Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex August 2010 Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex Table of Contents Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures EXECUTIVE SUMMARY RECORD OF CHANGES Section 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Scope and Applicability ............................................................................................ 1-2 1.3 Situation .................................................................................................................... 1-3 1.4 Planning Assumptions .............................................................................................. 1-3 1.5 Regional Capabilities ................................................................................................ 1-5 Section 2 CONCEPT OF COORDINATION 2.1 Coordination and Control ......................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Process of Notification ............................................................................................. 2-1 2.3 Stand Up Joint Information Center ........................................................................... 2-1 2.4 Conduct JIC Operations ............................................................................................ 2-1 2.4.1 Spokesperson(s) ............................................................................................ 2-2 2.4.2 Demobilize Joint Information Center .................................................. 2-2 Section 3 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 3.1 Pre-Incident ............................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 During the Incident ................................................................................................... 3-2 3.3 Post-Incident ............................................................................................................. 3-3 3.4 Role of Other Key Stakeholders ............................................................................... 3-4 3.4.1 Nongovernmental Organizations .................................................................. 3-4 3.4.2 Public Health ................................................................................................ 3-5 3.4.3 Volunteer Organization Contacts ................................................................. 3-5 Section 4 EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEMS 4.1 Telephone Information Systems ............................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Public Information and Warning Notification Resources ........................................ 4-1 Siren Tones ......................................................................................................................... 4-1 Response to Sirens ............................................................................................................. 4-2 IL-IN-WI CSA Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex/August 2010 i Table of Contents 4.3 Alternative Communication Sources ........................................................................ 4-4 Attachment A IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE Attachment B MEDIA INFORMATION List of Tables Table 1 Record of Changes ....................................................................................................... RC-1 Table 1-1 IL-IN-WI Jurisdictions by State .................................................................................. 1-2 Table 2-1 IL-IN-WI CSA Public Information Contact Numbers ............................................... 2-3 List of Figures Figure 1-1 Information Collection and Dissemination Process ................................................... 1-5 ii IL-IN-WI CSA Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex/August 2010 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program focuses on the nation’s highest risk urban areas and surrounding regions to improve and expand regional collaboration in the development of all-hazards regional catastrophic plans and preparedness. The Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area (IL-IN-WI CSA) consists of 16 counties and the City of Chicago and spans parts of three states: northeastern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, and southeastern Wisconsin. In accordance with the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program, the IL-IN-WI CSA has undertaken regional planning effort to develop the IL-IN-WI CSA Regional Catastrophic Incident Coordination Plan (RCICP). Multiple information sources must provide consistent, accurate information about emergency alerts and responses. With the prevalence of the internet, there are many more sources for information during an emergency incident than ever before. According to the Council for Excellence in Government Primary Readiness Index, a 2006 national study of citizen preparedness showed that if an evacuation were necessary, nearly half of Americans (46 percent) say they would most likely follow the instructions of the police/fire chief. 1 Slightly more than one-fifth of the national sample (21 percent) says they would follow evacuation instructions “in the news.” These statistics confirm that people use multiple sources to get information in an emergency demanding consistent, clear information to avoid confusion that may delay life- saving actions. The regional emergency public information and warning annex is one of four functional annexes to the IL-IN-WI CSA RCICP. Each of the four functional annexes is built upon the framework described in the RCICP. The four annexes to the RCICP are as follows: Regional logistics and resource management annex Regional evacuation annex Regional emergency public information and warning annex Regional mass care and sheltering annex The RCICP provides a structure through which the IL-IN-WI CSA can collaborate on planning, communication, information sharing, and coordination activities before, during, and after a catastrophic incident. The RCICP was developed as a tool to assist local, state, federal, and private sector partners in the IL-IN-WI CSA in coordinating their response to catastrophic incidents. The RCICP annexes are complimentary and consistent with the authorities, plans, and procedures of participating jurisdictions, agencies, and organizations in the IL-IN-WI CSA. 1 Council for Excellence in Government, Public Readiness Index Chicago, December 2006. IL-IN-WI CSA Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex/August 2010 ES-1 RECORD OF CHANGES This Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area (IL-IN-WI CSA) Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex is a living document that will be strengthened and enhanced over time as it is tested by exercises and activated for actual catastrophic incidents. In concert with the planning efforts of the IL-IN-WI CSA member jurisdictions, the Regional Catastrophic Planning Team will revise and refine the annex on a regular basis. The Regional Catastrophic Planning Team will also initiate training and exercise programs to test and improve this annex. Each revision of this annex will be numbered and documented. As new versions are created, they will be distributed to stakeholders and will supersede all previous versions. Table 1 Record of Changes Section of Annex Change Number Date of Change Recorded By Changed IL-IN-WI CSA Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning Annex/August 2010 RC-1 Section 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Purpose The purpose of the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin Combined Statistical Area (IL-IN-WI CSA) Regional Emergency Public Information and Warning (EPIW) Annex is to establish policies and processes for coordinating the development and dissemination of emergency public information and resources during a catastrophic incident affecting the IL-IN-WI CSA. A catastrophic incident is any natural or human-caused incident that results in extraordinary levels of causalities, damage, or disruption that severely affects the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, or government functions. During a catastrophic incident, providing consistent and accurate emergency information is essential to maintain the public’s trust and cooperation. By coordinating planning and response efforts, jurisdictions can share resources to use personnel, equipment, and supplies where they are needed most within the IL-IN-WI CSA. While it can be assumed federal and interstate resources will be forthcoming in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident, the EPIW annex was developed to establish effective strategies for immediate regional coordination within the IL-IN- WI CSA of emergency public information and warning resources during the critical 0-72 hour period prior to request and deployment of out-of-region assistance. The governor of the affected state under the Robert T. Stafford Act must request FEMA disaster declarations. Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) , a congressionally ratified organization that provides form and structure to interstate mutual aid, also has a request process that assists states with coordination of certain types of assistance. While assistance from FEMA, EMAC, and other national resources will be needed, deployment and procurement of resources can take