City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 19, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Adopting the 2016 City of Alexandria Emergency Operations Plan Update.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of adopting the 2016 City of Alexandria Emergency Operations Plan.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve and adopt the 2016 City of Alexandria Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) update.
BACKGROUND: The City of Alexandria has developed and implemented emergency operations plans since the 1950s. These plans were routinely updated based upon lessons learned during real events, best practices in the emergency services professions, and changes in the City Government Structure. The current EOP was developed in 2009 through a systematic process that included the participation of all City Departments and other community stakeholders. The EOP has been continually updated every two years and was validated through a series of exercises. The Code of Virginia requires City Council approval of the plan.
DISCUSSION: The City of Alexandria EOP establishes the response program organization and the responsibilities of all City Departments, and affiliated stakeholders in the event of a major emergency or disaster.
The EOP also establishes requirements mandated by the Code of Virginia including a provision that the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund shall be contacted immediately to deploy assistance in the event of an emergency as defined in the emergency response plan and under the State Code. The Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund shall be the lead coordinating agency for those individuals determined to be victims, and the EOP shall also contain current contact information for both agencies. The Code of Virginia also requires that the EOP be reviewed and revised to ensure that the plan remains current, and the revised plan be formally adopted by the locality’s governing body.
To facilitate effective intergovernmental operations, this EOP adopts an organizational approach that groups City departments and non-governmental partners into functional areas that typically need to be addressed during an emergency or disaster. These functional areas are called Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). Each ESF outlines the likely actions needed for a response operation along with department-specific responsibilities. Each ESF is led by a “Primary Agency,” which - in each case - is a City department or office that has been so designated based on its authorities, resources, and capabilities in the functional area.
The 2016 EOP update includes the following:
• Modified roles and responsibilities for
o Public Health
o Transportation & Environmental Services
• Added the following agencies to a supporting role in the EOP
o Court Service Unit
o Project Implementation
• Changed special needs terminology to individuals with disabilities and/or others with access and functional needs
• Renamed two ESFs to correspond with federal terminology
o ESF # 5 from Emergency Management to Information and Planning
o ESF # 7 from Resource Management to Logistics
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: City of Alexandria Emergency Operations Plan Executive Summary
Attachment 2: City of Alexandria Emergency Operations Plan 2016
Attachment 3: Presentation
STAFF:
Debra Collins, Deputy City Manager
Robert Dubé, Fire Chief
Corey Smedley, Emergency Management Coordinator