HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2004 0602 CC REG ITEM 10FITEM I o . F.
6 - 'a -a 004
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Kim C. Chudoba, Senior Management Analyst K e,
DATE: May 21, 2004 (CC Meeting of 6/2/04)
SUBJECT: Consider Emergency Management Ad Hoc Committee Report
BACKGROUND
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In October 2003, the "Simi Fire" burned 3,044 acres in Moorpark.
Six homes were destroyed, seven residences were damaged, and
outbuildings on nine other properties had structural problems.
The City Manager, in his capacity as Director of Emergency
Services, activated the City's Emergency Operations Center and
proclaimed the existence of a Local Emergency. Forty -one City
staff provided public information, police and fire support, and
safety inspections.
In February 2004, the City Council considered the "Simi Fire"
After - Action Report recommendations on management /finance,
communication /public information, and resources. To address
lessons learned from this disaster, the City Council formed an
Emergency Management Ad Hoc Committee (Mayor Hunter and
Councilmember Millhouse).
DISCUSSION
In March 2004, the Emergency Management Ad Hoc Committee
prioritized the After - Action Report recommendations. The City
Manager's Recommended Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2004/05
includes the top priorities: a City employee identification card
system, four satellite phones, a significant increase in staff
training, and seed money for a Community Emergency Response Team
and an Emergency Preparedness Handbook for residents. State and
federal grants will support some of these expenditures.
000264
Honorable City Council
June 2, 2004 Regular Meeting
Page 2
In May 2004, the Emergency Management Ad Hoc Committee held a
community meeting to enhance interagency communication and
coordination. The following topics were discussed: emergency
management procedures, Emergency Operations Center activities,
media relations, public information, evacuations, sheltering,
resource sharing, volunteerism, training, and exercises.
Participants included City of Moorpark, Moorpark Police
Department, Ventura County Sheriff's Department Office of
Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol, Ventura County
Fire Protection District, Moorpark College, Ventura County
Community College District (Campus Police), Moorpark Unified
School District, American Red Cross, Ventura County Waterworks
District No. 1, Calleguas Municipal Water District, Southern
California Edison, and Southern California Gas Company.
The information exchange was valuable, and attendees want to
continue the dialogue.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file report.
Attachment 1: "Simi Fire" After - Action Report
000265
ITEM .9 -
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MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: The Honorable City Council
FROM: Steven Kueny, City Manager
DATE: January 29, 2004 (CC Meeting of February 4, 2004)
SUBJECT: Consider "Simi Fire" Incident After- Action Report
BACKGROUND:
The "Simi Fire,, began on Saturday, October 25, 2003, and burned
about 3,044 acres in Moorpark. Six residences were destroyed, seven
residences were damaged, and outbuildings on nine other properties
suffered structural damage.
On October 25, 2003, the Director of Emergency Services (City
Manager) activated the City's Emergency Operations Center (EOC),
and on October 26, 2003, he proclaimed the existence of a Local
Emergency. On October 31, 2003, the City Council ratified this
proclamation.
On November 21, 2003, the City submitted a Request for Public
Assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the
Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The City is seeking
reimbursement for various emergency protective measures.
The City Council continued the proclamation of a Local Emergency at
four City Council Meetings: to finalize damage assessment (November
19, 2003), to complete the Public Assistance application process
(December 3, 2003), and to explore other types of disaster
assistance (December 17, 2003 and January 7, 2004) . The City
Council proclaimed the termination of a Local Emergency on January
21, 2004.
Forty -one staff participated in the City's EOC activation, plus
police, fire, and building and safety personnel. The major
functions performed by City staff are highlighted below.
ATTACHMENT 1_
000266
Agenda Report
Re: "Simi Fire" Incident After - Action Report
Page 2 of 7
January 29, 2004 (for CC Meeting of Feb. 4, 2004)
Public Information
• Provided fire updates via City's web site. From October 26 -28,
2003, the City's home page was devoted to the fire and updated
approximately 20 times.
• Disseminated fire updates via cable television, first on
channel 25 (public access channel) since channel 10
(government access channel) was disrupted by the fire, then on
channel 10 when service was restored on October 27, 2003.
The updates highlighted evacuation areas, Red Cross shelter
locations /directions, road closures, animal shelter /lost pet
information, power outages, air quality advisories, and
disaster relief contacts.
• Staffed City Hall switchboard on October 26 -27, 2003 from 9
a.m. to 9 p.m. and updated City's message machine to refer
callers to Police Department and City's web site.
• Assigned Liaison Officer to Southern California Edison to give
and receive service interruption information.
Police and Fire Support
• Assigned staff to Police Department to obtain information and
provide City resources as needed. Assisted police with traffic
control.
• Supported Unified Incident Command at Arroyo Vista Community
Park.
• Interfaced with County of Ventura EOC to share information and
resources.
Safety Inspection
• Conducted building and property inspections.
Of the 41 City employees who staffed the EOC, 15 management
employees worked 305 hours, 20 competitive service employees worked
000267
Agenda Report
Re: "Simi Fire" Incident After - Action Report
Page 3 of 7
January 29, 2004 (for CC Meeting of Feb. 4, 2004)
179 hours, and 6 hourly employees worked 61 hours, for a total of
545 hours. In addition, contract engineering and building and
safety staff from Charles Abbott and Associates conducted building
and property inspections, and Videomax Productions provided message
coordination for the government access channel. From October 29,
2003 to January 23, 2004, City staff spent an additional 579 hours
on recovery efforts.
On December 19 and 22, 2003, the City mailed a courtesy notice to
approximately 3,700 property owners to alert them to potential
flood hazards should the Moorpark /Simi Valley watershed experience
an abnormal amount of rain this season. A city property line map
overlay of the new post burn fire /flood map available from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency accompanied the notice. This
map indicates the areas in Moorpark that could be subject to
flooding, and may be viewed and printed from the City's home page,
or viewed at City Hall.
DISCUSSION:
As might be expected, a lot is learned from an agency's response to
a disaster event. No matter how well prepared, things don't always
go as planned, and unexpected events occur. A report on the issues
with the fire response as well as recommended follow up actions for
the Simi Incident has been prepared by the Ventura County Fire
Protection District. Issues included extreme weather conditions,
an abundant fuel source from the wild land vegetation, little or no
media reports specific to Ventura County, mutual aid response
affected by multiple fires throughout the state, and communication.
The City of Moorpark contracts for law enforcement services, and
fire protection services are provided by a special district. In an
event such as the "Simi Incident," these agencies take the lead,
and the City serves in more of a support and public information
role. If the event had been even more disastrous and longer in
duration, the City may have been required to expand its
involvement.
There were many items that went as planned, and it was evident that
prior training had prepared staff. However, even with the City
EOC's focused role and prior training, there were numerous things
learned and recommendations that will be further evaluated and
implemented. This report does not focus on a specific critique of
our response but describes items staff will evaluate for further
000268
Agenda Report
Re: "Simi Fire" Incident After - Action Report
Page 4 of 7
January 29, 2004 (for CC Meeting of Feb. 4, 2004)
action. These recommendations have been organized into three
categories: Management /Finance, Communication, and Resources.
Management /Finance
1. Prepare photo identification badges and store in EOC;
provide one as part of new employee orientation.
2. Develop more user friendly EOC forms.
3. Conduct more frequent training which should include cross
training and more focused training to account for the
likelihood that for any extended event not all staff would
be in EOC at any one time.
4. Initiate Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or similar
program to prepare and train residents to help themselves
and their neighbors and to serve as volunteers for emergency
events.
5. Allocate additional support staff to EOC.
6. Provide better security for the EOC.
7. Consolidate Police and City Hall EOC operations at City EOC.
Discuss with County OES, Sheriff, and Fire District
personnel about City's role in an event with multi -
jurisdictional responses to avoid duplication of effort and
insure appropriate coordination.
8. A larger amount of cash ($1,000.00) needs to be readily
available. A standard procedure for the security of the
cash will be implemented with verification by multiple city
staff.
9. Better coordinate with Moorpark Unified School District
(MUSD), Moorpark College, and other public agencies and
utilities.
10. Dedicate appropriate amount of city staff position(s) to
emergency management activities.
11. Regularly scheduled review of emergency event
responsibilities with city staff.
000269
Agenda Report
Re: "Simi Fire" Incident After - Action Report
Page 5 of 7
January 29, 2004 (for CC Meeting of Feb. 4, 2004)
Communication /Public Information
1. Acquire two (2) satellite phones (may be eligible for
Homeland Security funding).
2. Determine feasibility of obtaining City's own radio
frequency, transmitter, antenna, and related items.
3. Acquire additional handheld radios.
4. Contract with no less than two cell phone providers.
5. Test EOC phones lines no less than quarterly, and evaluate
use of cordless phones for the EOC.
6. Add a City Hall phone extension to the EOC.
7. Confirm EOC contact names and phone numbers no less than
quarterly and ensure such list is in the EOC.
8. Make answering of City Hall general phone number a standard
procedure.
9. Request personal cell phone and pager numbers from all City
employees. (This would be voluntary.)
10. Reevaluate number of phone lines for new Police Services
Center (it will serve as City EOC when constructed).
11. Routinely place a standard message on the City's home page
and the cable television government channel (as well as
periodically provided through other means such as refuse
bill inserts and City newsletters) stating that during an
emergency if either or both of the above are not
operational, try the cable television's public access
channel or designated radio stations.
12. Add as a standard procedure that communication on the cable
television government channel and City's home page be
initiated when the EOC is activated.
13. Train at least three (3) City staff to use the cable
television government channel character generator so we
don't have to rely on the contractor.
0002'70
Agenda Report
Re: ,Simi Fire" Incident After - Action Report
Page 6 of 7
January 29, 2004 (for CC Meeting of Feb. 4, 2004)
14. Train at least three (3) additional City staff to access
City's home page to place an emergency message.
15. Add a standard procedure that when the EOC is activated, the
City's answering service is contacted and provided pertinent
information.
16. Add a standard procedure that designates a specific phone
number for City staff to call.
17. Acquire backup equipment for cable television government
channel.
18. Evaluate feasibility of battery backup system for City and
EOC phones.
19. Provide more proactive public information activities with
media during the event to insure information about Moorpark
is available.
20. Consider earlier use of RACES to prepare for loss of other
communication devices.
21. Commit to better and more frequent sharing of information
between primary agencies (in this case Fire, Police, and
city).
1. Provide on -site child care facilities, equipment, and
staffing for emergency workers.
2. Evaluate need to designate a City facility as a shelter
location and acquisition of concomitant supplies.
3. Include list of contractor and vendors to provide supplies,
equipment, and maintenance as part of EOC information.
4. Develop trained volunteers.
5. Consider purchase of additional police patrol vehicle(s).
6. Make additional equipment available in EOC, including laptop
computers, scanners, and fax machine.
0002"71
Agenda Report
Re: "Simi Fire', Incident After - Action Report
Page 7 of 7
January 29, 2004 (for CC Meeting of Feb. 4, 2004)
7. Expand inventory of EOC supplies, including batteries,
protective eyewear, and dust masks.
In summary, the City learned numerous things from its EOC
activities and will evaluate the above items for implementation.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive and file report.
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