REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Al Zelinka, City Manager
VIA: Scott M. Haberle, Fire Chief
PREPARED BY: Brevyn Mettler, Emergency Management Administrator Bonnie To, Principal Management Analyst
Subject:
title
Adopt Resolution No. 2023-54 to approve the updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that includes the management, concepts, and response procedures relative to large-scale disasters
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Statement of Issue:
City Council is requested to consider approving the updated Emergency Operations Plan.
Financial Impact:
There is no fiscal impact to adopt the EOP.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 2023-54, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the City’s Emergency Operations Plan.”
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve the recommended action, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
As stated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 Dated September 2021, Version 3.0:
“The risks facing communities can change with evolving threats and hazards, aging infrastructure, shifts in population or changes in the natural environment. The planning team should review capabilities, resources and plans, including EOPs, on a regular basis and update them to reflect current risk assessment results and information gathered during the validation process.” (p.17)
The Fire Department has updated the current EOP with input from all City departments and assistance from a contractor. Over the last 10 years, there have been numerous policy and industry changes which impact the way the City responds to disasters. The proposed updated EOP provides an overview of the City’s systems, frameworks and processes involved in disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts. It also details not only how the City will respond to localized emergencies, but also how the response will align with other local, state and federal agencies involved in much larger disasters through the use of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS).
The EOP assists staff assigned to the City’s dedicated Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and is detailed enough to provide for an effective response yet is flexible enough to be used in any emergency response situation. This plan does not address ordinary day-to-day emergencies or the established departmental procedures used to cope with such incidents. Rather, this multi-hazard plan concentrates on management, concepts and response procedures relative to large-scale disasters. Such disasters pose major threats to life, the environment and property and can impact the well-being of a large number of people.
The Fire Department’s Emergency Management & Homeland Security Section will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the EOP to reflect any applicable changes that are made, including EOC staff assignment changes. All changes to the EOP will be documented in the record of revisions table and will be distributed to all City departments and agencies shown on the distribution list. The plan is for the EOP to be submitted to the City Council for approval and adoption by proclamation every five years.
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 8 - Public Safety, Strategy B - Bolster City's emergency management preparedness and response plans to ensure seamless public safety response during crisis events.
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2023-54, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving the City’s Emergency Operations Plan”