NIMS "Concept of Operations" Executive Overview

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

This training sets up a "Concept of Operations" which will provide the Institution with the ability to effectively and efficiently manage an unplanned or special event while continuing to manage normal business operations. A working knowledge of the system is important when an event taxes available federal, state, and regional resources and places the burden of total management on the local community and/or campus. Be assured that this system is in compliance with the Presidential Directive, HSPD-5, which requires local government and other institutions to comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

This concept of operations will be as effective as the level of understanding of those responsible for its implementation during a crisis. This need transcends all levels of the organization from the Trustees to Public Safety personnel.

• The Board and the Office of the President need to have knowledge of and faith in, the process that the campus will engage in during periods of crisis. They will play a key role in terms of critical policy decisions that will set the direction for the business of the institution in the face of a crisis.
• The Administration must understand its critical role in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) coordinating multiple activities involving both the incident and the impact of the event on the institution.
• Public Safety personnel must understand their role in Initial Response and the Command Post as well as the relationship with those in the campus wide Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

THE COURSE:

We offer a multi-track approach to this initiative.

• Executive Overview
  This presentation is conducted in the first four hours of the session. The Multi Agency Coordination System (MACS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS/ICS) are presented in terms of their impact upon campuses. Specific points to be explored are the provision of executive oversight and policy decisions, staff accountability and resource management, financial accounting of the incident, advanced planning, operational supervision, and management of both short and long term recovery efforts. Educating the top leadership of the institution on the importance of having a high-quality incident management system that is in compliance with HSPD-5 and NIMS, would be the goal of this track.

• The REDI™ Concept of Operations
  This session constitutes the 1st morning of a 1.5 day training session. In the overall design of the training, this session would be attended by all top level administrative personnel who have a role in the management of the institution during a crisis. The President and his/her cabinet would find themselves in the Executive Policy Group (EPG) and would attend this session and the 2nd day morning session, which is an exercise.

  Included in this session:

  • A description of a critical incident from a campus perspective, including an explanation of the chaos that could result without an understanding of the campus's "Concept of Operations" as outlined in the Comprehensive Emergency Plan.
  • A discussion of situations where the system would apply, such as (but not limited to) natural disasters, civil disturbances, hazardous material incidents, terrorism incidents, and mass casualty incidents.
  • Key points of a response such as coordination capabilities, policy and strategic roles, continued community operations, contingency planning, and effective implementation of recovery efforts will be reviewed.
  • The structure and function of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), including minimal and flexible staffing related to the needs of the incident, the assignment of roles based on training and experience, and the basic functions of each position. Also included is an explanation of the policy group and the creation of an Executive Policy Group Center.
  • An explanation of the concept of operations during an event including; an overview of the Crisis and Scene Management Response Phases, an explanation of a Command Post and Unified Command at the scene, EOC coordination with the Command Post, triggering events that would require the establishment of an EOC, the Executive Management Response Phase, and the Recovery Stage.
  • A discussion of both a scene-based incident where the emergency services have a command presence and a specific situation triggers the creation of an EOC, and an incident where there is no specific scene but the entire community or a significant portion of the community is impacted by the event, again requiring the establishment of an EOC.

• Functioning of the Emergency Operation Center and Incident Command System

  The afternoon session is attended by those individuals from the morning session who would most likely find themselves functioning in the EOC. This should include all attendees from the morning session except the key executives from the Policy Group. A welcome addition to the entire 1.5 day session would be executive personnel from your local Public Safety agencies.

  The functional roles in the EOC and the ICS system as well as the relationship between the EOC and field command will be explained in depth.

  Participants will then participate in a "pre-event planning" exercise using Incident Command as the functional management model. This exercise will demonstrate the efficiency of functional management and set the stage for "day to day" compliance with National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards.

• Emergency Operations Center Exercise

  This four hour block will commence on the morning of day two and include all participants from the previous day's training.

  Participants would be presented with a local scenario and personnel would be assigned to the roles in the Emergency Operations Center that they would likely occupy in a real time situation. Each person assigned to a position would then be given a brief time to read his or her job assignment guide. In addition to campus personnel, local emergency services personnel could be invited to participate to further relations with the institution, learn about the campus system, and support the exercise with emergency services issues and needs.

  BowMac will facilitate a two hour exercise which would require the activation of the EOC and Policy Group. The goal of this track would be to demonstrate and act out EOC and Policy Group roles in a controlled environment and demonstrate an understanding of NIMS and the campus "Concept of Operations".

  At the end of the exercise, an extensive debriefing of all participants would be held with the goal of fine tuning the concept of operations and modeling the debriefing process. This debrief would focus on "what went well" and "what would you do differently, THE NEXT TIME" as well as support activities such as callback systems, personnel management, record keeping of personnel and assets, human services, technology, and demobilization.

  Our philosophy here is to prepare people to succeed rather than throw them into the cold water of a surprise exercise without preparation and watch them fail. Outcomes will reveal needed improvements in; communication systems, training, policy, procedures, equipment and above all a more aware team of key individuals.

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