HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2024-49 |Adoption of Emergency Operations PlanRESOLUTION NO. 2024-49
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GILROY ADOPTING THE 2024 EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS PLAN
WHEREAS, the City of Gilroy is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being
of its residents, protecting property, and preserving the environment during emergencies
and disasters; and
WHEREAS, the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) provides a comprehensive
framework for how the City will respond to a wide range of hazards, including natural
disasters, technological incidents, and human-caused emergencies, and ensures
coordinated efforts among City departments and external agencies; and
WHEREAS, the EOP assigns specific responsibilities to City departments, outlines
authority structures, and provides guidance for emergency preparedness, response, and
initial recovery efforts, ensuring an efficient and equitable response to emergencies; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 9.6(c) of the Gilroy Municipal Code empowers the City
Administrator, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, to develop and maintain
emergency plans for the City of Gilroy; and
WHEREAS, the 2024 EOP builds upon the previous plan adopted by the City
Council on October 9, 2009, incorporating updated regulatory requirements,
organizational changes, and best practices in emergency management; and
WHEREAS, the 2024 EOP aligns with the 2023 Santa Clara County Multi-
Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (Resolution No. 2024-31) and the 2040
General Plan, ensuring consistency with regional and state emergency response plans;
and
WHEREAS, the EOP complies with the California Emergency Services Act (ESA),
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), National Incident Management
System (NIMS), and Incident Command System (ICS), ensuring the City’s preparedness
to effectively respond to emergencies in coordination with state and federal agencies; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the 2024 Emergency Operations Plan,
attached to this resolution, and deems it necessary and appropriate for the safety and
security of the City of Gilroy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Gilroy
as follows:
1. The City Council hereby adopts the 2024 Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) as
the official guiding document for the City’s emergency preparedness, response,
and recovery efforts.
2. The City Administrator, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, is directed
to ensure the ongoing implementation, distribution, and training related to the EOP
across all City departments and external partners.
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Resolution No. 2024-49
Transactions and Use Tax Ballot Measure Amendment
City Council Regular Meeting | October 21, 2024
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3. The EOP will be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in hazards,
risks, legislative mandates, and City capabilities, and will be amended as needed
based on lessons learned from real or simulated incidents.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Gilroy at a regular
meeting duly held on the 21st day of October, 2024 by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BRACCO, ARMENDARIZ, MARQUES,
HILTON, CLINE, TOVAR, BLANKLEY
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
APPROVED:
Marie Blankley, Mayor
ATTEST:
Beth Minor, Interim City Clerk
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Resolution No. 2024-49
Resolution Adopting EOP
City Council Regular Meeting | October 21, 2024
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CERTIFICATE OF THE CLERK
I, BETH MINOR, Interim City Clerk of the City of Gilroy, do hereby certify that the
attached Resolution No. 2024-49 is an original resolution, or true and correct copy of a
City Resolution, duly adopted by the Council of the City of Gilroy at a Regular Meeting of
said held on Council held Monday, October 21, 2024, with a quorum present.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Official
Seal of the City of Gilroy this Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Beth Minor
Interim City Clerk of the City of Gilroy
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Emergency Operations Plan
City of Gilroy
October 2024
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CONTENTS
Promulgation Letter ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Plan Concurrence .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Adoption and Approval ................................................................................................................................. 7
Record of Changes ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Record of Distribution ................................................................................................................................... 9
Purpose ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
Scope ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
Situation Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Jurisdictional Overview ........................................................................................................................... 11
Geography ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Population ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Transportation .................................................................................................................................... 11
Utilities ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Equity .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Hazard Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Planning Assumptions ............................................................................................................................. 12
Phases of Emergency Management ........................................................................................................ 14
Prevention ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Mitigation ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Preparedness ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Response ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Recovery .............................................................................................................................................. 16
Concept of Operations ................................................................................................................................ 16
SEMS and NIMS Compliance ................................................................................................................... 17
SEMS ................................................................................................................................................... 17
NIMS .................................................................................................................................................... 20
National Response Framework ........................................................................................................... 20
ICS........................................................................................................................................................ 20
Roles and Responsibilities ....................................................................................................................... 21
Plan Activation ............................................................................................................................................ 24
Proclaiming a Local Emergency ................................................................................................................... 24
Continuity of Government .......................................................................................................................... 26
Operational Goals, Priorities, and Strategies .............................................................................................. 28
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EOC .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Primary and Alternate EOC Locations ..................................................................................................... 29
Activation/Deactivation Authority .......................................................................................................... 29
Activation ................................................................................................................................................ 29
Activation Levels ................................................................................................................................. 29
Deactivation ............................................................................................................................................ 30
EOC Organization .................................................................................................................................... 31
Direction, Control, and Coordination ...................................................................................................... 32
Coordination with Field-Level Incident Command Post ..................................................................... 32
Coordination with Operational Area................................................................................................... 32
Coordination with Special Districts/School District/Private Sector Infrastructure ............................. 32
Coordination with Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations ............................................................... 32
Information Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination ................................................................................. 33
Information Collection ............................................................................................................................ 33
Critical Information Needs and Collection Priorities .............................................................................. 33
Community Lifelines ........................................................................................................................... 33
Information Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 34
Information Dissemination ..................................................................................................................... 34
Situation Status Reporting ...................................................................................................................... 34
Displaying Information ............................................................................................................................ 35
EOC Action Plans ..................................................................................................................................... 35
Technical Services for Information Collection and Dissemination ......................................................... 37
Crisis Communications and Public Information .......................................................................................... 38
Emergency Public Information ................................................................................................................ 38
Joint Information System ........................................................................................................................ 38
Joint Information Center ......................................................................................................................... 38
Message Development and Approval ..................................................................................................... 39
Methods of Dissemination ...................................................................................................................... 39
Communication Systems......................................................................................................................... 39
Web EOC ............................................................................................................................................. 39
Veoci.................................................................................................................................................... 40
Logistics ....................................................................................................................................................... 40
Resource Management ........................................................................................................................... 40
Identifying and Typing Resources ....................................................................................................... 40
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Requesting Resources ......................................................................................................................... 40
General Resource Request Flow ......................................................................................................... 40
Discipline-Specific Mutual Aid Resource Request Flow ...................................................................... 41
Resource Management Process .......................................................................................................... 41
Resource Tracking ............................................................................................................................... 42
Mutual Aid .............................................................................................................................................. 42
Use of Disaster Service Workers ............................................................................................................. 43
Use of Affiliated DSW Volunteers ........................................................................................................... 43
Use of Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers ......................................................................................... 43
Administration and Finance ........................................................................................................................ 43
City Emergency Operations Policy Statement ........................................................................................ 43
Documentation ....................................................................................................................................... 44
Cost Tracking ........................................................................................................................................... 44
Eligible Costs ....................................................................................................................................... 45
Recordkeeping Requirements ................................................................................................................. 45
Recovery...................................................................................................................................................... 46
Disaster Assistance...................................................................................................................................... 49
Public Assistance ..................................................................................................................................... 49
Plan Development and Maintenance ......................................................................................................... 51
Development and Maintenance Responsibilities ................................................................................... 51
Development Process ............................................................................................................................. 51
Revision and Maintenance Process ........................................................................................................ 51
Triggers for Plan Updates ........................................................................................................................ 51
Plan Evaluation........................................................................................................................................ 52
After Action Reports ............................................................................................................................... 52
Use of After-Action Reports ................................................................................................................ 52
Training ................................................................................................................................................... 52
Authorities and References ........................................................................................................................ 54
Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................... 56
Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 57
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PROMULGATION LETTER
The preservation of life, property, the environment, and the economy are an inherent responsibility of
local, State, and Federal government. While no plan can completely prevent death and destruction,
reasonable plans carried out by knowledgeable and well-trained personnel can, and will, minimize losses.
The City of Gilroy has prepared this Emergency Operations Plan in compliance with the Standardized
Emergency Management System (SEMS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) to ensure the
most effective and efficient allocation of resources for the maximum benefit and protection of the City’s
population during times of emergency.
This plan is promulgated as the City of Gilroy Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The EOP provides a
programmatic framework that outlines the City’s intended approach to preventing, preparing for,
responding to, recovering from, and mitigating against the impacts of natural and man-made disasters
and emergencies. The City’s EOP development and maintenance process is supported by analysis of the
City’s threats, hazards, needs, and capabilities, community-wide collaboration, periodic review, training,
and exercises.
This EOP will be reviewed and exercised periodically and revised as necessary in response to changing
conditions and needs.
The Gilroy City Council gives their full support to this Emergency Operations Plan and urges all officials,
employees, businesses, organizations, and residents—individually and collectively—to do their share in
any community emergency effort of the City of Gilroy. With the adoption of Resolution #, the City
Administrator is authorized to approve this EOP, subsequent amendments, and the addition of function-
and hazard- specific annexes, supporting plans, and appendices.
Marie Blankley, Mayor Date
Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator Date
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PLAN CONCURRENCE
The following departments of the City of Gilroy concur with the content within the City’s Emergency
Operations Plan, 1st Edition.
Name Title Department Signature Date
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ADOPTION AND APPROVAL
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RECORD OF CHANGES
The Gilroy Office of Emergency Management (OEM), with input from essential stakeholders across the
City, is responsible for maintaining, reviewing, and updating this EOP. They will—at a minimum—review
this EOP every year. It is essential that OEM make revisions and updates in collaboration with participating
local jurisdictions and other planning partners identified in the EOP to ensure accuracy and validity. If the
EOP requires an immediate change due to lessons learned from trainings, exercises, or actual incidents,
the City will identify a course of action for the review, update, and implementation of the necessary
changes. All changes will be noted in the table below.
Version Date Name Change Description
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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RECORD OF DISTRIBUTION
Name Title Department Copies
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PURPOSE
The EOP provides an overview of the jurisdiction’s approach to emergency operations. It identifies
emergency response policies, describes the response and recovery organization, and assigns specific roles
and responsibilities to City departments, agencies, and community partners. The EOP has the flexibility to
be used for all emergencies and will facilitate response and recovery activities in an efficient and effective
way. This section of the EOP provides a description of the EOP’s intended audience, the method of
distribution, the approval process, and its applicability to other plans.
This plan also describes the role of the City of Gilroy Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the
coordination between the EOC, those conducting field-level activities, and external entities such as the
Operational Area, community partners, and City residents and visitors.
This EOP is an evolving, dynamic document that OEM is responsible for maintaining. This plan complies
with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework (NRF), the
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), and the Incident Command System (ICS) and is in
alignment with Santa Clara Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan and the California State
Emergency Plan (SEP).
The purpose of the EOP is to establish the foundational policies and procedures that define how the City
will effectively prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against natural or human-caused
disasters. It describes the emergency management organization and how it is activated. It also addresses
the following issues:
• Identifies response and recovery activities and specifies roles and responsibilities.
• Sets forth lines of authority and organizational relationships and describes coordination.
• Describes the system used to coordinate the request for and integration of resources and services
available to the City during disaster situations.
• Specifies the coordination and communications procedures and systems that will be relied upon
to alert, notify, and recall EOC personnel; warn the public; and protect residents and property.
• Describes the emergency management organization and transition of priorities and objectives to
address post-disaster recovery considerations.
SCOPE
The EOP addresses the entire spectrum of contingencies, ranging from minor incidents to large-scale
disasters. Each City department is responsible for preparing and maintaining plans, standard operating
procedures (SOPs), resource lists, and checklists that detail roles and responsibilities supporting this plan
and ensuring successful response during a major disaster. All departments must be prepared to respond
to any foreseeable emergency promptly and effectively, taking all appropriate actions. The plan applies
to all elements of the City of Gilroy Emergency Management Organization during all phases of emergency
management. It will be used in coordination with the Santa Clara County Operational Area Plan, the State
Plan, and the National Response Framework.
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SITUATION OVERVIEW
Jurisdictional Overview
Geography
Encompassing 16.15 square miles and lying at the southernmost extension of Santa Clara County’s Santa
Clara Valley at 200ft elevation, the City of Gilroy is surrounded by unincorporated area and bounded by
the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Diablo Range to the east.
Population
At the time of the 2020 US Census, the City had a population of 59,520.
Transportation
Gilroy has two highways, U.S. Route 101, and State Route 152. Gilroy’s location contributes to its use as a
thoroughfare for the morning and afternoon commutes which overflows onto many surface streets. Union
Pacific has an active railroad on which Amtrak and Caltrain also operate. Mass transit also includes Santa
Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Bus Service.
Utilities
The City oversees water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. The South County Regional Wastewater
Authority (SCRWA) manages wastewater treatment and operates the reclaimed water facility in
partnership with Santa Clara Valley Water District, while Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) provides gas and
electric utilities.
Equity
The City’s population is diverse socially, culturally, and economically and integration of equity into all
aspects of emergency management is vital to ensure equitable outcomes for the whole community. The
City values diversity and recognizes the importance of diversity's wide range of perspectives, ideas, and
experiences to create innovative solutions for the community and is currently working on the JEDI
Initiative. As such, the City recognized the importance of considering Justice, Equity, Diversity, and
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Inclusion (JEDI) in its current internal and external policies and practices and how these efforts can be
advanced in day-day efforts and future planning.
The City’s OEM actively participates in the County’s Access and Functional Need (AFN) and Cultural
Competency Working Group, including stakeholder's representing diverse and historically marginalized
communities within Santa Clara County, to integrate best practices and lessons learned into emergency
management practices.
Hazard Overview
The City faces a variety of hazards. This plan was developed using an all-hazards planning approach with
consideration to specific hazard and vulnerability findings identified in the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard
Mitigation Plan, which include, but are not limited to:
• Severe Weather
• Flood
• Earthquake
• Wildfire
• Drought
• Climate Change
More detailed information regarding the hazards to the County and the City can be found in the current
Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan and the City’s Annex to the Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation
Plan, located on the City’s emergency preparedness website. The Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation
Plan identifies and analyzes various hazards, provides a risk and vulnerability assessment, and identifies
mitigation strategies and actions to promote community resilience. The City Council adopted the Multi-
Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and the City’s Annex to the Plan in 2017. The 2023 update to this
plan and the City’s Annex is currently under review by Cal OES and FEMA.
Other hazards not specifically covered in detail, but mentioned in the Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation
Plan include, but are not limited to:
• Pandemic
• Transportation Incidents
• Cyber Threats
• Active Shooter
• Terrorism
Planning Assumptions
The Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan provides a detailed threat/hazard analysis for the City of
Gilroy. Planning assumptions identify the risk and/or unique circumstances about the City that help
emergency planners and executives in decision-making. It’s important to note that not all assumptions
will occur with any one incident.
The planning assumptions are as follows:
The City is susceptible to several hazards and risks that may result in critical incidents that may
include a natural, technological, or human-made emergency and/or disaster.
Some critical incidents may have advance warning while others will not.
All City departments will participate in planning and preparedness activities as required.
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City personnel will be adequately trained to perform the roles in which they are assigned.
The City's EOC will be partially or fully activated to support operations during critical incidents.
City personnel may be unable or unavailable to report to work or as assigned.
Non-essential City operations may be reduced or cancelled to prioritize resources.
Mutual aid and other assistance will be requested when City resources are inadequate, however
outside assistance and support may be unavailable for extended periods of time.
Communications equipment and infrastructure may be damaged or disrupted.
Transportation infrastructure may be damaged or disrupted, blocking access to critical facilities
and delaying local resources.
Critical infrastructure and utilities such as natural gas, water, and electricity may be severely
impacted.
Residents, businesses, and other entities may need to be self-sufficient for one week or more.
Additional planning, resources, and support will be needed to support people with disabilities and
others with access and functional needs.
Public, private, and nonprofit organizations, as well as the general public, will need to utilize their
own resources and become self-sufficient for potentially several days, possibly longer. In the
event of a large-scale incident or event, it may become necessary to shelter a substantial number
of the City population due to displacement.
A catastrophic disaster would adversely impact local government and response capabilities.
Consequently, a number of local emergencies may be proclaimed.
Large numbers of medically fragile evacuees may require transportation to/from shelter
locations.
Infrastructure damage may limit the number of emergency response personnel available to staff
the City EOC or other incident management organization functions for at least 12 hours.
In the event of a complex and large incident or event, a clear picture regarding the extent of
damage, loss of life, and injuries may not be known for over a day.
County support of City emergency operations will be based on the principal of self-help. The City
will be responsible for utilizing all available local resources along with initiating mutual aid and
cooperative assistance agreements before requesting assistance from the County per SEMS.
The City’s planning, policies, strategies, operations, and tactics will make every effort to consider
the needs of the general population, pets, children of all ages, individuals with disabilities and
others with access and functional needs.
Some evacuees may require specialized medical care found only in a hospital, and/or access to
medication, refrigeration, mobility devices, or service animals.
City EOC capabilities may be limited for the first operational period if communication links to other
agencies and City departments are impacted.
Essential City services will be maintained as conditions allow.
An emergency will require prompt and effective response and recovery operations by the entire
City emergency management organization, including emergency services, mutual aid resources,
disaster relief and private nonprofit organizations, the private sector, the elected, executive,
strategic, operational, and tactical incident responders, and the whole community.
Because of damage to the transportation infrastructure, out-of-region mutual aid, State and
Federal resources, and resources from other states may not begin to arrive for several days.
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Phases of Emergency Management
Emergency management activities are often categorized into phases.
Prevention
The prevention phase includes activities, tasks, programs, and systems intended to avert or intervene to
stop an incident from occurring. Prevention can apply both to human-caused incidents (such as terrorism,
vandalism, sabotage, or human error) as well as to naturally occurring incidents (e.g., earthquakes, floods,
wildfires). Prevention of human-caused incidents can include applying intelligence and other information
to a range of activities that include such countermeasures as:
• Deterrence operations
• Heightened inspections
• Improved surveillance and security operations
• Investigations to determine the nature and source of the threat
• Law enforcement operations directed at deterrence, preemption, interdiction, or disruption
Mitigation
The Mitigation phase occurs both before and after emergencies or disasters. Some post-disaster
mitigation activities may be incorporated into the recovery process. Effective mitigation includes
eliminating or reducing the impact of hazards within the City. Mitigation efforts include, but are not
limited to:
• Amending local ordinances and statutes, such as zoning ordinances, building codes, and other
enforcement codes
• Initiating structural retrofitting measures
• Assessing tax levies or abatements
• Emphasizing public education and awareness
• Assessing and altering land use planning
Preparedness
The preparedness phase involves activities that are undertaken in advance of an emergency or disaster.
These activities ensure operational capabilities and effective responses to a disaster. Plans are developed
and revised to guide disaster response and increase available resources. Planning activities include
developing hazard analyses, training response personnel, and improving public information and
communications systems. Preparedness activities are part of the implementation of the California
Emergency Services Act, the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, and the California State Emergency
Plan. Preparedness activities fall into two areas: readiness and capability.
Readiness activities shape the emergency management framework and create the basis of knowledge
necessary to complete a task or mission. Readiness activities might include, but are not limited to:
• Implementing hazard mitigation projects.
• Developing hazard analyses and monitoring emerging threats.
• Developing and maintaining emergency plans and procedures that serve the whole community,
especially those with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
• Conducting general and specialized training.
• Conducting drills and exercises.
• Developing agreements with other organizations.
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• Improving emergency public education and emergency warning systems.
Capability activities involve the procurement of items or tools necessary to complete tasks or missions.
Capability activities include, but are not limited to:
• Assessing the City and its resources.
• Comparing and analyzing anticipated resource requirements against available resources.
• Identifying local sources to serve as anticipated resources.
• Purchasing new response apparatus, vehicles, personal protective equipment, etc.
• Assessing personnel training needs and providing necessary training.
Response
The Response phase is typically divided into three phases. Each phase has distinct considerations, which
seldom flow sequentially, often co-occurring. These phases are increased readiness (pre-incident for
anticipated events), initial response (first 72 hours), and extended response (response activities beyond
the first 72 hours).
Increased readiness is required upon receipt of a warning or in anticipation that an emergency is imminent
or likely to occur. The City initiates actions to increase its readiness, and such increased readiness actions
may include, but are not limited to:
• Briefing the Mayor, City Council, City Administrator, and other key officials, applicable department
representatives, and all City employees.
• Reviewing the EOP and all relevant annexes, policies, and procedures.
• Increasing public information capabilities (e.g., adding, assigning, and/or training personnel,
activating JIC, implementing technology support systems).
• Providing just-in-time training (e.g., on-demand learning such as EOC overview, position- and
section specific overview).
• Inspecting critical facilities and equipment, including the testing of warning and communications
systems.
• Recruiting additional staff and registering volunteers.
• Warning at-risk populations.
• Conducting precautionary evacuations in the potentially impacted area(s).
• Mobilizing personnel and pre-positioning resources and equipment.
• Contacting local (city, county, and special districts), State, and Federal agencies that may provide
support.
The City‘s initial response activities are performed at the field level. Emphasis is placed on saving lives and
minimizing the effects of an emergency or disaster. Examples of initial response activities include, but are
not limited to:
• Making all necessary notifications, including those to the City of Gilroy Emergency Organization,
City departments, external agencies, and other involved community partners.
• Disseminating warnings, emergency public information, and instructions to the community
members of the City.
• Conducting evacuations and/or rescue operations.
• Caring for displaced persons and treating the injured.
• Conducting initial damage assessments and surveys.
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• Assessing the need for mutual aid assistance.
• Restricting movement of traffic/people and unnecessary access to affected areas.
• Clearing debris from priority routes.
• Developing and implementing Incident Action Plans (e.g., field, EOC).
The City's coordination of extended response activities is primarily conducted in the EOC. Extended
emergency operations involve the coordination and management of personnel and resources to mitigate
an emergency and facilitate the transition to recovery operations. Examples of extended response
activities include, but are not limited to:
• Disseminating emergency public information.
• Preparing detailed damage assessments.
• Proclaiming a local emergency.
• Requesting a Gubernatorial State of Emergency proclamation and/or a Presidential emergency or
major disaster declaration that provides financial and other assistance to State and local
governments, certain private nonprofit organizations, and individuals to support response,
recovery, and mitigation efforts.
• Documenting situational status.
• Documenting expenditures.
• Coordinating the restoration of vital utility services.
• Coordinating mass care and sheltering facilities.
• Expanding debris clearance to other priority routes.
• Developing and implementing Incident Action Plans (e.g., field, EOC) for extended operations
• Conducting advanced planning activities.
• Procuring required resources to sustain operations.
• Tracking resource allocation.
• Establishing a Local Assistance Center.
• Coordinating with State and Federal agencies working within the City.
Recovery
Recovery activities involve restoring services to the public and returning the affected area(s) to pre-
emergency conditions. While the immediate lifesaving activities are occurring, it is important to begin
assessing how soon the response phase can transition to recovery. Critical response phase operations will
gradually shift to assisting individuals, households, businesses, and governments in meeting basic needs
and returning to self-sufficiency. Recovery activities may be short-term, intermediate, and long-term,
ranging from restoration of essential utilities, such as water and power, to mitigation measures designed
to prevent future occurrences of a given threat.
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
This section explains, in broad terms, leadership intent regarding emergency response operations. The
Concept of Operations describes how the emergency response organization accomplishes its mission.
Ideally, it offers a clear methodology to realize the goals and objectives to execute the plan. It includes
roles and responsibilities, the organizational element of the overall emergency management program, a
brief discussion of the EOC activation levels, and a description of control, direction, and intra- and
interagency coordination.
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SEMS and NIMS Compliance
In accordance with State and Federal laws, the City of Gilroy has officially adopted and integrated the
following emergency management, response, and coordination systems:
• Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
• National Incident Management System (NIMS)
Together, these operational systems outline how critical incidents, emergencies, and disasters will be
coordinated in the field, at the local level, and up through the Operational Area, Region, State, and Federal
levels. The City of Gilroy EOP complies with Federal guidance to use NIMS and State guidance to use SEMS.
An overview of each system is included below.
SEMS
SEMS is a NIMS-compliant system used to manage multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional responses to
emergencies in California. The system unifies all elements of California’s emergency management
community into a single integrated system, standardizes key elements, and consists of five hierarchical
levels: Field, Local Government, Operational Area, Regional, and State. In addition, SEMS incorporates the
principles of Incident Command System (ICS), the California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid
Agreement, existing discipline-specific mutual aid agreements, the Operational Area concept, and multi-
agency or interagency coordination and communication. Under SEMS, response activities are managed at
the lowest possible organizational level.
SEMS Organizational Levels
There are five standardized Emergency Management System Levels.
Field
The Field level is where emergency response personnel and resources are under the command of
responsible officials with jurisdiction. Using the structure of ICS and the established standard operating
procedures, first responders carry out tactical decisions and activities in direct response to an incident or
threat. As events evolve and require activation of the EOC, Field level resources maintain local command
of incident response and mitigation while coordinating with the EOC.
Local Government
The City of Gilroy is a local government. According to California Government Code and SEMS doctrine, a
local agency (local government) includes incorporated cities, special districts, and the county. Local
governments manage and coordinate their jurisdiction's overall emergency response and recovery
activities. Local governments must use SEMS when their EOC is activated or a Local Emergency is
proclaimed eligible for State reimbursement of response-related costs.
Operational Area
An Operational Area is the intermediate level of the State's emergency management organization. The
Santa Clara County Operational Area is comprised of various political subdivisions within the County's
boundaries and all political subdivisions, including the City of Gilroy. The Operational Area facilitates and
coordinates information, resources, and decisions regarding priorities among local governments within
the Operational Area. The Operational Area is the coordination and communication link between the Local
Government and Regional levels.
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Regional
The Regional level manages and coordinates information and resources among Operational Areas within
the mutual aid region and also between the Operational Area and the State level. The administrative
regions serve as the conduit for local and regional perspectives and provide a physical presence for Cal
OES functions at the local level in all phases of emergency management. The Regional level also
coordinates overall State agency support for emergency response activities within the Region. California
is divided into three California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) administrative regions—
Inland, Coastal, and Southern. Gilroy is within the Cal OES Coastal (Administrative) Region and serves as
Mutual Aid Region II. Regional response support activities are coordinated out of the Regional EOC (REOC),
but some mutual aid may be coordinated between Operational Area and Regional Mutual Aid
Coordinators, who may or may not sit in the REOC. The Coastal REOC administration offices and REOC in
Fairfield, CA, coordinate with Cal OES administration offices and State Operations Center in Mather, CA.
The figures below display Cal OES’ three administrative regions and six Mutual Aid Regions:
State
The State level of SEMS prioritizes tasks and coordinates State resources in response to requests from the
Regional level; it coordinates mutual aid among the mutual aid regions and between the Regional level
and State level. The State level also serves as the coordination and communication link between the State
and the Federal emergency response system. The State level requests assistance from other State
governments through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) and similar interstate
compacts/agreements; it coordinates with FEMA when Federal assistance is requested. The State level
operates out of the State Operations Center (SOC).
Administrative Regions Mutual Aid Regions
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SEMS Functions
There are five Standardized Emergency Management Systems functions. These functions must be applied
to each organizational level of SEMS.
Command
Command directs, orders, and/or controls resources at the field response level. Command and
Management are further discussed below:
Command: A key concept in all emergency planning is establishing command and tactical control
at the lowest level that can effectively perform that role in the organization. In the Incident
Command System, the Incident Commander, with appropriate policy direction and authority from
the responding agency, sets the objectives to be accomplished and approves the strategy and
tactics to be used to meet those objectives. The Incident Commander must respond to a higher
authority. Depending upon the incident’s size and scope, the higher authority could be the next
ranking level in the organization, up to the agency or department executive. This relationship
provides an operational link with policy executives who customarily reside in the Emergency
Operations Center when activated.
Management: Management is responsible for overall emergency policy and coordination at the
Emergency Operations Center levels. The Emergency Operations Center is a central location supporting
multiagency coordination, information collection and evaluation, priority setting, resource management,
and executive decision-making to support incident response and implements policies established by
governing bodies.
Operations
Responsible for coordinating and supporting all jurisdictional operations supporting the emergency
response through implementing the organizational level’s action plans. At the Field Level, the Operations
Section is responsible for coordinating the tactical response directly applicable to or in support of the
objectives in accordance with the Incident Action Plan. In the Emergency Operations Center, the
Operations Section manages functional representatives who share information and decisions about
discipline-specific operations.
Planning/Intelligence
Responsible for collecting, evaluating, and disseminating operational information related to the incident
for preparing and documenting the Incident Action Plan at the Field Level or the EOC Action Plan at an
Emergency Operations Center. Planning/Intelligence also maintains information on the current and
forecasted situation and the status of resources assigned to the emergency or the Emergency Operations
Center. As needed, Unit Coordinators are appointed to collect and analyze data, prepare situation reports,
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develop action plans, set Geographic Information Systems (GIS) priorities, compile and maintain
documentation, conduct advanced planning, manage technical specialists, and coordinate demobilization.
Logistics
Responsible for providing facilities, services, personnel, equipment, and materials in support of the
emergency. Unified ordering occurs through the Logistics Section to ensure controls and accountability
over resource requests. As needed, Unit Coordinators are appointed to address the needs for personnel,
supplies, equipment, facilities, and care and shelter.
Finance/Administration
Responsible for all incident-related financial and cost analysis and administrative aspects not handled by
the other functions. Unit Leaders are appointed to record time for incident or Emergency Operations
Center personnel, coordinate procurement activities, process claims, and track costs as needed.
NIMS
NIMS guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to
work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents. NIMS
provides stakeholders across the community with the shared vocabulary, systems, and processes to
deliver the capabilities described in the National Preparedness System successfully. NIMS defines
operational systems, including the Incident Command System (ICS), Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
structures, and Multiagency Coordination Groups (MAC Groups), that guide how personnel works
together during incidents. NIMS applies to all incidents and planned events, regardless of cause, size,
complexity, or scope, and provides interoperability and compatibility through a core set of concepts,
principles, terminologies, and technology.
National Response Framework
The NRF is based upon the premise that incidents are handled at the lowest jurisdictional level. In most
incidents, State and local resources and interstate mutual aid will provide the first line of emergency
response and incident management support. When State resources and capabilities are overwhelmed,
Governors may request Federal assistance. The NRF provides the framework for Federal interaction with
State, local, tribal, private sector, and nongovernmental entities in domestic incident management to
ensure timely and effective Federal support. The NRF and NIMS are designed to work in tandem to
improve the Nation’s incident management capabilities and overall efficiency.
The NRF is the core operational plan for national incident management and establishes national-level
coordinating structures, processes, and protocols that will be incorporated into certain existing Federal
interagency incident or hazard-specific plans. The NRF is intended to facilitate coordination among local,
State, Tribal, and Federal governments, and the private sector without impinging on any jurisdiction or
restricting the ability of those entities to do their jobs. The NRF does not alter or impede the ability of first
responders to carry out their specific authorities or perform their responsibilities.
ICS
The City of Gilroy utilizes ICS, a primary component of SEMS and NIMS. This standardized incident
management concept allows responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the
complexity and demands of any single incident or multiple incidents without being hindered by
jurisdictional boundaries.
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ICS is based on a flexible, scalable response organization designed to establish standard response and
operational procedures. This organization provides a common framework enabling personnel drawn from
multiple agencies that routinely do not work together and reduces the potential for miscommunication
during incident response.
INTEGRATING FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL SYSTEMS
The NRF, SEMS, NIMS, ICS, and this EOP integrate the capabilities and resources of various governmental
jurisdictions, incident management and emergency response disciplines, nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), and the private sector into a cohesive, coordinated, and seamless national framework for
domestic incident management. It should be understood that field-level emergency responders,
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff, department executives, elected officials, and public
information officers all have a vital role in successful comprehensive incident management.
Roles and Responsibilities
The table below outlines roles and responsibilities for departments for supporting the City’s Emergency
Management Organization:
Department Roles and
Responsibilities
City Council
Ratifies formal proclamation of a Local Emergency.
Approves EOP.
Makes, enforces, or waives City regulations to facilitate an effective
emergency response.
Communicates with constituents regarding their concerns and
needs, and serves as a conduit between the community and the
EOC.
Coordinates with elected officials to facilitate assistance for
community needs.
Administration
City Administrator:
Provides direction for the overall City coordination of Local
Emergency response efforts.
Issues initial Local Emergency proclamation for the City.
Directs EOC operations.
Leads City response and recovery efforts.
Liaises with City Council.
City Attorney:
Provides legal advice during emergency operations.
City Clerk:
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Administration
Authorizes the swearing-in of Disaster Service Workers/
Volunteers.
Maintains vital records.
Communications and Engagement:
Provides public information and initiates emergency messaging.
Economic Development:
Assists with post-disaster economic recovery.
Assists with Liaison efforts with the private sector.
OEM:
Oversees the Emergency Management Program and advises as
appropriate.
Provides emergency management training to key stakeholders.
Maintains the EOP and the City EOC readiness.
Recreation:
Coordinates shelter activations, operations, and provision of Mass
Care services.
Coordinates in-kind donation management.
Coordinates commodity Points of Distribution.
Administrative Services
Facilities:
Coordinates facility needs and maintenance.
Fleet:
Coordinates maintenance of city vehicle fleet and generators to
include fuel management.
Human Resources:
Coordinates the Disaster Service Worker and Volunteer Program.
Manages workers compensation claims.
Community Development
Building, Life and Environmental Safety:
Coordinates building safety and damage assessments.
Planning:
Supports response, mitigation, recovery planning.
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Housing:
Coordinates post-disaster interim, transitional, and long-term
housing solutions.
Finance
Finance:
Supports emergency resource procurement.
Facilitates post-disaster cost-recovery.
Establishes systems/procedures in advance of an emergency to
deal with tracking all emergency costs, etc. for recovery.
Manages timekeeping and payroll.
Manages monetary donations.
Information Technology (IT):
Provides technical support for all IT applications and systems.
Provides Geographic Information System support.
Fire
Provides fire, medical, hazmat, search, rescue, and recovery
operations.
Coordinates Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid for the City (local
government).
Police
Manages law enforcement activities for the City.
Manages and coordinates evacuations in the City.
Coordinates security and perimeter control for critical facilities and
other vulnerable emergency response locations.
Coordinates law enforcement mutual aid for the City (local
government).
Coordinates Animal Care and Shelter.
Coordinates traffic management.
Public Works
Coordinates debris management activities; identifies temporary
collection and processing sites for debris.
Coordinates repair of infrastructure and restoration of services.
Coordinates damage assessment on publicly owned infrastructure.
Coordinates transportation management.
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PLAN ACTIVATION
The City’s Emergency Operations Plan may be activated when an emergency impacts public health and
safety or the environment and threatens to exceed the day to day capabilities of the City’s departments.
This plan can be activated by the City Administrator, or designated alternates under any of the following
circumstances:
By order of the Director of Emergency Services as designated by the City’s Municipal Code,
Chapter 9, Emergency Services and Organization.
When a department requests activation to support their emergency operations.
Upon proclamation by the Governor that a State of Emergency exists within Gilroy.
Upon declaration by the President of the existence of a National Emergency.
In all other cases, activation will be at the discretion of the City Administrator.
PROCLAIMING A LOCAL EMERGENCY
The authority to proclaim a Local Emergency in Gilroy is vested in the City Council, or in its absence, the
Director of Emergency Services (City Administrator), or designated alternate. A proclamation of a Local
Emergency must be issued within 10 days of an incident. A proclamation of Local Emergency is invalid
after seven days, unless ratified by the City Council. If the governing body ratifies the proclamation, and
the proclamation extends beyond seven days, the governing body must review the need to continue the
proclamation at least every 21 days until the Local Emergency is terminated. In any case, the governing
body must proclaim the termination of the Local Emergency as soon as conditions warrant. Whenever
Santa Clara County proclaims a Local Emergency, the City of Gilroy will be covered under their
proclamation. According to the California Emergency Services Act, a proclamation of Local Emergency
provides the local governing body the authority to:
• Request and receive assistance from local agencies and assistance from the State under the
California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA).
• In the absence of a Presidentially proclaimed State of War Emergency or State of Emergency,
recover from the State the cost of extraordinary services incurred in executing mutual aid
agreements.
• Provide public employees, disaster service workers, and governing bodies certain legal immunities
for emergency actions taken.
• Promulgate or suspend orders and regulations necessary to provide for protection of life and
property.
• Promulgate orders and regulations imposing curfew.
• Additionally, the City defines in its government code the following:
o In the event of a proclamation of a Local Emergency, or the proclamation of a State of
Emergency by the governor or the Director of the California Office of Emergency Services
(Cal OES), or the existence of a State of War Emergency, the director is hereby
empowered:
To make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the
protection of life and property as affected by such emergency; provided,
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however, such rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable
time by the city council.
To obtain vital supplies, equipment and such other properties needed for the
protection of life and property, and to obligate the city for the fair value thereof
and, if required immediately, to commandeer for public use.
To require emergency services of any city officer or employee and, in the event
of the proclamation of a State of Emergency in Santa Clara County or the
existence of a State of War Emergency, to command the aid of as many citizens
of this community as he or she deems necessary. Such persons shall be entitled
to all privileges, benefits, and immunities as are provided by State law for
registered disaster service workers.
To requisition necessary personnel or material of any city department or agency.
To execute all of the ordinary powers as city manager, all of the special powers
conferred upon him or her by this chapter or by resolution or emergency plan
adopted by the city council, as well as all powers conferred by any statute, by any
agreement approved by the city council, and by any other lawful authority.
When the City proclaims a Local Emergency, it will: notify the Santa Clara County Office
of Emergency Management Duty Officer or, if activated, Operational Area Emergency
Operations Center.
The figure below demonstrates the emergency proclamation process and response phase sequence of
events:
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CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
The California Emergency Services Act, as well as the Constitution of the State of California, provides the
authority for State and local governments to reconstitute itself in the event incumbents are unable to
serve. Continuity of government is comprised of 3 elements:
• Standby Officers for the Governing Body
• Alternate Seat of Government
• Preservation of Vital Records
Standby Officers
Title 2, Division 1, Chapter 7, Article 15 of the California Government Code provides the authority, as well
as the procedures to be employed, to assure continued functioning of political subdivisions within the
State of California. Article 15 generally allows for the appointment of up to three Standby Officers for each
member of the governing body, as well as up to three Standby Officers for the Chief Executive, if they are
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not part of the governing body. It also provides for the succession of officers who lead departments
responsible for maintaining law and order or providing public services related to health and safety.
Article 15 also outlines procedures to assure continued functioning of political subdivisions in the event
the governing body, including Standby Officers, is unavailable to serve.
Alternate Seat of Government
In the event that a facility for conducting essential work of the City of Gilroy should be unavailable, that
work will be relocated to another suitable city owned facility, or another suitable loaned or rented facility.
The seat of government is the City Hall. The Director of Emergency Services will make selection of a
suitable alternate site when the determination has been made that the City Hall is uninhabitable.
Preservation of Vital Records
Vital records are defined as those records that are essential to:
• Protect the rights and interests of individuals. Examples include vital statistics, land and tax
records, license registers, and articles of incorporation.
• Conduct emergency response and recovery operations. Records of this type include utility system
maps, locations of emergency supplies and equipment, EOPs, and personnel rosters.
• Reestablish normal governmental functions. Included in this group are charter, statutes,
ordinances, court records, and financial records, especially payroll and accounts receivable. Each
level of government down to the departmental level is responsible for designating a custodian for
vital records, and ensuring that vital records storage and preservation is accomplished.
Vital records storage methods that might be utilized include, but are not limited to:
o Fireproof containers
o Vault storage
o Redundant electronic copies on media disbursed in several locations
The City Clerk is designated as custodian of vital records. The Deputy City Clerk serves as alternate in the
absence of the City Clerk.
Each City department is also responsible for identifying and maintaining its own essential records.
Alternate EOC
In the event that the primary EOC within the City Hall Annex is inaccessible or uninhabitable, the City has
two alternate EOCs.
Police Department
Corporation Yard
Lines of Succession
Certain events can impact staff availability. The City maintains an EOC lines of succession for each
department and all identified positions within the EOC. City department directors are responsible for
filling vacancies as they occur in coordination with OEM.
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OPERATIONAL GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND STRATEGIES
The City of Gilroy has established the following general priorities for establishing response goals,
governing resource allocation, prioritizing actions, and developing operational strategies:
Operational Goals: During the response phase, the departments charged with responsibilities in this plan
should focus on the following five goals:
• Mitigate hazards
• Meet basic human needs
• Address needs of People with Access and Functional Needs (AFN)
• Restore essential services
• Support community and economic recovery
Operational Priorities: Operational priorities govern resource allocation and the response strategies for
the City during an emergency. Below are operational priorities addressed in this plan:
• Save Lives – The preservation of life is the top priority and takes precedence over all other
considerations.
• Protect Health and Safety – Measures should be taken to mitigate the impact of the emergency
on public health and safety.
• Protect Property – All feasible efforts must be made to protect public and private property and
resources, including critical infrastructure, from damage during and after an emergency.
• Preserve the Environment – All feasible efforts must be made to preserve the environment and
protect it from damage during an emergency.
Operational Strategies: To meet the operational goals, emergency responders should consider the
following strategies:
• Mitigate hazards –As soon as practical during the disaster response: suppress, reduce, or
eliminate hazards/risks to people, property, and the environment to lessen their actual or
potential effects/consequences.
• Meet basic human needs –All possible efforts must be made to supply resources to meet basic
human needs, including food, water, accessible shelter, medical treatment, and security during
an emergency.
• Address needs of individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs – People with access
and functional needs are more vulnerable to harm during and after an emergency. The needs of
these individuals must be considered and addressed.
• Restore essential services –Power, water, sanitation, accessible transportation, and other
essential services must be restored as quickly as possible to assist communities in returning to
normal daily activities.
• Support Community and Economic Recovery –All members of the community must collaborate to
ensure recovery operations are conducted efficiently, effectively, and equitably. Promoting
expeditious recovery of the affected areas.
EOC
The City of Gilroy Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provides a centralized location where emergency
management coordination and decision-making can be supported during a critical incident, major
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emergency, or disaster. When activated, the EOC provides support for a number of critical tasks related
to communications, coordination, resource management, and executive leadership. Additionally, the EOC
coordinates tasks that augment existing Department standard operating procedures. The City’s OEM Duty
Officer will be responsible for monitoring daily activities and functions outside of activation.
Primary and Alternate EOC Locations
The EOC is located within the City Hall Annex.
All designated EOC personnel have access to the secure facility.
Guidelines for activating the EOC and position-specific checklists, are included in the EOC Guidebook
which are kept in the EOC.
If the primary EOC is uninhabitable or inaccessible, the EOC will be reestablished at the alternate EOC
within the Gilroy Police Department or the Corporation Yard. Mobile radios, phones, and laptops will
permit re-location of the EOC to any appropriate location if circumstances dictate.
Activation/Deactivation Authority
The City of Gilroy EOC can be activated and deactivated by the following City officials:
• City Administrator
• Assistant City Administrator
• Other City Department Director as designated by the City Administrator
If an emergency situation is too large to be coordinated from the field, or if a major disaster occurs, the
City department head whose department is responding may request activation of the EOC. However, the
authority to activate resides with the City Administrator, or designee.
Activation
This section identifies when to activate the EOC and the different types of activation. When activating the
EOC, the responsible official should consider the following as part of the process of activation:
• Determine the scope of the incident or event
• Determine the appropriate level of activation
• Notify/recall EOC staff for activation (via Everbridge or Gilroy Communications)
• Open the EOC and prepare the facility to host operations
• Notify the Operational Area
Activation Levels
The EOC may be partially or fully activated based on the scope or complexity of the situation:
• Partial Activation: For a partial activation, the EOC is activated but only some of the positions are
filled. This may involve a smaller emergency that a limited number of responders can handle, it
might involve the early stages of an expanding disaster, or it might involve the late stages of a
response prior to deactivation of the EOC. Staffing needs for partial activations vary depending
on the scope of the event and must be adaptable to changing conditions.
• Full Activation: For a full activation, the EOC is activated, and all or most of the positions are filled.
A full activation occurs for the most significant events involving the use of the full scope of City
resources and the need for outside assistance.
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The table below describes the activation levels and the relation to EOC staffing:
Activation
Level
Detail Situation Staffing
Three
Level Three is a minimum
activation. Requires minimum
staff and coordination is
remote
Events with potential impacts
on the health and safety of the
public and/or environment
Incident involving 2+ City
departments
Low risk planned event
1. EOC Director
2. EOC Coordinator
3. Department
Directors
4. Section
Coordinators, as
appropriate
5. Public Information
Officer, as
appropriate
Two
Level Two activation is
normally achieved as an
increase from Level Three or a
decrease from Level One. This
activation level is used for
emergencies or planned
events that would require
more than a minimum staff
but would not call for a full
activation/staffing
Two or more large incidents
involving 2 or more
departments
Events with impacts on the
health and safety of the public
and/or environment
Major unplanned or high risk
planned event
1. EOC Director
2. EOC Coordinator
3. Section
Coordinators
4. Branches and
Units, as
appropriate
5. Liaison/Agency
Representatives, as
appropriate
6. Public Information
Officer
One
Level One activation involves a
complete and full activation of
all organizational elements
and staffing as appropriate for
a major emergency
Major City, County, Regional,
State or National emergency
Multiple departments with
heavy resource involvement
1. All EOC as
appropriate
Deactivation
At a point in time when response activities transition to recovery activities, the use of the EOC to
coordinate resource support and information sharing will continue. The Planning and Intelligence Section
will continue operations in the EOC until it is determined that the situation is stable to reconvene in other
facilities. Recovery activities will continue long after the EOC deactivation. The Planning and Intelligence
Section Coordinator is responsible for presenting the deactivation recommendation to the EOC Director.
The Advanced Planning Unit is responsible for planning for the transition from response to recovery
operations.
EOC positions should be formally deactivated when no longer necessary. Before deactivating the EOC, the
Liaison should notify all internal and external partners of the decision to deactivate and the date/time of
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deactivation while providing instructions for continued coordination outside the EOC. After deactivation,
all documentation should be gathered and maintained to support recovery efforts and the after-action
review. Additionally, the EOC should be restocked and prepared for future activations.
EOC Organization
The organizational structure for the EOC is consistent with an “ICS-like” EOC Organization Structure
defined in current NIMS guidance, with a management section and four functional sections: Operations,
Planning/Intelligence, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
The figure below displays the City EOC organizational chart:
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Direction, Control, and Coordination
The City Administrator, or designee, has the power to direct staff and civilian responses in the City and to
settle questions of authority and responsibility. If necessary, the City Council or the City Administrator
may promulgate orders and regulations to protect life and property or preserve public order and safety.
These must be in writing and must be given with widespread publicity. In a proclaimed emergency, the
City Administrator or designee may buy or commandeer supplies and equipment and may command the
aid of citizens.
Additionally, the Governor has the power to suspend State agency orders, rules, or regulations that may
impede emergency responses. Local governments generally do not have this power, except by order of
the Governor.
Coordination with Field-Level Incident Command Post
Field-level responders organize according to the Incident Command System (ICS) and coordinate with
Dispatch Centers and the EOC to share information and request support.
Coordination with Operational Area
When activated, the City EOC coordinates information sharing and resource requests with the Santa Clara
County Operational Area EOC. Communication between the City EOC and Operational Area EOC occurs
between position counterparts. For example, the City EOC Planning and Intelligence Section
Coordinator/Chief communicates with the Operational Area EOC Planning and Intelligence Section
Coordinator/Chief. Additionally, during complex or large-scale incidents, the City may send a liaison to the
Santa Clara Operational Area EOC to facilitate communication and coordination, especially in support of
resource management.
Coordination with Special Districts/School District/Private Sector Infrastructure
When activated, the City EOC coordinates with special districts and utilities through their activated EOCs
to share information and request or provide support as necessary. For some incidents, the City may send
a liaison to a school district, special district, or utility, or those entities may send a liaison to the City EOC
to share information and make decisions more efficiently. Depending on the magnitude of the incident
and personnel availability, special district and utility liaisons may need to provide the liaison to the County
EOC as a resource supporting the entire Operational Area and its jurisdictions. Examples of special
districts, school districts, and private utilities the City may coordinate with include but are not limited to,
Gilroy Unified School District, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Pacific Gas and Electric, Verizon, and
Spectrum.
Coordination with Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) include nonprofits and faith-based organizations that
offer services with no legal mandate and may have an associated cost element. VOADs mobilize and
provide valuable assistance for survivors before, during, and after incidents. These organizations train and
plan to effectively integrate volunteers into the City’s incident response and recovery organization. They
are valuable partners with established community relationships and offer expanded outreach and
services. Examples of voluntary and nonprofit organizations the City may coordinate with are
Collaborating Agencies’ Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE), American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army.
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INFORMATION COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves as a hub for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating
timely, accurate, consistent, and accessible information relating to the incident or event. Establishing a
common operating picture and maintaining situational awareness is essential to incident management
and constitutes a significant role of the EOC.
Information Collection
Information relating to the incident or event is often collected before an incident through routine
monitoring of warning sources and credible threats. This information is used for advance preparedness
and planning, devising incident management strategies and action plans, and making decisions about
notifying the public. The OEM will use this information to determine what steps should be taken, such as
recommending the activation of the EOC and the emergency organization.
Information may be collected before and during the incident from a variety of sources, such as:
• On-scene observation
• Incident Command Posts
• Field-level personnel
• Dispatch center
• Media reports
• Internet sources
• Email
• Operational Area
• Emergency Management Software
• Amateur radio
Critical Information Needs and Collection Priorities
The Planning and Intelligence Section is responsible for gathering information to support decision-making
in accordance with established operational priorities. The EOC Director will establish information
collection priorities specific to the response to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent information flow
into the EOC. This information may come from various sources, including but not limited to State and
Federal agencies, the operational area partners, the operational area EOC, City departments, private
sector utilities, news, and the internet. In addition, it may be collected in various formats, including but
not limited to maps, spreadsheets, and reports to obtain comprehensive situational awareness and
identify planning priorities.
Community Lifelines
FEMA’s Community Lifelines enable the continuous operation of critical government and business
functions and is essential to human health and safety or economic security. Lifelines are the most
fundamental services in the community that, when stabilized, enable all other aspects of society to
function. FEMA has developed a construct for objectives-based response that prioritizes the rapid
stabilization of Community Lifelines after a disaster. The integrated network of assets, services, and
capabilities that provide lifeline services are used day-to-day to support the recurring needs of the
community and enable all other aspects of society to function. When community lifelines are disrupted,
information collection is paramount in decisive intervention to stabilize the incident.
FEMA’s Seven Community Lifelines:
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Safety and Security – law enforcement/security, fire services, search and rescue, government
services, community safety.
• Food, Water, Shelter – food, water, shelter, agriculture.
• Health and Medical – medical care, public health, patient movement, medical supply chain,
fatality management.
• Energy – power grid, fuel.
• Communications – infrastructure, responder communications, alerts warnings and messages,
finance, 911/dispatch.
• Transportation – highways, roadway, motor vehicle, mass transit, railway, aviation, maritime.
• Hazardous Materials – facilities, HAZMAT, pollutants, contaminants
Information Analysis
Analysis of information may occur before or during an incident. Information available through monitoring
and warnings must be analyzed in the context of risk assessment, infrastructure/structural vulnerability,
forecasts, social vulnerabilities, current events, and other factors.
When the EOC is activated, a critical task of the Planning and Intelligence Section is turning the collected
information into actionable intelligence. Raw information and data require evaluation, verification, and
assessment for relevance. The Planning and Intelligence Section will process information made available,
validate and organize relevant components, and ensure that the resulting intelligence is evaluated by
qualified personnel. Information that is made available through monitoring and warnings must be
analyzed in the context of risk assessment, infrastructure/structural vulnerability, forecasts, social
vulnerabilities, current events, and other factors.
Information Dissemination
Information for the public is disseminated through several mechanisms under the control of the City
Manager’s Office. Details describing how information is collected, vetted, and disseminated to the public
are described in Communications.
Situation Status Reporting
Intelligence collected throughout the incident will be documented in a Situation Status Report. The
Planning and Intelligence Section of the EOC develops the report. Situation Status Reports create a
common operating picture and will be used to adjust the operational goals, priorities, and strategies. To
ensure effective intelligence flow, the City of Gilroy has established communications systems and
protocols to organize, integrate, and coordinate intelligence. The flow of situation reports among the
levels of government should occur consistently with the Standardized Emergency Management System
(SEMS), as shown below:
• Field Situation Status Reports: Situational status and other relevant information from the field
should be reported to the EOC Operations Section and then conveyed to the EOC Planning and
Intelligence Section within the operational period.
• City of Gilroy EOC: The Situation Status Unit in the EOC will summarize and verify reports received
from the field, and other reporting disciplines and provide a consolidated City Situation Report to
the Operational Area EOC, if necessary, once each operational period. The Situation Status Report
will also be made available to all participants in the City’s emergency management organization
to provide situational awareness.
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• Operational Area EOC: The Operational Area EOC will summarize situation status reports received
from local government EOCs within Santa Clara County, county field units, county DOCs, and other
reporting disciplines and forward a consolidated Operational Area Situation Report to the
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Coastal Regional Emergency
Operations Center (REOC).
• Coastal REOC: The Coastal REOC will summarize situation status reports received from
Operational Area EOCs with the Region, State field units, State DOCs, and other reporting
disciplines and forward the Regional Situation Report to the State Operations Center (SOC).
• SOC: The SOC will summarize situation status reports received from the REOCs, State DOCs, State
agencies, and other reporting disciplines and distribute to State officials and others on the
distribution list.
• Joint Field Office (JFO): When the JFO is activated to support local, State, and Federal
coordination, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the REOC and SOC
situation status reports will be assimilated into the JFO situation report. The REOC organization
may be co-located with the federal organization at the JFO.
Displaying Information
The EOC’s major purpose is accumulating and sharing information to ensure coordinated and timely
emergency response. The EOC will maintain displays using both display boards and display monitors, as
available, to communicate emergency information within the EOC. The Planning and Intelligence Section
is responsible for coordinating the display of information. EOC sections will coordinate with the Planning
and Intelligence Section to display information as appropriate, including but not limited to citywide status,
resource tracking, damage assessment, and live video feeds.
At the onset of any disaster, a significant events log will be compiled for the duration of the emergency.
Key disaster related information will be recorded in the log (e.g., casualty information, health concerns,
property damage, fire status, size of risk area, scope of the hazard to the public, number of evacuees).
The posting of the significant events log is the responsibility of the Planning and Intelligence Section.
Significant events may be maintained in WebEOC and available to all via laptop or display monitor.
EOC Action Plans
The City of Gilroy will share information and analyze intelligence using EOC Actions Plans in conjunction
with regularly scheduled EOC briefings (usually one briefing conducted early in each operational period
or as needed).
The primary focus of the EOC Action Plan should be on jurisdictional issues. The plan sets overall objectives
and establishes the priorities. It can also include mission assignments to departments, provide policy and
cost constraints, and incorporate interagency considerations. Properly prepared, the EOC Action Plan
becomes an essential input to developing departmental action plans.
Action planning is based around the use of an operational period. The length of the operational period for
the EOC is determined by first establishing a set of objectives and priority actions that need to be
performed and then establishing a reasonable time frame for accomplishing those actions. Generally, the
actions requiring the longest time period will define the length of the operational period.
Typically, operational periods at the beginning of an emergency are short, sometimes only a few hours.
As the emergency progresses, operational periods may be longer but should not exceed 24 hours.
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The initial EOC Action Plan may be a verbal plan put together in the first hour after EOC activation. The
verbal plan is usually put together by the EOC Director in concert with the Section Coordinators. There
must be adequate representation of key organizational components, organizations, and agencies with
representatives participating in the planning process having technical expertise and authority to commit
to accomplishing these tasks. Once the EOC is fully activated, EOC Action Plans should be written.
EOC Action Plans should not be complex or time-consuming. It should generally cover the following
elements:
• Situation status.
• Major events, safety issues, and other important information.
• Listing of objectives to be accomplished (objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time-oriented [SMART]).
• Statement of current priorities related to objectives.
• Resources needed.
• Potential issues and problems.
• Statement of strategy to achieve the objectives (identify if there is more than one way to
accomplish the objective, and which way is preferred).
• Assignments and actions necessary to implement the strategy.
• Operational period designation (the timeframe necessary to accomplish the actions).
• Organizational elements to be activated to support the assignments (later EOC Action Plans may
list organizational elements that will be activated during or at the end of the period).
• Logistical or other technical support required.
The below figure displays the “Planning P” utilized in the EOC planning process:
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Technical Services for Information Collection and Dissemination
The EOC and its personnel must be prepared with the tools and contacts to be able to identify, research,
collect, and analyze the information required to make informed and timely decisions. This means that
individuals should be pre-assigned and have received the appropriate training and requirements (e.g.,
security clearances, logins, and technology training). In addition, the City must be prepared to scale up
technology needs as the incident expands.
The City of Gilroy has established communication networks and systems to obtain information from local,
Operational Area, Regional, State, and National systems and services. The City of Gilroy receives the
following types of alerts from California State Warning Center and/or directly from warning centers:
• California State Warning Center: Cal OES operates the California State Warning Center (CSWC),
which is staffed 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to serve as the official State level point of
contact for emergency notifications. From this center, Warning Center personnel maintain contact
with County Warning Points, State agencies, Federal agencies, and the National Warning Center
in Berryville, Virginia. The CSWC reports any alerts or warning to the Operational Area via e-mail.
• Earthquake Notifications: The CSWC receives notification of earthquakes from the California
Integrated Seismic Network (CISN), National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), and the
United States Geological Survey (USGS). CISN is a statewide network that provides the basic
information for California earthquakes shown on the CISN Display. The CISN Display is an Internet-
based rapid earthquake notification system that receives earthquake information from networks
world-wide. The CSWC reports any alerts or warning to Operational Area via e-mail.
• Weather Notifications: The City of Gilroy receives notification of severe weather from the NWS.
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• Energy Notifications: California Independent System Operator (ISO) monitors the California power
grid, which consists of a network of long-distance high voltage transmission lines and substations
that carries bulk electricity to local utilities for distribution to their customers. When the grid is
unable to meet electrical demands, the California ISO will direct utilities to reduce their load and
issue emergency notices of energy interruptions. The CSWC will be contacted by the California ISO
when the operating reserves reach these critical levels.
• Hazardous Materials/Oil Spill Release Notifications: In accordance with State law, handlers, any
employees, authorized representatives, agents, or designees of handlers shall, upon discovery,
immediately report any release or threatened release of hazardous materials to the CSWC. The
CSWC reports any alerts or warning to the Operational Area.
• California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) and California Law
Enforcement Radio System (CLERS): The City of Gilroy Police Department receives direct
notifications from these systems.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION
Information for the public is coordinated across multiple jurisdictions and agencies, including
nongovernmental organizations and private businesses, and is disseminated through several mechanisms
under the control of the City Administrator’s Office.
Emergency Public Information
The EOC Public Information Officer provides communications support to the EOC Director during an EOC
activation. The EOC PIO supports the EOC Director by coordinating messaging and provides support to the
Incident Commander in the field by either providing a public information officer to serve in the Incident
Command Post (ICP) or by coordinating messaging with the ICP. All information prepared for
dissemination to the public will be vetted, organized, and approved by the EOC Emergency Public
Information Officer in coordination with the EOC Director. The EOC PIO advises leadership on all public
information matters relating to the management of the incident. EOC PIO through the Joint Information
System (JIC) or ICP PIO, handles inquiries from the media, the public, and elected officials; emergency
public information and warnings; rumor monitoring and response; media monitoring; and other functions
required to gather, verify, coordinate, and disseminate accurate, accessible, and timely information
related to the incident, particularly regarding information on public health, safety, and protection.
Additionally, the EOC PIO coordinates with the Planning and Intelligence Section to gather, validate, and
share information.
Joint Information System
The Joint Information System (JIS) is the broad mechanism that organizes, integrates, and coordinates
information to ensure timely, accurate, accessible, and consistent messaging activities across multiple
jurisdictions and/or disciplines with the private sector and NGOs. It includes the plans, protocols,
procedures, and structures used for providing public information. Federal, State, Tribal, Territorial,
Regional, local, and private sector PIOs and established Joint Information Centers (JICs) at each level of
SEMS are critical elements of the JIS.
Joint Information Center
The JIC is a central location that facilitates the operation of the JIS. It is a location where personnel with
public information responsibilities from multiple agencies, departments, and other local governments
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perform critical emergency information functions, crisis communications, and public affairs functions. JICs
may be established at various levels of government, at incident sites, or as components of Federal, State,
tribal, territorial, regional, or local multi-agency coordination (MAC) groups (e.g., MAC Groups or EOCs).
For incidents requiring the activation of the EOC, the City may support a JIC to coordinate messaging with
multiple departments or agencies. Depending on the requirements of the incident, JICs can be established
at the Field level to support the incident commander. JIC activation is coordinated by EOC PIO.
Message Development and Approval
Messages intended to be disseminated to the public or to other agencies or organizations may be
developed by subject matter experts working in support of the City’s response efforts. These messages
are reviewed by the EPIO at the JIC to correct inaccuracies and to maintain consistency in messaging. The
EOC Director approves messages.
Methods of Dissemination
The City uses various mechanisms to disseminate public information. Among them are: City Website,
social media, standard media, in-person, AM radio 1610, AlertSCC, Nixle, electronic signs, Wireless
Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Additional methods are used for those
with disabilities and those with access and functional needs, including but not limited to translation
services and outreach through partner organizations.
Communication Systems
The City EOC is equipped with multipurpose and redundant communication technologies allowing the
sharing of information across multiple platforms through different modalities. The communication
capabilities are routinely exercised and updated as technology advances. Current communication
resources in the City EOC include:
• Land-line based phones
• Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
• Cellular telephones
• Satellite phones
• Fax machines
• Internet enabled computers
• Email
• Radio systems
• Amateur radio
• Public safety frequencies (i.e., law, fire, EMS)
• Government frequencies (department/agency radios/EOC to EOC)
• Low band frequency radio (EOC to EOC, Control 10)
Web EOC
WebEOC is available to the City of Gilroy as an emergency management information system, as an
information sharing tool with Operational Area. The information sharing tool allows the City to have a
common operating picture and situational awareness across the Operational Area, as it helps to facilitate
information coordination during an emergency.
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Veoci
The City of Gilroy utilizes Veoci, an EOC incident management platform, as a centralized data management
tool that allows for real-time communication, information sharing, and incident tracking to facilitate
situational awareness and develop a common operating picture.
LOGISTICS
Resource Management
Resource management preparedness involves identifying and typing resources; qualifying, certifying, and
credentialing personnel; planning for resources; and acquiring, storing, and inventorying resources.
Identifying and Typing Resources
In accordance with NIMS, resources are identified by the following characteristics:
• Capability: The core capability for which the resource is most useful (e.g., fire management and
suppression; on-scene security, protection and law enforcement; public health, healthcare, and
emergency medical services).
• Category: The function for which a resource would be most useful (e.g., fire/hazardous materials,
law enforcement operations, medical and public health).
• Kind: A broad characterization, such as personnel, teams, facilities, equipment, and supplies.
• Type: Provides further details regarding the capability of a specific kind of resource that applies a
metric to designate it as a specific numbered class (e.g., Type 1 IMT, Type 2 IMT, and Type 3 IMT).
Requesting Resources
Resource requests should include enough detail to ensure those receiving the request understand what
is needed. Using NIMS resource typing helps ensure that requests are clearly communicated and
understood. Requests should include the following information:
• Detailed item description including quantity, capability, category, kind, and type, if known, or a
description of required capability and/or intended use if not.
• If suitable substitute resources or preferred sources exist, these should also be indicated.
• If the resource is not a common or standard incident resource, then detailed specifications should
be provided.
• Required arrival date and time.
• Required delivery or reporting location.
• The position title of the individual to whom the resource should report.
• Any incident-specific health or safety concerns (e.g., vaccinations, adverse living/working
conditions, or identified environmental hazards). Personnel are assigned based on their
qualifications and the needs of the incident, as well as any jurisdictional licensing requirements or
limitations (i.e., personnel in some fields, including law enforcement and medicine, have limited
authority outside of the jurisdiction in which they are sworn or licensed).
General Resource Request Flow
During the response phase, the real-time tracking of incident response needs and resources available is
critical. Resources may be in short supply, and multiple requests for services can occur. Resource
requirements for supplies, equipment, vehicles, facilities, or personnel are initially filled from within City
departments. Once internal resources have been exhausted (including inventories on hand and
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procurement from vendors) or when a shortfall is projected, a resource request based on a needed
outcome is submitted to the Operations Section Branch at the EOC.
If possible, the resource request is filled by other departments represented in the Operations Section of
the EOC. When no internal source exists to fulfill the request or a shortage is anticipated, the request is
forwarded to the Logistics Section. The Logistics Section attempts to fulfill the request by procuring the
necessary services or supplies first from within existing City resources, and then from the private sector
or other nongovernmental sources.
When City resources have been exhausted or certain resources are unavailable, requests are then routed
to the Operational Area EOC. If resources are exhausted in the Operational Area, requests are routed to
the Coastal REOC following SEMS protocols. The figure below demonstrates Resource Request Flow as
defined by SEMS.
Discipline-Specific Mutual Aid Resource Request Flow
Under the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, of which the City is a signatory, discipline-specific
mutual aid systems (e.g., Law, Fire, Public Works, Emergency Management) follow a slightly different path
when requesting resources. While they still flow bottom-up, following SEMS levels, the requests are
initiated, communicated, and coordinated, through designated Mutual Aid Coordinators at each level. The
City’s Mutual Aid Coordinators issue requests for assistance using the Gilroy Communications to initiate
the process by communicating the request to the Operational Area Mutual Aid Coordinator through the
County’s dispatch center. Initiated requests and the status of the resources are tracked, and that
information is shared with the associated Branch in the Operations Section of the EOC.
Resource Management Process
The resource management process during an incident includes standard methods to identify, order,
mobilize, and track resources. In some cases, the identification and ordering process is compressed, such
as when an Incident Commander identifies the specific resources necessary for a given task and orders
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those resources directly. However, in larger, more complex incidents, the Incident Commander relies on
the resource management process and personnel in the ICP and EOC to coordinate to identify and meet
resource needs. The six primary tasks of resource management during an incident are:
• Identify requirements
• Order and acquire
• Mobilize
• Track and report
• Demobilize
• Reimburse and restock
Resource Tracking
Resource tracking occurs prior to, during, and after an incident. This process helps staff prepare to receive
and use resources; tracks resource location; facilitates the safety and security of personnel, equipment,
teams, and facilities; and enables effective resource coordination and movement. Resource status
updates and associated information should flow from the ICP to the EOC, and continue until the resource
provider receives the information.
Mutual Aid
Mutual aid is defined as voluntary aid and assistance by the provision of services and facilities, including
but not limited to fire, police, medical and health, communication, transportation, and utilities. Mutual
aid is intended to provide adequate resources, facilities, and other support to jurisdictions whenever
resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a given situation.
The basis for the Mutual Aid System is the California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid
Agreement (MMAA), which is entered into by and between the State of California, its various departments
and agencies, and the various political subdivisions, municipal corporations, and public agencies to assist
each other by providing resources during an emergency. The City of Gilroy is a party to this agreement.
The agreement obligates each signatory entity to provide aid to each other during an emergency without
the expectation of reimbursement. Under specific conditions, Federal and State monies may be
appropriated to reimburse public agencies that aid other jurisdictions. If other agreements,
memorandums, and contracts are used to provide assistance for consideration, the terms of those
documents may affect disaster assistance eligibility and local entities may be reimbursed only if funds are
available.
The City of Gilroy is also party to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Passed
through Public Law 104-321, EMAC provides the legal agreement and standard operating procedures for
states and their political sub-divisions to receive interstate aid in a disaster.
In addition to mutual aid from other jurisdictions and from other states, the City of Gilroy can also obtain
emergency response resources through alternative mutual aid systems such as the Water Response
Network, coordinated by the California Utilities Emergency Association, or the Public Transit Mutual Aid,
coordinated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
When the City’s resources are exhausted, it depends on the Mutual Aid System and the resource request
flow defined in SEMS to acquire the necessary resources to execute response activities.
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Use of Disaster Service Workers
Under California Government Code, Section 3100-3109, all public employees are obligated to serve as
Disaster Service Workers. Public employees (civil service) are all persons employed by any County, City,
State agency, or public district. Disaster Service Workers support continuity in providing essential
government services during declared emergencies or disasters.
In the event of a major emergency or disaster, City employees may be called upon to perform emergency
management-related duties in addition to their normal or emergency duties:
City employees may be required to work during a declared emergency and may be assigned to
disaster service work.
Assignments may require service at locations (e.g., EOC, field, shelter), times (e.g., day, night), and
in austere environments.
Under no circumstances will City employees, including those without specialized training or those whodo
not typically have a response role in their daily duties, be asked to perform functions that are potentially
unsafe, hazardous, , or beyond their recognized capabilities.
Use of Affiliated DSW Volunteers
The City’s emergency organization relies on a dedicated network of volunteers to augment the City’s
preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. OEM manages the following volunteer programs:
• Gilroy Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)
• Gilroy Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Use of Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers
After a disaster, local governments often see an influx of spontaneous volunteers converge in their
communities; however, well-intentioned, uncoordinated volunteers can be ineffective, hinder response
operations, and create new risks. Emergency volunteers must be carefully managed, a function that often
falls to the local government. After a disaster, emergent volunteers will be managed by the Logistics
Section. If the City has the capacity, the logistics section will coordinate with affiliated volunteers, to
support an Emergency Volunteer Center for emergency volunteer intake and assignment. If there is no
capacity to manage spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers, the City may refer individuals to partner
organizations as appropriate.
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
City Emergency Operations Policy Statement
Limitations: Due to the nature of emergency response, the outcome is challenging to predict. Therefore,
it should be recognized that this plan is meant to serve as a guideline and that the outcome of the response
may be limited by the scope, magnitude, and duration of the event.
Suspension of Routine Activities and Availability of Employees: Day-to-day functions that do not
contribute directly to the disaster operation may be suspended during an emergency. Efforts normally
required for routine activities may be redirected to accomplish emergency tasks. During an emergency
response, City employees not otherwise assigned emergency disaster-related duties will, unless otherwise
restricted, be made available to augment the work of their department or other City departments if
required.
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Households of Emergency Response Personnel: City employees may not be at peak efficiency or
effectiveness during a disaster if the status of their households is unknown or in doubt. Employees
assigned disaster response duties are encouraged to make arrangements with other employees, friends,
neighbors, or relatives to check on their immediate families in the event of a disaster and to communicate
that information to the employee through the City’s Emergency Operations Center.
Nondiscrimination: All local activities will be carried out in accordance with Federal nondiscrimination
laws. It is the City’s policy that no service will be denied on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age,
sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical
disability.
Access and Functional Needs (AFN): All emergency management activities will be carried out in
accordance with State (California Government Code, Section 8593.3.5) and Federal (Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990) law to ensure equitable outcomes for individuals with access and functional
needs.
Household Animals: All emergency management activities will be carried out in accordance with Federal
law (Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act) to ensure animal evacuation, transport, care and
shelter needs are addressed.
Citizen Preparedness: This EOP does not substitute government services for individual responsibility.
Citizens are expected to be aware of developing events and take appropriate steps to respond in a safe
and timely manner. Since the City’s resources and personnel may be overwhelmed at the onset of a
disaster, individuals and organizations should be prepared to be self-sufficient following a disaster. The
City will make every effort to provide information to the public via the media and other sources, to assist
citizens in dealing with the emergency.
Documentation
The EOC Finance/Administration Section will be responsible for maintaining records on damage
assessment expenditures, recovery cost expenditures, insurance-related documents, personnel overtime,
and other costs associated with the emergency.
The EOC Planning and Intelligence Section will maintain copies of documents integral to EOC functions
(e.g., Incident Action Plans, Situation Reports, position logs, sign-in sheets) that together make up the
history and chronology of incidents where the EOC is activated.
Cost Tracking
Disaster-related expenditures may be reimbursed under a number of State and Federal programs.
However, recovering these costs can be a complex process that requires significant documentation and
accurate record keeping for receiving maximum reimbursement on eligible activities.
• The Finance and Administration Departments are jointly responsible for coordinating the City’s
efforts to properly apply for State and Federal reimbursement for disaster-related costs and
obligations.
• For disasters involving significant damage to infrastructure, it can take years to complete the
eligible work and to compile supporting documentation necessary for State and Federal
reimbursement.
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• FEMA’s Office of the Inspector General routinely audits State and local governments and nonprofit
organizations that receive FEMA disaster assistance funds. If the Inspector General determines
that a grant applicant did not spend disaster assistance funds according to Federal regulations and
FEMA guidelines, FEMA can rescind the original award. Providing documentation in the format
FEMA expects can provide a measure of protection for the City. In addition to inadequate
documentation, common disallowances include expenditures for ineligible items, improper
procurement, and duplicate payments from insurance companies. It is important to maintain
records and documentation in auditable form for at least three years after the receipt of a closeout
letter from Cal OES.
Eligible Costs
Eligible costs are extraordinary costs incurred while providing emergency services required by the direct
impact of a declared disaster and for which the service is the responsibility of the applicant jurisdiction.
Eligible costs are generally considered to be the net costs over and above any increased revenue or subsidy
for the emergency service. Eligible costs are costs that:
• Are reasonable and necessary to accomplish the eligible work.
• Comply with Federal, State, and local requirements for procurement.
• Do not include (or are reduced by) insurance proceeds, salvage values, and other credits.
• When determining eligible costs, the defining factor for reimbursement will be whether the
documented costs can be deemed “reasonable”. The Federal government often refers to 2 C.F.R.
200.404 for a definition of “reasonable” cost:
A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a
prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost.
The question of reasonableness is particularly important when the non-Federal entity is predominantly
federally funded.
The eligible cost criteria apply to all direct costs, including salaries, wages, fringe benefits, materials,
equipment, and contracts awarded for eligible work. Ineligible expenses include costs for standby
personnel and equipment and lost revenue.
Recordkeeping Requirements
State and Federal governments require detailed information to support claims for reimbursement.
Funding will be approved or denied based upon the information supplied by applicant agencies.
Documentation supporting all costs claimed will be required, and all information must relate back to
individual original source records. Detailed records should be kept from the onset of an incident or event
to include, but not be limited to:
• Appropriate extracts from payrolls, with any cross-references needed to locate original
documents. Labor costs should be compiled separately from vehicle and equipment expenses.
• A schedule of vehicles and heavy equipment used for emergency operations. This documentation
should include vehicle identification, miles or engine hours, where and how it was used and the
operator. Vehicle operating expenses should include fuel, tires, and maintenance.
• Invoices, warrants, and checks issued and paid for materials, supplies, and equipment expenses
used for emergency operations. Costs for supplies and materials must include documentation of
exactly where resources were used and for what purpose.
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• Copies of requests for proposals issued for work that is contracted out to support eligible disaster-
related response or recovery work.
• Justification for all non-competitive procurements.
• Final contracts.
• Invoices submitted by the contractor.
• Warrants authorizing check issuance.
• Work done under inter-community agreements and mutual aid.
Revenues and subsidies for emergency operations must be subtracted from any costs claimed.
Expenditure tracking should commence upon notice or obvious occurrence of disasters requiring labor,
equipment use, materials, and other expenses.
The City will activate a project string for emergency expenditure tracking. The Finance Section will compile
reports, including total expenditures by category. The Finance Section Coordinator/Chief will submit a
summary report on total costs to the EOC Director as requested. This information will be used for State
and Federal disaster assistance applications. Additional details regarding record-keeping requirements
can be found in the guidance provided by each grant program. The FEMA Public Assistance Program and
Policy Guide provides record-keeping requirement guidance that is generally applicable to most programs.
RECOVERY
The phases of recovery, or the “recovery continuum,” as FEMA refers to them, offer a process of
interdependent and often concurrent activities that seek to progressively advance a community toward a
successful recovery. Community recovery can be adversely impacted if aspects are not integrated into the
initial response phase. As such, the City of Gilroy elevates the importance of recovery by tying recovery
to the City’s emergency response operations at the onset of any incident requiring EOC activation.
The figure below displays the phases of recovery as defined in the National Disaster Recovery Framework.
The City Administrator serves as the lead for coordinating and delegating recovery functions. The City’s
recovery priorities are “people, buildings, infrastructure, and services.”
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In addition to a discrete set of activities and funding mechanisms, recovery planning requires the
sustained engagement of many partners to enact a shared vision for an improved and more resilient city.
The City will use a “Whole Community” approach to recovery planning and program implementation to
engage community members and partner organizations in actively shaping equitable recovery outcomes.
Recovery will be governed by the following principles:
• Recovery will be community-led with the City as a catalyst for residents, businesses, and
community groups to advocate for their needs and take responsibility.
• Cooperation and strong relationships within the City’s government will ensure smooth continuity
of governance as the city progresses in response, short term recovery, intermediate recovery, and
long-term recovery.
• A cohesive recovery results from the integrated and collaborative recovery planning and
implementation that the city promotes within its impacted communities and across the region.
• City community services will strive to keep impacted residents and businesses in the community
by providing services that allow them to rebuild their lives and livelihoods in place.
• The City will strive to maintain and expand housing affordability in disaster recovery.
• The City will work with impacted communities to ensure that disaster rebuilding helps to
strengthen and revitalize today’s struggling neighborhoods.
• The City will work to integrate environmental sustainability (including for buildings, infrastructure,
and natural systems) into recovery and rebuilding activities.
• The City will commit to an open and transparent recovery process that actively engages the
“Whole Community” in post-disaster recovery planning.
To address Gilroy’s post-disaster recovery needs in accordance with the City’s principles, the City will
concentrate on the following activities:
• Coordination of information necessary to support the local emergency proclamation and request
for disaster assistance processes.
• Assessment of social and economic consequences in affected areas in the City and coordination
of efforts to address community recovery needs.
• Restoration of essential City facilities and services.
• Protection of natural and cultural resources and historic properties.
• Coordination to ensure the accessibility to and provision of recovery services to people with
disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
• Facilitation of recovery decision-making across EOC functions and ensuring a smooth transition to
a long-term recovery organization, if established.
Short-Term Recovery Considerations
Recovery operations begin concurrently with or shortly after the commencement of response operations.
Short-term recovery activities occur within 90 days of the incident, but may continue beyond that point.
Short-term recovery includes actions required to:
• Stabilize the situation
• Restore essential services
• Begin the process of restoring community and economic functions
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• Recovery operations are transitioned from the EOC to City departments based on their functional
responsibilities. Responsible departments coordinate recovery functions as part of their daily
missions or functions. Initial short-term recovery activities typically include:
o Damage assessment
o Debris removal
o Local Assistance Center (LAC) operations
o Restoration of utilities such as water and power services
o Restoration of basic transportation services and routes
o Provision of temporary housing
o Deployment of financial management systems for cost recovery through State
and Federal reimbursement programs
o Activities to support proclamations and requests for assistance
o Advanced planning for long-term recovery needs
o Coalition-building
Intermediate Term Recovery Considerations
Intermediate or mid-term recovery involves returning individuals, families, critical infrastructure, and
essential government or commercial services to a functional, if not pre-disaster, state. Such activities are
often characterized by temporary actions that provide a bridge to permanent measures.
Long-Term Recovery Considerations
Long-term recovery includes those activities necessary to restore a community to its pre-disaster state,
given the inevitable changes that result from a major disaster. Long-term recovery requires significant
planning to maximize opportunities and mitigate risks after a major incident. Long-term recovery can
continue for years and may include the following:
• Reconstructing public and private facilities and infrastructure
• Planning and rebuilding of housing
• Implementing waivers, zoning changes, and other land-use legislation to promote recovery
• Providing long-term assistance to displaced families, including financial support as well as social
and health services
• Restoring the local economy to pre-disaster levels
• Integrating mitigation strategies into rebuilding efforts
• Recovering disaster-related costs for infrastructure restoration through State and Federal grant
programs
Damage Assessment
Collection and analysis of damage assessment information is crucial to successfully managing response
and recovery operations. Damage assessment encompasses an effort to collect three layers of
information:
• Rapid damage assessment: A general situational awareness of damage, which may come from
media reports, the public, and other sources, and be of varying detail and quality.
• Estimated monetary damages: Estimates of financial losses are needed to complete State and
Federal forms (Initial Damage Assessment Summary Reports) to support the proclamation and
major disaster declaration processes.
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• Safety inspections: Formal assessments of a facility’s safety for use and occupancy, which must be
completed by qualified inspectors using standard Applied Technology Council (ATC) guidance.
Often, general situational assessment, damage estimates, and safety information will be collected at the
same time. Immediate surveys of damage will be conducted by City departments with disaster response
field units: Police, Fire, and Public Works. Technical damage assessments are conducted by Community
Development (structures) in coordination with Public Works (public facilities, roadways, bridges, sewers,
water systems, wastewater systems) and private utility providers. The Fire and Police Department will
conduct reconnaissance of their facilities and impacted areas to determine the extent of damage and will
report this information to the EOC Operations Section. This information should be timely, accurate, and,
where practicable, include specific damage assessment figures in dollar amounts. Estimated monetary
damages will be compiled and submitted to Cal OES, through the OA, to support the requests for State
and Federal assistance, as needed.
DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Depending on the size and scope of an incident, State and Federal programs may be activated to provide
recovery assistance based on damage data and impact information identified in Initial Damage Estimate
(IDE) forms submitted by affected local jurisdictions through their Operational Area to Cal OES.
Public Assistance
Public assistance programs provide support to local government agencies and, under certain specified
conditions, to private nonprofits. After a Presidential Emergency or Major Disaster Declaration, State and
Federal programs will be initially administered from the Joint Field Office. The JFO is a multiagency
coordination center as defined by the NIMS. The JFO focuses on providing support to on-scene efforts,
incident management, disaster response, and recovery program implementation. Assistance programs
offered and administered solely under the authority of a Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation are
administered or coordinated by the Recovery Division at Cal OES Headquarters in Sacramento.
California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA)
The CDAA authorizes the Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to
administer a disaster assistance program that provides financial assistance from the State for costs
incurred by local governments due to a disaster. Funding for repairing, restoring, or replacing public real
property damaged or destroyed by a disaster is made available when the Director concurs with a local
emergency proclamation requesting State disaster assistance. The program also allows for the
reimbursement of local government costs associated with certain emergency activities undertaken in
response to a State of Emergency proclaimed by the Governor. In addition, the program may provide
matching fund assistance for cost-sharing required under Federal public assistance programs in response
to a Presidential Major Disaster or Emergency Declaration.
A private nonprofit (PNP) organization may be eligible to receive assistance under special provisions in
the CDAA for services rendered on behalf of disaster survivors that relate directly to a State of Emergency
proclaimed by the Governor. Eligible activities must result in documented extraordinary costs and must
have been provided at the direction of a local government agency or the State, as established by a contract
or memorandum of understanding or agreement. The following costs are ineligible for reimbursement:
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• No State financial assistance will be provided for costs or expenditures prohibited by the Federal
or State constitution, law, or regulation.
• No reimbursement will be provided for donated resources received by the private nonprofits on
or after the first day of the incident period as specified in the Governor's State of Emergency
Proclamation for the emergency or disaster for which the private nonprofit is seeking state
reimbursement.
• No reimbursement will be provided for donated or volunteer labor.
• No reimbursement will be provided for vouchers, debit cards or other monetary relief provided to
the community affected by an emergency or disaster.
• No State financial assistance will be provided for damages caused by negligence or intentional
acts.
• No funds allocated shall be used to supplant State or federal funds otherwise available in the
absence of State financial relief or assistance.
FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Program
Authorized by multiple sections of the Stafford Act, the PA program is FEMA’s primary form of financial
assistance for State and local governments. The PA Program provides grant assistance for many eligible
purposes, including emergency work, as authorized by Sections 403, 407, and 502 of the Stafford Act,
which provides for the removal of debris and emergency protective measures, such as the establishment
of temporary shelters and emergency power generation.
Permanent work, as authorized by Section 406, which provides for the repair, replacement, or restoration
of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations.
PNPs are generally eligible for permanent work assistance if they provide a governmental type of service,
though PNPs not providing a “critical” service must first apply to the Small Business Administration (SBA)
for loan assistance for facility projects. At its discretion, FEMA may provide assistance for hazard
mitigation measures that are not required by applicable codes and standards. As a condition of PA
assistance, applicants must obtain and maintain insurance on their facilities for similar future disasters.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation
As the result of a Presidential Disaster Declaration, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) (also
known as 404 Mitigation), funds plans and cost-effective projects that reduce the effects of future natural
disasters. The purpose of 404 Mitigation is to ensure that the opportunity to take critical mitigation
measures to protect life and property from future disasters is not lost during the recovery and
reconstruction process following a disaster. Funding is a competitive process and not tied to a damaged
facility. The total amount of federal funding under the HMGP cannot exceed 20 percent of the total
(estimated) Federal assistance provided under FEMA PA and IA programs for that disaster. Normally the
funding is only 15% but the California State Hazard Mitigation Plan has been approved by FEMA as an
“enhanced plan” which allows the State to receive increased funding of up to 20% of the Stafford Act
authorization in mitigation grant funds following a federally declared disaster. In California, these funds
are administered by the Cal OES HMGP Unit. Eligible applicants include State agencies, local governments,
special districts, and certain private nonprofits. FEMA funds 75% of the eligible project, and the applicant
funds the rest (there is no State cost share for HMGP).
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FEMA can also provide funding for certain hazard mitigation activities undertaken as part of the PA
program as a Section 406 hazard mitigation activity. The purpose of 406 Mitigation is to implement cost-
effective measures to reduce or eliminate the threat of future similar damage to a facility impacted by a
past event. The PA applicant, FEMA, or Cal OES may recommend that hazard mitigation be included as
part of a project worksheet that is used to document the damage, the eligible scope of work, and the cost
estimate to complete the approved scope of work for the repair of the damaged facility. In some cases,
FEMA may require that such actions be taken as part of an applicant’s permanent repair project. The cost
of eligible hazard mitigation action will be included in the overall funding of the project. Therefore, the
cost share is 75% FEMA, 18.75% State, and 6.25% local.
PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE
The EOP is developed under the authority of City Council. It is a living document, subject to revision based
on agency organizational changes, new laws or guidance, and experience obtained from exercises or
responding to actual incidents. This section describes the plan development and maintenance process for
keeping the EOP current, relevant, and in compliance with SEMS, NIMS, and other applicable guidelines
or requirements.
Development and Maintenance Responsibilities
OES is responsible for the development and maintenance of the EOP. Each City department tasked with
functional responsibility is responsible for participating in developing and maintaining relevant portions
of the EOP, including assigned functional annexes.
Development Process
The initial development and the development of new material follow basic guidelines for strategic
planning. The process is led by OES using stakeholders to assist in developing the EOP. Stakeholders
participate in functional work groups to generate material for the EOP. OES combines the contributions
of the stakeholders and other subject matter experts to develop the draft EOP. The stakeholders review
the draft EOP and provide comments to OES. OES addresses the comments, makes edits to the draft EOP
as necessary, and produces the final EOP. Stakeholder involvement is key to developing a comprehensive
EOP that is useful, applicable, and supported by all City departments and stakeholders.
Revision and Maintenance Process
This EOP will be reviewed, updated as appropriate, and exercised to ensure the plan elements are
relevant, valid, current, and compliant with current standards and best practices. Similar to the
development process, each responsible department is responsible for reviewing and suggesting updates
to the EOP and modifying its standard operating procedures as required based on deficiencies identified
during exercises or actual incidents. This EOP will be reviewed, updated, and redistributed minimally every
two years with a five-year revision cycle. All revisions to the EOP will be documented in the Record of
Changes.
Triggers for Plan Updates
In addition to periodic reviews, the EOP will also be reviewed and updated after the following events:
• A major incident
• A change in operational resources (e.g., policy, personnel, organizational structures, management
processes, facilities, equipment)
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• A formal update of planning guidance or standards
• Each EOC activation
• Major exercises
• A change in the jurisdiction’s demographics or hazard or threat profile
• A change in the acceptability of various risks
• The enactment of new or amended laws or ordinances
Plan Evaluation
Evaluating the effectiveness of the EOP and its supporting annexes involves a combination of training
events, exercises, and real-world incidents to determine whether the goals, objectives, decisions, actions,
and timing outlined in the plan led to a successful response. Absent from any triggering factors, the EOP
should be reviewed annually to ensure the plan’s contents remain accurate. Additionally, the City will use
exercises and training sessions as opportunities to evaluate the EOP and its supporting plans and annexes.
After Action Reports
Completing After-Action Report (AAR) is a part of the required SEMS reporting process and requires that
all cities and counties submit within 90 days a copy of the after-action report to the Cal OES.
Section 2450(a) of the NIMS/SEMS regulations states that:
"Any city or county declaring a local emergency for which the governor proclaims a State of Emergency,
and any State agency responding to that emergency shall complete and transmit an After-Action Report
to Cal OES within ninety (90) days of the close of the incident period as specified in the California Code of
Regulations, section 2900(j)."
Use of After-Action Reports
AARs are made available to all interested public safety and emergency management organizations and
serve the following important functions:
• Document response activities
• Identify problems/successes during emergency operations
• Analyze the effectiveness of the components of NIMS/SEMS
• Describe and define a plan of action for implementing improvements
The NIMS/SEMS approach to implementing AARs emphasizes improving emergency management at all
levels. The AAR provides a vehicle for not only documenting system improvements but also can provide a
work plan for how these improvements can be implemented.
It may be useful to coordinate the AAR process when multiple agencies/jurisdictions are involved in the
same emergency. Jurisdictions are encouraged to work together when developing AARs when appropriate
and feasible. For example, an Operational Area may coordinate the development of an AAR that involves
several jurisdictions. Jurisdictional reports may become part of an overall operational area report if
appropriate.
Training
All City personnel assigned to the EOC must complete initial and regular training related to emergency
management operations. The City maintains an Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) that identifies and
prioritizes the levels of training and exercises the City will follow. This IPP aligns with other trainings and
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exercises within the operational area to ensure practice and integration with OA partners whenever
possible. City Departments and partner organizations having assigned responsibilities under this plan
must ensure their assigned personnel are adequately trained to carry out identified roles and
responsibilities and should maintain their own SOPs, plans, training, and program maintenance.
Finally, training and exercises involve a variety of scopes, scales, and participation. Training may include
the following:
Drills: A drill is a small, organized exercise that tests one specific action.
Tabletop exercises: A tabletop exercise is a discussion-based exercise in a low-stress environment to
discuss a possible emergency scenario.
Functional exercise: A functional exercise is designed to exercise a single function, or multiple functions
through the simulation of a realistic simulated scenario.
Full-scale exercise: A full-scale exercise is designed to involve multiple jurisdictions and organizations and
exercise multiple functions through the simulation of a realistic simulated scenario.
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AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES
FEDERAL
Authorities
• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, 42 U.S.C. 5121, et seq.,
as amended
• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, Management of Domestic Incidents, February 28,
2003
• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8, National Preparedness, December 17, 2003
• The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 44, Chapter 1, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
October 1, 2007
• Public Law 920, Civil Defense Act of 1950, as amended
• Public Law 84-99, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Flood Fighting
• Public Law 93-288, Federal Disaster Relief Act of 1974
• Public Law 107-188, Bio-terrorism Act, June 2002
• Public Law 107-296, Homeland Security Act, January 2002
• Executive Order 13228, Office of Homeland Security, October 8, 2001
• Executive Order 13231, Critical Infrastructure Protection, October 16, 2001
• Executive Order 13234, Citizens Prepared, November 9, 2001
• Presidential Policy Directive 8, National Preparedness, March 2011
• Presidential Decision Directive 39 - U.S. Policy on Counterterrorism, June 1995
• Presidential Decision Directive 62 - Combating Terrorism, May 1998
• Presidential Decision Directive 63 – Critical Infrastructure Protection, May 1998
• National Security Presidential Directive 17 - National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass
Destruction
References
• National Response Framework (as revised)
• National Incident Management System
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• Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG)
101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans, November 2020, Version 3.0
(draftv0.5)
STATE
Authorities
• California Disaster Assistance Act, California Government Code Section 8680 et. seq.
• California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement
• California Government Code, Title 1, Chapter 4, Division 8, Section 3100 - Disaster Service Workers
• California Government Code, Title 1, Chapter 4, Division 8, Section 8635 - Continuity of
Government
• California Government Code, Title 2, Division 1, Chapter 7 – California Emergency Services Act
• California Government Code, Title 19, Division 2 – Standardized Emergency Management System
• California Water Code, § 128-Department of Water Resources - Flood Fighting
References
• Standardize Emergency Management System
• California Disaster Assistance Act
• California State Emergency Plan, October 1, 2017
COUNTY
Authorities
• Santa Clara County Emergency Services Code of Ordinances, Division A8
References
• Santa Clara County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan, January 2022
• 2017 Multi-Jurisdiction All-Hazards Mitigation Plan, 2017
CITY
Authorities
• City Resolution No. x adopting the Emergency Operations Plan, Basic Plan, on Month DD, YYYY
• City of Gilroy City Code, Chapter 9 – Emergency Services Organization and Functions
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ACRYNYMS
AAR After-Action Report
ADA ACT Americans with Disabilities Act
ARES Amateur Radio and Emergency Services
AFN Access and Functional Needs
CA California
CADRE Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort
Cal OES California Governor’s Office of Emergency
Services
CDAA California Disaster Assistance Act
CERT Community Emergency Response Team
DOC Department Operations Center
DSW Disaster Service Worker
DSWV Disaster Service Worker Volunteer
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EOP Emergency Operations Plan
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
GIS Geographic Information Systems
IC Incident Commander
ICP Incident Command Post
ICS Incident Command System
IPP Integrated Preparedness Plan
HMGP Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
JEDI Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
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JIC Joint Information Center
JIS Joint Information System
JFO Joint Field Office
MAC Multi-Agency Coordination
MMAA California Master Mutual Aid Agreement
NRF National Response Framework
NGO Nongovernmental Organization
NIMS National Incident Management System
NWS National Weather Service
OA Operational Area
OEM Office of Emergency Management
OES Office of Emergency Services
PA Public Assistance
PETS ACT Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act
PIO Public Information Officer
PNP Private Nonprofit
SEMS Standardized Emergency Management System
VOAD Voluntary Organization Active in Disasters
GLOSSARY
Access and Functional Needs (AFN) – Persons who may have additional needs before, during, and after
an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to: maintaining independence, communication,
transportation, supervision, and medical care. Individuals in need of additional response assistance may
include those who have disabilities, live in institutionalized settings, are elderly, are children, are from
diverse cultures, have limited English proficiency, or are non- English speaking, or are transportation
disadvantaged.
American Red Cross (Red Cross) – The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that
provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
It does this through services that are consistent with its Congressional Charter and the Principles of the
International Red Cross Movement.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination
against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications,
and governmental activities. The ADA also establishes requirements for telecommunications relay
services.
Annex – An annex is an addition to a document.
Appendix – Appendices provide relevant information already referenced in the guidance. Typically, this
includes forms used or other necessary information.
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Catastrophe – A series of cascading human-caused/influenced events or incidents with or without a
human caused genesis, the adverse effects/consequences of which are potentially, seemingly, or
definitively irreversible.
Disaster – Any natural event or emergency (hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water,
tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, etc.), or
regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion which the President of the United States determines to
be of such severity as to warrant major federal disaster assistance.
Disaster Service Worker (DSW) – Disaster Service Workers are government employees and affiliated
volunteers aid in disaster response and recovery and provide services to protect health and safety, and
preserve the lives and property.
Emergency – Incidents or crises, such as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, drought, sudden
or severe energy shortages, plant or animal infestations or diseases, earthquake or volcanic predictions
issued by the Governor, and earthquakes, that pose a threat to the safety of people, property, or the
environment and exceed an organization’s resources or capabilities. Emergency Operations – Actions
taken during an emergency to protect life and property, care for the people affected, and restore essential
community services.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – A site from which government officials coordinate, monitor, and
support response activities during an emergency.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) – A document that describes how people and property will be
protected in disaster and disaster threat situations; details who is responsible for carrying out specific
actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources available for use in
the disaster; and outlines how all actions will be coordinated.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction,
response, and recovery. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency
programs and providing technical guidance and training. These coordinated activities at the federal, state,
and local levels ensure a broad-based emergency program to ensure public safety and protect property.
Hazard – Any source of danger or element of risk to people or property.
Incident – The physical manifestation of crisis, event, or occurrence that has adversely affected life,
property, or the environment requiring the response of at least one individual.
Incident Command System (ICS) – The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized emergency
management concept designed to provide an integrated organizational structure for managing
emergencies, and to enable coordinated emergency response across jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the
combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a
common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during emergencies.
It is based on proven management tools that contribute to the strength and efficiency of the overall
system.
Mitigation – Pre-event planning and actions that aim to lessen the occurrence or effects of potential
disaster.
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Mobilization – The process and procedures used by organizations (federal, state, and local) for activating,
assembling, and transporting resources that have been requested to respond to or support an incident.
Mutual Aid – Is voluntary aid and assistance by the provision of services and facilities, including but not
limited to fire, police, medical and health, communication, transportation, and utilities. Mutual aid is
intended to provide adequate resources, facilities, and other support to jurisdictions whenever their own
resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a given situation.
Mutual Aid Agreement – Written agreement between agencies and/or jurisdictions in which they agree
to assist one another upon request, by furnishing personnel and equipment.
National Incident Management System (NIMS) – The National Incident Management System (NIMS)
provides a comprehensive approach to emergency management for all hazards. NIMS integrates existing
best practices into a consistent nationwide approach to domestic emergency management that is
applicable to all jurisdictional levels (public and private) and across functional disciplines. NIMS is based
on a balance of flexibility and standardization. NIMS is flexible and allows government and private entities
at all levels to work together to manage domestic emergencies, regardless of their cause, size, location,
or complexity. NIMS also provides a set of standardized organizational structures.
National Response Framework – The National Response Framework (NRF) presents the guiding principles
that enable all response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and
emergencies—from the smallest incident to the largest catastrophe. The NRF establishes a
comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The NRF documents the
key response principles, roles, and structures that organize national response. It describes how
communities, states, the Federal Government, private-sector, and non- governmental partners apply
these principles for a coordinated, effective national response. And it describes special circumstances
where the Federal Government exercises a larger role, including incidents where Federal interests are
involved and catastrophic incidents where a state would require significant support. It allows first
responders, decision makers, and supporting entities to provide a unified national response.
Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) – An entity with an association that is based on interests of its
members, individuals, or institutions, and that is not created by a government, but may work
cooperatively with government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not a private benefit.
Examples of NGOs include faith-based charity organizations and the Red Cross.
Gilroy Office of Emergency Management (Gilroy OEM) – OEM is the lead in fulfilling the City’s
responsibility under the California Emergency Services Act.
Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management (County OEM) – OEM is the lead agency in fulfilling
the County’s responsibility under the California Emergency Services Act and also serves as the Operational
Area Coordinator for the County of Santa Clara under SEMS.
Operational Area (OA) – A geographical area that encompasses all local governments within a county,
including the county. The OA serves as the coordination and communications link between the local
government and the state. The OA prioritizes resources and coordinates mutual aid among entities within
the OA. Each OA is responsible for activating and operating an EOC.
Operational Area Emergency Operations Center (OA EOC) – The physical location at which the
coordination of information and resources to support OA activities normally takes place.
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60 Emergency Operations Plan
City of Gilroy
Plan – A document that describes the broad, overall jurisdictional response to potential extraordinary
emergencies or disasters.
Preparedness – The range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build, sustain, and
improve operational capability. Preparedness is a continuous process involving efforts at all levels of
government and between government and private-sector and NGOs to identify threats, determine
vulnerabilities, and identify required resources. Preparedness is operationally focused on establishing
guidelines, protocols, and standards for planning, training and exercises, personnel qualification and
certification, equipment certifications and publication management.
Recovery – The long-term activities beyond the initial emergency response phase of disaster operations
that focus on returning all systems in the community to a normal status or to reconstitute these systems
to a new condition that is less vulnerable.
Resources – Personnel and equipment available, for assignment to incidents or to EOCs.
Response – Activities that address the direct effects of an incident; immediate actions to save lives and
protect property.
Special District – A unit of local government (other than a city or county, with authority or responsibility
to own, operate, or maintain a project (e.g., a water district).
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) – The Standardized Emergency Management
System (SEMS) is used to manage emergency response in California. SMES consists of five hierarchical
levels: field, local, operational area, regional, and State. SEMS incorporates the principles of the Incident
Command System, the Master Mutual Aid Agreement, existing discipline-specific mutual aid agreements,
the Operational Area concept, and multi-agency or interagency coordination and communication. Under
SEMS, response activities are managed at the lowest possible organizational level.
State of Emergency – An eminent impending incident(s) or crisis(es) posing threat to safety of persons,
property, or the environment that is/are likely to exceed resources/capability of the proclaiming political
jurisdiction, or the existence of an active incident which threatens a population and the adequacy of local
resources is unknown.
Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) – Established disaster relief organizations and private
non-profits play a major role in disaster recovery at the local level and provide access to services.
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