Organization and Policies

SMCCCD Emergency Operation Center: Roles & Responsibilities 

 

Policy Group Responsibilities:

• Provide policy guidance on priorities and objectives based on situational needs and the Emergency Operations Plan
• From the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), oversee resource coordination and provide support to the on-scene command
• Provide advice and guidance regarding legal matters, claims, and actions
• Incorporate the Liaison Officer as the Point of Contact (POC) for representatives of other government departments - that are not members of the EOC - and serve as the conduit between the Policy Group Supervisor and the EOC Director

Incident Commander/EOC Director Responsibilities:

• The Director in the EOC has overall responsibility for the EOC
• The Director provides leadership to the management team (section chiefs and executive), approves EOC proposed objectives, and communicates with the Policy Group
• Has clear authority and knows agency policy
• Ensures incident safety
• Establishes an Incident Command Post
• Sets priorities and determines incident objectives and strategies 
• Establishes the ICS organization needed to manage the incident
• Approves the Incident Action Plan
• Coordinates the Command and General Staff activities
• Approves resource requests and use of volunteers and auxiliary personnel
• Ensures after-action reports are completed
• Authorizes information release to the media
• Orders demobilization as needed

Public Information Officer Responsibilities:

• Determine, according to direction from the IC, any limits on information release
• Develop accurate, accessible, and timely information for use in press/media briefings
• Obtain IC’s approval of news releases
• Conduct periodic media briefings
• Arrange for tours and other interviews or briefings that may be required
• Monitor and forward media information that may be useful to incident planning
• Maintain current information, summaries, and/or displays on the incident
• Ensure incident information is available to incident personnel
• Participate in planning meetings

 Safety Officer Responsibilities:

• Identify and mitigate hazardous situations
• Ensure safety messages are communicated and briefings are conducted
• Exercise emergency authority to stop and prevent unsafe acts
• Review the Incident Action Plan for safety implications
• Assign assistants qualified to evaluate special hazards
• Initiate a preliminary investigation of accidents within the incident area
• Review and approve the Medical Plan
• Participate in planning meetings

Liaison Officer Responsibilities:

• Act as a point of contact for agency representatives
• Maintain a list of assisting and cooperating agencies and agency representatives
• Assist in setting up and coordinating interagency contacts
• Monitor incident operations to identify current or potential inter-organizational problems
• Participate in planning meetings, including providing current resource status and the limitations and capabilities of agency resources
• Provide agency-specific demobilization information and requirements

Operations Section Chief Responsibilities:

The Operations Section Chief is responsible for managing all tactical operations at an incident. The Incident Action Plan (IAP) provides the necessary guidance. The need to expand the Operations Section is generally determined by the number of tactical resources involved and is influenced by span of control considerations.

Major responsibilities of the Operations Section Chief:

• Assure the safety of tactical operations
• Manage tactical operations
• Develop the operations portion of the IAP
• Supervise the execution of operations portions of the IAP
• Request additional resources to support tactical operations
• Approve the release of resources from active operational assignments
• Make or approve expedient changes to the IAP
• Maintain close contact with IC, subordinate Operations personnel, and other agencies involved in the incident

Planning Section Chief

The Planning Section Chief is responsible for providing planning services for the incident. Under the direction of the Planning Section Chief, the Planning Section collects, evaluates, and processes the situation and resources status information for use in developing action plans. Dissemination of information can be conducted via the IAP, formal briefings, or through map and status board displays.

Major responsibilities of the Planning Section Chief:

• Collect and manage all incident-relevant operational data
• Supervise the preparation of the IAP
• Provide input to the IC and Operations in preparing the IAP
• Incorporate Traffic, Medical, and Communications Plans and other supporting materials into the IAP
• Conduct and facilitate planning meetings
• Reassign personnel within the ICS organization as needed
• Compile and display incident status information
• Establish information requirements and reporting schedules for units (e.g., Resources and Situation Units)
• Determine the need for specialized resources
• Assemble and disassemble Task Forces and Strike Teams (or law
• enforcement Resource Teams) not assigned to Operations
• Establish specialized data collection systems as necessary (e.g., weather)
• Assemble information on alternative strategies
• Provide periodic predictions on incident potential
• Report significant changes in incident status
• Oversee preparation of the Demobilization Plan

Logistics Section Chief Responsibilities

The Logistics Section Chief provides all incident support needs, with the exception of logistics support to air operations. The Logistics Section is responsible for managing:

• Facilities
• Transportation
• Communications
• Supplies
• Equipment maintenance and fueling
• Food services (for responders)
• Medical services (for responders)
• All off-incident resources

Major responsibilities of the Logistics Section Chief:

• Provide all facilities, transportation, communications, supplies, equipment maintenance and fueling, food and medical services for incident personnel, and all off-incident resources
• Manage all incident logistics
• Provide logistical input to the IAP
• Brief Logistics Staff 
• Identify anticipated and known incident service and support requirements
• Request additional resources as needed
• Ensure and oversee the development of the Communications, Medical, and Traffic Plans
• Oversee demobilization of the Logistics Section and associated resources

Finance/Administration Section Chief Responsibilities

The Finance/Administration Section Chief is responsible for managing all financial aspects of an incident. Note that not all incidents will require a Finance/Administration Section. This section will be activated only when the involved agencies have a specific need for financial services.

Major responsibilities of the Finance/Administration Section Chief:

• Manage all financial aspects of an incident
• Provide financial and cost analysis information as requested
• Ensure compensation and claims functions are being addressed relative to the incident
• Gather pertinent information from briefings with responsible agencies
• Develop an operating plan for the Finance/Administration Section

Section supply and support needs:

• Determine the need to set up and operate an incident commissary
• Meet with assisting and cooperating agency representatives as needed
• Maintain daily contact with agency headquarters on finance matters
• Ensure that personnel time records are completed accurately and transmitted to home agencies
• Ensure that all obligation documents initiated at the incident are properly prepared and completed