Village of Oswego Village Board Committee of the Whole met December 11.
Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:
Call To Order:
President Gail E. Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Roll Call:
Physically Present: President Gail Johnson and Trustees Ryan Kauffman (attended at 6:15 p.m.), Karin McCarthy-Lange, Pam Parr, Luis Perez , Judy Sollinger and Joe West (attended at 6:14 p.m.).
Staff Present: Dan Di Santo, Village Administrator; Christina Burns, AVA/HR Director; Tina Touchette, Village Clerk; Jennifer Hughes, Public Works Director; Jeff Burgner, Police Chief; Rod Zenner, Community Development Director; Corinna Cole, Economic Development Director; Jenette Sturges, Community Engagement Coordinator- Marketing; Greg Jones, Village Attorney; and Dave Silverman, Village Attorney.
Consideration Of And Possible Actions On Any Requests For Electronic Participation In Meeting:
There was no one who participated electronically.
Public Forum:
Public Forum was opened at 6:00 p.m. There was no one who requested to speak; the Public Forum was closed at 6:00 p.m.
Old Business:
There was no Old Business.
New Business:
F.1. Discussion of the Village’s Emergency Management Program
Director Hughes addressed the Board regarding the Village’s Emergency Management Program (EOP). She provided a brief overview of the program. The principals for emergency management also apply to special events and projects. For the first time, staff used the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) NIMS (National Incident Command System) protocol to organize and operate Christmas Walk this year. It’s important to remember that response is one facet of emergency management cycle that includes Preparedness, Recovery, and Mitigation. Preparedness involves understanding potential threats, planning, procuring adequate assets, and training. Mitigation is the steps taken to lessen the actual or potential effects or consequences of an incident. The Village’s primary tool is Village Code, including zoning, building, and floodplain regulations. It also includes constructing facilities that can withstand weather, attacks, and accidents.
Mission-
“All emergencies are local” is a central tenant of emergency planning. Village personnel will be the first on the scene. Outside assistance may not be available for some time; if at all. The Village’s mission, as defined in the EOP, is “to save the maximum amount of lives, minimize injuries, protect property, preserve a functioning civil government, maintain and support economic activities for the survival and eventual recovery in the event of a major emergency or disaster, both natural and man- made.”
Authority-
Emergency response by Village staff is conducted under the authority of Title 2, Chapter 4 and Title 6, Chapter 1 of the Village of Oswego Ordinances. Authority has also been provided under the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, as amended, and the Illinois Emergency Management Act of 1991, as amended.
Village Board’s Role-
The Village President and Village Board have an important role in the management of incidents. The Board sets the policy and securing needed resources for the response and delegates responsibility for incident objectives and tactical operations to the Incident Commander. During most routine incidents, the Incident Commander will only brief the President and Board and not seek additional input. The Trustees may interact with the Village Administrator to pass through requests for information, assistance, or intelligence. However, in a significant incident, their guidance will be instrumental particularly as the incident moves from response to recovery. The actions of senior leadership can help foster public confidence that the incident is being managed well.
The Incident Commander may designate a Public Information Officer (PIO) to provide instructions and information to the general public. The PIO is the primary spokesman for the team. The PIO is typically not the Village President or Village Administrator. However, they will likely need to make statements during high-profile incidents. Statements must be accurate, timely, consistent, and focused on immediate needs. All public statements, including those on social media, should be coordinated with the PIO to ensure consistency. If not given the correct information, then it could become a big issue to the incident.
There are a number of training modules designed to provide Trustees with the necessary background to perform their roles. The Village Board should contact the Village Administrator for assistance with registering for the classes. The majority can be completed online within a few hours.
• ICS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System
• IS-700: National Incident Management System, An Introduction
• IS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction
• G-402 Incident Command System (ICS) Overview for Executives/Senior Officials
• G-191: Incident Command System/ Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Interface
• IS-908: Emergency Management for Senior Officials
Plans-
• Oswego Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
The Village’s EOP outlines the Village’s response to emergencies. It provides a framework upon which the specific response is tailored for the situation at hand. The Village’s Emergency Operations Plan was first adopted in March 1992. It has been reviewed and updated annually since 2008. It is not a public document and is exempt from disclosure by State law. The plan:
➢ Defines the roles, capabilities, relationships and objectives of the Village of Oswego, prior to and during the response to a disaster
➢ Provides for coordination and cooperation with County, State, Federal, and Private sector agencies and organizations
➢ Adheres to the NIMS concept of emergency planning
➢ Requires training of public officials responsible for emergency management
• National Incident Command System (NIMS)
NIMS is a comprehensive, national approach to incident management that is applicable at all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines. It is intended to:
➢ Be applicable across a full spectrum of potential incidents, hazards, and impacts, regardless of size, location or complexity
➢ Improve coordination and cooperation between public and private entities in a variety of incident management activities
➢ Provide a common standard for overall incident management
The Incident Command System (ICS) establishes the ground rules for working collaboratively:
Standardization:
➢ Common Terminology- using common terminology helps to define organizational functions, incident facilities, resource descriptions, and position titles; plain English; not speaking in codes.
Command:
➢ Establishment and Transfer of Command- the command function must be clearly established from the beginning of an incident. When command is transferred, the process must include a briefing that captures all essential information for continuing safe and effective operations. The first responder becomes the Incident Commander until someone else comes in and takes over.
➢ Chain of Command and Unity of Command- chain of command refers to the orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident management organization. Unity of command means that every individual has a designated supervisor to whom he or she reports to at the scene of the incident. This helps clarify reporting relationships and eliminate the confusion caused by multiple, conflicting directives. Incident managers, at all levels, must be able to control the actions of all personnel under their supervision.
➢ Unified Command- in incidents involving multiple jurisdictions, a single jurisdiction with multiagency involvement, or multiple jurisdictions with multiagency involvement, Unified Command allows agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional authorities and responsibilities to work together without affecting agency authority, or accountability. One supervisor is onsite with very specific chain of command that needs to be followed.
Planning/Organizational Structure:
➢ Management by Objectives- includes establishing objectives; developing and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols; establishing specific, measurable objectives for various incident management functional activities; and directing efforts to attain the established objectives.
➢ Modular Organization- the Incident Command organizational structure develops in a top- down, modular fashion that is based on the size and complexity of the incident, as well as the specifics of the hazard environment created by the incident. (example: car accident)
➢ Incident Action Planning- Incident Action Plans (IAPs) provide a coherent means of communicating the overall incident objectives in the contexts of both operational and support activities.
➢ Manageable Span of Control- span of control is key to effective and efficient incident management. Within ICS, the span of control of any individual with incident management supervisory responsibility should range from three to seven subordinates.
Facilities and Resources:
➢ Incident Locations and Facilities- various types of operational locations and support facilities are established in the vicinity of an incident to accomplish a variety of purposes. Typical predesignated facilities include Incident Command Posts, Bases, Camps, Staging Areas, Mass Casualty Triage Areas, and others as required. (examples: Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works, Mobile Command Post)
➢ Comprehensive Resource Management- resource management includes processes for categorizing, ordering, dispatching, tracking, and recovering resources. It also includes processes for reimbursement for resources, as appropriate. Resources are defined as personnel, teams, equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for assignment or allocation in support of incident management and emergency response activities. Need to know what the commodities are. (examples: bathroom facilities, water, food, tents).
Communications/Information Management:
➢ Integrated Communications- incident communications are facilitated through the development and use of a common communications plan and interoperable communications processes and architectures. (example: satellite phones, if no cell towers)
➢ Information and Intelligence Management- the incident management organization must establish a process for gathering, sharing, and managing incident-related information and intelligence.
Professionalism:
➢ Accountability- effective accountability at all jurisdictional levels and within individual functional areas during incident operations is essential. Need timesheets and account for hours worked and volunteers working; whether there are babysitters that are needed; what will be done or needed to care for animals. The following principles must be adhered to:
✓ Check-In: All responders, regardless of agency affiliation, must report in and check out to receive an assignment in accordance with the procedures established by the Incident Commander.
✓ Incident Action Plan: Response operations must be directed and coordinated as outlined in the IAP.
✓ Unity of Command: Each individual involved in incident operations will be assigned to only one supervisor.
✓ Span of Control: Supervisors must be able to adequately supervise and control their subordinates, as well as communicate with and manage all resources under their supervision.
✓ Resource Tracking: Supervisors must record and report resource status changes as they occur.
Dispatch/Deployment: Personnel and equipment should respond only when requested or when dispatched by an appropriate authority. Don’t go until told; could overwhelm if they are not ready.
Personnel may not necessarily be assigned to functions depending upon the incident. For example, there may be no need to activate the Finance/Administration Section for a vehicle accident. However, in a major incident such as a tornado or flood, this section would play a major role in tracking costs and provide valuable input when alternative solutions have different financial impacts.
The five major ICS functions are:
➢ Command- sets incident objectives and priorities and has overall responsibility at the incident or event.
➢ Operations- conducts tactical operations to carry out the plan. Develops the tactical assignments and organization, and directs all tactical resources.
➢ Planning- prepares and documents the Incident Action Plan to accomplish the incident
objectives, collects and evaluates information, maintains resource status, and maintains documentation for incident records.
➢ Logistics- provides support, resources, and all other services needed to meet the incident objectives.
➢ Finance/Administration- monitors costs related to the incident. Provides accounting, procurement, time recording, and cost analyses.
Mutual Aid-
Illinois has some of the most developed mutual aid networks in the nation. The networks allow the Village to draw upon the specific resources of nearby communities to address escalating situations. The three primary networks that can be activated immediately are:
ILEAS – Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (Police)
IPWMAN – Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network (Public Works)
MABAS – Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (Fire)
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact provides a mechanism for mutual aid upon governor-declared declarations in all disciplines including animal health, medical services, and shelter. The extent of the event will determine whether assistance can be rendered. (example: a blizzard is likely to hit the entire region, not just Oswego; therefore, the Village cannot expect assistance from nearby communities) Best practice is to assume a community will not have assistance for 48-hours, but even that is conditional. If the event is significant enough, aid might not reach the Village for days, if not weeks or months.
Emergency Declarations-
An emergency declaration may be necessary to enter contracts or procure goods and services in an expeditious manner without following competitive bidding or notice requirements. Village Code provides a mechanism for making emergency purchases. In general, the process would be for the Village Administrator, in consultation with the Incident Commander, or the lead Department Manager, to request that the Village President provide a written declaration for disaster which is filed with the Village Clerk. For large incidents, a copy of the declaration is sent to the County Emergency Management Agency. The County then files with the State which in turn files with the Federal Government. The Village would not be eligible for Federal assistance if the State does not declare a disaster. Even if all steps are processed, the Village may still not be eligible for certain types of federal assistance if the threshold for damage is not met.
Recovery-
Recovery may occur quickly in small incidents, but for large incidents the recovery can last months, if not years. Where structures are damaged, the demand to quickly recover will begin almost as soon as the initial response is complete. Residents will begin to remove debris to the right-of-way and will initiate rebuilding without permits. The permit department will be overwhelmed by the number of requests, and residents may not understand that regulations require reconstruction to a newer, higher standard. Residents will dispute insurance coverage and Federal aid may be slow in coming, if at all.
Pressure will mount as the recovery does not proceed as quickly as hoped. Staff will become exhausted from the countless hours and politicians will be challenged because the community did not recover quickly enough. A lot of pressure will be placed on staff members; could lose staff within two years. All the while, the community will desire to continue to provide the pre-incident services to which residents require and are accustomed.
Combatting these issues starts with the All-Hazards Mitigation plan, Village Code and training to ensure that new structures are built to withstand potential hazards. Critical facilities and operations plans are built with redundancy. (example: water mains are looped to ensure that water can be fed through the system from multiple directions). The Emergence Operations Center (EOC) backup facility has a backup facility. Succession planning is crucial to both response and recovery. Personnel are cross-trained to do not only co-workers jobs but also the job of their supervisor. Policies and procedures should be written so that the knowledge is transferred as people assume new roles.
Board and staff discussion focused on planning and table top exercises; incidents occur every day; using the plan in everyday work; after 9-11, NIMS was expanded nationwide; needing to protect personnel and minimalize injuries; protecting public infrastructure; putting resources where they are needed most; blizzard priorities; logistics and financial chief responsibilities; reimbursements are not received until well after events have taken place; NIMS 100,700 and 800 classes would be beneficial for the Village Board to take; will lose staff during major events; some employees may abandon their jobs; need to protect employees as well as residents; providing counseling for employees and giving time off; allocation of resources; how does the Village come up with money for major disasters; majority of incidents involve private properties; some communities added special taxes to pay for disasters; mutual assistance; first five days of assistance is free, will get billed for services after the five days; needing to prioritize; staff needs to provide the Board options; Board will get pressure from the community; whether staff is comfortable with the operations plan; the plan is very good; Boards role is to stay out of the way; Police Department staff has a great partner and level of expertise with Director Hughes; how staff keeps track of incidents; 30-40 forms through NIMS that are utilized; administrative assistants help; roles change rapidly. There was no further discussion.
Administrator Di Santo noted that there is only one Board meeting in January. He will be discussing “What Ever Happened To.” at the meeting. Please email him with questions.
Closed Session:
There was no Closed Session held.
Adjournment:
The Committee of the Whole meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
http://www.oswegoil.org/pdf/2017.12.11-spcl-cotw.pdf
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