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UNIT 7: OtherConsiderations

Instructor Guide

Federal Emergency Management AgencyEmergency Management Institute

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Unit 7: Other Considerations Instructor Guide

INSTRUCTOR PREPARATION

UNIT 7 OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this unit, the participants will be able to:

Terminal Objective: Name the other considerations discussed in this unit.

Enabling Objectives: State actions you will take to implement lessons learned in this course and to address the

challenges you may encounter in your community. Complete the development of the worksheet using the results of previous activities.

UNIT 7 SCOPE

This unit will include the following:

Other issues to consider when providing MC/EA services in your community. Participants will work in groups to complete their worksheet. Participants will work with their group to list the actions they will take to implement the

lessons learned or the challenges they will encounter in their communities.

UNIT 7 METHODOLOGY

This unit will include:

Lecture Class discussion Activity

UNIT 7 DURATION

The following time plan is suggested for this unit. Be prepared to adjust the time planaccordingly.

Topic Time

Community Mass Care and Emergency AssistanceIG-Page 2

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MAKING IT WORK INTRODUCTION

Visual 1

Instructor Notes Now that you have an understanding of what the MC/EA services are,what is required to provide them, and who can provide them, we will nowlook at some additional considerations and then put your knowledge ofMC/EA to work.


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OBJECTIVES

Visual 2

Instructor Notes Explain theunit objective is:

Name other considerations discussed in this unit..


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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTERS

Visual 3

Instructor Notes There are many kinds of disasters, each having different magnitudes anddiffering impacts on the lives of the survivors. When they happen,neighbors and community organizations want to reach out and help, but itis not always easy.

Community organizations can be active in disaster and can help acommunity make the best use of its resources in a disaster. Theseorganizations are effective because local resource providers are in the best

position to mobilize and bring practical and timely assistance to disastervictims.

Community organizations consist of voluntary organizations, governmentagencies, private sector, faith-based groups who serve.

Through collaboration, cooperation, communication and coordination ofgoods and services, time, energy and funds are better utilized and thevictims of disasters are better served. When disasters take place, anorganized community structure makes support and delivery of MC/EAservices more effective and efficient.

Instructor Note: Some communities have decided to organize in a moreformal manner. To learn more see the Resource section for suggestedlinks.


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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Visual 4

Instructor Notes Public Information

It is important to establish who you will collaborate with when releasinginformation to the public. The information should include where thepublic can locate and support the MC/EA services, such as shelterlocations, feeding locations, evacuation efforts, etc.

An ice storm has impacted your community. Highways to your area areclosed. The power is has been off for over 24 hours and you need to openshelters. How do you inform residents where they are located? How oftendo you need to repeat or update the information? How wide do you needto disperse the message? What are the demographics that must beconsidered?

Established media radio, TV, newspapers Will these work if the power is out? Will the media outlets broadcast the information for you?

Electronic messaging telephones, social media sites, text messaging,emails, reverse 911, weather alert radios

Will these work if the power is out? What if cell towers are down? What if telephone lines are down? What if internet coverage is down?

Low-tech methods - face-to-face, route alerting (loudspeakers onvehicles), fixed sirens and loudspeakers


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How long will it take to distribute the information?

Community Disaster Education Does your community have a program to educate the citizens on

where to find out information during a disaster?

Are there emergency preparedness programs in the local schoolsystem?

Does the business community have emergency plans in place for

their employees?

Individual and Family Preparedness

Individuals and families that are prepared for disasters are safer and moreresilient. In turn, this makes the community more resilient and impacts

the communitys requirement to deliver MC/EA services. Remember thatdisasters begin and end locally, and this would include individualhouseholds in the community. For instance, if families have put togetherEmergency Kits to allow them to stay in their homes and feed themselves,the need for shelter and feeding by the community is reduced.

Many organizations and agencies have individual and family preparednessprograms. Please refer to the Resource section in the Appendix for linksto some of these.

Leadership and Coordination

In order to provide the most efficient MC/EA services to a community,you must have the people who can pull everything together. Leadershiphas been described as the process of influence in which one person canenlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a commontask. By having proper leadership, MC/EA services can be providedmost efficiently.

1. Select leadership team2. Assesses situation to determine MCEA services, requirements and

providers

3. Coordinate activities to ensure the welfare and safety for thecommunity is planned for and not left to chance.4. Planned actions vs. ad hoc5. Ensures that those providing MCEA services know their duties

and responsibilities6. Ensures that everyone has the most up-to-date information

available about the disaster response7. Efficient and optimal use of resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_influencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_supporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_(project_management)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_supporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_(project_management)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_influence

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Ask

MOAs (MOUs), Mutual Aid

Memorandums of agreement (MOA) or memorandums of understanding(MOU) are documents describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement

between parties. They express a convergence of will between the parties,indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in caseswhere parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in situationswhere the parties cannot create a legally enforceable agreement.

These documents are important in the planning phase in order todetermine who or where MC/EA services will be provided. Theagreements can be set up with any individual, business, or any othergovernmental, private sector, or faith-based organization.

By having these agreements in place before a disaster occurs, you will beable to provide MC/EA services and all parties involved will have

accountability to provide the necessary aid. Keep in mind that, althoughMutual Aid Agreements may be in place with neighboring jurisdictions,those communities may also be overwhelmed and unable to assist.

Here are some of the key points to cover:

1. List the parties and addresses.

2. Purpose. This paragraph defines, in as few words as possible, thepurpose of the document and outlines the terms of the contract.

3. Reference. This paragraph will list the references that are directlyrelated to the document. For instance, the mission statements of eachparty involved or related laws.

4. Problem. Present a clear, concise statement of the problem, to includea brief background.

5. Scope. Add a succinct statement specifying the area of the document.

6. Understandings, agreements, support and resource needs. List theunderstandings, agreements, support and resource needs, andresponsibilities of and between each of the parties or agencies involved in

the agreement.

7. Specify a certain time period. (Example: The ending date of theagreement cannot exceed the end of the current fiscal year).

8. Insurance/Liability. Each party shall be responsible for its own actionsor omissions and those of its employees.


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any other legality that could arise when providing MC/EA services.

Volunteers: Generally NOT covered under governmental immunity MAY be covered under State immunity statutes if acting under

control of or at request of government or with an organizationperforming emergency management functions. You must checkyour State immunity statutes to verify coverage.

Immunity will not cover willful misconduct, gross negligence orcriminal acts

Best to have volunteers work through established volunteerorganization affiliated volunteers

See Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) for additional information

*Add section covering facilities and property.

Insurance Know the coverage and gaps of your jurisdictions

insurance. For example, in Florida, Emergency Managers are coveredunder the states workmans compensation.

Documentation - If it is not written down, it did not happen! Training, standards, daily operations, reports Clear, legible, detailed and complete Keep forms and SOPs updated

Training Standards Keep yourself and your staff up-to-date on trainingand best practices; this is the standard you will be held to in litigation

Hiring / Contracting Supervise properly, check backgrounds andreferences (due diligence), follow personnel policies

Contracts Legal counsel should be consulted Include indemnification/hold-harmless clauses in all contracts and

MOUs Make sure mutual aid agreements are current Keep back-up copies of all legal documents

Closing or Requesting Additional Resources

Sheltering:In an earlier unit we discussed opening and maintaining a shelteringoperation. At the same time a shelter is opened, you need to beginplanning its closure.

The following are some questions to consider:


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Are there other housing options available to those affected? What is the facilitys ongoing availability? For instance, does the

school need to reopen? What is the availability of resources needed to keep the shelter

open including staff, equipment and supplies?

Depending on the answers to these questions you may decide to closesheltering or continue to shelter because additional resources are broughtin. For example, additional support will come from American Red Cross,The Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Convoy of Hopeand other National VOAD members.

If extensive damage has occurred, disaster survivors may not be able toreturn immediately to their homes. Therefore, shelters may have to remainopen for extended periods, providing a place to live, food to eat, and otheressential services while homes are being restored or until alternatehousing is identified and/or prepared.

As residents are able to move back into homes, the shelter population willbegin to dwindle. There needs to be a plan for closing the shelters. Ensurethat all facilities, equipment, materials and supplies are accounted for andreturned, and that the site and equipment are returned to a ready-state forfuture deployment or use. Plan for releasing shelter staff. Resolve anydiscrepancies through agreements to make repairs to damage, etc. Dontforget to process any invoices and other reimbursement documentation.Find a safe and convenient place to retain records.

Feeding

The same considerations used for sheltering must be addressed for afeeding operation. Keep in mind, though, that feeding may have occurredeven though shelters were not needed. Here are some of the questions youmay ask:

Are shelters still open that require feeding support? Can you continue to support the feeding operation? Are other options now available, such as grocery stores or

restaurants reopening? Has the power been restored? Have the roads been cleared of debris so people can return to their

homes?

What is the availability of your feeding resources? Are additionalresources available?

The same steps you took for sheltering need to be taken when the decisionis made that feeding services are no longer needed. This includesfacilities, equipment and supplies, staff, invoices and reimbursement andrecords retention.

Distribution of Emergency Supplies


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Consider stopping the distribution when theres no longer a need. If theevent escalates, this is where agreements you have in place ahead of timewill be activated.

You can ask the following questions:

Have the needs of the disaster survivors been met? Have the vendors reopened? Have all the supplies available been distributed?

Reunification

The resources utilized for reunification communications are alwaysavailable so there are no closeout or escalation issues for the communityto directly address. For example, the ARC Safe and Well website isavailable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, in some

circumstances, your community may need to seek additional resourcesfrom NGOs and government agencies.


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SCENARIO VIDEO (Part 5)

Visual 5

Instructor Notes

Video

Explain we will now watch the fifth part of the video scenario.

Play the video.


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CLASS DISCUSSION (20-25 minutes)

Visual 6

Instructor Notes

Ask

Discussion

Record

Conduct a class discussion.

Referthe students to the worksheet.

Discuss which items ofthe other considerations in this unit should beincluded in their worksheet. They should make sure to include actionsthey will take when they return to their community.

Discuss some of the challenges or after action steps and encourage othergroups to add to their job aid as other groups report out.


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RECAP

Visual 7

Instructor Notes

To learn more about the topics covered in this unit and throughoutthe course, see the Resource Appendix at the back of the StudentManual. This was mentioned at the beginning of the course, but itwould be helpful if we take a few minutes to look at that sectionnow.

Note: Ask them to turn to the Resource Appendix and walk themthrough how it is organized highlighting some of the linksdiscussed in the units.

SummaryTransition

Unit 8 Transition


Documents

MCEA_Unit_7_DDAV (11-16)v1