Snohomish County, WA Pre- Disaster Recovery Framework

Transcription

1 Snohomish County, WA Pre- Disaster Recovery Framework PEARCE GLOBAL PARTNERS, Inc SW Campus Drive, Ste. 200, Federal Way, WA 98023

2 Developing Disaster Resistant Strategies and Practices April 30, 2012 Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management th St SW Everett, WA Subject: Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework Dear Disaster Recovery Stakeholders: Snohomish County faces a variety of hazards and the resultant risks of these hazards from floods, fires, and earthquakes to severe storms, hazardous materials accidents and other natural and manmade hazards. Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management (DEM), understanding the potential economic and social impacts of these risks, recognized that a timely and effective recovery is essential to ensuring the health and stability of the county. In this capacity, Snohomish DEM engaged Pearce Global Partners Inc. to work with a diverse range of county stakeholders to develop a pre-disaster recovery framework. The intent of this framework is to identify stakeholders and partners critical to recovery, examine issues that will arise as part of the recovery effort, anticipate priorities that need to be addressed to facilitate recovery and suggest a mechanism that the county might employ to implement the recovery. The attached outline for a Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework for Snohomish County is a result of an intensive review of existing recovery materials and an extensive process of interviews of stakeholders within the public, private and non-governmental sector within the county who will have a role in recovery. The results of the recovery literature, best practices review and the documentation of the extensive interview process provide the critical input for developing the Snohomish Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework. However, in trying to be as comprehensive as possible, there are still stakeholders whose input and advice needs to be solicited. These include labor unions, the community college network, and selected professional organizations. This report does reflect input from the private sector but their involvement needs to be enhanced, particularly within the financial institutions and large employers. Certain administrative problems that were identified during the interview process that might inhibit an effective recovery have been identified with suggestions for resolving these issues. Snohomish County is to be commended for taking proactive action to ensure that the county is positioned to implement an effective and efficient recovery process that includes the very diverse stakeholders and unique issues that will be faced by the County in the aftermath of a major disaster. The Snohomish County Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework and the Recovery Support Function annexes provide a blue print for county recovery from any disaster. Thank you for your participation in developing the Snohomish County Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework. Best regards, Inés Pearce Chief Executive Officer 1911 SW Campus Drive, Suite 200 Federal Way, WA office fax

3 This page intentionally left blank Disclaimer: This document is intended to be used as an informative tool to guide pre-disaster recovery planning, not as a reference for emergency response planning and/or exact risk determinations. It is not intended to replace surveys, assessments, or inspections by certified engineers and/or architects, nor should it be used as a legal authority for any purpose. Pearce Global Partners Inc. Page 1

4 Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework The Snohomish County Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework was developed through a nine-month process of investigation, best practice research, interviews, and meetings. The Framework, and accompanying deliverables, is the culmination of this stakeholder engagement project led by the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management occurring from August 2011 until April The Framework is designed as an outline to guide and be expanded by the Snohomish County Recovery Steering Committee, as well as the specific Recovery Support Functions (RSF), during the next phase in the Framework development process. The Framework sections are as follows: Table of Contents Introduction This section introduces the framework document to the reader, provides a descriptive overview of the basis for and uses of the framework, and informs provides general information relative to the frameworks development and maintenance o Introductory Letter / Paragraph This is a paragraph or two from either the County Executive (promulgation document), or from either DEM or the Planning Committee, that officially endorses the framework for the County o Endorsements Page This is a signed statement formally recognizing that the framework will guide preand post-disaster recovery efforts in each of the applicable communities, and by each of the coordinating and supporting RSF agencies o Version Page / Record of Changes / Distribution Record This is a statement indicating the date of the final changes (if any) made to the document to ensure the most recent Framework is being used (if discrepancies arise), and a list of recipients when Framework updates become necessary o Framework Purpose This explains why the framework was created, the scope of events and activities for which it may be used (applicability), the geographic range to which it applies, and the intended audience(s) o Framework Description This provides a general description of how the framework is organized, and what each section includes o Relevant Documents, Plans, and Authorities This section lists, describes, and/or explains any laws, procedures, plans, or other documents that are associated with or otherwise relevant to the recovery Pearce Global Partners Inc. Page 2

5 framework, recovery operations, or the conduct of disaster recovery within the county Framework Integration / Synchronization Relationship to County CEMP/Local EOPs Relationship to Snohomish County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Relationship to Mutual Aid Agreements Relationship to State / Federal Recovery Plans Relationship to Local Recovery Plans Applicable Authorities and Statutes This sub-section details any legal authorities relative to the framework, including laws, statutes, ordinances, regulations, agreements, etc. Recovery Context This section provides the reader with a high-level overview of community risk and vulnerability in order to provide recovery planners (pre- and post-disaster) with a strong understanding of the types of recovery requirements likely to arise, and the factors specific to the community that cause such risk to exist (including physical, social, economic, and environmental vulnerability). This section also explains the risk reduction and development priorities of the community that will factor into key recovery decisions o Risk Profile Lists the key hazards likely to result in the need for long-term community recovery. Describes for each hazard the nature of disaster consequences and associated recovery requirements o Vulnerability Profile Explains for four separate vulnerability profiles, including Physical, Social, Economic, and Environmental, the roots of risk within the community. Information is limited to knowledge that informs planners such that recovery projects are acutely cognizant of vulnerability reduction opportunities o Mitigation Priorities Identifies the key mitigation opportunities and priorities specific to the county that are likely to factor heavily into post-disaster reconstruction efforts o Development Priorities Identifies county development priorities that will play heavily into post-disaster reconstruction for the purposes of aligning projects toward this common accepted goal Recovery Principles Provides the opportunity for the community to define the philosophy and identify the policies and priorities that will enable the diverse partners within a community to support recovery. This includes recognizing the critical economic drivers within a community and how to support their capacity to recover as a means of facilitating recovery. The principles recognize the importance of rebuilding the social fabric and Pearce Global Partners Inc. Page 3

6 physical infrastructure of their community. This would include but not be limited to: addressing critical needs to support the normalization of the community as a whole to a pre-disaster state of affairs, encouraging new economic development, restoring national and cultural resources, providing adequate short and long term housing, improving health and safety services and implementing risk reduction practices that will minimize future disaster impacts Recovery Outcomes / Measures of Success Identifies both tangible and intangible (not quantifiable) indicators that will signify social and economic recovery and provide examples of critical thresholds necessary for a positive recovery. This should include the usual indicators (people reoccupying their homes or resettled in permanent domiciles, business resumption, debris cleared, etc.) but also look toward new economic development, increases to tax base, historical preservation, retained population, etc. Recovery Concept of Operations The Recovery Concept of Operations section details the systems and structures, through which recovery planning and operations will occur, and defines for each stakeholder the associated recovery roles and responsibilities o Recovery Timeline Illustrates pre- and post-disaster recovery operations on the cyclical disaster management continuum; explains when post-disaster recovery operations are initiated and how these activities are synchronized with ongoing recovery operations o Activation Lists and explains different triggers that initiate the convening of recovery planning and action committees and actual recovery operations, and describes the actions performed to activate the various provisions contained within the recovery framework o Recovery Coordination Coordination with Ongoing Response Operations Recovery planning and early recovery operations are very-closely tied to ongoing response operations, especially in terms of assessment data, planning for longer term housing solutions, the immediate resumption of commerce, among other factors. This section details the mechanisms through which the recovery stakeholders are best able to coordinate their activities with those performed in the Emergency Operations Center Recovery Organization Organizational charts and associated descriptions for the mechanisms governing recovery leadership, coordination, planning, and operations Pearce Global Partners Inc. Page 4

7 Recovery Leadership An explanation of the role of county and local elected leadership in initiating and driving the recovery effort, and an explanation of the role of county and local disaster recovery coordinators Recovery Decision Making Illustrates and explains the process by which decisions are made about recovery actions generated by various coordination mechanisms and recovery support working groups including: The Recovery Committee Recovery Working Group / Task Force RSF Leadership RSF Organization Illustrates and explains how the RSFs function, and how they relate to general recovery planning and operations Recovery Stakeholders Stakeholders from all sectors with a role in recovery in Snohomish County including representatives from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, the tribes, the media, the unions, and the private sector should be identified and included in the recovery process o Roles and Responsibilities Identifies the roles and responsibilities of identified stakeholders in the recovery process including their potential role on the Recovery Committee, Recovery Working Group/Task Force, and as a Primary or Supporting Agency in an RSF o Partnerships Identifies mutual aid and other agreements the Snohomish County has with public and private sector entities from around the region and the state Public Communication and Engagement This section outlines a public communications strategy that identifies the information to be disseminated to the public, the various mechanisms for getting this information to the public (i.e. television, print, radio, social media, etc.), and those officials who will serve as spokespersons Monitoring This section will detail a methodology for monitoring all actions and activities associated with the recovery process to ensure that all identified needs are meet and resource allocations are successfully fulfilled and all resources are accounted for similar to how the National Incident Management System (NIMS) manages resources Pearce Global Partners Inc. Page 5

8 Training and Exercise Plan Identify and define training requirements for all participants and design a training program that incorporates existing courses with new courses specifically designed to meet the needs of Snohomish County. The Recovery Plan should be exercised on an annual basis. Over time the exercises conducted should alternately make the best use of tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises involving all stakeholders Resources This section determines the resources that may be required during the recovery period such as debris removal, building inspectors, food and water, etc. and identifies the potential sources of these resources such as the Federal government, State government, local and county governments, mutual aid agreements, non-governmental organizations, the utilities, the private sector, the tribes, etc. Pearce Global Partners Inc. Page 6