HomeMy WebLinkAbout20141437.tiff RESOLUTION
RE: ADOPT WELD COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, DATED APRIL 2014
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, State law, and particularly Section 24-33.5-707(8), C.R.S., requires the
local disaster agency to keep current a Local Disaster Emergency Plan for its area, and
WHEREAS, the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan was previously adopted on
July 6, 2011, by Resolution #2011-1605, and
WHEREAS, the Office of Emergency Management has presented the Board with an
updated version of the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan, dated April 2014, including
various Appendices and Emergency Support Function descriptions, 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, dated April 2014,
be, and hereby is, adopted.
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2014-1437
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ADOPT WELD COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN, DATED APRIL 2014
PAGE 2
The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted
by the following vote on the 12th day of May, A.D., 2014.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WELD COUNTY, COLORADO
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���555oogl���s Rademacher Chair
Weld County Clerk to the Board
.rbara Kirkmeyer, ro-Tem
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William F. arcia
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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Weld County Emergency
Operations Plan
3.0
April 2014
Page 1 of 43 2014-1437
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 1992, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG 101v2), the
National Response Framework (NRF) and the National Incident Management System
(NIMS). It 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 is written from
the perspective that all emergencies and disasters begin and end at the Local
Government level.
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.
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), or to interfere in the
execution of any statutory authority of Constitutional Offices under the Colorado Revised
Statutes.
The WCEOP is intended to be used when a situation requires; multiple Offices or
Departments 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 Town Governments and/or Special Districts. 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 Town Governments and Special Districts, and other Non-Governmental
Entities and Agencies.
Page 2 of 43 April 2014
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
response agencies, other governments and special districts, volunteer organizations,
and appropriate non-governmental organizations with the provisions of the WCEOP. The
Director of Emergency Management is responsible for supporting the incident command
and other systems utilized in the dissemination of emergency planning and response
information to the citizens of Weld County.
Page 3 of 43 April 2014
Letter of Promulgation
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.
Dougl s Radem cher Date
Chair, Weld County Commissioners
•
441.2[a te( c�u cti SX 2-
arbara Kirkmeyer Date
Pro-Tem, Weld County Commissioner
EXCUSED
Sean P. Conway Date
Weld County Commissioner
l i(
Mike Freeman Date
Weld County Commissioner
lli arcia Date
Weld County Commissioner
This plan is a living plan, and will he 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.
Page 4 of 43 April 2014
0749/5/- /937
WELD COUNTY
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN (EOP)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part 1
Introduction 2
Letter of Promulgation 4
Table of Contents 5
Distribution Page 8
Record of Revisions 10
Part 2
Basic Plan
I. Purpose 12
II. Scope 12
III. Situation Overview 12
• Vulnerability Analysis 12
• Hazard Analysis 13
IV. Planning Assumptions 15
• Limitations
V. Concept of Operations 16
• General Operations 17
• Operational Phases 17
• Plan Implementation 19
VI. Organization 19
• General
VII. Responsibilities
• Board of County Commissioners 19
• Primary County Response Agencies 20
• Supporting County Departments 25
• Other Local, State and Federal Agencies 39
• Volunteer Organizations 30
• Private Sector Organizations 31
VIII. Direction and Control 33
IX. Administration and Finance 35
• Logistics 36
• Resources 36
• Impediments to Emergency Operations 37
Page 5 of 43 April 2014
X. Plan Development and Maintenance 37
• Review and Revision 37
• Distribution 37
• Training and Exercises 38
Xl. Emergency Support Functions 38
XII. Authority and references 40
Part 3
Appendix A Special Definitions 41
Page 6 of 43 April 2014
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
EOP Distribution —Page 7 of 43 June 2013
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 43 June 2013
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
EOP Distribution —Page 9 of 43 June 2013
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
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 10 of 43 April 2014
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 11 of 43 April 2014
Part 2 - Basic Plan
1. Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to coordinate all emergency management 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's 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 Weld County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The WCEOP uses an 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 or Special Districts.
lit 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,
4 1 Y
Little Thompson and the Saint Vrain River. Major transportation routes include Interstate 25 &
76, Colorado Highways 14, 34, 52, 56, 60, 66, 71, 85 and 392, along with the Union Pacific,
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 12 of 43 April 2014
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 270,000 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. Them are 17 school districts and
24 fire districts. There are 689 miles of paved roadway and 2,306 miles of unpaved roads.
Hazard Analysis
A disaster can occur at anytime 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.
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 effect crops and livestock. Floods can also effect 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 6.6 Million in road damage in unincorporated Weld County and over 12 million in
property damage. Weld County was awarded Public Assistance and Individual Assistance.
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
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 13 of 43 April 2014
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, them are many low hazard
dams and holding ponds which might be compromised, to a greater or lesser extent, in an
earthquake. Them 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.
When the Interstate highways are closed, this action cuts the provision of primary supplies
(gasoline and food) to the communities, and also strands thousands of motorists who were
"passing through" for up to several days. In many cases, when the hotel rooms in one
community "fill up," the interstates are then closed back to the next community with available
lodging. This is to prevent over-burdening of communities already hosting motorists, and to
keep those still enroute from becoming stranded "in between."
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, and 1976-1977. The
drought of 2002-2005 caused loss of crops and livestock throughout much of the State and
reduced revenues from lowered tourist visits.
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
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 14 of 43 April 2014
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.
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. Them 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.
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.
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 physiological 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.
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 waming to days or weeks,
according to the type of hazard.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 15 of 43 April 2014
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. Weld County has been identified as a host area to receive and care for evacuees from
other areas in Colorado in the event of a major disaster or national emergency. This is
based on the North Central Regions Evacuation Plan.
6. 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.
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
govemment(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.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 16 of 43 April 2014
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 Emergency Manager, or other official as designated by the Board of Weld
County Commissioners, will make and coordinate requests for assistance with
DHSOEM.
3. This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is based on the concept that emergency
response functions will generally modify the normal daily operation of local govemment
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 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 Emergency Manager 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
Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) associated with all emergency operations are
detailed in appropriate ESF plans following this Basic Plan. Threat-specific responses to
hazards which impact Weld County are delineated in the contingency 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 Pm-Disaster
Mitigation Plan on file with the Weld County Office of Emergency Management.
9. Definitions and Abbreviations used and useful in emergency management are listed in
this section.
Operational Phases
t_ Upon notification of an actual or impending disaster, the Emergency Manager, 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:
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 17 of 43 April 2014
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 concemed and which can provide support. Possible
evacuation of specific areas will be considered at this time.
b. Preparedness-As an incident, or the threat of an incident, progresses to the point
that coordination is required beyond normal operations, the 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 Emergency Manager acts as coordinator for the Board of Weld County
Commissioners, and supporting agencies within the EOC. The Emergency Manager
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.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 18 of 43 April 2014
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.
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.
• General responsibilities are outlined in this section of the EOP.
• Specific responsibilities and/or tasks are outlined in the Emergency Support 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. Implement the Weld County Emergency Operations Plan, all or in part, as the
situation requires.
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 PIOs 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.
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.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 19 of 43 April 2014
i. Approve and commit Weld County resources and funds for disaster or emergency
purposes.
2.
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 Head(s)/Director(s) and other Elected Officials to
provide continuity of govemment 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 Emergency Manager
The Weld County Emergency Manager 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.
(3) 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.
(5) Technical support to EOC staff and other county personnel with respect to
resource management, damage assessment, intergovemmental coordination,
disaster recovery, hazard mitigation and other emergency management
functions, as needed;
(6) Coordinating the provision of mass care needs for personnel performing medical
duties during catastrophic emergencies.
c. 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;
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 20 of 43 April 2014
(4) Designating alternate EOC(s), as required;
(5) Ensuring that communications, warning, and other necessary operations
support equipment is readily available for use in the alternate EOC.
d Manage, liaison and coordination 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;
(3) 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;
(5) 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.
e. 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.
f. Ensure Emergency Operations Plan maintenance, training, and exercises, to include:
(1) Development, revision, distribution, and follow-up of all elements of the Weld
County EOP;
(2) 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.
g. Assume responsibility as the Designated Emergency Response Authority for
hazardous substance spills and mass transportation accidents in unincorporated
Weld County.
h. 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. (see ESF 28).
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
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 21 of 43 April 2014
functions (i.e., planning, finance, logistics, operations and public information), to
include:
(1) 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;
(3) Provision of security measures at the ICP, EOC, and in disaster-impacted areas.
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 evacuation of all or part of an area, to
include:
(1) Coordination with Emergency Management and Human Services 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;
(3) 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;
(5) Coordinating with Human Services for evacuation of special 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;
(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).
g. 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 AOP
h. Coordinate hazardous materials accident response and incident command in
unincorporated areas of the county With Fire districts and Hazmat Teams
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:
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 22 of 43 April 2014
(1) Central control and repair of all transportation assets for maximum emergency
utilization of all county vehicles, facilities, heavy equipment, fuels, 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;
(3) 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;
(5) 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;
(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;
c. Coordinate with private sector utilities (e.g., power and gas) on shutdown and service
restoration, to include:
(1) Ensuring emergency shutdown of utilities to prevent damage;
(2) Monitoring repair of electrical, gas, and water distribution systems;
(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 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);
(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;
e. Assist in facilities protection and emergency repairs to county public buildings, roads,
utilities and other essential facilities;
f. Assist in decontamination of facilities, areas, roadways, and equipment during a
radiological environment or a hazardous material spill;
5. 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;
E0P Record of Revisions—Page 23 of 43 April 2014
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 Sheriffs 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 zone responsibility, and providing fire security in evacuated
areas;
f. Maintain contact with the Weld County Regional Communications Center on
established frequencies;
6. 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;
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 EOC updated and current of any information pertinent to the incident or
emergency, if activated;
e. Coordinate communications and provision of communications staff support for field
command post(s);
7. Weld County 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 designated Public Information Officer for all press 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.
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 24 of 43 April 2014
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.
8. Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment supports the ESFB 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.
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 organizations, and standard
operating procedures, as needed, to cope with disasters that might occur in Weld
County, and to assure continuity of governmental operations.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 25 of 43 April 2014
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 Department of General Services
a. Assist the Board of County Commissioners as needed, to include.
(1) Procurement of emergency-related supplies and materials and administration of
vendor contracts for emergency services and equipment.
(2) Participation with other departmental representatives on county damage
assessment team at EOC and on local-state field damage survey teams, as
needed;
(3) Assessment and assistance in dealing with county insurance contracts.
4. 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:
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.
5. 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).
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 26 of 43 April 2014
b. Receive and plot current data concerning the extent and type of building and road
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.
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.
6. 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.
b. Coordinate with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and other volunteer
organizations in the provision of emergency shelters, temporary housing and other
assistance to displaced citizens. All sheltering and housing will be compliant with
access and functional needs regulations and ADA compliant.
c. Assist in coordination of resources of emergent or spontaneous volunteers (i.e.,
match available resources with individual needs).
d. Provide resources for stress counseling/crisis counseling for disaster victims and
disaster relief workers, as needed.
e. 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.
f. Administer Individual and Family Grant Program in Presidential-declared disasters in
Weld County.
7. 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 ESF 6.
8. Weld County Animal Rescue Team (CART)
Working closely with local veterinarians, brand inspectors, CSU Extension agents, Weld
County Sheriff's 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;
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 27 of 43 April 2014
(2) Assurance of animal care;
(3) Search for animals'owners;
(4) Evacuation;
(5) Shelter;
(6) Medical treatment;
(7) Search and rescue;
(8) Other animals as required;
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.
9. 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.
c. Prepare legal documents (disaster declarations, curfews, price controls) as required.
d. Review and approve emergency purchasing/procurement contracts and agreements
as required.
10. Weld County Department of Finance and Administration
The Weld County Department of Finance and Administration is responsible to:
a. 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;
11. Weld County Coroner
The Weld County Coroner is responsible to:
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 28 of 43 April 2014
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.
12. Weld County Clerk and Recorder
The Weld County Clerk and Recorder is responsible to:
a. Preserve and secure vital records;
13. 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. Assist the Board of County Commissioners as needed.
14. 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.
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.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 29 of 43 April 2014
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 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 ESF 6 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 Department of Human Services 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.
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 30 of 43 April 2014
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 am 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.
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.
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 Services
a. Coordinate all Weld County acute medical and patient health services as ESF8
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 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.
EOP Record of Revisions—Page 31 of 43 April 2014
2. Emergency Alert System (EAS) Radio 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)
a. Radio EAS Station—KUNC 91.5 FM, KPAW 107.9 FM
c. Radio EAS Station—KOA 850 AM
b. Television - Comcast Cable, Local Denver stations
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.
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 32 of 43 April 2014
(3) Ensure that vital records are stored off site and backed up so as to be available
in an emergency.
c. Prepare and maintain detailed emergency standard operating procedures that
include:
(1) Call-down rosters for notifying personnel;
(2) Step-by-step procedures for performing assigned tasks;
(3) 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;
(5) 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.
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 Emergency Manager 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 Emergency Manager.
EOC staff are required to meet FEMA NIMS training ICS 100 through ICS 300, N1MS 700, and
Complete the FEMA EOC Operations Course 1S-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 Emergency Support Function:
ESF Department Support
ESF 1 Public Works Sheriff's Office
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 33 of 43 April 2014
ESF 2 Communications Emergency Management
ESF3 Public Works
ESF 4 Fire Districts
ESF 5 Emergency Management General Services
ESF 6 Human Services Red Cross/ United way
ESF 7 Emergency Management Purchasing
Coroner, NCMC, Banner
ESF8 Health Department Health
ESF9 Sheriffs Office Fire Districts
ESF 10 Greeley Fire Hazmat Fire Districts
ESF 11 Animal Control
ESF 12 Industry Rep
ESF 13 Sheriffs Office Local Law Enforcement
ESF 14 Emergency Management Administration
ESF 15 Public Information
ESF 20 Building Inspection
Others as
needed
Emergency Operations Center Alternate EOC
Weld County Administration Building Weld County Training Center
1150 O Street 1104 H St
Greeley CO 80632 Greeley Co 80631
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 stricture 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).
The Weld County Multi Agency Coordination System (MACS) is operated under an ICS style
organizational structure utilizing emergency support functions (ESFs). When the WCEOC is
activated only those ESFs needed to address the incident will be requested to respond. Almost
all activations of the EOC will require the "Core" ESFs. They are identified as ESF 2,
Communications; ESF 3 Public Works, ESF 4, Fire; ESF 5, Emergency, Management; ESF 8
Health and Medical; ESF 13, Law Enforcement; and ESF 15, External Affairs. Other ESFs will
be added as they are needed
EOP Record of Revisions— Page 34 of 43 April 2014
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, PIO 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 an Emergency Support Function. 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.
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.
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 Emergency Support
Function 2 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 impact 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 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.
IX. Administration and Finance
1. Overall responsibility for administration of emergency response is a cooperative effort of the
Incident Commander(on-scene) and the Emergency Manager(support), under the direction
of the Board of Weld County Commissioners. Specific administrative responsibilities for
individual emergency operations functions are described in the Emergency Support
Functions 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
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personnel needs assessment and reassignment, as well as efforts to obtain and assign
volunteers.
4. During emergency operations, every effort will be made to document each transaction so
that records can be reconstructed and claims properly verified after the emergency period
has passed.
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.
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 Emergency Support Function and
Appendix.
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 ESF7 and entered in Web EOC.
4. 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 ESF7.
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 ESF7.
4. 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. .
5. 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;
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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 ESF7.
e. Other private resources;
Impediments to Emergency Operations
1. Potential impediments to any emergency operation, such as physical barriers, time, and lack
of transportation resources are addressed in ESFs 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 Emergency Manager or the Coordinator identified in the appropriate
Emergency Support Function or Appendix.
X. Plan Development and Maintenance
The Weld County Emergency Manager, along with the Weld County Local Emergency Planning
Committee (LEPC), is responsible for maintaining this Emergency Operations Plan.
Review and Revision
The Emergency Manager 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;
c. Remove and return the old pages to the Emergency Manager.
2. Agencies receiving revisions will review Plan revisions, and develop or revise SOP as
required by any changes in their mission or tasking.
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Training and Exercises
The Emergency Manager 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
Emergency Manager.
XI. Emergency Support Functions(ESF)
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 Emergency Support Functions (ESF).
Local agencies and organizations have been assigned responsibilities for implementing these
functions. Individual department assignments are shown on the Emergency Support Functions
Assignment Matrix. Assignments are made based on the department's statutory, programmatic,
or regulatory authorities and responsibilities. Emergency Support Functions Annexes contain
detailed information associated with a specific ESF. In a local declaration, local ESFs will work
directly with corresponding State and Federal Emergency Support Functions. It is imperative
that designated lead agencies understand the relationship between the local, State and Federal
ESFs. The ESF 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 Emergency Support 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 ESF and its operational requirements. Develops and maintains an
ESF Annex to this plan.
2. Joint Lead — Certain principal components of some ESFs 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 leadership role for
the development and implementation of that specific ESF.
3. Supporting— Those assigned a supporting role for a given ESF will cooperate with the
lead department in carrying out the assigned missions and will cooperate in Emergency
Support Function development, training and exercising.
Departments not assigned to specific Emergency Support Functions will serve as a reserve of
material and personnel resources, which may be required to perform previously unassigned
tasks or supplement other response agencies.
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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.
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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. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, SARA Title Ill,
Sections 301-304, 311-313, 322-325.
7. Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 CFR 1910. 120, as
amended, 1992.
8. Hazard Communications, 29 CFR 1910. 1200 as approved June 7, 1989, and as
amended.
9. Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, C.R.S. 24-33.5-700 series as amended.
10. Colorado Intergovernmental Agreement for Emergency Management.
11. Compensation Benefits to Volunteer Civil Defense Workers.
12. C.R.S. 24-33.5-802, as amended.
13. Civil Defense Liability- Public or Private, C.R.S. 24-33.5-9011, as amended.
14. Disaster Relief, C.R.S. 24-33.5-1102, as amended.
15. Colorado Emergency Planning Commission, C.R.S. 24-33.5-1501, as amended.
16. Colorado Hazardous Substance Incidents, C.R.S. 29-22-101-110, as amended.
17. Fire Department Special Districts - Powers and Duties, C.R.S. 32-1-1002(3), as
amended.
18. Weld County Resolution #881176, December 1988.
19. Weld County Hazard Mitigation Plan, December 2009
20. FEMA National Incident Management System, December 2008
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Part 3
Appendix A
Special 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 govemment 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 govemmental 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.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) — Facility used to coordinate response among
government agencies, staffed by various agency and department representatives, govemment
officials, and service organizations.
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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 Robed 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 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
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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".
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