EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT – 2002 AND BEYOND

Investing in a Safe Ohio – Improving Ohio’s Emergency Management

As we look into 2002 and beyond, we face threats that could cause physical, structural and economic damage of proportions never before experienced. Potential animal diseases like foot and mouth threaten our state and nation’s agriculture, a multi-billion dollar industry in America. A pan endemic disease could sicken hundreds of thousands of Ohio’s citizens - overwhelming our health care system and disrupting our economy. An act of terrorism or -- in some cases threat of terrorism -- can cause injury and death, bring business to its knees and disrupt the lives of Ohioans nationwide.

State funding should be tied to successful accomplishment of identified program standards. This will ensure a professional emergency management capability exists in every county.

A state investment of $6,690,000 million will establish standards and build capabilities at the local level, enhance the state’s ability to respond to disasters and pursue initiatives that will ensure Ohio remains a leader in emergency management field.

As the different state and local agencies continue to receive funding to develop and enhance anti-terrorism programs, it will become more and more critical for these various funding streams to be integrated and coordinated into one coherent policy. Without this coordination effort, Ohio’s state and local responders run the risk of expending millions of dollars for equipment and training that does not result in the programs and response capability our citizens expect and deserve. This policy must be coordinated with all government and should include business and industry input.

The impact of any emergency is most severe at the local level. It follows then, that the most critical phase of emergency response is the first or local response phase.

For Ohio to be fully prepared to respond to a disaster, county emergency management and first responders must be fully capable, properly trained and appropriately equipped.

Minimum Capabilities at the County Level

To accomplish this goal, we must have a minimum emergency management capability in every county that includes:

A fulltime director of emergency management and appropriate support staff.

The number of staff is based on the population categories of the county. Recommended staffing are based on the county populations and staff levels to meet minimum state funding threshold follows:

County Population EMA staffing

< 35,000 one full-time director and 1.5 full-time support staff

35,000 – 55,000 one full-time director and two full-time support staff

55,000 – 95,000 one full-time director and three full-time support staff

95,000 – 400,000 one full-time director and four full-time support staff

400,000 – 1 million one full-time director and six full-time support staff

> 1 million one full-time director, one deputy director, and 8 full-time support staff

The estimated annual funding necessary to bring all county programs to a fulltime director status (based on 10 part-time programs) is $200,000. Additional funding required for all counties to meet minimum capability standards based on their population and needs, is $4,000,000. These are annual estimates based on ongoing funding. A stable funding source is necessary to maintain enhanced standards and ensure measurable results.

A functional emergency operations center in every county where the County EMA can provide necessary emergency response, direction and control, an effective communications network, and a warning system capable of warning 100% of the county’s population, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to competent staff, an emergency management system must include the capability to direct and control emergency response, communicate, and warn the public. To accomplish these essential elements of emergency management, counties must have a functional Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the ability to communicate with all agencies responding to the event and warning systems adequate to disseminate emergency warnings and information to the public.

The ability for local officials to direct and coordinate their response to a disaster event is important to the safety and recovery of their citizens. An EOC is a facility where the chief elected official and the decision-makers from the responding organizations gather to make decisions, implement operations plans, coordinate distribution of resources and disburse information about the event to the general public. The EOC must be able to sustain operations for at least two weeks and include 24-hour communications capability. The EOC is also the central location for issuing warning and alerts during the disaster.

The ability of state and local government to warn its citizens of potential hazards and threats is critical. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency, in collaboration with local government, is developing a survey that focuses on the capabilities of counties to issue warnings to the public. The survey, scheduled for completion by April 2002, will form the baseline for the development of new and improved systems. The results of the survey will allow Ohio EMA to determine the cost of warning system enhancements.

To support the development of county direction, control and warning capabilities, the Ohio EMA proposes a 50% state matching fund program. State funding of $1 million a year is proposed as part of this proposed emergency management improvement plan. This program would be patterned after the agency’s existing Special Projects program that provides counties 50% federal matching funds for the development of emergency operations centers, communications systems and warning systems.

Based on the current special projects program, there’s an average annual demand of $12 million per year. Of these requests, Ohio EMA currently provides approximately $100,000 in federal funds, down from $250,000 in previous years.

A current comprehensive, all-hazards plan reviewed annually and approved by the chief elected official(s) of the county.

The ORC 5502 currently requires local emergency management programs to have a current plan that is reviewed annually, corrected as necessary and approved by the chief elected official(s) of the county. Additionally, every county plan must be revised to include response to a weapon of mass destruction that has catastrophic results, address the potential for biological or agricultural disasters as well as other county specific threats as identified by local officials.

The conduct of an annual exercise of the county emergency operations plan

Exercises identify areas that need improvement in either the plan or operational procedures. This is a critical component to preparing county organizations to respond effectively. There is currently no requirement in law for a county to annually exercise its county emergency operations plan. This will require additional language in ORC 5502.

Ohio EMA Initiatives

Several initiatives that will build stronger emergency management capability statewide directly impact the state emergency management program.

Develop pilot program for field based state liaisons

The Ohio EMA currently has nine field liaisons who assist 87 Ohio county programs. These staff are presently based in Columbus and must spend hundreds of hours annually in travel time to meet with their county EMA directors. The agency is considering a pilot program that will place two of our field liaisons at regional offices in their districts. The intent is to determine practicality; cost savings and effectiveness of locating field liaisons in the areas they serve. The cost to pilot two field offices for one year is $60,000. These costs the following:

State Car 2@ $18,000 $36,000

Rent $14,000

Phone $ 2,600

Office supplies & equipment $ 6,400

Utilities $ 1,000

Develop 24-hour duty officer capability

The state of Ohio currently has 24-hour duty officer capabilities resident in multiple agencies. The Ohio EPA and Ohio EMA both have their off hour calls answered by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, District 6 dispatchers. The dispatchers then contact the listed duty officer for response to incoming calls. The Ohio National Guard, Public Utilities Commission and Department of Health, as well as other agencies, have 24-hour reporting requirements in their operations. A consolidated 24-hour duty officer function would facilitate access to state resources and speed the state’s response during crisis or emergencies. This would not replace the dispatching function used by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Department of Natural Resources or Department of Transportation. Rather, these individuals would be at an appropriate grade and skill level to receive calls, perform necessary follow up actions and make limited decisions necessary to initiate state response. An estimated staffing level for this function, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, is 7 personnel. An estimated cost to support this function is $525,000 (7 staff at pay grade 32 plus fringe).

Pursue development of the Ravenna Regional Training Site.

The Ohio EMA and the Ohio National Guard, along with other state agencies and the Department of Justice, are considering the development of multi-site use training site at the Ohio National Guard’s Regional Training Site at Ravenna. This would be the only training facility of its kind in the northeastern quadrant of the United States and offer certain training opportunities not found elsewhere in the U.S. The first step in this process is a feasibility study with a projected cost of $385,000.

Improve the communications capabilities at local levels.

Communications interoperability is a critical aspect of emergency response. Ohio has a major investment in developing the Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS) for state users. Continuing the investment by bringing local government users onto the MARCS system would vastly improve interoperable communications during times of emergency. The Department of Administrative Services is looking at cost-effective approaches to provide MARCS local access.

An increase in staffing in our Data Management Branch to support data and network development for the sharing of information with the counties and the management of databases related to warning, information sharing, graphics information and emergency contacts is needed. The additional staff person is estimated to cost $75,000 with fringes for one year in pay range 32.

Funding Coordination

The Ohio EMA handles multiple federal and state funding streams and programs on a daily basis. Additional staff are needed in the Fiscal Branch to support the workload generated in the management of these grant programs and the increase in terrorism funds. A fiscal staff position is needed to manage grants and coordinate, supervise and direct staff in absence of EMA fiscal officer. The complexity and reporting requirements of federal grants has increased. The efficiency in processing accurate payments to counties and other public entities for public assistance, mitigation, emergency management, terrorism and other programs requires increased grants monitoring. In addition, substantial increase in funding for terrorism is anticipated. Maximizing the benefits and coordinating various funding streams will be the challenge of this new decade.

Attention is focussed on operations to show results and enhance advanced planning to meet fiscal deadlines. Recent restructuring has strengthened resources for grant payments and revenue processing as well as streamlining accounts payable. This new position will solidify gains made over the past year to enhance fiscal operations and grant management in particular. Direct oversight and supervision of day to day operations of the grant management system will address a serious shortfall in EMA functioning and accountability. Also, filling this position will promote work in the areas of fiscal policy, local program funding and reporting issues and collaborative efforts with local county program personnel. The new position would be a pay range 13 at a cost of $82,000 for the first year.

State Grants Information and Assistance Office

There are several agencies providing terrorism related grants to local communities and first responders nationwide. The creation of a State Grants Information and Assistance Office staffed by employees of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA), State Fire Marshal, Department of Health and the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) would provide a “one-stop” office for information related to all of these grants. It would minimize the confusion and maximize the opportunity for local communities and first responder organizations to apply for these funds. The cost for these five staff at 32 pay range would be $375,000 with fringes for one year.