If a disaster occurs within the City of Grand Junction or within
jurisdictions contracted with the City, an immediate response will
be required. Only personnel trained in the prearranged plans and procedures
will be prepared to make the coordinated efforts necessary to deal
with a threat to life and/or property.
If a response to a disaster exceeds the capabilities of the
City, the responsible department will request resources through mutual
aid agreements (usually discipline specific, such as fire, law enforcement,
emergency medical, or public works). All local governments and special
districts within the individual counties are responsible for coordinating
with one another and for providing mutual aid within their capabilities
as established by written agreements.
When local resources and mutual aid resources are exhausted,
the City of Grand Junction, through Mesa County, may request aid from
the State of Colorado.
This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is based on the concept
that emergency response functions will generally parallel the normal
operations of all City departments. To the extent possible, the same
personnel should be utilized in both cases. Day-to-day functions which
would not contribute to emergency operations may be suspended for
the duration of the emergency and recovery period. Resources normally
required for day-to-day operations may be redirected for accomplishment
of emergency tasks.
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
During any emergency or disaster the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) will be utilized by all emergency response agencies
to manage an emergency incident/disaster or a nonemergency planned
event. Scope and magnitude of an incident will determine level and
complexity of the management structure. NIMS outlines three conceptual
areas pertinent to incident and event response including:
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(Revised by City 12/16; Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
The Incident Command System is designed to expand or contract as
needed. As an incident escalates, span of control may expand requiring
branch, group, and division positions of the Incident Command System
to be staffed. Additionally, the following sections may be established
and expanded as dictated by event:
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(b)
Command.
An Incident Commander is responsible for overall
coordination and direction of all activities at the incident. Determination
of which agency will function as on-scene Incident Commander will
be in concert with the agency/person having three components:
(c)
Major responsibilities of an Incident Commander include:
(d)
An Incident Commander may elect to establish command staff positions
to assume responsibilities for key activities, which are not part
of the line organization. All of these positions may not be required
on all incidents or may be assumed by the Emergency Operations Center.
These positions answer directly to the Incident Commander.
(1)
Safety Officer.
Assess hazardous and unsafe situations
and develop measures for assuring personnel safety.
(2)
Public Information Officer.
Develops accurate and complete
information regarding incident cause, size, current situation, resources
committed, and other matters of general interest. Point of contact
for the media. Will work with or through the Joint Information Center
if activated.
(3)
Liaison Officer.
Point of contact for supporting or
assisting agency representatives.
(f)
Planning Section is responsible for processing information needed
for effective decision making.
(g)
Logistics Section provides services and support systems to all organizational
components involved in the incident on scene. Resources and facilities
are acquired and coordinated through the Emergency Operations Center
(EOC).
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
Unified Command (a variation of Incident Command) operations
are conducted when two agencies or jurisdictions have significant
responsibility or statutory authority to command the same incident.
Similar concepts and principals of the Incident Command System apply,
except multiple jurisdictions or agencies/departments share a command
role.
Incident objectives and selection of command and general staff
are accomplished through consensus decision making of a Unified Command
Group. Wherever possible, staff positions are integrated with representatives
of jurisdictions and agencies involved.
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(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
To have a successful disaster operation, key officials shall assemble
in one location. This allows decision makers to share information
through briefings and use manpower and other resources more efficiently
with little or no duplication of effort.
(b)
A Multi-Agency Coordination System includes both coordination and
policy making components, with command being located at an on-scene
Incident Command level. Direct tactical and operational responsibility
for conducting incident management activities rests with the on-scene
Incident Commander.
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(c)
Policy Coordination Group.
During certain emergencies
or disasters this group develops policy measures relating to emergency
management, public information, dissemination and commitment of City
resources, and is composed of policy making senior officials. It will
be comprised of the Mayor and City Council and the City Manager and
their department directors. Emergencies that go beyond the boundaries
of the City may require coordination with the Mesa County Board of
County Commissioners and their senior leadership staff.
(d)
Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC Group).
Mesa County
has a multi-agency coordination group with the City of Grand Junction
having representation from police, fire, public works and utilities
and the Grand Junction Regional Communication Center. The MAC Group
aids in establishing priorities among the incidents and associated
resource allocations, resolving agency policy conflicts, and providing
strategic guidance to support incident management activities. This
group is made up of department/agency heads or designees with authority
to make decisions and commit resources.
(e)
The difference between the on-scene Incident Commander and an Emergency
Manager in the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is Incident Command
has certain statutory duties or authorities to be able to protect
public safety and carry out particular actions. The Emergency Manager
in the Emergency Operations Center is discharging duties of the chief
executive of a jurisdiction to coordinate and make the entire community
move towards effective response and recovery in supporting an Incident
Commander(s).
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a physical location through
which the Emergency Management Team can coordinate the support efforts
in disaster situations. It provides a location for the assembly and
analysis of critical information, for the coordination and support
of the response and recovery activities of local government, and to
ensure interagency cooperation and communication. The EOC is not the
Incident Command Post, which is always located in the field.
(b)
The EOC is activated and staffed based upon the severity of an emergency
or planned event and according to the anticipated or actual level
of involvement by City employees and supporting agencies. In a major
event, the EOC coordinates with the Mesa County EOC for the coordination
of mutually beneficial efforts.
(d)
Within the EOC, requests for assistance will be tasked to the agency/department
best suited for completion based upon function and resource availability.
Tasked agencies will be responsible for identifying resources to accomplish
the mission, and will coordinate resource delivery.
(e)
Resource management functions within the EOC will fulfill resource
requests from incidents through an identified process. Resource acquisition
will follow the following priority:
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
The tactical level, on-scene Incident Command and management
organization is located at the Incident Command Post (ICP). It typically
consists of designated incident management officials and responders
from local agencies/departments, as well as private sector and nongovernmental
organization representatives. When multiple command authorities are
involved, the ICP may be led by a Unified Command, comprised of officials
who have jurisdictional authority or functional responsibility for
the incident under an appropriate law, ordinance, or agreement. The
Unified Command provides direct, on-scene control of tactical operations
and utilizes the National Incident Management System Incident Command
System (NIMS) (ICS) organizational structure, typically including
Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration Sections.
The Incident Command Post (ICP) is usually located at or in
the immediate vicinity of the incident site. The location is selected
by the agency having primary jurisdictional authority for managing
the incident at this level. Generally, there is one ICP established
for each incident. Depending on the number and location of incidents,
there may be multiple ICP’s managed by an Area Command.
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
Joint Information System/Center (JIS/JIC).
All City
of Grand Junction Public Information Officers (PIOs) are part of the
Mesa County JIC.
(b)
The JIC serves as a focal point for the coordination and dissemination
of information to the public and media concerning incident prevention,
preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. The JIC staff develops,
coordinates, and disseminates unified news releases. News releases
are cleared through the Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MACG) to
ensure consistent messages, avoid release of conflicting information,
and prevent negative impact on operations. This formal approval process
ensures protection of law enforcement sensitive information. Agencies
may issue their own news releases related to their policies, procedures,
and capabilities, however, these should be coordinated with the JIC.
(c)
The Mesa County PIOs have created a Joint Information System (MCJIS)
Plan to establish a system for conducting public information operations
during emergency responses and other situations in which multiple
organizations need to collaborate. During a crisis response, the Joint
Information System (JIS) and the Joint Information Center (JIC) are
keys to providing concise and coordinated information to the public
and the news media.
(d)
The primary focus of this plan is to provide the participating PIOs
with a structure that works within the framework of the National Incident
Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS). Utilizing
NIMS, PIOs work together in conjunction with the Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) and/or the Incident Commander (IC) to provide critical
emergency information, crisis communications, and public affairs support
to establish procedures and processes to gather, verify, coordinate,
and disseminate public information. The Mesa County Joint Information
Center/System Plan and the Mesa County Communication Officers Association
Plan can be referenced for information on working with the JIC in
Mesa County.
(Revised by City 12/16; Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
Pursuant to the Grand Junction Municipal Code, the Mayor (Principal
Executive Officer) has the power to declare that a state of emergency
exists if an event has occurred or the threat of such event is imminent.
If the Mayor is unable to perform his or her duties, the powers and
duties conferred upon the Mayor are delegated to the Mayor Pro Tempore.
(b)
With the assistance of the City Attorney’s office, the City
Manager, and the Emergency Manager, a declaration of emergency is
drafted to describe the nature of the emergency, the area threatened,
the conditions that have brought it about, and the conditions that
would remedy it. The City Manager is responsible for publication of
the declaration, dissemination to the public, filing with the City
Clerk, and filing with the State of Colorado Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management. The City Manager also performs
the same notification duties if the state of emergency continues or
is terminated.
(c)
The issuance of a declaration of emergency empowers the City Manager
to exercise emergency powers permitted by State and local law and
activates all relevant portions of the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
The City Council convenes to perform its legislative powers as the
situation demands, receives reports through the City Manager, and
evaluates and enacts policy and other incident support as required.
The City Council maintains all of its normal legislative powers throughout
the emergency period.
(d)
A state of emergency remains in effect until the Mayor or designee,
in consultation with State of Colorado Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Management, declares that the threat of danger has passed
or that the emergency conditions no longer exist. If the state of
emergency lasts for seven days, it will automatically terminate unless
the City Council approves a longer duration. The City Council may
terminate a state of emergency at any time. The City Manager shall
immediately issue a notice affecting the same.
(e)
In addition to any other powers granted by applicable State law during
a state of emergency, the Grand Junction Municipal Code allows the
City Manager to promulgate regulations as he or she deems necessary
to protect life and property and preserve critical resources. These
regulations may include the following:
(1)
Suspend the provisions of the Grand Junction Municipal Code that
prescribe procedures for conduct of City business, if strict compliance
would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping
with the emergency.
(2)
Transfer the direction, personnel, or functions of City departments
for the purpose of performing or facilitating emergency services.
(3)
Subject to any applicable legal requirements to provide compensation,
commandeer or utilize any private property the City Manager finds
necessary to cope with the emergency.
(4)
Direct evacuation efforts of persons from any stricken or threatened
area within the City if the City Manager deems this action necessary
for the preservation of life or other emergency mitigation, response,
or recovery measures.
(5)
Prescribe route, mode of transportation, and destination in connection
with evacuation.
(6)
Control ingress to and egress from a disaster area, the movement
of persons within the area, and the occupancy of premises therein.
(7)
Suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or transportation of alcoholic
beverages, firearms, explosives, or combustibles within the City.
(8)
Make provisions for the availability and use of temporary emergency
housing.
(9)
Waive all provisions for competitive bidding and may direct the purchasing
agent to purchase necessary supplies in the open market at not more
than commercial prices.
(10)
Exercise all powers permitted by City Charter and State law to require
emergency services of any City officer or employee and command the
aid of as many citizens of the City as he or she deems necessary in
the execution of his or her duties.
(f)
The City of Grand Junction will keep the Mesa County Office of Emergency
Management informed of activities and provide copies of assistance
documentation. The Mesa County Office of Emergency Management will,
in turn, coordinate with the State of Colorado Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management.
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(g)
If the Governor of Colorado determines that an emergency exists where
the primary responsibility for response rests with the State of Colorado,
the Governor may unilaterally direct the provision of assistance and
will, if practicable, consult with the local jurisdiction.
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
Certain events may require the Incident Commander to perform
actions beyond the normal scope of their duties as defined by existing
laws or policies. In this event, the appropriate City official(s)
may need to provide a written delegation of authority.
A delegation of authority allows the Incident Commander to assume
command and carry out the specific functions outlined in the delegation
of authority. It does not relieve the granting authority for the ultimate
responsibility of the incident.
A delegation of authority may be required to allow resources
from other jurisdictions to operate within the corporate boundaries
of the City of Grand Junction (e.g., to allow a Type I, II or III
Incident Management Team to operate within the City).
An example of a delegation of authority can be found in Appendix F, GJMC § 42.02.800.
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
(a)
Effective emergency management operation depends on two important
factors to ensure continuity of government. These factors include
(1) lines of succession for officials, department heads, and supporting
staff; and (2) preservation of vital records.
(b)
The activities necessary to maintain continuity of government are
addressed and detailed within City Departmental Continuity of Operations
Plans (COOPs). The COOPs serve a critical role in the overall success
of response and recovery efforts and therefore is implemented in any
event that affects City-owned property and/or City employees.
(c)
Effective emergency operations are inseparable from the concept of
continuity of operations. The COOPs identify several important factors
for assuring continuity of government:
(1)
Well-defined and understood lines of succession for officials, department
directors, and supervisors.
(2)
Preservation of vital records and critical facilities which are essential
to the functions of government and for the protection of rights and
interests of the City of Grand Junction and its citizens.
(3)
Setting action priorities for sustained provision of critical services
to the community, such as utilities and public safety.
(d)
Administrative Line of Succession.
To ensure the continuity
of local government during the management of a major emergency, the
line of succession for the City Manager shall be:
(1)
The City Manager.
(2)
The Acting/Deputy City Manager.
(3)
The Public Works and Utilities Director.
(4)
The Fire Chief.
(5)
The Police Chief.
(6)
Emergency Manager.
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Each member of the City Leadership Team (department directors)
is responsible for establishing his or her own specific line of succession.
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(e)
Provision of Critical and Essential Services.
The provision
of critical and essential services and the means to restore these
services is defined and detailed within the Continuity of Operations
Plans (COOPs).
Should critical infrastructure be struck by a disaster and rendered
unusable, services normally provided by the City of Grand Junction
that are life-saving/preserving and critical to sustain the economy
shall be maintained or restored as soon as feasible.
(f)
City Administration.
During an emergency or disaster,
local government shall determine which normal administrative procedures
shall be suspended, relaxed or made optional in order to prevent unnecessary
impediments of emergency operations and recovery activities. Any departure
from the usual methods of doing business will be specified in the
COOP and supporting policies or procedures.
(g)
Finance.
Financial support for emergency operations
shall be from funds regularly appropriated to City departments. If
the demands exceed available funds, the City Council may make emergency
funds available. Additionally, the Mayor has the authority to request
assistance under a State Declaration of Disaster/Emergency to receive
additional funds for the reimbursement of extraordinary expenditures
incurred during the management of a significant event.
City departments designated as the primary agency for an Emergency
Support Function (ESF) will be responsible for providing financial
support for their operations by working with the Finance Section through
the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
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Each City of Grand Junction department is responsible for maintaining
appropriate documentation to support requests for reimbursement, for
submitting bills in a timely fashion, and for closing out assignments
by working with the Administration and Documentation Section of the
EOC.
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City of Grand Junction departments or working groups are responsible
for documenting all emergency or disaster related expenditures using
generally accepted accounting procedures including: logs, records,
receipts, invoices, purchase orders, rental agreements, etc. These
documents are necessary to support claims, purchases, reimbursements
and disbursements.
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(h)
Mutual Aid and Intergovernmental Agreements.
(1)
According to § 24-33.5-713, C.R.S., “Political subdivisions not participating in inter-jurisdictional
arrangements pursuant to this part 7 nevertheless shall be encouraged
and assisted by the State of Colorado Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Management to conclude suitable arrangements for furnishing
mutual aid in coping with disasters.” The arrangements shall
include provision of aid by persons and units in public employ.
(2)
Additional emergency or long-term assistance may be rendered through
Mutual Aid Agreements for obtaining needed resources from non-impacted,
inter/intra-jurisdictional governmental agencies and other organizations.
(3)
Where appropriate, inter-governmental agreements shall be established
with stakeholders in order to facilitate a rapid and seamless system
of support and collaboration during an emergency.
(i)
Compacts.
Colorado is a member of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Any member state may request EMAC assistance when the Governor of the affected state has declared a state of emergency. When Colorado suffers or expects to suffer a major disaster and needs assistance from other states, the authorized representative for each state will initiate the EMAC procedures for requesting assistance. Reference: Title 24, Article 60, Part 29 Colorado Revised Statutes, as amended.
(j)
Training.
Emergency operations training of local staff will be conducted on a continuing basis. In-house sessions, exercises, actual operations, or sponsored classes are sources for accomplishing this training. See Appendix G, GJMC § 42.02.810, for a list of minimum annual training requirements.
During increased readiness conditions, accelerated/refresher
training for emergency operations staff and emergency response coordinators
may be conducted.
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
It is anticipated that most incidents will be reported through
the Grand Junction Regional Communications Center (911). First responder
organizations will keep the City’s Emergency Manager informed
of escalating situations that may require coordinated multi-departmental
response and/or activation of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Once notified, the Emergency Manager will monitor and/or immediately
respond to a situation, implement procedures to notify key personnel,
and under direction of the City Manager activate this Emergency Operations
Plan (EOP).
Activation of the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) serves as
notice to all municipal departments, and cooperating agencies to shift
from normal operations to emergency operations. This may require shifts
in mission, staffing and resource allocation.
Disaster responsibilities assigned to municipal departments
and employees will parallel normal activities. However, during declared
emergencies, staff not otherwise assigned emergency duties may be
made available to assist with emergency work.
This EOP will not be implemented for routine emergencies handled
by first responders and other organizations. However, if necessary,
portions of this plan (such as a particular emergency support function)
may be activated to meet unique needs created by routine emergencies.
If local resources are severely taxed or exhausted, assistance
may be requested from neighboring communities by activating mutual
aid agreements or contacting the Mesa County Emergency Manager.
(Res. 41-15, 9-16-15)
