Title
Re-adoption of the City of Hampton, Virginia's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The City of Hampton is vulnerable to a variety of hazards such as flooding, hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes, hazardous materials incidents, pandemics and terrorism. The Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Services and Disaster Laws of 2000, as amended, (Code of Virginia, § 44-146.19) require that local governments develop and maintain a current Emergency Operations Plan (“EOP”) to be prepared for such events. Every four years, the local EOP must be updated and re-adopted by the governing body. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management must receive a resolution from the governing body certifying the currency of the EOP to be consistent with this provision of Title 44. The City of Hampton Director of Emergency Management is the City Manager. The day-to-day activities of the emergency management program have been delegated to the Emergency Management Coordinator in the Office of Emergency Management.
Discussion:
Hampton's EOP is an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a single, comprehensive framework for the management of city incidents. The EOP assists Hampton with its preparedness mission of reducing the vulnerability to all natural and man-made hazards; preventing or reducing the threat of terrorist attacks within Hampton; and minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery from any type of incident that occurs. It provides the structure and mechanisms for the coordination of state support to the impacted local government and affected individuals and businesses. It is also compatible with the National Response Framework and provides the structure for coordinating with the federal government in the delivery of federal disaster assistance.
Hampton's EOP organizes City departments, agencies, and voluntary agencies into 17 Emergency Support Functions (“ESF”) to facilitate planning and coordination prior to an incident and to achieve an effective emergency response and recovery. Assigned responsibilities are generally extensions of normal, day-to-day functions involving the same personnel and material resources, with designations for primary agencies and support agencies being established for each ESF on the basis of authorities, resources, and capabilities.
Hampton's EOP also includes Support Annexes which describe the framework through which local departments and agencies, the private sector, volunteer organizations, and nongovernmental organizations coordinate and execute the common functional processes and administrative requirements necessary to ensure effective incident management.
Impact:
The action requested relates to Council initiatives in Public Safety. The Office of Emergency Management will continue to provide excellent services to the citizens, businesses, and visitors of Hampton, as well as to jurisdictional departments, by maintaining a current Emergency Operations Plan to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. The EOP sets forth the concepts and procedures whereby Hampton can effectively apply available resources to insure that casualties and property damage will be minimized and restoration of essential services will be conducted as soon as possible following an emergency or disaster situation.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approve.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Hampton, Virginia (the “City”) is vulnerable to a variety of hazards such as flooding, hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes, hazardous materials incidents, pandemics and terrorism;
WHEREAS, the City has a responsibility to provide for the safety and well-being of its citizens and visitors;
WHEREAS, the City Council of Hampton, Virginia recognizes the need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and manmade disasters;
WHEREAS, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93-288), as amended, requires localities to have a current Emergency Operations Plan (“EOP” or the “Plan”) that meets the requirements set forth in the Act;
WHEREAS, the Code of Virginia, as amended, (the “Code”) § 44-146.19 requires localities to have a current EOP that meets the requirements set forth in the Code;
WHEREAS, the City has adopted, re-adopted, and maintained for many years an EOP that is an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a single, comprehensive framework for the management of City incidents;
WHEREAS, the City’s EOP is an ongoing plan maintained by various jurisdictional levels for responding to a wide variety of potential hazards, whereby it describes how people and property will be protected; details who is responsible for carrying out specific actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources available; and outlines how all actions will be coordinated;
WHEREAS, the EOP defines actions and duties that should occur within the jurisdictional boundary of the City prior to, during, and after a disaster or emergency;
WHEREAS, as required by the Code, the City has established and appointed a Director of Emergency Management and a Coordinator of Emergency Management; and
WHEREAS, the City has made sure its EOP meets all state and federal guidelines.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, that this Emergency Operations Plan, as revised, is officially adopted, and the City Manager, or her designee, may take the appropriate steps to notify the appropriate authorities of the Plan's re-adoption; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the Director of Emergency Management, or his/her designee, are tasked and authorized to maintain and revise as necessary the Plan over the next four (4) year period or until such time as it be ordered to come before this Council.