NWS Amarillo Decision Support Symposium – October 26, 2010

It Takes A Team…The Value of a Unified Response

Kevin Starbuck, CEMEmergency Management Coordinator

Amarillo/Potter/Randall OEM

Emergency Management• An Effective Emergency Management Program:

– Comprehensive– Coordinated

• Addressing All-Hazards:– Natural Hazards– Technological Hazards

MITIGATION /PREVENTION

RESPONSE

PREPAREDNESSRECOVERYEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT

CYCLE

Requires Teamwork toSucceed!

Coordination Mechanisms

Incident Commander/Unified Command

Public InformationOfficer

SafetyOfficer

LiaisonOfficer

PlanningSection

LogisticsSection

OperationsSection

Finance/AdminSection

ICS Command Staff

ICS General Staff

Information &Intelligence

IncidentCommand

MultiagencyCoordination

You Have a Role!

El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion near Bushland: 11/05/09

Texas Panhandle Winter Storm – January 2010

Amarillo Flooding - 09/16/10Stephen Spillman / Amarillo Globe-News

Communication is Key:• Who are the

stakeholders?• What are the

information expectations?

• How is information communicated?

• Can we improve communication?

• Time Urgent• Real-Time• Accurate• Updated/Verified Often• Coordinated Message• NIMS Compliant:

– Plain Language– Interoperability

Information ExpectationsEspecially Related to Consequence Assessment

Communication Mechanisms• Two-Way Communication:

– Telephone– Conference Calls– Hotlines

• Internet:– Pidgin– Webinars– E-mail / SITREPs– Websites / Social Networking– HAZCOLLECT– WebEOC

• NOAA Weather RadioCan we do better?

Picture Courtesy of Maribel Martinez

http://oem.amarillo.gov/(806) 378-3077

kevin.starbuck@amarillo.gov

OEMAMARILLO/POTTER/RANDALL

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT