SECTION I: OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION Emergency Response Management Plan 5
SECTION I: OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION A. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN: The emergency response outlined in this plan is designed to protect lives and property through the effective use of College and community resources. They are set into motion whenever an emergency affecting the college reaches proportions that cannot be handled by routine measures. This plan will provide guidance to College personnel and local authorities for the management and coordination of activities relating to any natural or otherwise unplanned emergency event. The procedures are intended to be flexible enough to accommodate contingencies of all types and magnitudes. These events shall include, but not be limited to: earthquake, fire, flood, hazardous materials incident, transportation mishap, explosion, etc. It is intended that this plan will enable KCC to meet its responsibilities regarding any event that may affect the college or the surrounding community. B. SCOPE OF THE PLAN: This plan is designed to define the roles and responsibilities of Klamath Community College staff in response to emergency situations. It also describes the role of local and state authorities in relation to incident response. The plan also provides guidelines for first responders and other KCC emergency service personnel. Coordination with local, state and federal agencies, volunteer organizations, local business and industry, and other area facilities, is also addressed. C. DISCLAIMERS: Klamath Community College, while complying with the provisions of this plan, shall not be held liable for death, injury, or loss of property except in the cases of willful misconduct, gross negligence, or bad faith. D. RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTROL: The Emergency Response Management Plan (ERMP) is under the executive control of the President of the College, and under the operational direction of Administrative Services. When an emergency situation is declared by the College President or designee, the Incident Commander will activate the Emergency Response Management Plan. The Incident Commander will retain control of the situation until relieved by a higher-ranking Incident Commander or by local emergency services personnel. Pursuant to Federal Emergency Management Administration standards, local fire and emergency management response Emergency Response Management Plan 6
personnel will be expected to assume Incident Command responsibilities when necessary. College personnel and equipment will be utilized to provide priority protection for: 1. Life safety 2. Preservation of property 3. Restoration of academic program(s) The Incident Response Team, under the direction of the Incident Commander, will determine the manner in which college personnel and equipment will be utilized. The President will coordinate with Incident Command to determine when it will be appropriate to deactivate the plan. E. LIMITATIONS: Klamath Community College does not have the equipment or resources available to respond to all emergency situations. The College relies on the cooperation of local and state agencies and resources to assist with situations beyond the capabilities of College personnel. F. ASSUMPTIONS: Success of this Emergency Response Management Plan is dependent on a realistic approach to the problems likely to be encountered and on the personnel available during an emergency operation. To provide this realism the following assumptions are set forth: 1. Events in an emergency are not predictable; therefore support and operational plans may be modified to meet the requirements of the situation. 2. Disasters may affect the entire campus, city or surrounding area; therefore city, county, and federal emergency services may not be available. 3. A major emergency will be declared if information indicates that such a condition is developing or is probable. There is a large probability that an emergency will take place before or after regular College hours when the organizational setup of many departments is out of the ordinary. While the structure of this plan remains the same, its implementation may vary depending on available resources. Until proper officials can be notified, the individuals with the most training and rank within the Incident Command structure will be responsible for implementing the plan. These individuals are expected to follow the guidelines of this plan, while simultaneously making an effort to notify College officials of the situation. Emergency Response Management Plan 7
H. UPDATING THE PLAN: This plan may be updated as necessary. Updates are reviewed by the KCC Support Services Council and the College Council. Updates may from time to time be necessary due to: changes in regulations failure of the plan during use changes in the response necessary for a given situation an increase or decrease in the potential for an emergency situation changes in the Incident Command structure or assignments other events which necessitate changes. Updates will be distributed to plan holders for review and to confirm any changes. I. INCIDENT REVIEW ELEMENTS: After the events surrounding the incident have stabilized, a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness of the response and the response plan will be performed. This review should be accomplished by at least the major participants in the incident including Administrative Services, supervisors and employees, incident response personnel, and representatives from the involved areas. The review findings will be submitted to the Support Services Council and College Council. Review elements should include the following: 1. What factors caused the incident and was it preventable? 2. What contributed to the scope of the incident? a. What was the degree of damage? b. How long did it take to restore operations? 3. Has the incident revealed problems with any of the following? a. communications b. construction c. protective equipment d. operating procedures e. employee training f. employee performance g. coordination with public agencies h. notification of insurance carrier i. restoration of fire and other protection systems j. restoration of operations k. equipment design, application or use Emergency Response Management Plan 8
4. What recommendations or actions are needed to prevent a similar incident from occurring again? 5. Has the incident revealed any problems with the Emergency Management Response Plan? a. Did the Emergency Management Response Plan anticipate the incident? b. Did the Emergency Management Response Plan provide proper response to the incident? c. Are there any modifications needed to allow for a better response? J. RELATION TO OTHER PLANS: This emergency response plan is not meant as a site safety plan. Actions taken in support of this plan are intended to relate to major incidents involving all or most of the campus or affecting the surrounding community. Minor incidents will be dealt with by following the guidelines in the Emergency Operations Desk Procedure. Emergency Response Management Plan 9