Emergency Management...Always Working for a Disaster Prepared and Resilient Community Walla Walla County Emergency Management Department 27 N. 2 nd Avenue Walla Walla, Washington 99362 Phone: (509) 524-2900 • Fax: (509) 524-2910 www.wwemd.info Emergency Management Executive Board (EMEB) Meeting Walla Walla County Emergency Operations Center 27 N. 2 nd St. Walla Walla, WA 99362 January 15, 2019 Members Present: Jim Johnson, Commissioner Chair, Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners Randy Hinchliffe, City Administrator, City of Waitsburg Barbara Clark, Mayor, City of Walla Walla Nabiel Shawa, City Manager, City of Walla Walla Harvey Crowder, Mayor, City of College Place Mike Rizzitiello, City Manager, City of College Place Emergency Management Department Present: Liz Jessee, Director Patrick Purcell, Coordinator Minutes: The meeting of the board was called to order by Commissioner Johnson at 14:00 at the Walla Walla County Emergency Operations Center. He turned the meeting over to EMD Director Liz Jessee. Administration Liz spoke about Emergency Management administrative activities completed during the fourth quarter calendar year (October to December 2018). • The Hazard Mitigation Plan is complete, received final approval from FEMA and been delivered in bound form to the EMD office. Mayor Clark asked if copies of the plan could be disseminated to the libraries within the County. Liz assured her that it could be done. Public Information • 911 outage: Liz spoke about the 9-1-1 outage which occurred during the last week of December 2018. Liz described the social media and Everbridge messaging she conducted during the outage in consultation with WESCOMS, Steve Ruley. Liz also noted that there is ongoing meetings to determine Centurylink culpability. There is also a review of neighboring counties utilizing IPAWS during the outage and its subsequent cross border overlapping.
Transcript
Emergency Management...Always Working for a Disaster Prepared and Resilient Community
Walla Walla County Emergency Management Department
27 N. 2nd Avenue Walla Walla, Washington 99362 Phone: (509) 524-2900 • Fax: (509) 524-2910 www.wwemd.info
Emergency Management Executive Board (EMEB) Meeting Walla Walla County Emergency Operations Center
27 N. 2nd St. Walla Walla, WA 99362
January 15, 2019
Members Present: Jim Johnson, Commissioner Chair, Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners Randy Hinchliffe, City Administrator, City of Waitsburg Barbara Clark, Mayor, City of Walla Walla Nabiel Shawa, City Manager, City of Walla Walla Harvey Crowder, Mayor, City of College Place Mike Rizzitiello, City Manager, City of College Place
Emergency Management Department Present: Liz Jessee, Director
Patrick Purcell, Coordinator
Minutes:
The meeting of the board was called to order by Commissioner Johnson at 14:00 at the Walla Walla County Emergency Operations Center. He turned the meeting over to EMD Director Liz Jessee.
Administration
Liz spoke about Emergency Management administrative activities completed during the fourth quarter calendar year (October to December 2018).
• The Hazard Mitigation Plan is complete, received final approval from FEMA and been delivered in bound form to the EMD office. Mayor Clark asked if copies of the plan could be disseminated to the libraries within the County. Liz assured her that it could be done.
Public Information
• 911 outage: Liz spoke about the 9-1-1 outage which occurred during the last week of December 2018. Liz described the social media and Everbridge messaging she conducted during the outage in consultation with WESCOMS, Steve Ruley. Liz also noted that there is ongoing meetings to determine Centurylink culpability. There is also a review of neighboring counties utilizing IPAWS during the outage and its subsequent cross border overlapping.
Walla Walla County Emergency Management Department 27 N. 2nd Avenue Phone: 509.524.2900 Fax: 509.524.2910 [email protected]
• Union Bulletin Editorial: Liz thanked EMEB board members for their collaboration in crafting and publishing the Opinion Editorial, in the Union Bulletin concerning the importance of county residents subscribing to emergency notification systems. The article resulted in 111 new subscribers to the system. Liz noted that despite her efforts, subscriber density across Walla Walla is still alarming low. Mayor Clark asked about Everbridge sign up information sheets which could be made available to residents attending council meeting to be held in various wards through out the city. Liz confirmed that she could provide those.
Training
Liz reviewed some of the training completed during the third quarter calendar year.
• ICS 400: Advanced ICS Command and General Staff Complex Issues.
• Public Assistance training for post disaster recovery.
Upcoming Training –
• Liz noted that Emergency Management would be once again participating in the City of Walla Walla’s annual Citizens Academy.
Drill and Exercises
• Pipeline Association of the Northwest Tabletop Exercise.
Upcoming Exercise –
• Walla Walla Region Airport Mass Casualty Incident Full Scale Exercise, May 2019. Planning meetings currently underway
Alert and Notification
Roundtable – Questions, Comments or Concerns?
• Liz informed the board that she was currently coordinating with Washington State Emergency Management to get Continuity of Operations for Businesses training scheduled in Walla Walla. Liz told the board that she would provide further updates when coordination was complete.
• Liz spoke to the Board about receiving 13 Motorola digital radios from Sean Shugars at the Veterans Administration. Radios were gratis.
• The board took a few minutes to remember Commissioner Jim Duncan who passed during the Christmas holidays.
Next Meeting Date
April 16, 2019
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 14:40
WALLA WALLA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
DIRECTOR’S REPORT October through December 2018
1. Public Education and Information
a. WWEM maintains a presence on social media with a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Information about emergency preparedness is shared daily. These social media outlets serve as an important source for disseminating accurate and timely information during emergencies, such as the 9-1-1 outage at the end of December 2018.
b. WWEM maintains and updates the Walla Walla County Emergency Management web site, www.wwemd.info.
c. WWEM staff delivered information to citizens as needed, through phone calls, or in response to walk-ins. Information provided included Emergency Preparedness Concepts, how to create a Preparedness Kit, and information about Everbridge registration.
d. Along with City of Walla Walla Mayor Barbara Clark, Wall Walla County Commissioner Jim Johnson, and College Place Mayor Harvey Crowder, WWEM co-authored an OP-ED for the Union Bulletin on the tragic communications lessons learned from the Paradise Fire in California. The Article resulted in more than 111 new subscribers to the Walla Walla County Emergency Notification System. (11/25/18)
2. Update of Plans and Letters of Agreement
a. Walla Walla County Emergency Management (WWEM) has completed the review and update of the Walla Walla County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan has been approved by FEMA and adopted by all the participating jurisdictions. The final contractor remittance has been completed along with delivery of printed copies of the plan to WWEM.
b. WWEM attended the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Issues meetings with other REP counties, state agencies and Energy Northwest. (11/20/18)
c. WWEM chaired the EMS and Trauma Care Council. (10/04/18 & 12/06/18)
d. Attended Emergency Management and Communications Advisory Board (EMCAB) meetings. (10/11/18, 11/08/18 & 12/13/18)
e. Participated in the Mill Creek Flood Control Office annual flood coordination meeting. (10/30/18)
f. Participated in a Walla Walla Regional Airport Mass Casualty Incident Exercise planning meeting. (11/14/18)
g. WWEM hosted the Region 8 Homeland Security Council meeting. (11/7/18)
h. Attended the Safe and Civil Schools Committee meeting hosted by Walla Walla Public Schools. (11/28/18)
i. WWEM attended the Quad County Chiefs meeting. (12/6/18)
3. Training Training Title Date(s) Scope/Purpose Sponsor #
Participants Agencies Attended
Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation
10/03/18- 10/04/18
This basic-level course provides a comprehensive overview of exercise design along with practical skill
Training Title Date(s) Scope/Purpose Sponsor # Participants Agencies Attended
Program (HSEEP) (L0146)
development in accordance with the HSEEP doctrine. The course uses activities that will give participants an opportunity to interact with many of the templates and other materials that are provided by the National Exercise Division to ensure exercises are conducted in a consistent manner. Upon completion of this course, participants will gain a better understanding of what constitutes a HSEEP consistent exercise.
BCEM (2), Framatome (2),
Walla Walla Public Health (1), Walla
Walla EMD (1), City of Puyallup (1),
Puget Sound RFA (2), PNNL (1), MultiCare (1),
Oregon DOC (1),
Public Assistance Training
10/10/18 This course provides students with current practices/procedures and regulations on collection of data and preparing public assistance applications as a part of recovery.
WEMD 4 Walla Walla EMD (2), WWCD (1),
Walla Walla Public Works (1)
Critical Decision Making for Complex Coordinated Attacks (PER-335)
10/23/18- 10/24/18
This course provides first responders from multiple disciplines with skills to manage the initial response to a large-scale attack in a chaotic environment during a Complex Coordinated Attack (CCA). It aims to train responders in how to use intuitive skills such as observation, analysis, anticipation, and awareness to recognize the possibility of an attack involving multiple incidents of an extreme magnitude that inundate resources, exceed conventional tactics and strategies, and often require a joint response involving members from multiple disciplines and jurisdictions.
(1), PFD (9), SECOMM (2), PPD (8), Port of Pasco PD
(1), RFD (5), WW Dispatch (1),
WWEMD (1), WWEMS (1),
WWFD (1), EMD (1), WRPD (1)
Advanced ICS Command and General Staff-Complex Incidents – ICS 400
12/3/18-12/4/18
This two-day course is designed for those emergency response personnel who would function as part of an Area Command, Emergency Operations Center, or Multiagency Coordination System during a large, complex incident or event.
a. Participated in weekly Comprehensive Emergency Management Network (CEMNET) radio tests with Washington State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and logged each weekly check. CEMNET is an alternate means of communications between the Walla Walla County Operational Area EOC and the State EOC.
b. Participated in required weekly Emergency Alert System (EAS) tests using the web-based AlertSense notification system. Tests are logged.
c. Participated in pipeline emergency responder training and tabletop exercise presented by the Pipeline Association of the Northwest. Training was held in Franklin county and was sponsored by Williams, Cascade Natural Gas, Avista and Andeavor. (11/8/18)
5. Emergency Facilities and Equipment
a. WWEM maintains fee-based access to the use of a toll-free number through FreedomVoice. This system enables WWEM to set up multiple telephone numbers to receive phone calls from a pre-established toll-free number. A call center could then be established during an event, with the toll-free number given out to media and/or the public.
b. This jurisdiction works closely with ARES (RACES) in training and exercises and maintains a ham radio operator station located at WWEM.
c. WWEM maintains an internal database for tracking emergency resources. Where applicable, NIMS typing information is included. WWEM updated the fire apparatus information during the period covered.
6. Alert and Notification
a. Maintains and operates an Emergency Notification System (ENS) from Everbridge. WWEM is certified by FEMA to conduct Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) emergency notifications over the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) using Everbridge if necessary.
There were opportunities to test the Everbridge Notification System during the period covered as it was used to alert community health care partners, local fire leadership and subscribed county residents about an ongoing 911 outage affecting much of the Northwestern United States. It was also used to test new subscriber information and notify them that they had been added to emergency notification system.
