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Home My WebLink About20200503.tiffRESOLUTION RE: ADOPT WELD COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS, C.R.S. §24-33.5-707(8), requires the Local Disaster Agency to keep a Local Disaster Emergency Plan current for its area, and WHEREAS, the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan was previously adopted on November 16, 2015, by Resolution #2015-3612, and WHEREAS, the Office of Emergency Management has presented the Board with an updated version of the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan, and WHEREAS, after review, the Board deems it advisable to adopt said plan, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Weld County. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, that the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan, be, and hereby is, adopted. ©�mCRR) 02/2.7/#20 2020-0503 EM0019 ADOPT WELD COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN PAGE 2 The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 10th day of February, A.D., 2020. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WELD COUNTY, COLORADO ATTEST: ditAtA) W .JCI&D•g1 Weld County Clerk to the Board BY:2144/1;1-kIU eputy Clerk to the Board AP" .!ED AS ounty Forney Date of signature: 02/20/20 Mike Freeman, Chair Steve Moreno, Pro-Tem VACANT rbara Kirkmeyer 2020-0503 EM0019 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PASS -AROUND REVIEW PASS -AROUND TITLE: Emergency Operations Plan approval DEPARTMENT: OEM DATE: 1.22.2020 PERSON REQUESTING: Roy Rudisill Brief description of the problem/issue: Commissioners, attached is the final copy of the County Emergency Plan. After our work session last summer, we (OEM) went through the plan and made the recommended changes to the Plan. I also provided the plan to Bruce Barker for review, there were some minor changes he recommended in the introduction but nothing in the content of the plan. I would like your approval to add this to the BOCC agenda for approval and signature. What options exist for the Board? (include consequences, impacts, costs, etc. of options): Approve to add to the BOCC agenda or request another work session to review the final copy of the plan. Recommendation: Add to BOCC agenda. Approve Recommendation Sean P. Conway Mike Freeman, Chair Scott K. James Barbara Kirkmeyer Steve Moreno, Pro-Tem Schedule Work Session Other/Comments: 2020-0503 00/i O jmpo19 c Kara F . r'}•n From : Steve Moreno Sent: Thursday, January 23 , 2020 9 :40 AM To: Karla Ford Subject: RE : Please Reply Pass Around Memo, Weld County Emergency Plan Approve Steve Moreno Weld County Commissioner At Large 1150 O Street PC) Box 758 Greeley CO 80632. Phone : 970-336-7204 Ext . 4207 Fax: 970-336-7233 Email : srnoreno@co .weld . coous Webslte : www . co . weld . co . us <r• i. b > >. �nr ... ,: Confidentiality Notice : This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged , confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure . If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify sender by return e - mail and destroy the communication . Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited . •..................................... .........................................•....... .. . . . ....,. „ ... .. .. .:.. .:::.: ....................................................... :-n .H ..,o... ... _ ...q:: ...,.n A•v .N%HAW .A'. V ,MLY xI .NIn•4 n n,Q'd.%VVW.'.... .o n v _. _ _. .... .. _ . . .. ... ,.e e.e..w. J:. N.,..:.n.... _ ...u.....n. xw...w. ,,, .. ....,'. r.«'w n.uxn.m..e..... ................•.........;.................................................................... ,... ... . . • i• n+ ry n . .... .. ...... .. From : Karla Ford < kford@weldgov . com > Sent : Thursday, January 23, 2020 8 : 10 AM To : Steve Moreno <smoreno@weldgov . com > Subject : Please Reply Pass Around Memo, Weld County Emergency Plan Importance : High Please let me know if you approve recommendation . Karla Ford Office Manager, Board of Weld County Commissioners 1150 0 Street, P . O. Box 758 , Greeley, Colorado 80632 : : 970 . 336-7204 : : kfordipsnaov.com : : www. wejsiggysom : : My working hours are Monday- Thursday 7.00a.m.-4:00 p.m. Friday 7°00a.m. - Noon Eirr7:74i:;.viliEr 771 �y,.- ,. i:i{ry�i}-:iii' �. .. ........... 1 1 t f ky� i ti- k it $ t.2 :i : :1 T 1 'd #i ""4-4P11 1 "Ash . t,1 ` `' t .a 0TitreLAMB' e .00 kkt:, 1,.........17 I c 4 A • sloe 410 I Tett VO i ,70-0,--------"--"— I ..,., .,:,....,,:,,„::,,, ... !.. ___,/,t; .ei , . , e • ' . . le' i --aro er,.....-- 5. vif Z- tse ',4) >. ;4 ! .1"lillhlihll'R•H'qligitlllMillIllmmimvl.. .• A 4: _ Di . . kiftA o i Al f . t A -a I i a''' ' .. , i... lir l r s ,4 A ei � y . 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F El r • t : I. - I •�I • a• n .1.'l .,i I .- Plan lic • i*. 7 ;; ..v A.1, ' I Page 1 of 46 Part I Introduction The Weld County Emergency Operations Plan (WCEOP) has been developed in accordance with the requirements for local emergency planning established under the State of Colorado Disaster Emergency Act of 2018, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG 101v2), the National Response Framework (NRF) the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Weld County Code Emergency Management Article XVI Section 2-16-10 through 2-16-90. The plan strives to meet the requirements of other State and Federal guidelines for local emergency management plans and programs. The WCEOP establishes the structure for a coordinated response to various types of natural, technological, and manmade emergencies and disasters, and terrorist attacks. The WCEOP strives to recognize and respect the statutory authority of the Weld County Government and Elected Offices identified in CRS Title 30. The WCEOP provides a basis for the coordinated planning and management for all types of emergencies and disaster incidents most likely to occur in Weld County and those emergencies and disaster incidents of "countywide interest". All Elected Offices and County Departments tasked in this plan are responsible for developing and maintaining the standard operating procedures and training necessary for implementing the assigned duties and functions of the WCEOP. The WCEOP incorporates throughout the plan the need to address the support for Access and Function Needs and every effort is made to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, to include; planning, alerting/warning about emergencies, communication about evacuations and shelter locations and recovery. Elected Offices and individual County Departmental plans or annexes are to be attachments of this document as they are developed. The WCEOP is not intended to replace Office or Department standard operating procedures (SOP). The WCEOP is intended to be used when a situation requires; multiple Offices or Departments to be involved in the response to an emergency or incident, coordination and integration with outside agencies and entities, an emergency or disaster declaration, or when an incident escalates beyond the capabilities of Weld County and it is necessary to seek State and/or Federal assistance. The WCEOP does not address emergency planning and management which is the responsibility of City or Town Governments. These political subdivisions are responsible for developing and maintaining their emergency operations plans (EOP) and annex documents, standard operating procedures, and training necessary for implementing assigned duties and functions of their individual EOP. It is the responsibility of the Weld County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) through the Director of Emergency Management, to coordinate and integrate planning of the WCEOP with City and Town Governments and Special Districts, and other Non -Governmental Entities and Agencies. The Director of Emergency Management is responsible for annual updates and revisions to this document. The Director of Emergency Management will develop training and exercise programs to familiarize County Offices, Departments, personnel, emergency Page 2 of 46 response agencies, other governments and special districts, volunteer organizations, and appropriate non -governmental organizations with the provisions of the WCEOP. During the response and recovery phases of an emergency or large-scale disaster, the Director of Emergency Management is responsible for providing support to all tactical response activities and for coordinating strategic/policy direction with incident command objectives. This will be accomplished through effective consequence management, resource management and information management in the Emergency Operations Center and during Disaster Recovery activities. This coordination and support will ensure the timely dissemination of emergency planning and response information to the citizens of Weld County. Page 3 of 46 �x !` Cam. {.^d•'1. `�' I � Jf/��t]Q3'/� ��/j��pJ or Q y01� !,• 3, r* r' ,M ��' Li. !, 'r r ads s n This emergency operations ;plan is approved and is hereby ordered published and distributed. All agencies, department heads and personnel are directed to accept the responsibilities as herein assigned, develop the necessary supplemental plans and annexes as specified, and conduct the organizational planning and training necessary to implement the plan when and to the extent required. r FEB 1 0 202 Mike Freeman Date Chair, Weld County Commissioners FEr*4' 0 -�t r Steve Moreno Date Pro- Tern, Weld County Commissioner VACANT Date Weld County Commissioner FE , 10 2120 scot". kr-. James Date Weld County Commission r AA FEii 1 0 2020 Øarbara Kirkmeyer / Date Weld County Commis loner This plan is a "living plan, " and will be continuously updated as conditions change. Minor changes to update facts, as approved by the Weld County Local Emergency Planning Committee, will be accepted without re promulgation. 10�� ..� 1)5223 Page of 46 0 a e 4 o WELD COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN (EOP) TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1 Introduction Letter of Promulgation Table of Contents Distribution Page Record of Revisions Part 2 Basic Plan I. Purpose II. Scope Ill. Situation Overview • Vulnerability Analysis • Hazard Analysis IV. Planning Assumptions • Limitations V. Concept of Operations • General Operations • Operational Phases • Plan Implementation VI. Organization ■ General 2 4 5 8 10 13 13 13 13 14 17 18 18 19 20 21 VII. Responsibilities ■ Board of County Commissioners 21 • Primary County Response Agencies • Supporting County Departments • Other Local, State and Federal Agencies • Volunteer Organizations • Private Sector Organizations VIII. Direction and Control IX. Administration and Finance • Logistics • Resources 22 28 32 33 34 36 39 39 40 Page 5 of 46 • Recovery • Impediments to Emergency Operations 41 X Plan Development and Maintenance • Review and Revision • Distribution • Training and Exercises Xl. Department Function Annexes 41 41 41 42 42 XII. Authority and references 43 Part 3 Appendix A Definitions 44 Page 6 of 46 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK EOP Distribution — Page 7 of 46 DISTRIBUTION PAGE This Plan will be distributed to all participating county agencies, fire and police agencies, selected state and federal government agencies, selected state and county organizations, American Red Cross and other volunteer organizations, private organizations and other interested individuals. EOP Distribution — Page 8 of 46 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK EOP Distribution — Page 9 of 46 RECORD OF REVISIONS Change Date Entered Contents of Change Initials Basic Plan April 2014 Changes to include OEM under BOCC Include Code Changes for PIO Removal of Policy Advisory Council Update to ESF section Oct 2015 pg 4 Updated Commissioners names on Promulgation page. Pg13 Addition of the Big Thompson river to list of bodies of water. Pg 16 Added a paragraph on oil and gas development. Pg 19 Added BOCC to the notification of potential threats. Pg 20 Added a statement that Department Heads may delegate responsibility to staff. Pg 21 Changed Emergency Manager to Director of and Office of Emergency Management throughout document Pg 23 Added the term emergency evacuations and to coordinate with OEM for situational awareness. Pg 24 Added statement to coordinate with Sheriff's Office on emergency traffic control routes and evacuations. Pg 27 Clarified the requirement for Departments to keep current, department plans and COOP. Pg 28 Added assistance at Shelters for Human Services. Pg 35 EOC Organizational chart EOP— Page 10 of 46 Change Date Change made Contents of Change Initials Basic Plan full revision Sept 2019 Pg12 Added Comprehensive to emergency management planning in the first paragraph RR Pg 14 Updated information on demographics. Included information on the County Mitigation plan RR Pg 15 Added information on the 2016 and 2016 blizzards and Drought information for 2011-2013 and 2016 RR Pg 17 Removed the statement that Weld County is a Host County for evacuations from the NC Region. RR Pg 21 Added information on Departments taking into consideration Department heads hold Certifications when delegating responsibility RR Pg 21 Included the State Statute requiring the adoption of an Emergency Operations Plan. RR Pg 23 Added information on the designation of OEM as the Designated Emergency Response Authority for Unincorporated Weld County RR Pg 24 Added information on Alert and Warning for Code Red and IPAWS RR Pg 24 Updated statements for Public Works working with Utility Companies as it related to Roadways. Also included Public Works on the damage assessment team for roads and bridges RR, JM Pg 26 Clarified the role of Buildings and Grounds on utility shutoff and damage assessments, this is for County property and facilities only. RR EOP— Page 11 of 46 Pg 27 Added the activation of the Joint Information Center and coordination with the Office of Emergency Management. RR Pg 31 Added information in the Finance Section to follow federal guidance related to recovery grants and that Finance has a coordination role on the long term recovery team for documentation and cost tracking. RR, BC Pg 38 Changed the location of the back up EOC to the SW Services Building RR Pg 39 Updated the EOC Flow Chart to show changes to department functions. RR Pg 40 Added information under Administration and Finance related to Department tracking time for employees and work on projects. We also added that Finance is the custodian of all state and federal grant documents related to recovery. We also added information on leasing of equipment when possible. RR, BC Pg 41 Added a new section on Recovery and referenced our recovery plan and roles and responsibilities RR EOP— Page 12 of 46 Part 2 - Basic Plan I. Purpose The purpose of this plan is to coordinate the comprehensive emergency management planning activities to protect the people, property, economy and the environment of Weld County by identifying the roles, responsibilities and actions required of the Director of Emergency Management, Elected Offices and County Departments in preparing and responding to emergencies and disasters; 1. Provide for the integration and coordination of volunteer agencies and private organizations involved in emergency response and relief efforts; 2. Establish the governing plan for all emergency plans within Weld County Government. 3. Establish the framework for all plans developed and used by Offices and Departments, Town Governments and Special Districts 4. Ensure a coordination of planning and response by County, State, and Federal governments in managing emergencies and disasters; and 5. Provide a framework for policies, objectives and approaches for coordinating, integrating and administering the WCEOP and related programs of the County, State and Federal Government; II. Scope This Plan considers the emergencies and disasters likely to occur in Weld County, as described in the 2016 Weld County Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Northeast Region THIRA. The WCEOP uses a Comprehensive all -hazards approach that addresses a full range of complex and constantly changing needs in anticipation of, or in response to, natural, technological, man-made, emerging human illness, and other emergencies. The WCEOP details the specific incident management roles and responsibilities of offices, departments and enterprises involved in emergency preparedness, response and recovery. The WCEOP recognizes and respects the legal jurisdictional boundaries of Municipal Governments, as well as service plan boundaries of Special Districts. The WCEOP does not specifically address the emergency planning process or actions necessary and/or required by other Municipal governments. M. Situation Overview Vulnerability Statement Geography — Weld County, located in the northeastern plains of Colorado, covers a land area of 3,999 square miles. Major bodies of water in Weld County: South Platte River, Poudre River, Big Thompson, Little Thompson and the Saint Vrain River. Major transportation routes include Interstate 25 & 76, Colorado Highways 14, 34, 52, 56, 60, EOP— Page 13 of 46 66, 71, 85 and 392, along with the Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Great Western Railway railways. In addition, the City of Greeley and Weld County operate a municipal airport in Greeley, Eire Airpark is in the Southwest corner of the County and Platte Valley Airport is east of Fort Lupton Demographics — An estimated 314,305 people live in Weld County, including municipalities and unincorporated county. There are 31 towns and cities in Weld County. The City of Greeley is the county seat and largest of all Weld County municipalities. There are 17 school districts and 24 fire districts. There are 742 miles of paved roadway and 2,208 miles of unpaved roads. Threat and Hazard Analysis A disaster can occur at any time within the jurisdictions of Weld County and any of its municipalities. All areas of Weld County are at risk for three types of emergencies: 1. Natural Disasters — Weld County is at risk from tornadoes, floods, severe storms (e.g. snow, rain, and hail), urban and Wildland fires and drought. For a more detailed list on hazards see the Weld County Hazard Mitigation Plan. 2. Technological Incidents — In addition to natural disasters, Weld County is at risk for man-made, or technological, disasters such as power failure, dam failures, hazardous materials incidents along transportation routes or industrial areas, civil unrest, major air and ground transportation accidents, and attack by a foreign enemy or terrorist organization in the form of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. 3. Man -Made Hazards - Possible man-made disasters which could create an emergency response include transportation incidents involving hazardous substances, major air and ground transportation accidents, civil disturbances, terrorists or bomb threats, and conventional, nuclear, biological or chemical attack. Local government has the primary responsibility for emergency management activities that eliminate or reduce hazardous events and for the preparation for, response to and recovery from significant emergency and disaster events that can and do occur. Identified Hazards: Floods — Floods present a risk to life and property, including buildings, their contents, and their use. Floods can affect crops and livestock. Floods can also affect lifeline utilities (e.g., water, sewerage, and power), transportation, jobs, tourism, the environment, and the local and regional economies. The principal cause for flooding in Weld County is intense rainfall which normally occurs in the period of May through September. A historical analysis of rainfall patterns along the Front Range has shown that probable maximum amounts of 20 inches of rainfall can occur in a given 24 -hour period. The likelihood of flooding is also increased May and June as a result of spring runoff from winter snow pack. In 1997, flooding caused $7.6 million in crop damage. In 1999, there were fifty-five homes damaged due to flooding, FEMA reported $471,866.00 in damages. 2013 Flooding caused an estimated 10.1 Million in road damage in unincorporated Weld County and over 12 EOP— Page 14 of 46 million in property damage. Weld County was awarded Public Assistance and Individual Assistance for the 2013 flood and severe storms FEMA PA 4145. Dam Failure — Dam failure is a unique source of flash flooding. There are twenty-four Class I and eighteen Class II dams in Weld County. The State Engineer's categorization of a dam as being high hazard means that if the dam failed, there would be significant loss of life and/or property damage. It has nothing to do with whether the dam is inherently unsafe - a fact which upon occasion must be reiterated to the public. In addition to these, there are many low hazard dams and holding ponds which might be compromised, to a greater or lesser extent, in an earthquake. There is a possibility that some county dams could be adversely affected with such seismic activity. Although dam failures are rare events, they occasionally occur due to a variety of causes, including overtopping during flooding, improper maintenance or operation, earthquakes, and (potentially) acts of sabotage. As dams age and the water demands of a growing population increase, the dam failure hazard also increases, compounded by new development in dam failure flood inundation zones. Blizzard and Winter Storms — Blizzards and severe winter storms cover large land areas, impacting multiple counties concurrently. The impacts throughout the planning area are generally the same. Interstates and secondary roads are often closed because the road crews cannot "keep up" with the rate of snowfall; to prevent motorists from being stranded and necessitating rescue efforts; and to maintain the safety of the road crews. Weld County was affected by a spring blizzard in March of 2016 along with the Colorado Front Range. The blizzard caused mass power outages, road closures and stranded motorists. This was one of the first time is several years that 1-25 was closed from Hwy 7 to Wy due to the number of stranded motorists caused by the blizzard. CDOT and Colorado State Patrol closed the Hwy in order to clear vehicles off the road in order for road crews to clear snow from the road and apply sand to the roadway. Weld County was affected by a blizzard in March 2018 as well, Winter Storm Ulmer was a very large winter storm that affected the front range of Colorado. The main issue with the storm was the number of roads and Highways closed due to hazardous travel conditions and accidents. Weld County had at least 65 people rescued and sheltered overnight in the Prospect Valley and Briggsdale areas. There was also a fatal accident due to whiteout conditions. Drought — Even in high moisture years, Colorado rainfall does not provide a consistent, dependable water supply throughout the year. Severe drought results in devastating economic consequences for agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, the environment and tourism. Drought recorded history includes severe drought in 1894, 1930-1937, 1976- 1977, 2002-2005 and 2011-2013 Weld County was included in the 2016 drought declaration from the Department of Ag due to crop loss. Because drought is usually considered a regional hazard, all jurisdictions are assumed to have the same risk level within Weld County. Drought risk is based on a combination of the frequency, severity, and spatial extent (the physical nature of drought) and the degree to which a population or activity is vulnerable to the effects of drought. The degree of Weld County's vulnerability to drought depends on the environmental and social characteristics of the region and is measured by its ability to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from drought. EOP— Page 15 of 46 Tornadoes — Tornadoes are rotating columns of air marked by a funnel -shaped downward extension of a cumulonimbus cloud whirling at destructive speeds of up to 300 mph, usually accompanying a thunderstorm. Weld County has an average of five tornado incidents per year from spring to midsummer. These are typically the EF0 or EF1 variety (on the Enhanced Fujita Scale of tornado intensity of EF0-EF5). Large-scale destruction of homes, businesses, or other structures is minimal, due to the large areas of farm, rural, and undeveloped prairie. However, any tornado incident involving structures in this county would prove a formidable incident. The conventional wisdom is that tornadoes move from the west or southwest and that the mountains are insulated from the hazard. Weld County was hit by an EF3 Tornado in 2008. This tornado moved from Southeast to the Northwest. This tornado hit the towns of Gilcrest, Milliken, Greeley, and Windsor and moved into Larimer County. Damage caused by this storm is reported to be in excess of $193.5 Million Other Wind Hazards — Wind storm activity is well documented in Weld County and can occur anytime throughout the year. The most notable wind events, however, are those associated with down slope, "Chinook" wind storms and can produce gusts in excess of 100 mph. As with a tornado, the principal danger to persons in this situation is injury from flying debris. Any such winds are also capable of inflicting great damage to property. Wind storm damage can be very widespread throughout the county compared with the greater, but more geographically limited, damage with tornadoes. With regard to windstorms, the principal response by Weld County will be damage assessment. Therefore, the goal of this section of the Emergency Operating Plan will be to describe roles and responsibilities during and after tornado events. Hail and Summer Storms — Hail is associated with thunderstorms, and thunderstorms are a common occurrence throughout the area between early spring and late fall. In addition, hailstones are frequently thrown out miles in front of the storm. Hail in northeastern Colorado primarily causes crop damage. However, hailstorms in populated areas can cause significant property damage. Weld County was affected by two major hail storms in June and July of 2018. There were over 4,100 auto claims, 1,500 residential claims and several ag related crop damage claims. Damages along the front rage were estimated at 2.3 billion. Wildland/Grassland Fires — Wildland fires in Weld County are predominantly ignited by either lightning, sparks from braking trains, or cigarettes discarded from automobiles traversing the county roadways. There exists the risk of losses to homes, agriculture outbuildings, farm equipment, and storage tanks as a result of these fires. The risk of fires is amplified with the drought events. Hazardous Materials Incident — The potential for spills, leaks, ruptures and/or fires involving hazardous materials in Weld County exists primarily through transportation accidents of surface, rail vehicles, pipeline and air. US Interstate 76, US Interstate 25, State Highway 14, U.S. Highway 34, and U.S. Highway 85 are heavily traveled by transports, which very frequently carry a wide variety of hazardous materials on any designated HazMat routes. Weld County is also included in the transport route for radiological waste. EOP— Page 16 of 46 Storage and transfer facilities are potential sources of leakage, although spills are principally attributed to human error. As a result, the time and location of a likely occurrence cannot be specifically foreseen. Planning must therefore be directed toward a generalized and flexible response capability. Oil and natural gas development have increased in Weld County over the last eight years. This has increased the risk of transportation accidents due to the increased number of transports to transfer facilities. An additional risk generated by the increase in oil and gas development is pipeline accidents from third parties trenching for additional pipelines. This creates a need for increased planning and working relationships with the industry partners to understand risk and improve response capability. Radiological Incident — Radiological weapons threats may range from detonation of a complete weapons system from a nuclear arsenal to any explosive device packed with highly radiological material with the latter being the most likely method. The psychological impact of such a weapon can be far more devastating than the actual physical damage. Radiation is an invisible hazard. There are no initial characteristics or properties of radiation itself that are noticeable. Unless the nuclear/radiological material is marked to identify it as such, it may be some time before the hazard has been identified as radiological. More information on natural hazards, risks and vulnerabilities can be found in the 2016 Weld County Multi Hazard Mitigation Plan. www.weldoem.com IV. Planning Assumptions 1. Weld County will continue to be subject to the hazards noted above. Warning time available to implement this plan will vary from little or no warning to days or weeks, according to the type of hazard. 2. Local government officials, both elected and appointed, will carry out, to the best of their ability, all responsibilities regarding public safety and protection of property. This includes attention to all phases of comprehensive emergency management and provisions to ensure continuity of an effective, constitutional and democratic form of government. 3. Departments and organizations with emergency responsibilities will ensure that all personnel concerned are properly trained, are familiar with existing plans and procedures and are capable of implementing them in a timely and effective manner. 4. State and federal assistance, as well as volunteer and private organizations, will be available to supplement local government resources as needed to cope with a disaster emergency. 5. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) will be used as the incident management system for all levels of response. Utilizing the Multiagency Coordination System will allow the County to resolve critical issues, facilitate logistic support and resource tracking and the collection, analysis and dissemination of information. EOP— Page 17 of 46 Limitations Weld County Government and other organizations will endeavor to make every reasonable effort to respond in the event of an emergency or disaster. However, resources and systems may be overwhelmed. The responsibilities and tenets outlined in this EOP will be fulfilled only if the situation, information exchange, extent of actual agency capabilities, and resources are available at the time. There is no guarantee implied by the EOP that a perfect response to emergency or disaster incidents will be practical or possible. Nothing in this document shall constitute a promise or offer by Weld County to provide emergency services or protection to any person or entity. Additionally, by and through this document, Weld County does not assume a duty of care with respect to any person or entity. This document is for emergency preparedness planning purposes by Weld County, only. It should not be considered as a means by which persons or entities may be relieved of their duties to plan for their own safety in case of emergencies. V. Concept of Operations General Operations 1. If a disaster emergency occurs within Weld County, immediate response by the government(s) concerned will be required. Trained personnel accomplishing prearranged plans and procedures will be prepared to make the coordinated effort necessary to meet a threat to life and/or property. 2. When response to a disaster emergency exceeds local government support, assistance may be requested from the State. a. Except for routine State assistance that may normally be provided on a day-to- day basis, State or Federal assistance should be requested through the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSOEM). b. Requests for State assistance will be authorized by the Board of Weld County Commissioners and may require passing a Weld County Emergency/Disaster Declaration. c. The Director of Emergency Management, or other official as designated by the Board of Weld County Commissioners, will make and coordinate requests for assistance with DHSEM. 3. This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is based on the concept that emergency response functions will generally modify the normal daily operation of local government agencies. To the extent possible, the same personnel will be utilized in both cases. Those day-to-day functions which would not contribute to emergency operations may be suspended for the duration of the emergency and EOP— Page 18 of 46 recovery period. Resources normally required for day-to-day operations may be redirected for accomplishment of emergency tasks. 4. The Weld County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) may be activated fully or in part by the Director of Emergency Management as directed by the Board of Weld County Commissioners as the situation requires (See Plan Implementation below). 5. Public Safety, Communications, Transportation, Emergency Management, and other Department Functions associated with all emergency operations are detailed in appropriate supporting departmental annex plans. Threat -specific responses to hazards which impact Weld County are delineated in the hazard specific plan annexes of this emergency operation plan. 7. Tasks, activities, or operations in any function area which lend themselves to a definite or standardized procedure are appropriately set forth in a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Where appropriate, an SOP can be supplemented by a checklist when sequence of actions is critical, or actions must be verified. 8. An analysis of the major hazards facing Weld County is provided in the 2016 Multi - jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Northeast Region THIRA on file with the Weld County Office of Emergency Management. 9. Definitions and Abbreviations used and useful in emergency management are listed in Part 3 Appendix A. Operational Phases 1. Upon notification of an actual or impending disaster, the Director of Emergency Management, or an authorized representative, will activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and declare a specific emergency response phase of operations to be in effect. Those persons may also activate the EOC and take other actions as appropriate. 2. Weld County's disaster emergency response will generally be conducted in four operational phases: a. Prevention and Mitigation — This first phase of Prevention begins at the earliest time the threat is identified. During this period, the Emergency Management Coordinator will notify County officials and the BOCC of the potential threat, and place key designated personnel on standby alert, declare the readiness phase operational, and as the seriousness of the situation dictates, notify those County agencies which may be most concerned, and which can provide support. Possible evacuation of specific areas will be considered at this time, taking into consideration the extra time needed for evacuations for access and functional needs persons.. The steps in Mitigation occur prior to an incident and involve working with agencies and organization to identify the actions to limit damage, loss, injuries and fatalities. b. Preparedness - As an incident, or the threat of an incident, progresses to the point that coordination is required beyond normal operations, the EOP— Page 19 of 46 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) may be activated, either partially or in its entirety, according to the present needs. In some instances, due to the nature of the emergency, the EOC may not be fully staffed prior to an actual emergency incident. Response units, such as police and fire, may be called out preparatory to an incident. c. Response - This phase begins when the emergency or disaster occurs, and lives and property are actually endangered. It includes actions by the Weld County Emergency Management Office and county emergency response elements to assess the situation, warn the populace, and evacuate all or part of an area if deemed necessary, establish and maintain communications with the incident commander at the incident site, and employ resources to accomplish the mission of preserving lives and property. Assistance from the state may be requested when local resources are fully committed, depending on the assistance needed the Board of Weld County Commissioners may need to issue a declaration of emergency. d. Recovery - Many activities associated with recovery of disaster areas may actually commence during the response phase. Damage will be assessed, and actions identified for immediate and/or longer -term accomplishment. This happens because recovery invariably includes both short-term and long- term activities. Short-term operations seek to restore critical services to the community and provide for the basic needs of the public. Examples are: temporary shelter, temporary road and bridge repairs, and restoration of government services. Long-term recovery aims to restore the community to its normal or to an improved state. Examples are flood control measures such as dams and drainage, channel improvement, replacement of destroyed bridges and reconstruction of other infrastructure, most of which will also help to mitigate damage from any future disaster. 3. The Director of Emergency Management acts as coordinator for the Board of Weld County Commissioners and supporting agencies within the EOC. The Director of Emergency Management and EOC staff will ensure maps, information and data are kept current and that written communications are processed promptly. 4. All action elements within the EOC maintain detailed logs of actions (ICS 214 Unit Log) to include: date, time, situation and/or action required, response taken or directed, and any other information of operational nature or of value in establishing cost or settling claims following termination of the disaster. Emergency status, damage assessment, and other pertinent information are also displayed. Plan Implementation This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) will be established as the guiding document for the direction of emergency operations for the duration of the disaster or emergency. Consistent with NIMS, ICS and Multiagency Coordination System, this plan may be partially or fully implemented. This allows maximum flexibility to meet the unique operations requirements of any situation. EOP— Page 20 of 46 VI. Organization General All emergency efforts will be organized toward providing on -scene responders with the personnel, support, equipment, supplies, means, and legal authority to provide the most appropriate and timely response possible. These efforts are organized into three main bodies: Weld County Board of County Commissioners (Policy), the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and the on -scene Incident Command System (ICS). VII. Responsibilities Most of the departments and agencies within local government have emergency functions in addition to their normal operations. Each department or agency is responsible for developing and maintaining its own emergency procedures in relation to their emergency function. • General responsibilities are outlined in this section of the EOP. • It is understood that a Department Director may need to delegate certain responsibilities to his or her staff members due to the nature of the emergency. • Department Heads and Elected Officials should take into consideration any authorities, obligations or certifications held by the department heads, elected official, or persons normally performing a leadership role when delegating responsibilities. • Specific responsibilities and/or tasks are outlined in the Department Functions of this plan. • Various organizations that are not a part of local government are also listed. 1. Board of Weld County Commissioners As the governing body in Weld County, the Board of County Commissioners is responsible to: a. Adopt by resolution the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan which is required by State Statute C.R.S.24-33.5-700. b. Direct and control all Weld County Departments before, during, and after a disaster. c. Monitor status of mutual aid agreements. d. Designate a Public Information Officer (PIO) to provide accurate disaster information to the public. The PIO will coordinate with other PlOs through the Joint Information System. Ref County Code 2-2-10 e. Issue official orders or public proclamations relative to the disaster emergency, such as evacuation directives, establishment of curfews, and enactment of price controls. f. Issue formal declaration of a county emergency or disaster. EOP— Page 21 of 46 g. Issue formal requests to the Governor's Office for the declaration of a state emergency for the purposes of obtaining state and/or federal assistance. h. Establish policy for expenditure of funds and for the management of distribution of resources during the emergency. i. Approve and commit Weld County resources and funds for disaster or emergency purposes. A. Primary County Response Agencies 1. Weld County Board of County Commissioners The Weld County Board of County Commissioners is responsible primarily for continuation of regular services during an emergency and for resource and personnel support to emergency operations. a. Coordinate with Department Heads)/Director(s) and other Elected Officials to provide continuity of government services throughout the emergency to the greatest degree possible. b. Coordinate with Department Head(s)/Director(s)and other Elected Officials to obtain and reassign County personnel, as necessary, to augment emergency staff and continue regular services as much as possible. 2. Weld County Office of Emergency Management The Director of Weld County Office of Emergency Management will: a. Keep the Board of Weld County Commissioners apprised of overall readiness to respond to all types of disaster emergencies. b. In an emergency situation, act as coordinating staff advisor to the Board of Weld County Commissioners, and other Officials as required, including: (1) Assuming responsibility to keep County Commissioners informed of the situation; (2) Activate the Emergency Operation Plan fully or in part as needed for the emergency to include activation of the Emergency Operations Center Emergency situation assessment and recommendations to the County Commissioners concerning the need for local disaster declarations, travel restrictions, curfews or other temporary social restrictions; (4) Preparation of situation reports and damage assessment reports for the County Commissioners, Other County Elected Officials, Department Heads and local officials. Technical support to EOC staff and other county personnel with respect to resource management, damage assessment, intergovernmental coordination, disaster recovery, hazard mitigation and other emergency management functions, as needed; Coordinating the provision of mass care needs for personnel performing medical duties during catastrophic emergencies. Development, revision, distribution, and follow-up of all elements of the Weld County EOP; (3) (5) (6) (7) EOP— Page 22 of 46 (8) Assume responsibility as the Designated Emergency Response Authority for hazardous substance spills and mass transportation accidents in unincorporated Weld County. Emergency Management Coordinator(s): a. Serve as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Manager, to include: (1) Arranging for staffing the EOC during the emergency; (2) Activating and managing the EOC during emergencies„. (3) Notification of emergency personnel; (4) Designating alternate EOC(s), as required; (5) Complete a complexity analysis and Situation report for emergency incidents. (6) Ensuring that communications, warning, and other necessary operations support equipment is readily available for use in the alternate EOC. b. Manage, liaison and coordinate with external government agencies and private sector entities, to include: (1) Coordination of mutual aid and outside assistance; (2) Establishment of communications with the Colorado Office of Emergency Management in order to provide situation reports and forward any and all requests for state assistance; Liaison and coordination with adjacent jurisdiction emergency management directors to ensure integrated emergency plans; (4) Liaison and coordination of Weld County's disaster planning and operations with area industrial installations, public utilities, and welfare agencies; Coordination of volunteer support efforts to include the activities of volunteers from outside the county, and the assistance offered by unorganized volunteer and neighborhood groups within the county in accordance with the Volunteer Management Plan. c. Serve as Resource Manager in the event of an emergency large enough to warrant a specialized resource management function. Provide services and oversee staff required to: (1) Assess emergency resource requirements; (2) Source and obtain emergency resources; (3) Store, transport, and distribute emergency resources; (4) Maintain financial and legal accountability for resource transactions. d. Ensure Emergency Operations Plan maintenance, training, and exercises, to include: (3) (5) (1) Conduct or coordination of training programs and exercises, as necessary, to maintain and improve the general disaster readiness posture of all elements of Weld County's disaster response organizations, followed by update of the EOP. EOP— Page 23 of 46 c. Maintain contact with the Weld County Regional Communications Center on established talk groups. d. Direct and coordinate search and rescue activities. e. Coordinate with Public Works to establish a traffic control plan to meet potential threat needs. f. Prepare for (pre -planning), direct and conduct emergency evacuations of all or part of an area, to include: (1) Coordination with Emergency Management for situational awareness and to assure availability of shelters for evacuees and food/clothing/medical support; (2) Designating emergency evacuation routes in coordination with Weld County Public Works and CDOT, identifying modes of transportation; Securing emergency evacuation routes (traffic control points and road blocks)in coordination with Public Works (4) Coordinating with Emergency Management to organize transportation to include transportation resources required, number of people to be moved, location of staging areas and rest areas; Coordinating with Human Services for evacuation of at -risk populations (nursing homes, disabled/infirm, handicapped, jail population, people in institutions, etc.). (6) Coordinating with Human Services and the American Red Cross in this effort to assure adequate housing, food, and medical resources are available; (3) (5) e. Serve as Warning Coordinator, responsible to ensure that all organizations and the public are warned of an emergency as effectively and quickly as possible. Coordinate with Weld County Regional Communications Center for use of early warning systems CODE Red or IPAWS. (see Communication Annex 2B). 3. Weld County Sheriff The Weld County Sheriff is responsible for the continuation of Law Enforcement services during an emergency and for resource and personnel support to emergency operations to include: a. Establish and maintain law and order. b. Implement the Incident Command System (ICS), including determining the locations of Incident Command Posts. (ICP) and establishing necessary positions and functions (i.e., planning, finance, logistics, operations and public information), to include: (1) (3) Assessment of emergency conditions and determination of required levels of immediate assistance; (2) Provision of law enforcement, traffic control, and access control within the disaster area(s) and in other areas of the county; Provision of security measures at the ICP, EOC, and in disaster -impacted areas. EOP— Page 24 of 46 g. (7) Providing security for evacuated areas and in areas accommodating evacuees, such as reception centers, lodging and feeding facilities, and emergency shelters; (8) Coordinating road service support in movement of population (evacuation/shelter). Direct Wildland fire suppression in private, unincorporated areas and on state land in Weld County. This will be done in coordination with Weld County Fire Districts and the State Division of Fire Prevention and Control. See the Weld County Annual Operating Plan. 4. Weld County Department of Public Works Director The Weld County Department of Public Works Director is responsible to: a. Manage public works resources and direct public works operations, to include: (1) Central control and repair of all Public Works transportation assets for maximum emergency utilization of county vehicles, heavy equipment, fuels, operational supplies, and assigned county personnel; (2) Transportation services in support of emergency response and recovery efforts, e.g., movement of county personnel, equipment and supplies to designated staging areas; Clearing major thoroughfares and removal of debris to permit emergency operations, with priority assigned to critical emergency services lifelines; (4) Providing emergency sources of electricity and gas for essential County and relief activities; Providing emergency traffic engineering and control measures including barricades, street flares, and marking of emergency traffic routes and dangerous areas in coordination with the Sheriff's Office. Coordinate with the Sheriff's Office for emergency traffic control routes during evacuations; (6) Providing personnel and heavy equipment to support search and rescue operations; b. Manage operation, maintenance, and repair of infrastructure, to include: (1) Recommend to the Weld County Commissioners priorities for repair of damaged infrastructure; (2) Restoration of damaged county roads and bridges and other public services and facilities; (3) (5) c. (3) Coordinating with private sector utilities and contractors for use of private sector resources in public works -related operations; d. Develop damage assessment information, to include: (1) Provision of personnel for bridge structure and inspections to determine safety of individual structures, to identify needed repairs (or to implement condemnation procedures when necessary); EOP- Page 25 of 46 (2) Participation with representatives of other county departments on Weld County damage assessment team at EOC and on local -state field damage survey teams, as needed; a Assist in facilities protection and emergency repairs to county roads; 5. Weld County Buildings and Grounds Director Coordinate with private sector utilities (e.g., power and gas) on shutdown and service restoration for County facilities, to include: (1) Ensuring emergency shutdown of utilities to prevent damage to County facilities; (2) Monitoring repair of electrical, gas, and water distribution systems (3) Assist in facilities protection and emergency repairs to county buildings. (4) Support Damage assessments on county buildings and facilities. 6. Fire Departments and Fire Protection District Chiefs Fire departments and fire protection district chiefs will be responsible to: a. Conduct all regularly assigned functions relating to fire prevention and control to minimize loss of life and property due to fire; b. Establish incident command posts and maintain continuous communications between all such command posts and the EOC; c. Establish and maintain continuous communications with the Sheriff's Office and/or appropriate police department during any incident period; d. Assist in the conduct of all types of rescue operations; e. Assist in warning public of impending danger and evacuating, as necessary, potential danger areas within District responsibility, and providing fire security in evacuated areas; f. Maintain contact with the Weld County Regional Communications Center on established frequencies; 7. Weld County Regional Communications Center The Weld County Regional Communications Center ensures that all organizations and the public are warned of an emergency as effectively and quickly as possible and shall: a. Notify appropriate responding agencies and Weld County Emergency Management of the emergency b. Coordinate all radio traffic to assigned talk groups c. Obtain the assistance of amateur radio operators in establishing a logistics and resources communications net. Coordinate volunteer amateur resources used for backup communications and additional radio frequencies as needed d. Keep the Office of Emergency Management updated and current of any information pertinent to the incident or emergency.; EOP— Page 26 of 46 e. Coordinate communications resources and provision of communications staff to support multiple command post(s) and/or Tactical Operations Centers. 7. Weld County Communication Director (Public Information Officer (PIO)) The Office of Emergency Management is designated as the County agency responsible for gathering and vetting all public information associated with an emergency situation in the County. The Office of Emergency Management will coordinate with the Weld County Communication Director or the designated Public Information Officer for all Media releases and emergency notifications. All County officials and employees under the direction of the Board of County Commissioners are directed to provide the Office of Emergency Management with all appropriate public information associated with an emergency situation for dissemination to the public. All County officials and employees under the direction of the Board of County Commissioners are directed to direct all public and media inquiries to the designated Public Information Officer in order to coordinate and centralize information associated with an emergency situation. (Weld County Codification Ordinance 2000-1; Weld County Code Ordinance 2007-6) The Public Information Officer will: a. Advise the Weld County Commissioners and municipal leadership on matters of emergency public information. b. Release public information as ordered by the Weld County Commissioners by whatever means possible - radio, social media, , newspaper, etc. c. Establish and maintain a working relationship with local media. d. Prepare a call -down list for disseminating emergency public information to groups that do not have access to normal media. e. Prepare emergency information packets for release; distribute pertinent materials to local media prior to emergencies; and ensure that information needs of visually impaired, hearing impaired, and non-English speaking audiences are met. f. Coordinate activation of the Joint Information Center with the Office of Emergency Management and activation of the Joint Information System Plan 8. Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment supports Public Health and Mass Care Function as required and shall: a. Participate in Unified Command concerning matters of public health. (county Code 14-10-10 b. Receive, manage and coordinate the Strategic National Stockpile. c. Investigate and control food borne, waterborne and infectious disease outbreaks. d. Plan, update and carry out mass prophylactics clinics. EOP— Page 27 of 46 e. Register and issue death certificates for death occurring in Weld County. f. Assist the IC and EOC staff in assessing overall health and medical resource needs during response and recovery operations and maintenance of situation status information within the IC and EOC. g. Coordinate all public health services. h. Provide environmental health services and technical support, sources of contamination, or unsanitary conditions that present hazards to the general public. i. Communicate health information to the public in coordination with the designated Public Information Officer and the joint information system. j. Coordinate community health education. k. Receive and process all disease reports. I. Offer coordinated secure communication within public health in Colorado. m. Send out health alerts. n. Coordinate with law enforcement for quarantine and isolation. B. Supporting County Departments 1. Directors and Heads of County Departments and Agencies Directors and heads of County Departments and Agencies will: a. Prepare and keep current department plans, emergency plans, and standard operating procedures, as needed, to cope with disasters that might occur in Weld County, and to assure Department continuity of operations plans are up to date. b. Identify functions to be performed in time of emergency and assign operational responsibility. c. Be prepared to provide staff members to the Emergency Operations Center to coordinate their emergency response functions with those of other agencies represented therein. d. Ensure that the Office of Emergency Management is kept informed of the situation during emergencies by reporting events and activities to the Emergency Operations Center in a timely fashion. 2. Weld County Sheriff's Posse/Reserves/ Volunteers Weld County Posse / Reserves/ Volunteers are responsible to support the Sheriff's Office and other first responders as directed by the Sheriff to include security operations, search and rescue and other law enforcement functions. 3. Weld County Schools Weld County schools include all public school districts, private schools, Aims Community College, University of Northern Colorado and other educational facilities. School administrators are responsible to: EOP— Page 28 of 46 a. Provide for the safety of students and staff. b. Develop and exercise Emergency Operation Plans. c. Provide school bus support for evacuation and other life-saving purposes, when requested. d. Coordinate with designated shelter management personnel when use of the schools and/or their food stocks is directed for emergency care requirements, e.g., feeding and or sheltering. e. Develop Emergency Response Plans that are consistent with local, county and state plans. 4. Weld County Department of Planning Services The Weld County Department of Planning Services will be responsible to: a. Provide personnel for structure and facility inspections to determine safety of individual structures (businesses, residences, and public buildings) and to identify needed repairs (or to implement condemnation procedures when necessary). b. Receive and plot current data concerning the extent and type of building and damage resulting from a disaster and maintain updated data throughout the recovery process; provide briefings on current situation status to the Commissioners and the EOC as required. c. Prepare and publish, with the assistance of the Office of Emergency Management and the Assessor's Office, damage assessment reports for local, state and federal dissemination as required utilizing the Orion system d. Participate with other departmental representatives on County Damage Assessment teams and on local -state field damage survey teams, as needed. e. Participate in long-term disaster recovery and hazard mitigation planning to ensure the compatibility of community redevelopment plans and hazard mitigation measures with the comprehensive County land use plan and other community development plans. 5. Weld County Department of Human Services The Weld County Department of Human Services is responsible to: a. Advise the Board of County Commissioners on all Human Services matters related to the emergency or disaster. b. Coordinate with the American Red Cross, United Way 211, Salvation Army and other volunteer organizations in the provision of emergency assistance at Disaster Assistance Center locations. All sheltering and housing will be compliant with access and functional needs regulations and ADA compliant. c. Provide public education materials related to community disaster recovery and reentry by citizens into disaster -impacted structures and neighborhoods (e.g., safety of stored goods, removal of mildew, cleaning of smoke damages, etc. provided by the Emergency Management Office or Recovery Team f. Administer Individual and Family Grant Programs in Presidential -declared disasters in Weld County. EOP— Page 29 of 46 6. Mental Health Organizations: Mental Health Organizations will support the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and the Department of Human Services for mental health needs. North Range Behavioral Health has an emergency disaster plan that provides guidance for Emergency Response. This document is part of the overall EOP and is included as an annex to the Mass Care Function. 7. Weld County Animal Rescue Team (CART) Working closely with local veterinarians, brand inspectors, CSU Extension agents, Weld County Sheriffs Office, and other interested agencies, the Weld CART will fill the role as primary Animal Care and Control organization, and will: a. Establish measures for animal care and control, to include: (1) Coordination of animal relief measures; (2) Assurance of animal care; (3) Search for animals' owners; (4) Evacuation; (5) Shelter; (6) Medical treatment; (7) Search and rescue; b. Coordinate preparedness activities with the appropriate public and private sector organizational representatives, to include providing for protection, evacuation, and care of (1) Companion and service animals; (2) Pets; (3) Livestock; (4) Wildlife; (5) Animals in animal shelters; (6) Animals in pet stores; (7) Other animals as required. c. Form county animal response teams (evacuation, shelter, medical treatment, search and rescue, etc.) to accomplish necessary actions during response operations. d. Assist shelter managers with problems associated with evacuated persons bringing companion animals, pets, or livestock to shelter facilities. e. Provide for disposal of dead animals as appropriate. 8. Weld County Attorney The Weld County Attorney is responsible to: a. Provide legal counsel and assistance to the Board of County Commissioners and to other county officials before, during and after disaster and emergency incidents in the county. b. Become familiar with those laws of the State of Colorado and the Federal government that apply to disasters or emergencies. EOP— Page 30 of 46 c. Prepare legal documents (disaster declarations, curfews, price controls, intergovernmental agreements) as required. d. Develop and approve emergency purchasing/procurement contracts and agreements as required. 9. Weld County Department of Finance and Administration The Weld County Department of Finance and Administration is responsible to: Establish and maintain an incident -related financial record keeping system to ensure resource tracking, record -keeping and documentation of disaster - related costs and financial commitments; a. Follow all Federal Rules related to federal recovery grants to include updated supper circulars and utilizing equipment lease rather than purchase of equipment for disaster recovery. b. Coordinate with the County Designated Recovery Officer to identify contracts needed for recovery and the Public Assistance Process. c. Participate in EOC operations to assist in tracking County costs. d. Participate in the long term recovery with the County Recovery Officer to track and document all costs related to the recovery and follow all Federal Grant guidelines. e. Assist with the procurement of emergency related supplies and materials and administration of vendor contracts for emergency services and equipment. 10. Weld County Coroner The Weld County Coroner is responsible to: a. Develop plans and procedures to expand morgue and mortuary services. b. Establish and maintain a system for body identification, verification, and disposition of deceased victims. c. Protect personal effects with the deceased at the time of death. d. Notify relatives of the deceased. e. Provide rosters of fatalities to news media and law enforcement agencies. 11. Weld County Clerk and Recorder The Weld County Clerk and Recorder is responsible to: a. Preserve and secure vital records; 12. Weld County Assessor The Weld County Assessor is responsible to: a. Establish and maintain a system for property information in Weld County. Include current property assessed values to assist with damage assessments; b. Participate in the Damage Assessment Team process. b. Assist the Board of County Commissioners as needed. EOP— Page 31 of 46 13. Weld County Information Services The Weld County Information Services is responsible to: a. Provide continued operation of county network systems b. Support EOC activation through IT support c. Provide GIS support to EOC for situation reports and mapping of damage areas to include; road closures, evacuation areas, detour routes, shelters, etc. d. Support data systems used by Emergency Management for situational reporting and development of disaster reporting. C. Other Local, State, and Federal Agencies 1. Municipalities and Municipal Agencies Municipalities and Municipal Agencies will prepare and execute Emergency Operations Plans as appropriate for their own jurisdictions, and will conduct mutual aid and otherwise support and coordinate with County agencies, as required. 2. Colorado State Patrol The Colorado State Patrol will maintain public safety and law enforcement in state jurisdictions, and aid, support, and coordinate with the Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies in the County, as required. 3. Colorado National Guard The Colorado National Guard will: a. Secure all Guard facilities; b. Provide equipment and personnel on a mission basis as directed by the Governor. 4. Civil Air Patrol The Civil Air Patrol will coordinate with the Sheriff's Office in airborne search and rescue operations, as required. 5. Other State Agencies Other State Agencies will prepare and execute Emergency Operations Plans as appropriate for their own jurisdictions, and will conduct mutual aid and otherwise support and coordinate with County agencies as required. 6. Federal Agencies Federal Agencies will prepare and execute Emergency Operations Plans as appropriate for their own jurisdictions, and will conduct mutual aid and otherwise support and coordinate with County agencies as required. a. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has specific responsibilities for EOP— Page 32 of 46 consequence management in Presidential declared emergencies, and will be the lead federal agency in response and recovery. b. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has specific responsibilities for crisis management in some emergency situations, notably emergencies involving terrorism. D. Volunteer Organizations 1. American Red Cross The American Red Cross is designated as a supporting agency for the Mass Care Function in Weld County. The American Red Cross may be responsible to: a. Provide immediate assistance to disaster victims, including food, water, shelter, clothes, physical and mental health counseling and referrals in conjunction with appropriate Weld County agencies. b. Establish and manage emergency shelters for mass care, in cooperation with the Weld County Emergency Management Sheltering Plan and effected municipalities, including registration, feeding, lodging, and responding to public inquiries concerning shelter residents. c. Provide temporary and immediate housing for displaced disaster victims. d. Provide food, beverages, and other assistance to emergency response personnel and emergency relief workers. e. Provide damage assessment information upon request. f. Coordinate mental health services (in cooperation with Weld County Mental Health Agencies). 2. Salvation Army The Salvation Army may be responsible to: a. Provide immediate assistance to disaster victims, including food, water, counseling services, and/or pastoral care. b. Provide food, water and other assistance to emergency response personnel and emergency relief workers. c. Manage donated goods, including cash, food, cleaning supplies, blankets, building materials, tools, work gloves, toiletries, and personal items. 3. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Community Emergency Response Teams are composed of volunteers specially trained by emergency response agencies in basic medical, light search and rescue, small fire suppression, and incident command. CERT teams provide additional trained personnel to provide life safety assistance and care before professional responders arrive, and supportive assistance under professional direction once such is on -scene. All CERT's will coordinate with Local Agencies for assignments and will follow the Weld County Volunteer Management Plan. EOP— Page 33 of 46 4. Other Volunteer Agencies Other agencies will assist Weld County with volunteer resources including, but not limited to, assistance with communications, donations, coordination of recovery assistance to victims, documenting exigent volunteer resources, and providing personnel for EOC operational duty and coordination with community volunteer organizations. All Volunteers will follow the process established in the Weld County Volunteer Management Plan. a. Communications organizations such as the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) will support the Communications Coordinator or other agencies in establishing and maintaining emergency communications capabilities to supplement normal communications as required. b. Clergy will prepare religious activities for victims or others involved in an emergency or disaster. F. Private Sector Organizations 1. North Colorado Medical Center/ Banner Health Paramedic/ UC Health Paramedic Services a. Coordinate all Weld County acute medical and patient health services as medical supporting organization. b. Coordinate the transporting of patients to other facilities; c. Assist the IC and EOC staff in assessing overall health and medical resource needs during response and recovery operations and maintenance of situation status information with the IC and EOC. d. Keep complete records of patients who have been treated or transported. e. The Banner Health/UC Health Paramedic Service provides medical transportation for patients that are injured in disaster incidents and shall: f. Provide and coordinate the advanced life support emergency medical services response in Weld County. g. Coordinate the triage and transport of sick and injured patients from the scene of the incident, according to the triage plan, to the appropriate medical facility. h. Coordinate with the Emergency Operations Center upon activation. i. Keep complete records of patients who have been treated or transported. 2. Emergency Alert System (EAS) Radio, IPAWS and Television Stations Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio and television stations are contracted to disseminate emergency warnings as directed by the Warning Coordinator or other appropriate County authority. These stations will also participate in disseminating emergency public information in cooperation with the Public Information Officer. (See Weld County EAS Plan Annex) a. Radio EAS Station — KUNC 91.5 FM, KPAW 107.9 FM c. Radio EAS Station — KOA 850 AM EOP— Page 34 of 46 b. Television - Comcast Cable, Local Denver stations Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is a system to identify a digital technology that, when combined with upgraded Emergency Alert System capabilities, will enhance federal, state, and local leaders' ability to communicate alert and warning information to the general public. 3. Local Media Organizations Local media organizations that are not part of the EAS will participate in disseminating emergency public information in cooperation with the Public Information Officer. They may also assist in warnings. 4. Public Utilities Public utilities, including electrical, natural gas, and telephone will shut down service to affected areas, as needed, and expedite restoration of public facilities and utilities in priorities dictated by the situation. 5. Dam/Reservoir Owners Dam and reservoir owners will prepare and execute Emergency Operations Plans as required for their operations, provide proper maintenance and professional operation of their facilities, and provide timely warning of any potential emergencies to the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Districts and Sheriff's Office. 6. Irrigation Ditch Companies Irrigation Ditch Companies will provide proper maintenance and professional operation of their facilities, and provide timely warning of any potential emergencies to the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Districts and Sheriff's Office. 7. Livestock Owners Livestock owners are expected to cooperate with Weld County agencies in all matters concerning human and animal safety with regards to livestock, especially to notify the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and the Weld County Sheriff's Office, immediately, in the case of suspected foreign or other animal diseases with potential to escalate to emergency levels. 8. All Tasked Organizations a. Adhere to all professional and legal standards in the performance of duties. b. Provide for continuity of services. (1) Ensure that personnel are assigned to emergency and continuing operations, and that key backups are identified. (2) Identify alternate facilities and sources of equipment in case normal facilities cannot be used in an emergency. Ensure that vital records are stored off site and backed up so as to be available in an emergency. (3) EOP— Page 35 of 46 c. Prepare and maintain detailed emergency standard operating procedures that include: (1) (2) (3) Call -down rosters for notifying personnel; Step-by-step procedures for performing assigned tasks; Telephone numbers and addresses/locations of similar services in other jurisdictions; (4) Telephone numbers, addresses, type, quantity, location, and procedures for obtaining transportation resources from Federal, State, local, and private organizations; A listing of the radio communications, call signs, and frequencies that each responding organization uses. d. Provide training and exercises, as required, to ensure competent execution of responsibilities under this Plan. (5) VIII. Direction and Control The Board of Weld County Commissioners shall retain responsibility for direction and control of all Weld County government personnel, resources and facilities when a disaster occurs. The Weld County Commissioners will work with other Elected Officials to mitigate emergency response and recovery efforts. The Director of Emergency Management will be responsible to the Board of Weld County Commissioners for the coordination of all activities of agencies, departments and organizations in the execution of this plan. The Director or Head of each County department, subject to direction and control by the Board of Weld County Commissioners, or any authorized representative, shall be responsible for the disaster operations of their agency or department. If the effects of a disaster require the normally established government to seek outside assistance, the assistance provided shall supplement, not replace, the operations of the County agencies involved. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) A Weld County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) functions as the cohesive center of information and communications for dealing with a disaster emergency. The EOC functions under the direction of the Director of Office of Emergency Management. EOC staff are required to meet FEMA NIMS training ICS 100 through ICS 300, NIMS 700, and Complete the FEMA EOC Operations Course IS -775. Each emergency response agency active in the incident are represented by administrative or operational personnel in the EOC. EOC operational staff shall include, but are not limited to, the following organizational representatives by Department Function EOP— Page 36 of 46 FEMA ESF Department Support ESF 1 Transportation Public Works Sheriff's Office ESF 2 Communications and Warning Communications Emergency Management ESF3 Public Works Public Works ESF 4 Fire Fire Districts ESF 5 Emergency Management Emergency Management Finance and Administration ESF 6 Mass Care Human Services Red Cross / United way ESF 7 Resource Management Emergency Management Purchasing ESF8 Public Health Health Department Coroner, NCMC, Banner Health, UC Health ESF9 Search and Rescue Sheriff's Office Fire Districts, local Law ESF 10 Hazmat Greeley Fire Hazmat Mt View Fire Hazmat Fire Districts ESF 11 Animal Care Animal Control (Sheriff's Office) Weld CART ESF 12 Utilities Industry Rep CPRN/REA's/Xcel/Atmos ESF 13 Law Enforcement Sheriffs Office Local Law Enforcement ESF 14 Recovery Emergency Management Administration ESF 15 Public Information Public Information Weld PIO Group ESF 20 Damage Assessment Building Inspection Planning, Assessor, IT Others as needed Emergency Operations Center Weld County Administration Building 1150 O Street Greeley CO 80632 Alternate EOC Weld County Southwest Services Building 4209 WCR 24 1/2 Longmont CO 80501 Multi Agency Coordination System and Multi Agency Coordination Group (MAC Group) EOP— Page 37 of 46 A key component of N/MS/ICS is the Multi -Agency Coordination System (MACS). As the name implies, MACS provides the structure to support incident management policies and priorities, facilitate logistics support, identification of specialized resources that may be obtained from the private sector and resource tracking, inform resource allocation decisions using incident management priorities, coordinate incident related information, and coordinate interagency and intergovernmental issues regarding incident management policies, priorities, and strategies. In Weld County, the MACS activities will typically be conducted from the Weld County Emergency Operations Center (WCEOC). The Weld County Multi Agency Coordination System (MACS) is operated under an ICS style organizational structure utilizing Department Functions. When the WCEOC is activated only those Functions needed to address the incident will be requested to respond. Almost all activations of the EOC will require the "Core" Functions. They are identified as, Communications, Public Works, Fire, Emergency Management, Health and Medical, Law Enforcement, and Public Information. Other Functions will be added as they are needed The WCEOC uses Command and General Staff positions to help with EOC planning and coordination. The following positions will be staffed during full activation:, Planning, Logistics, Finance, P/O and Liaison. (See EOC Operation Plan for additional Information) The Multi Agency Coordination Group (MAC Group) is made up of Agencies, Departments or Organizations that have a direct role in a Department Function or supporting role, the MAC Group is responsible to staff the Weld County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). EOC operations are dependent on the nature of the emergency and the availability of personnel. Activation levels are covered in the EOC Operation Guide. National Incident Management System (NIMS/ICS) The Incident Command System (ICS) is an on -scene management system for command, control, and coordination of response to an incident and will be used to direct all field operations in the event of an emergency. When multiple incidents are present in one disaster, an Incident Commander (IC) will be detailed to each single incident. The efforts of all Incident Commands will be coordinated through the EOC through its functional sections as defined above.34 Communications All communications resources of the County shall be utilized during an emergency and be coordinated by the Weld County Regional Communications Center which shall assign priorities in the use of such equipment. Additional information concerning emergency management communication procedures, responsibilities, and plans are included in the Communications Functional Annex of this Plan. Continuity of Government The Continuity of Government (COG) Plan has been developed to document the guidelines, support and resources needed should there be an emergency/disaster impacting the County. The Plan will assure to the maximum extent feasible, the continuity of leadership and direction for Weld County government to provide for the safety of the citizenry, reduce disruptions to county operations, and minimize damage and loss of EOP— Page 38 of 46 r 1 property. It is designed to reduce confusion created during a disaster and provides a framework for the recovery and restoration of critical and essential functions. DC Administration and Finance 1 . Overall responsibility for administration of emergency response is a cooperative effort of the Incident Commander (on-scene) and the Director of Emergency Management (support), under the direction of the Board of Weld County Commissioners. Specific administrative responsibilities for individual emergency operations functions are described in the Department Functional Annex of this Plan. 2. Normal government services, practices, and procedures will be continued under emergency conditions to the greatest extent possible. Individual department heads will be responsible for this, with the support of the Board of Weld County Commissioners. 3. All departments not directly tasked with emergency operations functions will make staff available to assist with emergency operations or fill in for staff in emergency departments as much as possible. The Board of Weld County Commissioners will coordinate temporary personnel needs assessment and reassignment, as well as efforts to obtain and assign volunteers. 4. During emergency operations, every transaction will be documented so that records can be reconstructed and claims properly verified after the emergency period has passed. When possible leasing of equipment will be done to allow for costs savings. Emergency purchases and procurement will follow County Code and authorized by the BOCC. 5. To the extent consistent with law, no administrative process will be permitted to interfere with operations essential to preventing injury, loss of life, and significant property damage. 6. All departments will provide a time tracking document similar to a daily time log. This document will provide the time worked, location or project worked on and when the employee changes projects or location of assignments. 7. Al documentation will be maintained electronically or in hard copy by Accounting, when required, for three years after the state closes out the state or Federal Disaster. i_his follows 2 CFR 200 or the most current federal guidance Logistics 1 . Critical departments, organizations, and employees will be notified of their critical status and responsibilities and directed to develop standard operating procedures detailing their emergency assignments. These are identified in each Department Functional Annex . EOP— Page 39 of 46 2. County fire departments have entered into a county -wide cooperative agreement to assure adequate material and personnel support and response in the event of emergencies. Cooperative agreements will be activated according to the procedures listed in the agreements. 3. Inter jurisdictional resources available for emergency operations in the Northeast Colorado All -Hazards Region are listed in Logistics Annex and entered in Web EOC. 4. All resource ordering will follow the ordering processes established by the Director of OEM and follow Weld County Code purchasing rules. 5. Requests for state and federal assistance should be coordinated through the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Office of Emergency Management at 1-720-852- 6600. Resources 1. Specific policies for managing resources are covered in Logistics Annex. 2. Any resources needed beyond available resources within a department, or through normal mutual aid, will be obtained through the Office of Emergency Management or Emergency Operation Center if activated. 3. The Office of Emergency Management will provide for obtaining resources and maintain records of all transactions as described in Logistics Annex. 4. When possible leasing of equipment will be done to allow for costs savings. Emergency purchases and procurement will follow County Code and authorized by the BOCC. 5. All Mutual Aid Agreements will be reviewed by the Office of Emergency Management and will be updated annually or as identified in the agreement. 6. In the event that County personnel must use or damage private property or resources in emergency operations, owners may be compensated appropriately with local insurance guidelines. . Each department will manage and use its own internal resources before requesting additional resources. If additional resources are required, they will be obtained in the following order: a. Normal mutual aid of the effected department; b. Resources of other County departments; c. State or other inter jurisdictional resources made available through requests for assistance; d. Resources obtained by purchase or donation through the Resource Management function as described in Logistics Annex. e. Other private resources; EOP— Page 40 of 46 Recovery Recovery is the process of returning a community to a state of normality after a disastrous incident. No community is immune to disaster, which makes recovery planning paramount. To support recovery planning, the Weld County Office of Emergency Management and the Weld County Multi -Agency Coordinating (MAC) group partnered with the State of Colorado, private sector, non -governmental organizations, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to develop our recovery plan. 1. The Director of the Office of Emergency Management will serve as the Recovery Officer for emergencies and disasters unless otherwise directed by the BOCC. 2. The Recovery process will follow the Weld County Recovery Plan which is a supporting plan to this EOP. Impediments to Emergency Operations 1. Potential impediments to any emergency operation, such as physical barriers, time, and lack of transportation resources are addressed in the Department, Functional Annexes and organizational SOP. 2. Overcoming unforeseen impediments is the responsibility of the Incident Commander in cooperation with officials of the effected jurisdictions(s) if the EOC is not activated. 3. If the EOC is activated, the Incident Commander should request assistance in resolving the difficulties through the Director of Emergency Management or the Coordinator identified in the appropriate Department functional Annex X. Plan Development and Maintenance The Weld County Director of Emergency Management, along with the Weld County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), is responsible for maintaining this Emergency Operations Plan. Review and Revision The Director of Emergency Management will conduct a detailed review of this Plan and make appropriate revisions annually: 1. As required, revisions will be circulated in draft form for review by effected agencies prior to adoption. 2. Agencies will return draft review with comments, agreement, or proposed changes in a timely manner. 3. The revision will be presented to the BOCC for approval Distribution Completed revisions will be numbered and distributed per the Distribution list: 1. Agencies receiving revisions will: a. Note the change(s) on the Record of Revisions (page 10) of this Plan; b. Insert the new pages into the Plan copy; EOP— Page 41 of 46 c. Remove and return the old pages to the Director of Emergency Management. 2. Agencies receiving revisions will review Plan revisions, and develop or revise SOP as required by any changes in their mission or tasking. Training and Exercises The Director of Emergency Management will provide for regular exercises and training sessions to ensure that provisions of the plan are well understood by all departments and offices with assigned responsibilities and that they are proficient in carrying out associated duties and tasks. Departments, offices and other organizations with responsibilities identified in the plan are responsible for ensuring that their staffs are familiar with provisions of the plan and adequately trained to carry out emergency assignments. Staff participation in periodic exercises provides the best opportunities for refining plans and procedures in preparation for actual disaster and emergency events. Multi -agency and multi jurisdictional exercises will be coordinated by the Director of Emergency Management. Xl. Department Functional and Hazard Specific Annexes When an emergency or disaster situation exceeds local capabilities, there are certain common types of assistance that are likely to be required. These common types of assistance have been grouped functionally into areas termed Department Functions Local agencies and organizations have been assigned responsibilities for implementing these functions. Individual department assignments are shown on the Department Function Assignment Matrix. Assignments are made based on the department's statutory, programmatic, or regulatory authorities and responsibilities. Department Function Annexes contain detailed information associated with a specific function. In a local declaration, local Departments will work directly with corresponding State and Federal partners or Emergency Support Functions or ESF's. It is imperative that designated lead agencies understand the relationship between the local, State and Federal ESFs. The Department Functional Annex documents are not attached to this Basic plan and are held in the Office of Emergency Management. Agencies, departments, and organizations are assigned to lead, joint lead or fulfill supporting roles as related to the Department Functions and the development of the corresponding annexes. The responsibilities of each of these positions are: 1. Lead — Responsible for planning, coordinating and tasking support departments and agencies in the development of policies, procedures, roles, and responsibilities and requirements of the Department and its operational requirements. Develops and maintains a Department Annex to this plan. 2. Joint Lead — Certain principal components of some Departments are clearly shared by agencies or organizations other than the designated Lead department. In such situations the department/organization which would normally have primary responsibility for one of more of these major components will be designated as the Joint Lead department/organization, and will be responsible to work in a unified EOP— Page 42 of 46 leadership role for the development and implementation of that specific Department. 3. Supporting— Those assigned a supporting role for a given Function will cooperate with the lead department in carrying out the assigned missions and will cooperate in Department Function development, training and exercising. Departments not assigned to specific Department Function will serve as a reserve of material and personnel resources, which may be required to perform previously unassigned tasks or supplement other response agencies. Specific supporting role functions will be assigned to volunteer and private organizations who, by their State or National charter, or through written Memorandums of Agreements (MOA) with local agencies, are committed to providing disaster response/relief assistance. XII. Authorities and References 1. See the individual response and hazard specific annexes to this plan. 2. FEMA National Response Framework, January 2008 3. FEMA Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG 101), November 2010 4. Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, Public Law 81-920, as amended. 5. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93- 288, as amended by Public Law 100-707. 6. Americans with Disabilities Act 7. Post Katrina Act 8. PETS Act 2006 9. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 and 8 Management and Preparedness Goals. 10. Emergency Planning and Community Right -to -Know Act of 1986, SARA Title Ill, Sections 301-304, 311-313, 322-325. 11. Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 CFR 1910. 120, as amended, 1992. 12. Hazard Communications, 29 CFR 1910. 1200 as approved June 7, 1989, and as amended. 13. Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, C.R.S. 24-33.5-700 series as amended. 14. Colorado Intergovernmental Agreement for Emergency Management. 15. Compensation Benefits to Volunteer Civil Defense Workers. 16. C.R.S. 24-33.5-802, as amended. 17. Civil Defense Liability - Public or Private, C.R.S. 24-33.5-9011, as amended. 18. Disaster Relief, C.R.S. 24-33.5-1102, as amended. 19. Colorado Emergency Planning Commission, C.R.S. 24-33.5-1501, as amended. 20. Colorado Hazardous Substance Incidents, C.R.S. 29-22-101-110, as amended. 21. Fire Department Special Districts - Powers and Duties, C.R.S. 32-1-1002(3), as amended. 22. Weld County Code Article XVI Section 2-16-10 through 2-16-90 23. Weld County Resolution #881176, December 1988. 24. Weld County Hazard Mitigation Plan, January 2016 25. FEMA National Incident Management System, December 2013 26. Federal Grant Guidance 2 CFR 200 or the most current guidance when requesting Federal Funds. EOP— Page 43 of 46 Part 3 Appendix A Definitions The definitions of terms, abbreviations and acronyms used in this plan, and the definitions to several other commonly used emergency management acronyms and terms are found below. The following selected terms are used throughout this document and have the following special meanings: Catastrophic Incident — Any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, which results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely effecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale and/or government functions. A catastrophic event could result in sustained national impacts over a prolonged period of time; almost immediately exceeds resources normally available to State, local, tribal and private sector authorities; and significantly interrupts governmental operations and emergency services to such an extent that national security could be threatened. All catastrophic incidents are Incidents of National Significance. Continuity of Government - Continuity of Government is part of every jurisdictions fundamental mission. Today's changing threat environment has increased the need for continuity capabilities and plans at all levels of government and within the private sector. The Continuity of Government Team (COG) has been developed to support resources needed should there be an emergency/disaster impacting County Operations. Refer to Weld County COG Plan Annex C Disaster— The occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property, or significant adverse impact on the environment, resulting from any natural or technological hazards, including, but not limited to: fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, hazardous substance incident, water contamination, epidemic, air contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, civil disturbance, or hostile military or paramilitary action. For the purpose of state or federal disaster declarations, the term disaster generally falls into the category of "major" or "catastrophic"; based on the level of severity and impact on local and state resources. Major disasters are likely to require immediate state assistance supplemented by federal resources, if necessary, to supplement state efforts and resources. Catastrophic disasters may require immediate and massive state and federal assistance in both the response and recovery aspects. Emergency— An event that endangers the lives or property of the citizens of Weld County. Routine emergencies are those that occur regularly and are appropriately resolved using standard operating procedures of government and other response agencies or departments. Disaster emergencies are those which involve activities outside the routine scope of operations. This Local Emergency Operations Plan concerns disaster emergency policies. EOP— Page 44 of 46 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) — Facility used to coordinate response among government agencies, staffed by various agency and department representatives, government officials, and service organizations. Operations Staff— As part of the EOC, are staff representatives from various government and service organizations who coordinate personnel, resources, and supplies for emergency disaster response and recovery. Major Disaster — As defined by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206), a major disaster is "any natural catastrophe, including, among other things, hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, earthquakes, or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion" determined by the President to have caused damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under the Act. Mitigation — Activities designed to reduce or eliminate risks to persons or property or to lessen the actual or potential effects or consequences of an incident. Mitigation measures may be implemented prior to, during, or after an incident. Mitigation measures are often developed in accordance with lessons learned from prior incidents. The NRP distinguishes between hazard mitigation and incident mitigation. Hazard mitigation includes any cost-effective measure which will reduce the potential for damage to a facility from a disaster event. Measures may include zoning and building codes, floodplain property acquisitions, home elevations or relocations, and analysis of hazard -related data. Incident mitigation involves actions taken during an incident designed to minimize impacts or contain the damages to property or the environment. Multi Agency Coordination System and Multi Agency Coordination Group (MAC Group) - A key component of NIMS/ICS is the Multi -Agency Coordination System (MACS). As the name implies, MACS provides the structure to support incident management policies and priorities, facilitate logistics support and resource tracking, inform resource allocation decisions using incident management priorities, coordinate incident related information, and coordinate interagency and intergovernmental issues regarding incident management policies, priorities, and strategies. In Weld County, the MACS activities will typically be conducted from the Weld County Emergency Operations Center (WCEOC). Preparedness — The range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the operational capability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents. Preparedness is a continuous process involving efforts at all levels of government and between government and private sector and nongovernmental organizations to identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and identify required resources. In the context of the NRP, preparedness is operationally focused on actions taken in response to a threat or incident. Prevention — Involves actions taken to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from occurring. For the purposes of this plan, this includes applying intelligence and other information to a range of activities that may include such countermeasures as deterrence operations; security operations; investigations to determine the full nature and source of the threat; public health and agricultural surveillance and testing; and law enforcement EOP— Page 45 of 46 operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity and apprehending perpetrators. Response — Involves activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident. These activities include immediate actions to preserve life, property, and the environment; meet basic human needs; and maintain the social, economic, and political structure of the effected community. Response also includes the execution of emergency operations plans and incident mitigation activities designed to limit loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and other unfavorable outcomes. Recovery — Involves actions and the implementation of programs necessary to help individuals, communities, and the environment directly impacted by an incident to return to normal, where feasible. Recovery actions often extend long after the incident itself. Recovery programs may include hazard mitigation components designed to avoid damage from future incidents. The Plan — The term "Plan" refers to the "Weld County Emergency Operations Plan". EOP— Page 46 of 46 Hello