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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDCPA budget and state training 1976 tAl DIVISION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY SERVICES TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY 5805 N. Lamar Blvd. WILSON E. SPEIR DOLPH BRISCOE Box 4087 Director Governor Austin, Texas 78773 512/452 -0331, Ext.295 M. P. BOWDEN February 19, 1976 Coordinator Mr. Jake Canglose, Dir. Brazos County CD County Courthouse Bryan, Texas 77801 Dear Jake: 1. The budget for the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency is proposed at a reduced $71 million in 1977. Also, DCPA has indicated that they would have to drop all natural disaster responsibilities. This would mean an end to our training in the cities and counties of Texas. Such things as the Exercises (EOS), Developing and Writing Plans, and the Conferences would come to a halt. 2. The State Training Section as we know it would be elimi- nated. If we are going to get anything changed - get more of a budget and salvage our training - it must be done through Congress. They must be convinced to take action. 3. Two possible solutions are: Short Term - The Congressional authority for extension of the Personnel and Administrative Expenses Program must be renewed prior to 1 July 1976. A short -term solution would be addition of language similar to the following to the extension authority: "It is the intent of Congress, other provisions of PL 81 -920 and PL 93 -288 notwithstanding, that DCPA continue to assist the states, and through the states, their local governments, in developing a compre- hensive readiness capability to meet the threat of all dis- asters, including the threat of enemy attack." In addition to the added language, the original carefully developed 123 million dollar budget request must be restored as it repre- sents the program- budget minimum for maintaining the current readiness capability. Long Term - Amendment of both 81 -920 and 93 -288 to provide a single coordinating and policy making Federal agency to assist the states in their preparedness programs. The artificial separation of functions now existing in DCPA, FDAA, and FPA add to the Federal overhead costs and create a tremendous paper work burden on the states, particularly since the majority of the states have vested these functions in one small management and coordinating agency. 4. I think the need to keep our Training Program intact is vital. It produces an increased capability in our counties and cities to save lives. Listed below are key points regarding the Training Program and why we need it. These key points are explained in the attachment. Paragraph Point I. Federal, State, and local governments are responsible to save lives in a disaster. II. If a city is forced to choose between being ready for a disaster that is a constant threat or one that has a very remote chance of happen- ing, even though the latter may be far more destructive, the city will almost always choose the constant threat. The natural disaster is a constant threat, nuclear is remote to the minds of people. The economic situations throughout the State will likely cause officials to view any expendi- ture for such a remote threat with great reluc- tance. If, however, it can be shown that the city can train for both threats at the same time, with no additional expenditure, the nuclear training can become more desirable. III. The capability to save lives exists only in the local jurisdiction. Major disaster requires a central authority (EOC) to manage resources effectively. The EOC Staff (Chiefs and Department Heads) do not practice their jobs during normal daily activities or emergencies. Therefore, unless the EOC operation as well as the resource management on the scene is exer- cised, it will not be effective. This will cost lives. The DCPA mission cannot be fulfilled. IV. Training at local level is essential. V. EOC decision makers can become effective through realistic exercises. The Disaster cause is of little concern. The Disaster effects must be handled (not "What did it ?" but "What am I going to do about it ? "). Training exercises are necessary. VI. Why State Training Staff should conduct the training. VII. The Texas Training Exercise - what it does to increase capability. Increase capability at reduced cost. Identifies essential resources. Establishes priorities. Identifies weaknesses. Corrects deficiencies. Develops EOC layout, maps, charts, data con- trol, direction and control procedures, plans, SOP, checklists. Puts local EOC in a position to react to real disaster. Standardize - EOC procedures in all cities, counties, and disaster district. Reduces time required for subsequent exercises by 60 per cent. Establishes mission oriented personnel at all levels, develops confidence and produces unity between cities, counties, and the State. Sincerely, Marion P. Bowden State Coordinator ar es E. Harrison Training Specialist CEH:hml Attachment I. It is the responsibility of local, State and Federal governments to protect the well being of their citizens; and more specifically, to save lives and protect property during disasters - either natural or man -made. II. SHOULD A CITY BE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN NATURAL AND NUCLEAR? Refer to basic letter. III. CAPABILITY TO SAVE LIVES AND PROTECT PROPERTY The Federal Government in Washington does not have as its mission, nor does it possess a capability to participate directly in saving lives or controlling the effect of a disaster during the critical initial stages. The State Government organization is also in this category. The only Government that can and should directly accom- plish the mission, to save lives and protect property, is at the local level. Therefore, accomplishment of the mission depends on the capacity of the City and County officials to act. Local organizations do not conduct their normal daily operations in the same way they will have to conduct them during a disaster. The need to know about the functions and procedures of other involved organizations, and the need to continually coordinate with these organizations is vital during dis- aster operations. This is not the case to the same degree during daily emergencies. Chiefs or Directors of city departments seldom become involved in daily emergencies. These emergencies do not require close coordination at the Director or Chief level. Coordination is usually done by dispatchers and decisions are made on the scene by Supervisory personnel (Police, Fire Captain, etc.). However, during a major disaster operation, the decision making, coordination, and the establishing of priorities for directing the use of resources cannot be directed from "on the scene ", but must pass to the Chief, the Director, the Mayor and tie City Council. A central authority (EOC) to deal with the whole city, all depart- ments, industry and other organizations - all operating at maximum output at the same time - must be put into operation. If possible, this should be done before the disaster strikes. This authority must direct and control operations throughout the critical periods of the disaster. The people who must do this, will not be effective during the most critical stages unless they have had realistic training beforehand. Since there is little opportunity for them to train on a daily basis, a special exercise must be provided. Otherwise, they must wait, as so many cities have, until the disaster is upon them. This costs lives, and is un- necessary. It does not fulfill the mission established by Federal and State statutes as local ordinances and commissioners court orders. IV. NECESSITY OF TRAINING AT LOCAL LEVEL A person will react to a real emergency or disaster situation in the same way that he has practiced or trained. The knowledge that an accident, a quickly occurring dis- aster, or a nuclear attack is actually taking place in his own city, is received by the individual during the initial seconds with disbelief and rejection. Training is necessary to commit the proper initial response to memory. This may then be effectively activated as an automatic (effective) subconscious reaction to the situa- tion. A responsible decision maker must be able to think and act correctly during a disaster. Only realistic training in the local environment can accomplish this. V. HOW DECISION MAKERS CAN BE EFFECTIVE To be effective during a disaster the decision makers must have established prior to any disaster the parameters within which they plan to operate, as well as the basic procedures they plan to use in controlling the disaster situation which threatens them. Although no two disasters are alike, and the cause will vary; the effects of disasters are the same. They dis- rupt or impede the normal functioning of personnel, equipment, supplies and facilities. Lives must be pro- tected and sustained. Resources that are essential to sustaining the community must be either protected or recovered. If this is not possible, a substitute must be found. The concept of direction and control and the application of resource management principles and procedures are the same in all disasters. The basic procedures developed during a realistic exercise have been used very effectively during actual disaster situations. (Reference Pecos tornado and the Rio Grande Valley and Disaster District Operation during Hurricane Caroline). To he realistic and produce the minimum desired results, the exercise must be conducted in each city, using its facilities and personnel. VI. WHO SHOULD CONDUCT THIS TRAINING Local communities seldom have anyone who can motivate the entire city or county government to develop and execute the necessary exercise. An outside authority who can act as a catalyst and guide is necessary. A training staff at State level is essential to assure the success of a program that will produce a real capability at the local level. Instructors must conduct training in the local environ- ment in the cities and counties. Lessons learned and solutions applied to problems by one locale can be passed on to others, thus, saving time, money and energy. After training the cities, county level exercises should be conducted. Then exercises should be con- ducted for disaster districts, involving the county EOC and those of the cities. This standardizes pro- cedures and provides better understanding and confidence at all levels. It establishes an effective chain of action and reporting from city to state and back. This necessary training can be done more efficiently with a central figure who can coordinate the develop- ment of such an exercise, i.e., the State Training Specialist. VII. THE TEXAS TRAINING EXERCISE This Training Program gives an added dimension of in- creased capability to all cities without added cost. It prepares the personnel of cities /counties to cope with the effects of all disaster situations - nuclear and natural - by focusing upon direction and control techniques and procedures. The program, already proven effective during actual disaster operations, exercises the real capabilities of a community to warn, cope, and recover. It includes the problems observed and lessons learned from previous disasters and the situations that foreseeably would exist (in their community) when as- saulted by either natural or man -made forces. These exercise situations reduce their capability to save lives and protect property to a marginal level. The city must cope with this by properly managing their own resources, mutual aid and assistance from the dis- aster district. To accomplish such an exercise at local level, all the essential resources are identified in the planning stages of preparing for the exercise. Each essential resource, i.e., personnel, equipment, supplies and facilities, is investigated and evaluated with the objective of discovering the weakest link in each and developing several proposed actions that should be taken to eliminate the weakness. These actual static capabilities of essential resources are then evaluated with respect to the severity of force required to reduce the operating capability of essentials to a marginal limit. At this point, the ingenuity of personnel at all levels is applied to the situation to get the job done in spite of the situation. By recognizing vulnerable areas and producing (in the exercise) the situation within the community that will most likely occur when confronted with a disasterous force, the governing body as well as all associated organizations develop effective parameters within which they can actually operate during the real thing. They develop procedures that will be used during an actual disaster. By the end of the exercise, they will have finalized their direction and control procedures, maps and charts, data flow, and plans that can be put into operation within a comfortably acceptable time frame. By utilizing the personnel of the community to accomplish all of this, real deficiencies are discovered and cor- rected without embarrassment. A rapport between directors and field supervisors is established that is usually better than previously existed. By consolidating the Community Leaders Conference, devel- oping an emergency plan and then exercising it under realistic conditions, a thorough evaluation is made by the community and concrete actions are taken to assure they have an effective capability to meet the forces that threaten them. This training has successfully resulted in standard- izing EOC operations. A City Manager or Utilities Director, as an example, can move from one city to another that has had the training, and be able to assume his EOC duties with a minimum of change. The training has also resulted in orienting all per- sonnel toward the operating objective. Through it the communities have been able to instill confidence in all eschelons of government, industry, organized vol- unteer groups and the citizens. This has resulted in a unified City, County, and Disaster District operation that has greatly increased their capabil? ±y to cope with the effects of all disasters.