Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com

Multi-Agency Coordination Workshop

Workshop Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions• Understanding Multi-Agency Coordination• Preparing for Multi-Agency Coordination• Implementing Multi-Agency Coordination

Participant Introductions

• Name, job title and department, agency, or jurisdiction

• Overall experience with emergency or incident response

• Possible role in responding to incidents

Course Logistics

• Course agenda• Sign-in sheet• Housekeeping:

– Breaks– Restrooms/Facilities– Emergency Exit/Relocation Area– Other concerns

Workshop Ground Rules

• Discussions and criticisms will focus on interests, not people

• Respect differences• Be open to new ideas• Share your experiences• Use the parking lot for off-track topics or follow up• Support everyone's right to be heard• Keep phones and pagers on silent or vibrate mode

during the session

Understanding Multi-Agency Coordination

Federal Mandates Affecting MAC

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) #5 - Management of Domestic Incidents

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) #8 – National Preparedness

NIMS

• Nationwide approach to domestic incident management that applies to all jurisdictions and incidents regardless of size or complexity

• Defines how to prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from a major event, and how well it needs to be done

• Provides a systematic approach for all levels of government, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work seamlessly together

• NIMS is NOT:– An operational incident management plan– A resource allocation plan– A terrorism/WMD-specific plan– Designed to address international events

NIMS / SEMS

Multi-Agency Coordination Challenges

PAST CHALLENGES CONTINUING CHALLENGES

Different policies and procedures Increasing incident complexity

Lack of common response Complex/confusing legal authorities

Different organizational structures Increasing litigation

Incident planning not coordinated Increasing response costs

Limited Interagency communications High property losses

No resource information Life, health, safety issues

Problems including private and non-governmental organizations

Deteriorating public view of government

Limited interagency training Intense media and public scrutiny

Differences in terminology Political, legislative, and budgetary ramifications

Unfamiliarity with other organizations Interoperable communications

Multi-Agency Coordination

• Process that allows all levels of government to work together more effectively

• Occurs across different disciplines• Can occur on a regular basis whenever personnel

from different agencies interact

Multi-Agency Coordination Systems (MAC)

• A MAC system is . . a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications integrated into a common system with responsibility for coordinating and supporting domestic incident management activities

A System NOT a Facility!!

Activity 1

• Instructions: – Review the Flood Scenario at the back of the

Participant Handbook – Identify the top 5 coordination challenges– Select a spokesperson and be prepared to present to the group in 10 minutes

Multi-Agency Coordination Systems (MAC)

• The primary functions of MAC are:– Situation Assessment– Incident Priority Determination– Critical Resource Acquisition and Allocation– Coordinate, Support and assist with policy level

decisions and interagency activities– Coordination with Other MAC– Coordination with Elected and Appointed Officials– Coordination of Summary Information

Multi-Agency Coordination Systems (MAC)

• Examples of Multi-Agency Coordination– Incident/Unified Command– Department Operations Center (DOC)– Emergency Operations Centers (EOC)– Joint Information Center (JIC)– Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC)– Joint Field Office (JFO)

Benefits of MAC

• Establishes and clarifies policy• Helps establish a common operating picture• Identifies priorities among incidents and

resolves critical resource issues• Facilitates logistics support and resource

tracking • Synchronizes messaging to ensure

“one voice”

MAC Group Membership

• The success of the MAC Group depends on membership

• Members should include:– Directly impacted organizations– Business organizations– Volunteer organizations– Other organizations with

special expertise

Command v Coordination

• Command is the act of directing, ordering or controlling by virtue of explicit authority

• Coordination is the process of providing support to the command structure

Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

• Physical location with staff• Supports the on-scene response through the

coordination of information and resources • Not an incident command post; rather, it is the

operations center where coordination and management decisions are facilitated

• Is applicable at different levels of government

EOC Organization & Staffing

• EOCs may be organized by:– Major discipline– Emergency Function (EF)– Jurisdiction– Some combination of the above– Staffed by personnel representing

multiple jurisdictions and functional disciplines

Coordination (MAC) Group

• Provides strategic guidance and direction to support incident management activities

• Provides coordinated decision making and resource allocation among cooperating agencies

• Establishes the priorities among incidents, and harmonizes agency policies

• Does not have any direct incident involvement and can be located away from the incident site(s) and can even often function virtually

• May be established at any level (e.g., national, state, or local) or within any discipline (e.g., emergency management, public health, critical infrastructure, or private sector)

Chain of Command

How it Works

Effective Multi-Agency Coordination

• Provides reliable systems and resources• Acquires, analyzes, and communicates

information• Is flexible in supporting the command structure• Anticipates change• Promotes public confidence

Activity 2

• Instructions: Working with your table groups:– Review the Flood Scenario– Identify the benefits to a MAC group– Determine which MAC System elements would be involved

and what role each would assume– Identify any potential conflicts and strategies to mitigate

the conflict– Select a spokesperson and be prepared

to share your answers with the group in 10 minutes

Preparing for Multi-Agency Coordination

MAC System Preparedness

• Relies on:– People– Communications and Information Systems– Public Information– Non-personnel (outside) Resources

Considerations for People

• What needs to be done?• How many people are needed to do it?• What skills and knowledge do they need?• How many people are available?• Where will you get the others?• How long will it take?

Communications and Information Systems

• Identify critical linkages• Ensure interoperability with the MAC System• Address how the following will take place within

the MAC Group:– Message documentation and routing procedures– Communicating major events– Documenting actions

Communications

• Establish and test redundant communications systems

• Ensure that all staff:– Can use systems– Know procedures for switching to backup systems– Protect sensitive information from dissemination

and release

Information Systems

• Key Requirements:– Link to critical functions– Readily available– Interoperable and redundant

• Key Determinations:– Types of information– Timeframes– Best processing method

Joint Information System (JIS)

Public Information

• Public information is one of the most critical areas for multiagency coordination:

– Alerts and warnings– Incident cause, size, and current situation.– Actions and resources– Short-term and long-term community recovery

plans

Public Information Preparedness

• Who is the public?• What does the public need to know?• Who will provide that information? • How will the information flow be managed and

coordinated?• How will the information be transmitted? • When? How often?

Resource Management Systems

• NIMS provides guidance for:– Establishing systems for tracking resources – Activating these systems before and during an

incident– Dispatching resources before and during an incident – Deactivating or recalling resources during or after

an incident

Effective Resource Management

• Identifying, allocating and tracking resources• Developing agreements• Credentialing• Coordinating through MAC Groups and Incident Command

Resource Typing

• The National Integration Center typing protocol provides incident managers the following information:

– Resource category– Kind of resource– Type of resource– Resource typing must be a continuous process based on measurable standards

Developing Agreements

• Agreements should be developed:– Before an incident occurs– Among all parties, whether governmental or

nongovernmental, that might provide or request resources during an incident

Credentialing

• The credentialing process involves an evaluation and documentation of an individual's:

– Current certification, license or degree– Training and experience– Competence or proficiency

• Credentialing is separate from badging, which takes place at the incident site

How Credentialing Works

Why Credential?

• Ensures qualification• Makes ordering personnel resources easier• Assists incident personnel• Allows integration of outside personnel• Reduces liability

Effective Coordination

• Coordination is essential to ensure accurate resource tracking and resource availability

• During a major incident, local EOC/MAC Groups should fill requests from the Incident Command only when they can be filled using resources from that jurisdiction

Policies and Procedures

• Policies are high-level guidance• Procedures describe implementation of policies• Together they clarify:

– What key players do– How they will do it– How they will interact with others– How they will be held accountable

Roadblocks to Effective MAC

• Conflicting policies• Communication issues• “Turf” issues• Lack of planning• Lack of policies and procedures

Implementing MAC

When to use the MAC System

• Incidents involving multiple jurisdictions• Incidents using Unified Command• Incidents of size or complexity that can expand

rapidly• Similar events required a MAC System• At the chief executive’s request

Activating MAC System Elements

• Policy for activating MAC System elements should include:

– Who can activate– Circumstances for activation– Timeframes for activation– How it is done

Level of Activation

• Based on:– Complexity of incident and level of support required– Established triggers and communication with the

Incident Commander or Unified Command

Situation Assessment

• All multiagency coordination begins with Situation Assessment

• Effective Situation Assessment requires:– Collecting, analyzing, synthesizing and displaying all

information needed for situational awareness– Consolidating situation reports and information to establish a common operating picture

Incident Priorities

• Determined based on:– Life safety objectives– Incident stabilization needs– Threats to property/environment– Critical infrastructure and interdependencies– Economic impact– Other criteria

Determining Need for Mutual Aid

• The Incident Commander must be aware of resources that are:

– Committed at the scene– Available in staging– Available within the jurisdiction. Required to meet

objectives• If public safety coverage could be jeopardized,

mutual aid is needed:– Sooner rather than later– Before resources are nearing depletion

How Assistance Works

Ordering Resources

• Every resource order should contain:– Incident name– Order and/or request number– Date and time of order– Quantity and type– Reporting location (specific)– Requested time of delivery (specific)– Radio frequency to be used– Person/title placing request– Callback number

Processing the Request

• The EOC/MAC Group determines whether to:– Fill the request locally– Request mutual aid or assistance– Pass the request to the next level as a mission

request

Deactivating MAC

• Occurs:– When incident resources are being deactivated– When incident scene is clearly under control– When incident support can be provided without

impacting the dispatch system• Usual order of deactivation:

– Federal, State, Local

Evaluating MAC Effectiveness

• Conduct a post-incident meeting• Create a open, honest, nonthreatening

environment• Review documentation from the incident• Identify what went well, what could be improved

and lessons learned• Develop an action plan to address any issues that

need improvement• Follow through

Who to Include

• Key players:– Incident Commander– Mutual aid partners– Public/private partners– EOC/MAC Group personnel– Public officials– Affected members of the public, as appropriate

Activity 3

• Use the Multi-Agency Coordination Assessment Tool in the back of the Participant Handbook to rate MAC preparedness in your jurisdiction

• Based on the results of the survey, identify any gaps in preparedness• Identify any immediate improvements (if any) that can be made fairly easily• Identify and prioritize any issues that should be

addressed but may take time to get done

Thank You

• Thank you for participating• We will reconvene at 1:00PM for the Tabletop Exercise