Hurricane Procedures PDF

HURRICANE PROCEDURES PURPOSE To establish Department wide procedures that guide operations during all phases of hurricane response. This procedure is intended to guide command and company officers from the stages of hurricane preparedness to implementing post-disaster priorities. GENERAL INFORMATI...

HURRICANE PROCEDURES PURPOSE To establish Department wide procedures that guide operations during all phases of hurricane response. This procedure is intended to guide command and company officers from the stages of hurricane preparedness to implementing post-disaster priorities. GENERAL INFORMATION In the event a hurricane is expected to hit the Southeast Florida area, all off-duty personnel will be responsible for taking the necessary precautions to protect their families and property as quickly as possible. The Fire Chief or his/her designee shall have the responsibility to determine the movement of companies out of anticipated storm strike zones. Stations may be evacuated and relocated because of the potential for area flooding, storm damage or operational need. In addition, spare apparatus may be outfitted and staffed. Stations may also provide lodging for the Miami Police Department, heavy equipment operators as well as Mutual Aid units. Due to the potential of post-storm related activities including the need for vast life-safety assessments and wide area search, a portion of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team may be mobilized and pre-positioned prior to the storm. POLICY District Chiefs shall have knowledge of the available space to house personnel and storage area for apparatus at each station within their territory. Shift Commanders shall keep a current roster of assigned personnel under their command and District Chiefs will ensure that swing personnel are accounted for. PROCEDURE A City of Miami Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be established and staffed by personnel from all Divisions. A Fire Officer will staff the Miami-Dade County EOC. Beginning with a Hurricane Watch, all Company Officers, District Chiefs and Battalion Commanders are to complete an ICS-214 Activity Log per duty day. (See Appendix A) 08/12/2019 EOM/Article3/Section 2 Page 1 HURRICANE PROCEDURES 1. WATCH (HURRICANE IS EXPECTED TO HIT WITHIN 36 HOURS) • At the announcement of a Hurricane Watch by the National Hurricane Center all off-duty personnel (R-Day, V-Day, etc.) will call their assigned work locations and leave all phone numbers with a Company Officer where they can be reached. The Company Officer will document this information in the Station Journal along with the time the call was received. • Swing and unassigned personnel will call the station where their District Chief is assigned. • The Shift Commander will be responsible for keeping a list in the Journal of all personnel calling in. The District Chief will assure that this takes place. • Station preparation shall consist of securing all items around station according to a written detailed procedure to be prepared in advance by the Station Commander (i.e. shutters, test generators, order fuel, propane, top off apparatus, pick up necessary supplies, etc.). Assure all power equipment is operational. a. Cancellation of R day after Hurricane Watch is announced The cancellation of R-Days from the announcement of the Watch until operations return to normal will be as follows: 1. Category 1 or 2 Storm: R-Days may be canceled at the discretion of the Fire Chief or his designee. 2. Category 3 or greater Storm: All R-Days will be canceled, unless the Fire Chief determines otherwise. • Personnel on R-Day at the time of the announcement are not affected. • If the Hurricane Watch is announced after 1800 hours the next on-duty shift will report for duty no later than 1100 hours instead of their normal 0730 hours reporting time. These additional hours allow off-duty personnel to secure their property. • Personnel that are on-duty when a watch is announced after 1800 hours may remain on-duty up to 1100 hours the following day. 08/12/2019 EOM/Article3/Section 2 Page 2 HURRICANE PROCEDURES 2. HURRICANE WARNINGS (HURRICANE IS EXPECTED TO HIT WITHIN 24 HOURS OR LESS) Shift Commanders will assure that the following takes place: • Additional supplies are delivered to the stations by Logistics Division. • The watchman will keep a detailed log of all events and activities taking place in the station. • All personnel review Emergency Communications Procedures (talk-about, Taskforce Response, etc.) Note: Stations in flood zones may be closed and personnel relocated. a. Procedure when a Hurricane Warning is announced without a preceding Hurricane Watch • All off-duty personnel will call their assigned work locations and leave all phone numbers with a Company Officer where they can be reached to provide necessary relief (exchange). The Company Officer will document this information in the Station Journal along with the time the call was received. • Swing and unassigned personnel will call the station where their District Chief is assigned. • The Shift Commander shall prepare a list of on-duty personnel needing relief to secure their property. Off-duty personnel calling in shall be requested to relieve onduty personnel on the following basis: • If the Warning is announced by the National Hurricane Center before 1800 hours, the next on-duty Shift will provide the proper relief. • If the Warning is announced by the National Hurricane Center at 1800 hours or later, the Shift last on duty will provide the proper relief. • A list of personnel reporting shall be made in the station journal by the Shift Commander. • This list will include the address and phone number where the member and his family will weather the storm if different than his/her home address and phone number. • Relief for on-duty personnel shall in no case exceed four hours, unless specific permission is granted by the relief member and Company Officer. 08/12/2019 EOM/Article3/Section 2 Page 3 HURRICANE PROCEDURES 3. HURRICANE The Fire Chief or his/her designee has the ultimate responsibility to determine when it is no longer safe for Miami Fire Rescue units to continue responding. The determination to continue responding on alarms or to shelter in place is likely to be determined within the Emergency Operations Center. It is also possible that units in one area may continue to respond while others may shelter in place due to varied conditions in distinct areas of the City. The Emergency Operations Center staff will work closely with the Alarm Office to determine dispatch priorities for the duration of the storm. ⁎ Nothing in this policy is intended to prevent officers from using sound judgement when it comes to the safety of their crews and advising the alarm office if they deem it unsafe to respond within their respective territory. • Consideration should be given to wearing full bunker gear for protection from flying debris. • The Alarm Office will conduct a radio check every hour. • All personnel shall remain in the station away from window and doors when not performing emergency functions. 4. POST HURRICANE Post-hurricane, MFR units should expect to respond on alarms that remain queued from the Alarm Office. In addition to emergency response, priorities will focus on life safety, and property damage assessments. Battalion Commanders and District Chiefs will also ensure that shift commanders assess damage to stations, station equipment and apparatus. Any damage that hinders a unit’s emergency response capability is to be reported immediately to the Battalion Commander through the chain-of-command. Territories shall be surveyed for damage, along with a status of water sources for firefighting. When conducting territory access and damage assessments, the clearing of debris may be necessary priority shall be given to survey area hospitals for status and access. 08/12/2019 EOM/Article3/Section 2 Page 4 HURRICANE PROCEDURES • All off-duty personnel will make every reasonable effort to report to their respective stations by telephone. • If the hurricane is still in progress at the change of shift, personnel scheduled to report for duty will do so as soon as safely possible. Personnel who are on-duty will be required to stay until properly relieved. 08/12/2019 EOM/Article3/Section 2 Page 5 HURRICANE PROCEDURES Appendix A - ICS 214 Activity Log The Activity Log (ICS 214) records details of notable activities at any ICS level, including single resources, equipment, Task Forces, etc. These logs provide basic incident activity documentation useful during federal reimbursement procedures, and a reference for any after-action report. a. Preparation. An ICS 214 shall be initiated and maintained by Company Officers prior to the end of each tour of duty. Company Officers shall document relevant incident activities or any notable events or communications. Multiple forms may be used to capture all of the pertinent activity. b. Distribution. At the end of each shift, Battalion Commanders are to submit completed ICS 214s for the entire tour to the ERD Operations Officer. Battalion Commanders are to ensure completion be all companies under his/her command. It is recommended that Company Officers retain a copy for their own records. Note: Consideration shall be given to assigning a Documentation Unit leader who will be responsible for all Hurricane response documentation. Block Number Block Title 1 Incident Name 2 Operational Period 3 Name 4 ICS Position 5 Home Agency 6 Resources Assigned 7 Activity Log 8 Prepared by 08/12/2019 Instructions i.e. “Hurricane Irma” Enter the start date (month/day/year) and time (using the 24-hour clock) and end date and time for the tour of duty. Enter the Company ID, i.e, Engine 12 or Rescue 9 Enter the name of the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) City of Miami Fire-Rescue Enter all crew members’ names, ICS position (Single Resource Boss or Strike Team/Task Force Leader) and contact information. Enter the date and time (from arrival till 09) and briefly describe individual notable activities. Activities described may include notable occurrences or events such as task assignments, task completions, injuries, difficulties encountered, etc. Enter the name, rank, and signature of the person preparing the form. Enter date (month/day/year) and time prepared (24-hour clock). EOM/Article3/Section 2 Page 6