Your Librarys role in Community Emergency Management Maine Libraries - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Your Library’s role in Community Emergency Management

Maine Libraries Conference 2017

Every Community

• All emergencies are local regardless of size or

type

• When local resources are insufficient, county,

state, and federal help may be needed

• Non‐governmental organizations also play a

role

Phases of Disaster

• Mitigation – pre‐emptive to reduce the effects
• f a disaster
• Preparedness – in advance to improve/reduce

personal and community disaster

• Incident
• Response – actions taken as disaster occurs
• Recovery – activities aimed at returning

community to pre‐disaster condition

State Law

• Each community must have an emergency

management agency (EMA)

• Each must have a director of the EMA
• Each must have an emergency management plan

to include:

– Identification of risks the town may be vulnerable to – Procedures and operations to minimize injury and damage – Necessary personnel, equipment, supplies – Recommendations to public and private agencies to mitigate risk

Your town’s plan includes:

• Where people might be sheltered
• What traffic routes might be compromised
• How many people might need transportation
• Communication systems
• Assigns duties to specific people and groups
• Includes public information (PIO)

NIMS and ICS

• All emergency planning is based on the

National Incident Management System.

• All managers use the Incident Command

System – and a common organization chart

• All communities have written plans
• The plan includes sections called annexes

which define resources such as personnel

Libraries have a place

2011 FEMA recognized libraries as essential community organizations

This makes them eligible for temporary relocation funding during major disasters through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.

How the Library might help

• Mitigation – Is library building in safe location?
• Preparedness

– Library has continuity plan (CERC d‐plan) – Provide preparedness information to community – Keep resource list of community groups – Survey staff expertise – Get NIMS training IS‐700, IS‐100 – Know the EMA Director and the contents of the plan

Personal Preparedness

Employee Training

Real Life ‐ Libraries Respond

• California brush fire – library served as

command post for fire fighters – provided real restrooms – library survived fire storm

• Florida County librarians are assigned to

bunker to provide information to public

• Conducting story times for children in shelters
• Provide power for charging electronic devices
• Provide complimentary borrowing card for

refugees

Spontaneous Shelter

Flood, tornado, hurricane…

• Offer Internet access
• Serve as FEMA Disaster Recovery Center to

assist with relief applications, connecting with family, filing insurance claims

• Act as point of distribution (POD) or collection

for supplies including sand for sandbags

• Provide website updates with local

information

Scarborough Examples none are original

• Coordinate volunteers for town wide storm

clean‐up

• Coordinate volunteers for mass school and

public H1N1 vaccination clinics

• Promote emergency preparedness through

displays and brochure racks

• Attend community events to promote making

“Go Kits” for home preparation

Public Health Response

• VIII. Pandemic Period- WHO PHASE 6

A sample ICS Organizational Chart follows:

Outreach to Seniors

Outreach to Seniors

More activities

• Workshops for the business community on

business continuity

• Grant participants in FEMA Grant to educate

community on Resiliency skills

• Dedicated section of website to project
• Participate in briefings for severe weather
• Provide extended hours during heating and

cooling emergencies – notify EMA & 211, provide water, picnic area

Sharing Experience: Continuity Planning

Resiliency Project

More…

• Offer free printing and fax service during

Sandy to refugees – election help

• Provide website links to flu clinic calendar
• Provide recreation kits to shelter – books, toys

puzzles for children and adults

• Assist as volunteer in regional shelter
• Provide meeting space for EMA meetings
• Assist businesses’ recovery following fire

COAD

• Active in Southern Maine COAD

Community Organizations Active in Disaster – Operate VRC (Volunteer Reception Center) – Public Education – Assist in long term recovery – Great opportunity to learn from other members

Public Education

PIO – Public Information

Scarborough Residents: Stay safe – Stay informed Shelter

• The American Red Cross will open an emergency shelter at Scarborough High School on Saturday at

3:00 pm. 211 Maine, American Red Cross and Maine Emergency Management Agency will provide regular updates on their websites. Check http://www.211maine.org/ for helpful links.

• If you need to go to the shelter, bring personal hygiene items, medications, your pillow, a favorite

blanket, (ear plugs), a good book, and quiet entertainment for the kids.

• Gather and bring important papers such as a picture ID, insurance policies, medical IDs, prescription

information, photographs of your home.

• Scarborough’s shelter is pet friendly. Bring your pet in a carrier with their food.

Evacuation

• If you are asked to evacuate, do so quickly.
• The Town will have evacuation signs on routes leading from the coast line to higher ground.
• Please watch for downed power lines and do not attempt to cross them.
• Do not go around road barriers.
• Scarborough does have roads that can be expected to be under water. Never cross a flooded road.

Beaches

• There will be an astronomical high tide during this storm. Please stay away from the shore line.
• Higgins Beach parking lot will be closed from Sunday morning through Monday noon. Surfers and

spectators are asked to avoid the area and dangerous surf during this period.

September is National Preparedness Month

Media

Suggestions

• Get training

– FEMA, NEDCC, CERC, Library conferences

• Be prepared – as an institution, an individual

and a family

• Attend “Partners in Emergency Preparedness”

Conference, April 24‐25, 2018, Augusta (FREE)

• Talk to your EMA Director
• Get involved

Your Library’s role in Community Emergency Management

Maine Libraries Conference 2017

Nancy Crowell Library Director

ncrowell@scarboroughlibrary.org www.scarboroughlibrary.org