EMBCP Executive Summary
Purpose
The Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan (EMBCP) is intended to establish policies, procedures, and organizational structure for response to emergencies that are of sufficient magnitude to cause a significant disruption of the functioning of all or portions of the College. This plan describes the roles and responsibilities of departments, units, and personnel during emergency situations. The basic emergency procedures are designed to protect lives and property through effective use of College and community resources. Since an emergency may be sudden and without warning, these procedures are designed to be flexible in order to accommodate contingencies of various types and magnitudes.
This EMBCP addresses each type of emergency on an individual basis, providing guidelines for the containment of the incident. The Incident Commander Action Steps page provides emergency instructions for the College Incident Commander. The Incident Response Action Plans page provides emergency response information primarily for use by Staff, Faculty and other on-site personnel who may be initial responders to an emergency.
Scope
This plan is a College-level plan that guides the emergency response of College personnel and resources. It is the official emergency response plan of the College and precludes actions not in concert with the intent of this plan or the organization created by it. However, nothing in this plan shall be construed in a manner that limits the use of good judgment and common sense in matters not foreseen or covered by the elements of the plan.
This plan and organization shall be subordinate to federal, state or local plans during a disaster declaration by those authorities. This Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan is consistent with established practices relating to coordination of emergency response. Accordingly, this plan incorporates the use of the Incident Command System to facilitate interagency coordination, promote the use of common emergency response terminology and command structure, and facilitate the flow of information between responding agencies.
The College will cooperate with the Office of Emergency Management, State, County, and City Police and other responders in the development of emergency response plans and participate in multi-jurisdictional emergency planning exercises.
Mission
The College will respond to an emergency situation in a safe, effective, and timely manner. College personnel and equipment will be utilized to accomplish the following priorities:
- Protection of Human Life
- Support of Health & Safety Services
- Protection of College Assets
- Maintenance of College Services
- Assessment of Damages
- Restoration of General Campus Operations
Assumptions
This Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan is predicated on a realistic approach to the problems likely to be encountered during a major emergency or disaster. Hence, the following assumptions are made and should be used as general guidelines in such an event:
- An emergency or a disaster may occur at any time of the day or night, weekend, or holiday, with little or no warning.
- The succession of events in an emergency or disaster is not predictable; therefore, published operational plans, such as this plan, should serve only as a guide and a checklist, and may require modifications in order to meet the requirements of the emergency.
- An emergency or a disaster may be declared if information indicates that such conditions are developing or probable.
- Disasters may be community-wide. Therefore it is necessary for the College to plan for and carry out disaster response and short-term recovery operations in conjunction with local resources.
Types of Emergencies
There are three levels of emergencies:
- Level 1 – Minor Incident
- Level 2 – Emergency
- Level 3 – Disaster
Incident Command System
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a modular emergency management system designed for all hazards and levels of emergency response. This system creates a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communication operating within a standardized organizational structure. The system is used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and throughout the United States as the basis for emergency response management. Use of the Incident Command System at the College facilitates the College's ability to communicate and coordinate response actions with other jurisdictions and external emergency response agencies.
Key Principles of the Incident Command System
- Modular organization based on activating only those organizational elements required to meet current objectives.
- Common terminology applied to organization elements, position titles, facility designations, and resources.
- Unified command structure so that organizational elements are linked to form a single overall structure with appropriate span-of-control limits.
- Comprehensive resource management for coordinating and inventorying resources for field responses
- Integrated communication so that information systems operate smoothly among all response agencies involved.
- Generic positions whereby individuals are trained for each emergency response role and follow prepared action checklists.
- Consolidated action plans that contain strategy to meet objectives at both the field response and Emergency Operations Center levels.
Designation of College Incident Commander (CIC)
It is essential to all emergency response planning and action that a single College Incident Commander be designated. This person must be in a position to bring the needed response to whatever incident may occur. The President or his designee is the College Incident Commander.
Declaration of Emergency
In case of any type of campus emergency, the Director of Safety & Security (supervisor in charge) should follow standard operating procedures. If the emergency warrants, he/she should communicate immediately with the Vice President of Finance & Business Operations, who should communicate with the College Incident Commander. After reviewing the emergency situation, a decision will be made by the College Incident Commander on a plan of action and whether or not to activate the Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan.
Overview of Organization
The College’s Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan consists of three major elements:
- Emergency Management Team
- Incident Response Team
- Units with Supporting Response Plans
Coordination of various campus departments’ Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plans (Unit Plans) will occur through an Incident Command Structure as described above.
The Emergency Management Team (EMT) / Incident Response Team (IRT)
The Emergency Management Team (EMT) will evaluate information from various sources
during the progress of the event and advise the President on appropriate actions requiring
his/her decision. The Emergency Management Team is also responsible for the review
and approval of the Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan.
The Incident Response Team (IRT) is activated, at a level based on the type and nature
of the incident, to respond to any emergency situation. The IRT reports to the EMT
who in turn communicates directly with the President or designated College Incident
Commander (CIC).
The Emergency Management Team and the Incident Response Team will meet annually to
review the plan and conduct any necessary training to ensure smooth implementation
of the plan in the event of an emergency.
Units with Response Plans
Many individual departments (“Units”) of the College will develop Unit Plans to identify key personnel and define specific responsibilities. All Unit Plans will have an identical basic format (see attachment-Unit Plan Template). As necessary Unit Plans will be augmented by Response Plans to address specific situations. Response Plans can be organized at the discretion of the Unit.
- Primary Units
Each area identified as part of the IRT is determined to have critical responsibilities on a College-wide basis during emergency situations. Each organizational unit identified on the Incident Response Team is to develop a Unit Plan. As necessary Unit Plans will be augmented by Response Plans to address specific situations.
- Secondary Units
Several Units have been determined to have critical responsibilities on an internal Unit basis during emergency situations. Each designated Secondary Unit is to develop a Unit Plan. As necessary Secondary Unit Plans will be augmented by Response Plans to address specific situations.
- Other Units
College departments that are not defined as a Primary Unit or Secondary Unit are considered to be an Other Unit.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan contains the Incident Commander action steps and the Incident Response Plan.
The Incident Commander Action Steps for the College Incident Commander are identified in the Incident Response Plan. The first checklist is for the pre-disaster alert, watch, and warning periods. The second checklist is for use in the immediate post-disaster period. Various emergency/disaster events are listed and suggested response steps for the CIC and the IRT are identified.
The Incident Response Plan is organized by various emergency/disaster events and provides action steps to be taken by the initial responders. It is intended for use by the Faculty and Staff.
INDIVIDUAL ROLES
- Role of the President
This plan is promulgated under the authority of the President of the College. All decisions concerning the discontinuation of College function, cancellation of classes, or cessation of operations, rest with the President or his/her designee. After consulting with the Emergency Management Team, the President shall be responsible for declaring a major institutional emergency.
The President of the College is the College Incident Commander and is the individual responsible for the command and control of all aspects of an emergency situation.
- Role of Faculty and Staff
Faculty members are seen as leaders by students and should be prepared to direct their students to assembly areas in the event of an emergency and account for every student. Every member of the Faculty and Staff should read and be familiar with emergency plans and familiarize themselves with emergency procedures and evacuation routes. Faculty and Staff must be prepared to assess situations quickly but thoroughly, and use commonsense in determining a course of action. Faculty and Staff members will be designated to serve as building liaisons. Building Liaisons will be responsible for ensuring building occupants follow emergency response plans for shelter in place or evacuation. Emergency evacuation routes for each building, including assembly areas, are identified on Appendix D and shall be utilized by the building liaison in an emergency situation requiring evacuation.
All Faculty and Staff are responsible for securing their work areas. Work areas need to be secured in advance of certain weather systems (hurricanes, winter storms, floods, etc.).
- Role of Students
Every student should familiarize themselves with the emergency procedures and evacuation routes in buildings they use frequently. Faculty, Staff, and Students should also be able to execute Emergency Lockdown and other safety procedures as outlined in the Incident Response Plan. Students should be prepared to assess situations quickly but thoroughly, and use commonsense in determining a course of action. They should proceed to assembly areas in an orderly manner when directed by emergency personnel or when an alarm sounds.