Preparing for the Next Big Storm—CT Emergency Management and the Private Sector

Brenda M. Bergeron, Esq.

May 19, 2017

CT Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Department of Emergency

Services and Public

Protection (DESPP)

• Merger of former Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Department of Public Safety and other agencies

• Creation of new agency Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection – July, 2011

DESPP Divisions • Emergency Management and Homeland

Security

• State Police

• Commission on Fire Prevention and Control

• Police Officer Standards and Training

Council

• Scientific Services

• Statewide Emergency Telecommunications

Overview of DEMHS

•Emergency Management

•Operations, Training, and Exercise

•Strategic Planning and Community Preparedness/Grants

•Field Support and Communications

•All-Hazards Planning

•Radiological, Regional Planning, Recovery Unit

•Office of Counter Terrorism

•Connecticut Intelligence Center

•Critical Infrastructure Unit

•Joint Terrorism Task Force (FBI)

NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK: How the Nation Conducts an All-Hazards Response Across Agencies and Jurisdictions

National Incident Management System/Incident Command System

Emergency Management

Is a Team Effort Emergency Management

Local

Tribal

State

Federal

Private Sector

Non Governmental

Org (e.g., Red

Cross)

State Response Framework

• Identifies local, state, tribal, federal, private sector roles and

responsibilities

• Provides “menu” of plans, policies, and initiatives

• Standard Operating Procedures for State Emergency Operations

Center

• The State Disaster Recovery Framework is an annex to the SRF

Emergency Support Functions

• ESF 1: Transportation

• ESF 2: Communications

• ESF 3: Public Works

• ESF 4: Fire

• ESF 5: Emergency Management

• ESF 6: Mass Care

• ESF 7: Resource Support

• ESF 8: Public Health

• ESF 9: Search and Rescue

• ESF 10: Hazardous

Materials Response

• ESF 11: Agriculture and

Natural Resources

• ESF 12: Energy

• ESF 13: Law

Enforcement/ Homeland

Security

• ESF 14: Long Term

Recovery and Mitigation

• ESF 15: External Affairs

7

ESF 7:

Resource Support/Private Sector

• Resource support includes commodities

distribution in an emergency.

• Private sector may both need support and offer

support.

• Private sector at both local and state levels should

have a “seat at the table” for planning, response

and recovery.

– At the state level, Infragard serves as a communications

vehicle to the private sector from the state Emergency

Operations Center.

DEMHS Planning and

Preparedness Regions

Regional Emergency Planning Teams

• One for each of the DEMHS Regions

• Representatives from each municipality (Chief Executive Officer/Chief

Elected Official)

• Representatives from diverse emergency support functions within the

Region—Regional Emergency Support Functions

• “Governance”—Bylaws

• Planning and Funding role

• Expansion of role to include creation of Regional Emergency Support

Plans

DEMHS Regional Coordinator, Local Emergency

Management Director: A Collaboration

• Information flow/Communication is key

– Keep your local EMD informed of your issues

• Regional Emergency Support Plan

– Can provide coordination of mutual aid from within the

DEMHS Region

• DEMHS Regional Coordinator is the link to the State

EOC

– If state or federal assistance, or mutual aid from outside

your DEMHS region, is needed, your local EMD contacts

Regional Coordinator

11

State Emergency Operations Center

Organized according to Incident Command

System ICS 400 Multi-Agency Coordination:

Governor’s Unified Command, Emergency

Support Functions

Mutual Aid Assets

• Incident Management Teams

• Mobile Communications Vehicles

• Medical Reserve Corps

• Behavioral Health Regional Crisis Response Teams

• Disaster Medical Assistance Team

• Community Emergency Response Teams

• DEMHS Urban Search and Rescue Team

• Bomb Squads/ Hazmat Teams

• Decontamination Trailers and Prime Movers

• DPH Mobile Field Hospital

Mutual Aid Systems

• National Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)

• International EMAC

• Intrastate CT EMAC

– Allows town in one part of state to help another town in another part of the state, not just neighboring towns.

– Provides for mutual aid, not just with regard to fire and police assets, but other municipal assets as well, such as public works, specialized equipment, etc…..

Disaster Declarations

• Governor’s State of Emergency

• Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration--Direct Federal Assistance

• Preliminary Damage Assessments

• Major Disaster Declaration Request to POTUS

If Approved….

• POTUS appoints Federal Coordinating Officer

• Governor appoints State Coordinating Officer

Natural Disasters in Connecticut

Since 2005, CT experienced severe weather events that resulted in 8 Presidentially-

declared major disasters

6 of these declared Disasters occurred between 2011 and 2015:

• January 12, 2011 record snowfall

• Tropical Storm Irene in August, 2011

• October 2011 Nor’Easter

• Super Storm Sandy

• February 2013 record snowfall

• January 26-27 2015 blizzard

After the Disaster--Recovery

Disaster Declared Projects Total Costs Federal Share DR-1904 23-Apr-10 441 $12,344,082.11 $9,344,538.27 DR-1958 3-Mar-11 339 $18,653,577.94 $14,105,431.85 DR-4023 2-Sep-11 1506 $60,524,306.83 $45,805,562.61 DR-4046 17-Nov-11 694 $114,784,504.05 $86,799,411.85 DR-4087 30-Oct-12 772 $84,968,720.07 $64,492,933.58 DR-4106 21-Mar-13 499 $42,021,229.37 $31,772,689.61 DR-4213 8-Apr-15 202 $12,703,775.53 $9,603,757.08

Combined Totals 4453 $346,000,195.90 $261,924,324.85

Current Initiatives

• FirstNet (First Broadband Network designated for First Responders)

• State Cyber Security Strategy and Planning

• School Security Plans

• Avian Influenza Monitoring and Response Plan

• Opioid Crisis

• E-911/Next Generation

• Interoperability with Bomb Squads/ HM Teams

Current Threats

• Cyber Security Intrusion

• Homegrown Violent Extremist

• Large weather event

• Improvised Explosive/Radiological Device

• Millstone Nuclear Facility Incident

• Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack

• Public Health Emergency

Action Steps

• Communicate with local emergency management director.

• Learn which DEMHS region you are in, and contact the

Regional Coordinator about joining the private sector support

function for that region’s Regional Emergency Planning Team.

• Learn more about Infragard.

• https://infragard-ct.org/

• www.ct.gov/demhs