their roles and

responsibilities, in the context of National Response

Coordination Center (NRCC) requirements and actions during

Level 1 activation; specifically as outlined in the Federal

Interagency Response Plan – Hurricane (FIRP-H).

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Seminar Scope

To provide a better understanding of FIRP-H, correlating

interagency policies, and National Incident Support Manual

(NISM) structure

Discussion will remain at strategic level to ensure policies and

regulations are in place to support execution of FIRP-H

Discussion will NOT address tactical deployment procedures

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Seminar Objectives

In the context of a Level 1 activation of the NRCC for a

hurricane event –

Review lessons learned from Hurricane Irene in relation to

NRCS structure, staffing, and information flow.

Discuss potential policy decisions the ESFLG would likely face

during a hurricane response.

Review key provisions of the FIRP-H

Identify trigger points and policy considerations for National

Response Coordination Center Staff (NRCS) decisions

throughout phases of the hurricane as outlined in the FIRP-H.

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Agenda

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Administrative Items

Restrooms

Emergency Exits

Cell phones, Blackberry's, etc.

NRCC Assessment:

Hurricane Irene Activation

Presenter: Katherine Fox

Acting Deputy Director

Office of Policy and Program Analysis

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Background

Assessment Methodology

Key Findings

Next Steps

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Background

Hurricane Irene formed as a tropical storm in the Atlantic

Ocean on August 20, 2011. From August 22 – August 29, the

hurricane tracked through the Caribbean and then northward

along the U.S. East Coast.

The storm’s track required that FEMA and its partners

conduct response and recovery operations concurrently over

a very broad geographic area with numerous State,

Territorial, and local partners.

On Saturday, August 21, FEMA activated the National

Response Coordination Center (NRCC) for 24/7 operations

to coordinate Federal support to impacted States and

territories.

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Background (cont’d)

Federal, private sector, and volunteer partners deployed

representatives to the NRCC, which remained activated until

Monday, September 5, 2011.

On August 29, 2011, the FEMA Office of Policy and Program

Analysis (OPPA) assembled a team with support from the

National Preparedness Assessment Division (NPAD) and the

Office of Readiness and Assessment (ORA) to conduct a joint

assessment of NRCC operations related to Hurricane Irene.

In addition, Tropical Storm Lee formed as a tropical depression

on September 1, 2011 and produced heavy rainfall throughout

the south and eastern regions.

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Assessment Methodology

1. Interviews: Conducted 52 interviews with NRCC staff and

leadership, using a standard list of questions

2. Questionnaires: Conducted survey with a combination of

structured and open-ended questions; received 57

responses

3. NRCC Reports and Products: Collected and reviewed

reports and products (e.g., ESF SitReps, Senior Leader

Briefs) from the Hurricane Irene NRCC activation, with a

particular focus on the 72-hour period from Saturday,

August 27 through Monday, August 29

The Assessment focused on NRCC communications and

compliance with the National Incident Support Manual

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Assessment Methodology (cont’d)

4. NRCC-Related Findings from Previous Assessments:

Conducted a comparative analysis of previous

assessments that included findings regarding NRCC

operations (e.g., NLE quick look reports)

The Assessment focused on NRCC communications and

compliance with the National Incident Support Manual

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Key Findings: NRCC Staffing and Structure

Roster

Challenges in staff availability, schedules, and levels of

experience were identified at the NRCC for Hurricane Irene.

Many personnel had not served in the NRCC or in their

position prior to Hurricane Irene.

Training

Staff activated for Hurricane Irene were not always familiar with

their roles and responsibilities according to the NISM.

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Key Findings: NRCC Staffing and Structure

(cont’d)

Requirements

Some sections lacked specialized personnel for specific tasks.

The number of staff assigned to the NRCC during Hurricane

Irene resulted in logistical challenges due to space constraints.

Planning Section

There was confusion over the Planning Section’s roles and

responsibilities during the activation.

The physical separation of Current and Future Planning added

to this confusion and lack of coordination. Planning objectives

and information flow with Situational Awareness were unclear.

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Key Findings: NRCC Information

IT Infrastructure

IT systems issues resulted in compartmentalized information, a

lack of information sharing, and redundant input and searches.

Records management during Hurricane Irene was a challenge.

There was a lack of prioritized IT support for the NRCS during

Hurricane Irene.

.

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Key Findings: NRCC Information (cont’d)

Effective Input Collection, Guidance, Distribution and

Dissemination of Information

There was a lack of standardization or synchronization of input

for documents, as well as inconsistent dissemination methods

for reports, briefings or other products.

Use of social media in information collection is included in the

NISM but was not institutionalized in practice.

The flow of information as outlined in the NISM was not reflected

in the NRCC practices during Hurricane Irene.

The NRCC had limited capability to self-assess during the Irene

operation. .

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Next Steps

Operations at the NRCC are complex and challenges will arise

in responding to any disaster. Hurricane Irene offered an

opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the NRCC and

provide FEMA leadership with recommendations for a more

effective and efficient operation.

Going forward, the focus areas for improvement include having

appropriate staffing, ensuring access and availability of

information, and establishing the best structure for

operations.

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Next Steps (cont’d)

FEMA is formalizing a Lessons Learned vision and

approach

FEMA is currently drafting guidance for the FEMA Lessons

Learned and Continuous Improvement Program.

This will include a Lessons Learned Specialist position for

the NRCC.

NRCC Updates:

Presenter: Matt Matia, Branch Chief,

Response Coordination Branch

Response Directorate

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NRCC Rostering

Methodology:

Selecting experienced subject matter/functional experts

from both FEMA and ESF partner staffs

Recruit volunteers to provide both bench depth and offer

professional development (every employee an emergency

manager….)

Management:

Using specific POCs from each office/ESF to manage their

positions (identification, selection, training, etc.)

Updated monthly

Teams rotate as necessary

Direct e-mails from NRCC Team

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NRCC Rostering (cont’d)

Training Activities:

Bi-weekly general orientation sessions in NRCC

Weekly table top exercises

Team specific training:

Situational Awareness Section – monthly reviews & drills

Resources Support Section – ROC drills

Planning Support – Continuous development of

deliberate plans to support adaptive planning during a

disaster response

Crisis Management System Update (WEB EOC)

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NRCC Rostering (cont’d)

Recent Major Events:

Construction on new NRCC (February-May 2012)

NRCC Re-Opening w/Level III activation (4-7 June)

NLE 12 Level II activation (18-21 June)

Ohio Valley/Mid-Atlantic Storm response Level II activation

(30 June-5 July)

Mt. Weather orientations for both Teams (13 June, 18 July)

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NRCS Activation Levels

Level of

Activation

Guidelines

Level I •Full staffing to include all ESFs

•Approximately 130 staff

•Organized by:

-Section

-Branch

-Group and Unit

Level II •Mid-level staffing to include appropriate ESFs

•Approximately 65 staff

•Organized by:

-Section

-Select Branches

-Group and Unit

Level III •Minimal staffing required

•Approximately 30 staff

•Organized by:

-Section

-Group and Unit

Watch Steady

State

Day to Day Staffing

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5 0 0 C S t r e e t F a c i l i t y L a y o u t

NRCS Chief and Staff………………

Situational Awareness Section……..

Planning Support Section………….

Resource Support Section………….

Center and Staff Support Section…

Elevators

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Federal Interagency Response Plan

Hurricane

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Presenter: Patrick Hernandez,

Chief, National Plans Branch

Response Directorate

2012 Hurricane Season NOAA

Tropical Weather Predictions (Threat)

70% chance of 9 to 15

named storms (with top

winds 39 mph or higher).

4 to 8 will strengthen to a

Hurricane (with winds of 74

mph or higher)

1 to 3 will become major

Hurricanes (with top winds

of 111 mph or higher,

ranking categories 3, 4, or 5)

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Federal Interagency Response Plan -

Hurricane 2012 Update

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The FIRP-H 2012 incorporates lessons

learned from the actual events and

relevant changes to the 2011 FIRP

Hurricane plan.

Incorporating the 14 Response Core

Capabilities

Revising Annex X (Execution

Schedule)

Incorporating comments and

revisions from all 15 ESFs, Liaisons,

and FEMA Internal organizations to

include six (6) hurricane prone regions

Available on HSIN!

Core Capabilities

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Enables Response

Operational Coordination

Operational Communications

Critical Transportation

Environmental Response/ Health & Safety

Public Information and Warning

Situational Assessment

Planning

Survivor Needs

Fatality Management Services

On-Scene Security and Protection

Mass Care Services

Mass Search and Rescue Operations

Public Health and Medical Services

Public & Private Services & Resources

Infrastructure Systems

Represent the highest priority essential functions necessary for both

saving and sustaining lives, and stabilizing the site and the situation

within 72 hours.

Additional Changes

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Clarified roles and responsibilities by providing additional detail

about coordination and response related activities:

Changed lead office for activities where mission areas have been

modified by law or reorganization

Corrected task descriptions across all phases to properly reflect

response activities

Added multiple tasks to the Resource Support Section to better

reflect activities during activation

Refined TSA activities to reflect current statutory reporting

requirements.

FY-13 Way-Ahead

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FIRP – Hurricane transitions into an incident-specific annex to the

National All Hazards Plan (FIOP-Response)

Tentative Timeline:

Draft Scenario-Specific Annex due September 31, 2012

Hurricane Season AAR – November 1, 2012

Planning team initial meeting – November 6, 2012

Regional/State outreach for annex input – November, 2012

Stakeholder staffing (comments/adjudication) –January, 2013

Hurricane TTX – February, 2013

Break

National Support Plan:

Presenter: Josh Dozor

Chief, Regional Planning Branch

Chief, NRCS Situational Awareness Section

National Support Planning Goals

Assist the NRCS Chief to steer national support functions by

ensuring they are meeting situational requirements and regional

needs consistent with applicable operational plans and

performance measures.

Actively facilitate the assignment, monitoring, assessment, and

reporting of objectives and tasks to be performed.

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National Support Planning Methodology

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Steady State:

Future Planning Section analyzes risk and threats on a daily

basis

Increased concern about a threat precipitates a gathering of key

planning partners to further collect and analyze information

Transitioning from steady state to level 1 NRCS activation:

Initial National Support Plan is populated with relevant tasks

based upon existing plans meant to “jump-start” NRCS support

for the first operational period

National Support Planning Methodology

(cont’d)

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Upon NRCS Activation:

Current Planning Section adapts tasks to meet the needs of the

situation and regional/field support requirements and updates the

National Support Plan for the next operational period (next 24

hours)

Future Planning Section performs analysis to identify

requirements past the next operational period and current tasks

to address future needs (next 72 hours and beyond)

Annex X (Execution Schedule)

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Annex X, developed and approved by federal interagency partners, lists all tasks to execute the FIRP-H by phase, Core Capability and by Department / Agency / ESF

National Support Plan

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NSP tasks are derived from the

applicable plan and adapted to

meet the needs of the situation.

Tasks also arrive from Future

Planning, measures, and

leadership direction

Key Decisions for the next

operational period are listed

with corresponding information

requirements

Tasks are tied to national

objectives, which must address

regional objectives

Monitoring and Reporting

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CriticalTransportation

Mass CareServices

Public Messaging OperationalCoordination

OperationalCommunications

Public and PrivateServices and

Resources

Public Health andMedical Services

Carwile Measure

Dark Green (Complete)

Light Green (on time)

Black (unneeded or not applicable)

Performance Measure

Situational Awareness Section monitors and reports on the

performance of tasks within the operational National Support Plan

Feedback drives the adjustment, removal or addition of tasks for the

next operational period

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Critical

Communication

Public

Information &

Warning

Mid-Atlantic/Ohio Valley Storms

Planning Case Study

Current Situation as of 8:00 pm, July 2nd, 2012

Power:

2.2 million customers without power; down from 2.7 million

(peak: 3.6 million)

Mutual assistance workers from across country and Canada

have arrived or are en route to affected areas

90-95% power restoration expected by Friday, 7/6

Communications:

• West Virginia communications and public safety answering points

remain disrupted. All other states are improving

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Mid-Atlantic/Ohio Valley Storms

Planning Case Study

Current cell phone tower status within the affected areas:

• DC: 41 out of service of 1,432 total towers (2.7%)

• MD: 985 out of service of 8,795 total towers (10.7%)

• VA: 358 out of service of 4,090 total towers (8.8%)

• WV: 141 out of service of 645 total towers (21.1%)

Mass Care:

• Shelters: 48 open with 1,219 occupants across 6 states

• Cooling Centers: 295 open across 5 states and DC

• 21 Fatalities: NJ (2); MD (3); VA (11 fatalities;11 injuries); DC (1);

OH (1); NC (3)

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Mid-Atlantic/Ohio Valley Storms

Sample NSP Tasks (July 3rd, 2012)

Phase

Core

Capability/Metric Organization (ESF) Responsible Section Task

Phase 2a Operational

Communications ESF #2 Resource Support Section

Provide communication system restoration status, including

911 call centers.

Phase 2a Operational

Coordination ESF #5

Situation Awareness

Section

Provide infrastructure damage assessments, water distribution

status, power restoration status, and any fuel shortages.

Phase 2a

Public and Private

Services and

Resources

ESF #5 Situation Awareness

Section

Monitor status of private sector retail operations in affected

area to inform leadership on continued resource support

operations (Private Sector LNO)

Phase 2a Mass Care Services ESF #6 Resource Support Section

Monitor cooling center operations, fuel distribution, and water

requirements where power is expected to be out for multiple

days

Phase 2a Operational

Coordination ESF #7 Resource Support Section

Identify the availability of fuel, water, generators, vendors

and/or request ESF mission assignments to fulfill sustainment,

replenishment, and transportation requirements

Phase 2a Public Health and

Medical Support ESF #8 Resource Support Section

Obtain situational awareness on State and local health care

facilities to assess public health/medical needs and report

status to the NRCC.

Phase 2a Public Information and

Warning ESF #15

Situation Awareness

Section

Notify the affected population of open fuel stations, cooling

centers and power restoration updates; ensure messages are

getting out via AM/FM radio due to comm outages

Phase 2b Critical Transportation ESF #3 Resource Support Section Coordinate with State and local governments to support debris

removal operations that align with transportation priorities

Phase 2b Performance Measure

Establish staging area or transition all Regional ISBs to

Staging Areas within 48 hours following an incident

(Operations)

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Hurricane Execution Schedule Excerpts

Phase

Core

Capability/Metric

Organization

(ESF) Responsible Section Task

Phase 2a Critical

Transportation ESF 1 DOT

Enable air operations through air navigation

services measures, including air traffic control, flow

management, and airspace measures

Phase 2b Operational

Communications ESF 2 DEC

Request additional bandwidth provisioning as

required

Phase 2b Infrastructure

Systems ESF 3

FEMA NRCC

Resources Support

Section

Determine the need for additional waivers and issue

waivers to specific industries as necessary to

expedite facility restoration

Phase 2c Situational

Assessment ESF 5

FEMA NRCC

Situational Awareness

Section

Graphically depict sheltering system to include

number of occupants/maximum

Phase 2b Performance

Measure ESF 5 FEMA Region(s)

Transition all operational functions to the JFO from

the RRCC within 72 hours of declaration

(Operations)

Phase 2a Operational

Coordination ESF 5

FEMA NRCC

Situational Awareness

Section

Maintain command, control, and coordination by

providing an informational link between the NRCC,

other Federal department and agency operations

centers, and other NOC components

Phase 2b Mass Care

Services ESF 6

FEMA Recovery

Directorate IA-Housing

Determine housing options, including populations

returning to affected areas such as evacuees

temporarily displaced to locations away from their

home of record

Phase 2a Public and Private

Sector Services

and Resources

ESF 7

FEMA NRCC

Resources Support

Section

Source vendors and/or mission assign ESFs to fulfill

sustainment, replenishment, and transportation of

all requirements

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Hurricane Execution Schedule (cont’d)

Phase Core Capability

Organization

(ESF) Responsible Section Task

Phase 2b Public Health and

Medical Support ESF 8 HHS

Conduct inspections and damage assessments of

FDA regulated facilities and products (Human

Drugs, Biologics, Medical Devices, Human Food,

Animal Food, and Veterinary Drugs)

Phase 2b Fatality

Management ESF 8 HHS

Provide additional requested mortuary support to

State, local, and tribal governments

Phase 2b

Mass Search and

Rescue

Operations

ESF 5 & 9

FEMA NRCC

Resources Support

Section

Issue an MA requesting that DoD fulfill aviation SAR

requirements and provide additional resources as

force multipliers to support FEMA US&R resources

Phase 2c

Environmental

Response/ Health

and Safety

ESF 10 EPA

Support the local and State responders with

household hazardous waste collection, monitoring

disposal of debris containing oil or hazardous

material

Phase 2a On-Scene Security

and Protection ESF 13 DOJ

Coordinate with other Federal departments and

agencies, State and local jurisdictions to identify

additional law enforcement and security shortfalls

Phase 2c Public Information

and Warning ESF 15

FEMA Office of

External Affairs

Support the United States Small Business

Administration (SBA) to disseminate Agency

information regarding all forms of disaster

assistance that is available to support the rebuilding

efforts

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Closing Remarks

Tour of NRCC

Guide: Steve Burgess,

NRCC Manager