AGENDA ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CARLO TOMAINO
CITY MANAGER
BY: REBECCA LOPEZ
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
SUBJECT:
title
APPROVAL & ADOPTION OF CITYWIDE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
summary
Summary:
In 2024, staff issued a Request for Proposals to select a qualified professional consulting firm to undertake a comprehensive update to the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and develop an Emergency Public Information Annex. After a comprehensive and competitive process, the City Council awarded a contract to Tandem Solutions in January, for a not-to-exceed amount of $35,000. Broadly defined, the EOP is a detailed document that outlines how a city will respond to and manage various types of emergencies or disasters. The Plan is developed and updated with consideration to other citywide operations and response plans including the General Plan and Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Emergency Public Information Annex is a new addition that the consultant developed as a supplemental document to the EOP and will be used to outline the flow of communications and information both internally and externally during an emergency or disaster. The comprehensive update re-establishes the EOP as a working, off-the-shelf ready plan, with functional annexes, that will assist staff in the response and recovery portion of any Emergency Operations Center activation. Staff recommends the City Council approve and adopt the proposed City EOP in the form presented this evening.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
Goal No. 2 Community Safety: Maintain community safety by supporting public safety services and increasing emergency preparedness.
Goal No. 5 High-Functioning Government: Strengthen internal communication, recruitment, retention, systems, and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
recommendation
Recommendation:
Staff recommends the City Council approve and adopt the proposed City Emergency Operations Plan.
body
Fiscal Impact:
Federal Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management Performance Grant Fiscal Year 2023 funding has been awarded for this project and will be reimbursed; therefore, there is no fiscal impact to the City’s General Fund associated with the recommended action.
Background and Analysis:
The City of Signal Hill’s EOP addresses the City’s planned response to extraordinary emergency situations associated with natural or man-made disasters, under an all-hazards approach. The update to the City’s EOP addresses changes in emergency management standards, FEMA requirements, and City policies and procedures. The update accounts for recent emergencies and activations including the COVID-19 Pandemic, Civil Unrest, and the February 2024 Storms. The EOP focuses on operational concepts that would be implemented in large-scale disasters that can pose major threats to life, property, and the environment, requiring unusual emergency responses. The update focuses on the following:
• Establishing the response structure required to mitigate any significant emergency or disaster affecting the City.
• Identifying the roles and responsibilities required to protect the health and safety of City residents, public and private property, and the environment, due to natural or human-caused emergency disasters.
• Establishing the operational concepts associated with a field response to emergencies, the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activities and the recovery process.
The preservation of life, property, and the environment is an inherent responsibility of local, state, and Federal governments. The City prepared the EOP to ensure the most effective and economical allocation of resources for protection of people and property in time of an emergency or disaster. Overall, the objective of the EOP is to incorporate and coordinate all the facilities and personnel of Signal Hill into an efficient organization capable of responding effectively to any emergency.
Tandem Solutions also developed an Emergency Public Information Annex in conjunction with the EOP update which is included as a supplemental document to the base plan. The Crisis Communications Annex is a strategic document that outlines how the City will communicate both internally and externally during a crisis event. The purpose of the annex is to manage information flow, reduce confusion, maintain transparency, and foster trust with residents and stakeholders.
The Planning Process for the EOP established a Planning Committee, consisting of representatives from the Police Department, Public Works, Parks, Recreation, and Library, Finance, Community Development, and City Manager’s Office. A kickoff meeting was held in early March in which Committee members and representatives from Long Beach Emergency Management, Long Beach Utilities, Los Angeles County Fire, and Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management were invited to attend and participate. The Planning Committee provided technical reviews, edits, and feedback to shape the plan update and ensure it meets the needs of the City and the community.
The EOP is designed as a reference and guidance document and is the foundation for disaster response and recovery operations for the City; it establishes the emergency organization, concept of operations, as well as specifies policies, general procedures and processes for coordination of the City’s responsibilities as a member of the Los Angeles Operational Area with other Operational Area organizations. The EOP builds upon previous efforts to enhance the City’s emergency and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities and includes the critical elements of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework, and the Incident Command System (ICS). Staff recommends the City Council approve and adopt the proposed EOP.
Reviewed for Fiscal Impact:
_________________________
Siamlu Cox
Attachment:
A. City Emergency Operations Plan