WHATCOM COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN March 1, 2017 Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management 311 Grand Avenue Public Safety Building Bellingham, WA 98225 WHATCOM COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN PROMULGATION DOCUMENT March 1, 2017 To: The Citizens of Whatcom County The Chief Elected Officials of all parties to the Interlocal Cooperative Agreement for the Provision of Emergency Management Services All Whatcom County Fire Districts All Whatcom County Departments and Other Organizations With Disaster Mitigation, Preparedness, Response And/or Recovery Responsibilities City of Bellingham From: Jack LouWs, Chairperson Whatcom County Emergency Management Council Whatcom County Executive Subject: 2017 Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan The Whatcom County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan is designed to ensure that all jurisdictional members of the Emergency Management Interlocal Agreement have the capability to respond to emergencies and disasters. Pursuant to RCW 38.52 this Plan is intended as a comprehensive frameWork for countyWide disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It details authorities, functions, and responsibilities to establish a mutually cooperative plan of action between Local, State, Federal; International, Tribal; public; and private sector organizations. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management is responsible for coordinating such mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities, as Well as publishing and distributing this Plan and changes as required. Every effort has been made to assure this Plan’s compatibility With planning guidance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division. This Plan Will be used to direct and coordinate response and recovery efforts to protect the lives, health and property of citizens of Whatcom County. I request that all jurisdictions, agencies and organizations in Whatcom County study this plan, and be prepared to discharge their emergency responsibilities, or to support the emergency responsibilities of others. All jurisdictional Chief Elected Officials should be familiar With this Plan. They should prepare, as appropriate, emergency response plans for their jurisdictions, and coordinate emergency response planning through the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management to ensure a prompt response to, and timely recovery from emergencies and disasters. In addition, the Director of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management Will be responsible for coordinating maintenance of this Plan, and Working With other levels of government to maintain the organizational capabilities and resources necessary to effectively implement this plan. i TABLE OF CONTENTS RECORD OF DISTRIBUTION ..................................................................................................... 6 RECORD OF CHANGES ............................................................................................................. 7 LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 8 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 8 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................ 9 SCOPE ................................................................................................................................... 10 LIMITATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 11 EMERGENCY POWERS ........................................................................................................... 12 PROCLAMATION OF EMERGENCY ................................................................................................... 12 DIRECTION AND CONTROL ............................................................................................................. 12 EMERGENCY AUTHORITY ................................................................................................................ 13 LAWS AND AUTHORITIES ....................................................................................................... 14 SITUATION ............................................................................................................................ 16 PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS ..................................................................................................... 17 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS ................................................................................ 18 MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................. 18 PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................................ 18 RESPONSE ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................................... 19 RECOVERY ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................................... 19 PREVENTION AND PROTECTION ACTIVITIES .................................................................................... 20 PLANS, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES .......................................................................................... 20 ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES ....................................................................................... 23 WHATCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE ..................................................................................................... 23 POLITICAL SUBDIVISION CHIEFS, ELECTED OFFICIALS OR APPOINTED ADMINISTRATORS ................ 23 WHATCOM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ......................... 23 WHATCOM COUNTY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ...................................................................... 24 WHATCOM COUNTY EMPLOYEES ................................................................................................... 24 CITIZENS OF WHATCOM COUNTY ................................................................................................... 25 INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT MEMBERS .............................................................................................. 26 COORDINATION WITH LOCAL, STATE & FEDERAL AGENCIES .................................................. 27 WHATCOM COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE ...................................................... 27 WHATCOM COUNTY FIRE & EMS SERVICES ..................................................................................... 28 WHATCOM COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES ....................................................................... 28 WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES .............................................................................. 28 WHATCOM COUNTY MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS ........................................................................... 28 Whatcom County CEMP 2017 Page 3 of 56 WHATCOM COUNTY MITIGATION ACTIVITIES ................................................................................. 29 CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS ..................................................................................................... 30 NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ................................................................................ 30 LEVELS OF EMERGENCY .................................................................................................................. 30 PLAN ACTIVATION ................................................................................................................. 31 WHATCOM UNIFIED EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTER ................................................... 31 NOTIFICATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 32 ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS ........................................................................................................ 34 INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM .............................................................................................. 35 JURISDICTIONAL AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ......................................................................... 36 UNIFIED COMMAND REPRESENTATIVE / INCIDENT COMMANDER .................................................. 40 GENERAL STAFF ..................................................................................................................... 46 OPERATIONS SECTION .................................................................................................................... 46 PLANNING SECTION ........................................................................................................................ 48 LOGISTICS SECTION ........................................................................................................................ 49 FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION SECTION ............................................................................................. 50 RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................................................................. 51 ASSIGNMENT OF GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES ...............................................................................