HomeMy WebLinkAboutInfo Item - Disaster Prep CITY OF PALM DESERT
RISK MANAGEMENT
STAFF REPORT
REQUEST: Receive and File Risk Manager's Report titled "Long Range Plan Proposals
For Enhancing Disaster Preparation and Response"
SUBMITTED BY: Gary Rosenbtum, Risk Manager
DATE: April 12, 2007
CONTENTS: Long Range Plan Proposals Report
Recommendation:
By Minute Motion: Receive and file the Long Range Plan Proposa/s forEnhancing
Disaster Preparation and Response report.
Discussion:
The Public Safety Commission was presented with a briefing by the Risk Manager on the current
state of Palm Desert's disaster preparation, along with a long range plan for new projects to
enhance various aspects of disaster preparation and response in the City.
The Commission voted to support the recommendations and have the report presented to the
City Council.
The concept is that investing in enhanced programs can enable Palm Desert residents and
businesses to be more self sufficient from the moment disaster strikes, and can speed up long
term clean up and rebuilding. These investments may save lives, reduce injury and disability,
and get the City up and running sooner and at lower overall costs by reducing City revenue
losses, reducing recovery costs, ensuring Federal assistance funds, and reducing recovery time
for residents.
Submitted By: Department Head:
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Gary Rosenblum .�lomer Croy
Risk Manager CITY Cc��tvC1h ���-:Development Services
APPROVED DENIED
Approval: REC$zVED_ ` , OTHER .�l��oi'' Lia,�.,�
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Carlos L. Ortega ABSEN�°:
City Manager ABSTATN: �
VERIFIED BY•
Original. Qn�File wit City Clerk's Office
�T� CITY OF PALM DESERT
� � RiSK MANAGEMENT
PUBLfC SAFETY COMISSION REPORT:
LONG RANGE PLAN PROPOSALS FOR ENHANCING DISASTER
PREPARATION AND RESPONSE
REQUEST: ACCEPT AND FILE REPORT
SUBMITTED BY: Gary Rosenblum, Risk Manager
DATE: February 23, 2007
Executive Summary:
The City has experienced substantial growth in population and infrastructure overthe past
decade. In the years since the 9/11 events, and the Katrina hurricane floods, substantial
changes have been made to the way all levels of govemment prepare for disasters and
emergencies. Both of these facts require that the City examine its current level of disaster
preparedness and plan for the future.
The City's Risk Manager, who also acts part time as the City Emergency Manager has
reviewed the City's state of disaster preparation and has analyzed both the City's current
level of preparation, and the types of projects that the City should consider for disaste�
preparation and response over the next decade. While the City is fairly well prepared now,
City growth and an ever improving state of the art in emergency preparedness may leave
the City with a less than desired level of robustness in its program in the future if the status
quo is maintained.
In addition to the immense impact on the health and safety of the citizens of Palm Desert, -
a catastrophic earthquake will decimate City revenue for an extended period of time,during
which time unanticipated expenses will be huge. With better disaster response and
recovery investments, the City can mitigate both the adverse impacts on citizens and help
reduce revenue loss and unanticipated expenses.
Report:
The Public Safety Commission will first be presented with a short briefing on the current
general state of disaster preparation, and the concept of preparing for the worst case
scenario. Then a series of new projects will be identified that will enhance various aspects
of disaster preparation and response in the City over several years. Due to time
constraints, the concept for each program will be briefly presented, and what the City will
gain from each project will be generally described.
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Details regarding specific costs have not been assembled for presentation, due to the time
constraints of conducting such an analysis at this preliminary stage for each project. These
cost analyses will be done if and when the projects are considered for implementation.
The purpose of presenting these programs is to first inform the Commission about these
program concepts, give the Commission a chance to assess how these programs would fit
into their own vision for the City's disaster preparation and response capability.
Emergency planning and response is an area that has changed drastically since 9/11/01
and after hurricane Katrina. Emergency preparation and response programs that were
considered good 10 years ago are now in need of enhancement. There is a much higher
level of training, and practicing for a varied disaster set at the Federal, State and County
level. Communications systems have become both more complex, and more in need of
coordination.
City population and value of private and public property and infrastructure has grown
dramatically over the past decade. In addition, the residents and merchants of Palm
Desert have become familiar with the City governmenYs high level of performance in both
day to day operation and long range planning. For example, the City is acting on a long
term plan to reduce the long term energy use and make the City highly energy efficient,
and at the same time addresses the day to day issue of public safety by encouraging
businesses to purchase quality surveillance equipment.
Long range disaster response programs can be considered like insurance policies: they
may not be needed this year or next, but someday they will pay off in protecting the City's
people, property and assets. Palm Desert can continue at the current state of preparation,
but over time keeping preparation resources the same will gradually erode the overall tevel
of preparedness.
The main disaster of concem for Palm Desert is catastrophic earthquake. Emergency
plans include responding to floods,fires,terror attack, and hazardous materials incidents,
but enhanced programs preparing for a major earthquake will provide many areas of
overlap for effective response to the other disaster types. For example, enhanced
programs for public awareness and communication and coordination with the City as well -
as advanced communication and coordination projects with official public safety agencies
will assist in all disasters.
Because Palm Desert contracts with Riverside County agencies for both police and fire
services, the City is already highly coordinated with County emergency operations. This
enables the Pa1m Desert emergency manager to work on the City emergency functions
beyond police,fire and medical services. There is where the focus of this presentation will
be. It will cover a large array of planning and response functions that the City can perform.
The key to this presentation is that while the City has a great asset in direct coordination
with critical contracted County services for police, fire and paramedics, there are many
opportunities for additional local investment in Public Safety in advance of a disaster.
This presentation will be organized into projects for 1) Disaster Mitigation, 2� Training
and Community Outreach, 3) Infrastructure Enhancements, and 4) Personnel.
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The concept behind all of these potentiai programs is that investing in enhanced programs
can enable Palm Desert residents and businesses to be more seff sufficient from the
moment disaster strikes, and to speed up long term clean up and rebuilding. These
investments may save lives, reduce injury and disability, and get the City up and running
sooner and at lower overall cost. Investing in long term emergency programs would
reduce City tax revenue losses, reduce recovery costs, and reduce recovery time for
residents.
Emergency Preparedness Programs Currently in Place
1. Keeping SEMS plan updated; Adding NIMS (National Incident Management
System)
2. Keeping Civic Center emergency supplies updated
3. Maintaining Emergency Operations Center in ready state
4. Provide outreach planning and preparation presentations to gated communities
through presentations to businesses, HOA's, and civic groups when requested
5. Regular updating emergency phone lists
6. Adding satellite phones to communications systems
7. Provide training to City employees
8. Coordinate with other Cities through CVEMA
9. Coordinate regularly with Riverside County Office of Emergency Services and with
Riverside County Department of Public Health
10.Cooperative agreements with Building and Safety contractor(Willdan)and clean up
companies (Belfor USA) for post earthquake assistance
11.Initial planning for People and Pets
12.Initial planning for improved Evacuation and Sheltering processes
13.Initial planning for logistics analysis and operational enhancements
14.CPR and AED programs expanded for City Hall, Portola Community Center, Visitor
Information Center and Desert Willow
15.Identify comprehensive needs for maintaining a robust level of preparation for the
City of Palm Desert
16.Provide information to City Management regarding Bird Flu and response plans _
These activities currently absorb about 33-40%of the Risk Manager's time,with about 33%
going towards the employee safety program and 33°lo going towards the liability reduction
and insurance management program.Adding any additional disaster preparation programs
will require more of the Risk Manager's time and will reduce the time available for
managing the employee safety program, and city's liability reduction programs, and
insurance management programs for contractors, special events and regular city activities.
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2123/2007
LONG RANGE PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE PALM DESERT EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
(NOT IN ORDER OF COST, StZE, COMPLEXfTY OR NEED;
BOLDED ITEMS ARE CURRENTLY BEING REQUESTED FOR 07-08 BUDGET)
D/SASTER MlTIGAT/ON: GET THE CITY RECOVER/NG FASTER
1. Upgrade the SEMS Plan logistics section after first performing a detailed logistics
analysis (gap analysis). An outside third party assessment of the plan and the
functional operation of the plan would identify gaps and inconsistencies, and issues
that could occur due to various post-disaster systems failures. This would lead
directly to program #2 below.
2. MOUs: Go beyond keeping phone contacts of post-disaster logistics suppliers.
Multiple contacts and multiple means of communication need to be set up.
Contingency contracts and MOUs with major retail,enable logistics to be organized
and implemented without direct communication in the immediate post disaster
timeframe: food, water, medical, fuel, electric power, lights, tents, sanitation,
transportation, banking, phones, etc. to ensure acquisition and distribution of critical
supplies and services immediately post-disaster, In addition,the City could establish
pre-disaster plans with local services who already know how to produce what would
become emergency outdoor sheltering. Example: Bob Hope Classic producers put
together Tents, power, lights, food, water and bathrooms for their event. They
already know how to do it. COSTCO, Sams Club, Lowes etc. are vast supply
depots and can be major recovery assets if they can be coordinated ahead of time.
3. Work with local big box retailers to unsure the City has a copy of their emergency
plans, and multiple key contact phone numbers and altemative communication
methods; encourage retailers use of a seismic consultant to determine if building
upgrades are cost effective insurance
4. People and Pets: Expand MOUs to include local pet supply retailers and Vets to
establish an actual working system for supplies, shelter, and safe evacuation and
sheltering of pets.
5. Establish air and he{icopter Mou's /contracts with S. Cai helicopter, and plane _
services to assist in emergency transportation of people and supplies in and out of a
devastated area. Establish dedicated heliport locations in Pafm Desert.
EMPLOYEE TRA/N/NG, RESIDENTAND BUSINESS PREPARATION, COMMUNITY
OUTREACH AND/MMED/ATE SUPPLIES:lmproves the entire Clty reaction in the
critical 0-2 hour phase of disaster when everyone is tru/y on thelr own, reducing
pain suffering and possibly/oss of life
6. Enhance training program for City employees, management including NIMS.
Develop and implement actual drifls for City employees. Without a technician this
would need to be done by consultants at premium cost. NIMS training is a new
requirement for FEMA reimbursement.
7. Provide "Preparation and Planning" training and assistance directly to residents;
renew gated communities meetings. There are over 40 "gated communities" in
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Palm Desert, and this program can be expanded to non-gated homeowners,
apartment dwellers, local businesses, and hotels.
8. Provide or arrange custom CERT training (Citizen Emergency Response Training)
or"CERT-style"training to gated communities who meet planning and preparation
requirements.
9. Provide CERT refresher and events for already CERT trained public.
10.Provide "CERT-lite" to both the public and local schools (like "mini-muster" but for
earthquake)
11.Purchase Emergency Notification Phone System Services for high speed
outbound telephone community notification. Public Safety Commission has
reviewed this type of service in the past. It can also be used for additional
outreach beyond strictly emergencies.
12.Create First Aid re-supply caches for Palm Desert professionai CDF EMS, and at
least 1 rolling first aid cache that can be used to distribute supplies to field locations
in need. Could also be provided in advance to Gated communities that meet
preparation criteria of having their own program and having CERT and other trained
people on an emergency team as an incentive to deve{oping and implementing an
emergency team. Contents are basic post earthquake first aid, no medical supplies.
13.Create an improved Emergency preparation system for RDA apartment dwellers.
Create supply caches at RDA Apartments, upgrade planning and training for RPM
and information awareness for residents.
14.Improve current networking activities with local major utility service entities such as
power, water, phone, N and banks to ensure highest level of multiple channel
communication, coordination and recovery in the areas of communications, utility
service and financial services for City and residents in the recovery period.
15.Provide planning assistance to medical facilities required to develop emergency
plans under new Medicare rules
CITY /NFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION AND DISASTER /NFRASTUCTURE
ENHANCEMENTS
16.Seismic analysis project for self insured Civic Center /EOC and main City
buildings; analysis determines the maxirr�um potential loss in "500 year
quake"; phase 2 determines if building retroflt is cost effective based on -
analysis; For example, $1 million in retrofit may save a20 million in building
damage and months of downtime.
17.Development and construction of new purpose-built earthquake- hardened EOC.
Current EOC is functional and operated extremely well as EOC for military during
President Ford State funeral. Location and construction features no longer
considered state of art for EOCs. Seismic analysis may uncover further challenges
to full capacity operations post-earthquake. Possible sites: adjoining new fire
station or expansion of corp yard, or unused site of former wash yard next to Corp
yard.
18.City-wide Emergency backup power program: Would start with YMCA and
Community building, Portola community center, fire station 33, and other fire
stations. It would encourage or assist DSUSD with ensuring school buildings have
back up power because these are primary Red Cross shelter locations, Other major
commercial and hotels, senior housing, and child care centers are also prime
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candidates to consider back up power. Possible synergy with City energy reduction
program,
19.Assess County interoperability program and if necessary purchase existing
interoperability hardware for EOC that can connect all forms of radios, phones, and
computer systems for the City as a stop gap until County program is fully
operational.
PERSONNEL
20.Hire a fufl time Emergency Services Technician to implement ongoing programs and
above enhancements. Robust implementation of the long range programs cannot
take place without additional personnel resources. Palm Springs, Cathedral City,
Rancho Mirage and La Quinta have a full time equivalent perForming these tasks.
A Comparison of locat Cities: Emergency Service Coordinator(ESC) or similar title
- Palm Sqrin4s: '/z time ESC '/z time management analyst for PS Fire Dept; ESC
duties also provided by Fire Chief
- Cathedral Citv: ESC is full time Fire Marshal and Division Chief
- Rancho MiraQe: Fufl Time ESC, and Emergency Services Commission with 11
commissioners perform outreach and similar duties
- Palm Desert: 1/3 time ESC, 1/3 time safety manager, 1/3 time Risk Manager
- Indian Wells: 1 full time HR/Code/Risk/ Manager does ESC part time; 1 full time
Code enforcement assists w/ESC part time
- La uinta: Full Time ESC position approved, not filled; currently Code
Enforcement/Animal control Manager does ESC part time
- Indio: ESC is full time Assistant to City Manager and does ESC as part of duties
- Coachella: full time street supervisor, part time ESC
Submitted By: -
Gary Rosenblum
Risk Manager