1996 High Water Flood

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City of Portland Official High Water Flood After Action Report (AAR)

Executive Summary

The Basic Emergency Plan was approved by the Mayor and City Council on May 1^st of 1996. The quotes following are from the '96 plan which has been updated as of January 1997.

"The-purpose of the City of Portland Plan is to assist Portland City government in minimizing the adverse effects to life and property from natural and man-caused disasters."

Bureaus listed in the 1996 Plan are Fire, Parks, Buildings, General Services, Purchasing, Transportation Engineering, Traffic Management, Maintenance, Emergency Communications, Water, Environmental Services, City Attorney, Police, Office of Finance & Administration, Records and Archives, and the Office of Neighborhood Associations.

#1 Basic Plan Issue

"The situations addressed by this Plan are those in which the actions of many different bureaus must be coordinated."

Identified Need

Continue to identify Bureaus needing to be more involved or involved at different levels. Reassignment of employees, volunteer management and section job descriptions have been identified as areas needing attention.

Planned Action

As of January, 1997 the Basic Plan revision includes reference to job descriptions, including time commitments, and bureau tasks. This will facilitate greater City-wide coordination for the emergency management process. A plan for recruitment and training will be developed for incoming and retained EOC responders.

#2 Basic Plan Issue

"It is important to realize that no one bureau is going to rescue a City during a disaster situation. Further, it is true that City government agencies will not possess all resources and talent necessary to protect the citizens of the City."

Identified Need

For those who participate as EOC responders, a greater understanding of Bureau resources, responsibilities and capabilities has developed as a result of the relationships built during training, exercises, and actual occurrences. This coordination and familiarization is a subsequent benefit from the process of preparing to respond as a City unified force. The need here is to continue to refine each bureaus and employees' capabilities and responsibilities during a disaster.

Planned Action

The understanding of each Bureau's responsibility as a primary or secondary responder, their identification of personnel and definition of their duties during emergency activation needs to be decided upon and made a part of their Basic Plans. As developed, these Bureau specific decisions, will be incorporated into the plan.

#3 Basic Plan Issue

"For this reason, the City has endorsed a three tier EMC concept. This concept blends the legal mandates of the government structure with the private resources of the community. By working together and maintaining open lines of communication, we will be able to field and coordinate a tremendous amount of resources and talent."

Identified Need

The responsibility of the EMC as outlined in the Basic Plan on page 9 is to "plan exercise schedule, budget recommendations, public education, update bureau and office plans, coordinate training, make recommendations to the Disaster Policy Council (DRC), meet as necessary and involve bureaus and office directors." The Mayor and Council has approved the plan with these responsibilities listed and yet it is uncertain whether all EMC members recognize their part in City Emergencies. These responsibilities need to be clarified and reaffirmed by the EMC.

Planned Action

As of January, 1997 the job description of the EMC will be changed to" Approve exercise schedule; coordinate public education; make budget recommendations; coordinate Bureau and Office plans with the Basic Plan; approve training coordination; Make recommendations to the Disaster Policy Council" in the Basic Plan.

#4 Basic Plan Issue

"The Chief of the Portland Bureau of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, the Emergency Manager and the Portland Office of Emergency Management (POEM) are charged with the responsibility to develop and implement an all hazards emergency management plan in the City of Portland."

Identified Need

POEM needs to continue giving assistance in Basic Plan compliance through training, exercises, and technical expertise. POEM will continue to integrate the results of exercises and actual events into the development of the all hazards plan.

Planned Action

The EMC, through its growth and development, will further identify and define the responsibilities of the bureaus and continue to facilitate a cooperative working environment. Future exercises will incorporate appropriate sections of the Basic Plan.

#5 Basic Plan Issue

"This Plan attempts to define in a straight forward manner who does what, when, where, and how in order to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of disasters."

Under the authority of Title 15(15.12.020) requires annual review, training and evaluation of City Bureaus and offices assigned emergency responsibilities.

"City Bureaus and offices assigned emergency responsibilities have the following tasks:

• Establish line of succession and provide personnel to the EOC as required.
• Assure that employees are aware of emergency situation and protective actions to be taken. ·
• Accomplish any special training which may be required.
• Protect vital records.
• Accomplish primary or support functions as indicated in the primary or support functions matrix.
• Develop and maintain/update operation procedures to accomplish primary and support functions.
• Provide available information on operations status to POEM to support reporting requirements.
• Participate in and assign personnel to the EMC who have the authority to speak for and commit their bureaus' resources."

"Government entities complying with this Plan shall not be liable for injury, death, or loss of property except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence."

"The Assumptions outlined in the Plan are that essential City services will be maintained as long as conditions permit."

Identified Need

The plan needs to better define Bureau involvement.

Planned Action

The EMC will review and approve the update of Plan (as prepared by POEM Staff) to define and determine bureau and employee involvement. This updated plan should be submitted to the DPC for approval.

#6 Basic Plan Issue

"A disaster occurrence will require prompt and effective emergency response and recovery operations by the City government.''

Identified Need

Need better continuity between response and recovery phases.

Planned Action

Training, identified in review of the flood. will be developed to provide responders with a greater understanding of the relationship between the phases and transitional process.

#7 Basic Plan Issue

"Secondary city emergency operations will be based on the principle of self-help."

Identified Need

Need greater understanding of complimentary aspects of Neighborhood Emergency Teams to the functions of Emergency Responders; More employee training on emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery in the workplace and at home; Task specific training for sections such as crisis communication; More public education on disaster planning for organizations, businesses and industry.

Planned Action

NET training continues to instruct citizens in 72 hour self sufficiency in the time of an emergency. Greater employee training is in the planning stage. Business and industry training is available through the Fire Bureau, Red Cross and other agencies. Inside Line will release regionally coordinated messages in January. The Flood Mitigation Workgroup recommended the development of an outreach and public information program to inform people of flood and landslide risks, mitigation measures and flood insurance.

#8 Basic Plan Issue

"City government will bear the responsibility for utilizing all available local resources."

Identified Need

Identification of local resources is a part of the planning and exercise process. POEM needs to develop city legislation necessary to avoid gouging by vendors and contractors during emergencies. This legislation should not only protect city agencies but the general public. The Logistics Section needs to continue to compile a list of contracted vendors.

Planned Action

The EMC will be asked to review the proposed legislation. The Logistics section Chiefs will be encouraged to compile a list.

#9 Basic Plan Issue

"Day to Day functions that do not contribute directly to the emergency may be suspended for the duration of any emergency. The efforts that would normally be required for those functions will be redirected to the accomplishment of emergency task by the bureaus or agencies concerned."

Identified Need

Disaster responders need to be excused from their normal responsibilities until they are no longer needed at the EOC or in the field/task. They also need to be available on an as needed basis during the recovery phase. Bureaus need to identify non-critical City functions that can be suspended during a disaster and those who can be reassigned to accomplish critical functions.

Planned Action

The Bureau plans will reflect the aforementioned concept of critical/non-critical operations of their work and workforce.

#10 Basic Plan Issue

"Portland will structure its response to and management of a disaster by using the Incident Command System ... "

Identified Need

Bureau Managers and key personnel need to develop and exercise disaster plans in accordance with the Incident Command System. Identify Bureau emergency operations personnel, develop Bureau specific emergency plans and provide training and exercises for their personnel.

Planned Action

The EMC will be asked to address this issue at their own bureau level.

River level graph on page 11 of the original AAR document. The graph doesn't clarify the Columbia or Willamette river, only saying that readings are taken at the I-5 bridge.

Emergency Operations Center

This part of the After Action Report summarizes the activities that occurred during the Flood of 96 coined "Highwater II" from the perspective of the responders to the Portland Emergency Operations Center (EOC), 9911 SE Bush (Powell and 99th) Portland, Oregon from February 6th 1996 to February 15^th 1996.

The Center functions as a meeting place where decision-makers of City Bureaus and liaison organizations, trained in the incident command system (ICS), can discuss and decide the priorities of the disaster and how to best use the resources available.

Authority

Chapter 15.04 of the City Code outlines the authority of the Portland Office of Emergency Management under the direction of the Mayor and supervised by the Fire Chief. The code outlines the authority of the Portland Office of Emergency Management during a declared disaster and in preparation for a disaster.