EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BUREAU

Emergency Management (EM) & Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

The mission of the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Emergency Management Bureau is to promote, facilitate and support the County of Orange and the Operational Area (OA) efforts to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.

The Emergency Management Bureau provides emergency management and preparedness services to the Orange County Operational Area. There are currently 114 jurisdictions in the Operational Area (OA) encompassing all County departments and agencies, public and private organizations and the general population within the boundaries of Orange County. The Operational Area Executive Board has eleven members. They are responsible for the development, establishment and implementation of the policies of the Operational Area.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors has designated the Sheriff-Coroner Department as the lead agency in matters of emergency preparedness and disaster response. The County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is located at Loma Ridge and is maintained in a constant state of readiness by the Emergency Management Bureau. In emergencies involving earthquakes, tsunamis, civil disturbances, energy crises, nuclear power plant emergencies, terrorism and acts of war, the Sheriff-Coroner is designated as the OA Coordinator (OAC)/Director of Emergency Services (DES). Similarly, the Fire Services Director is designated as the OAC/DES for a fire, mass casualty incident or hazardous material release. The Resources and Development Management Department Director is the OA Coordinator/DES for a flood, storm, dam failure or a coastal oil spill. The Health Officer is the OA Coordinator/DES for a threat or declaration of an epidemic.

When a large scale event has occurred, it is important that the response be coordinated. This generally means activating the Emergency Operations Center to assure central coordination, public official alerting, care and shelter, evacuation, search and rescue, resource mobilization and recovery operate effectively.

Activation of the OA/EOC is required by the California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) under the following conditions:

• On the request by a local government or county agency
• Two cities proclaiming a local emergency
• County Emergency Proclamation and a City Local Emergency Proclamation
• Request by any member of the OA for Governor's Proclamation
• State of Emergency proclaimed in Orange County or the State of California
• Request for Outside Resources by a member of the OA

The EOC can accommodate a staff of 140 responders working in 12-hour shifts throughout activation. This emergency response and recovery staff is drawn from the first responder pool of all County agencies/departments, led by fire, law, health and public works. The EOC has emergency power, food, water and supplies to support emergency responders for an extended period of time in a catastrophic event. The rooms at the EOC include the following:

• Command Center:

  The Command Center policy group directs emergency response and recovery. Executive and management staff from agencies such as the Sheriff's Department, Orange County Fire Authority, Health Care Agency, County Executive Office, County Counsel, Social Services Agency, Resources and Development Management Department, Planning and Development Services Department, and a member of the Board of Supervisors comprise this policy group.
  
  

• Operations Center:

  The Operations Chief directs staff from a variety of public agencies and the American Red Cross, maintaining contact with emergency responders at the scene of an incident, helping to coordinate efforts and requests for mutual aid. The Planning/Intelligence Chief directs efforts to collect information on the extent of damages developing an appropriate action plan. The Planning/Intelligence Section also updates the State regarding the current status of emergency conditions. The Logistics Chief takes the lead in providing services, personnel and equipment in support of emergency operations. The Finance Chief has the overall responsibility for developing financial documentation of the emergency and establishing funding authorities.
  
  

• Support Center:

  A variety of support functions are carried out in the support center. One of the most important support functions is the Public Information Hotline. The Hotline Staff operates a bank of telephones designed to help relieve the load on 9-1-1 police and fire lines in an emergency.
  
  

The Emergency Management Bureau offers training throughout the year to County staff, city personnel and other public agencies. The classes include EOC Orientation, National Incident Management System (NIMS), SEMS, Planning and Situation Analysis, Support Pool functions such as Hotline, Documentation, Messenger and Plotter. Emergency Management also conducts exercises and EOC activation drills to train staff and to insure the County's ability to respond to a widespread emergency.

Orange County has three cities (San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano) and an unincorporated area within 10 miles of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Emergency Management devotes considerable time in preparation and planning for a possible radiological emergency. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have mandated Emergency Management to develop extensive emergency plans for a radiological emergency. The Emergency Management Bureau conducts a FEMA-graded SONGS Exercise every two years. The exercise involves a full activation of the EOC with a staff of 140 responders working on the potential evacuation and decontamination of residents from the three cities near the plant.

The Emergency Management Bureau is staffed by the following positions: 1 Emergency Management Manager; 1 Administrative Manager; 8 Senior Program Coordinators; 1 Information Processing Technician; 1 Senior Accounting Assistant, 2 OCSD Cadets and an Intern.

For further information regarding Emergency Management or the Emergency Management Bureau, you may call (714) 628-7054.