State of California OES ACS Newsletter

January 20, 2003

Published weekly (except for vacations and emergencies) by the Auxiliary Communications Service, State of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

Articles in this Issue

Leadership Changes to be Announced at FEMA
EMCOMM Bulletin 377

Leadership Changes to be Announced at FEMA Posted Monday, January 13
USFA Administrator Paulison Moves Up

According to reports from reliable sources within FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Bush today expressed his "intent to nominate" the current Deputy Director of FEMA, Mike Brown, to become the new UnderSecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the new Department of Homeland Security. Confirmation is expected by the Senate for Mr. Brown in this new position.

In addition, the current U.S. Fire Administrator, David Paulison, has been also named as the new Interim COO of FEMA. In this position, Dave Paulison will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of FEMA since it is expected that Mr. Brown will be spending the majority of his time in the DHS transition office assisting in the formation of the new Department of Homeland Security.

"The nomination of Dave Paulison to the Interim COO position in FEMA is clear recognition of the leadership and management skills that exist in the fire service," stated Chief Randy R. Bruegman, President of the IAFC. "We wish both Mr. Brown and Dave Paulison the very best in their new positions," Chief Bruegman stated. "They can be assured that the fire service will do everything possible to help them be successful."

Dave Paulison is the former fire chief of the Miami-Dade County Fire Department and a past president of the IAFC.

EMCOMM BULLETIN 377

EMC377 EMCOMM Officers Hdbk 11 To: Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin To: Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio By: Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

EMC377 EMCOMM Officers Hdbk 11 Release 1/20/03

MUTUAL AID OPERATIONS CHECK LIST

Upon notification of mobilization, and establishing contact with the incident EMCOMM unit emergency communications resource manager obtain the following information. Each location/site must be considered individually and as a whole. The answer to all of these questions will not be available initially. Inform all responding mutual aid organizations of the following as well.

1. What is the requesting agencies resource order/mission/ incident number?

2. What agency(s) will the Organization or personnel be working for or with? (OES, USFS, CDF etc..)

3. What type of incident will the Organization be responding to? (Flood, fire, hazardous spill, etc..)

4. How much time do mutual aid resources have to respond?

5. How many locations or sites are there? (How many and what type resources needed initially?)

6. What are the best (or only) routes to these sites?

7. How long (hours/days/weeks) will operations be required? (How many more resources?)

8. How many hours per day at each location are required? (Shifts, more resources?)

9. Where are the operating locations? (Location names, addresses or map name and coordinates.)

• What type of terrain is involved for each location? (Propagation considerations, hills, valleys, is HF/NVIS required?)
• Relays/nodes may be required. Even via mutual aid from other organizations from outside. Request through Agency. (More resources?)

10. Are there any locations that require more than one radio or mode of operation such as HF, VHF, UHF, voice, packet and AMTOR. (More resources?)

11. Is there commercial AC power available?

12. Is there emergency power available? (Generator or battery?)

13. Will operator have to furnish power and for how long? (Spare batteries, generator and fuel?)

14. What precedence will traffic have.

15. What type of traffic will the operator be responsible for? (Tactical, logistical, * any possible health and welfare, H&W?)

16. What is the current status of incident operations and the effects on resources? (Rate of use?)

17. Which assignments are direct and which report to a staging area.

18. Is there an radio operators staging area and where?

The above is obviously generic. Local situations, even state law, may dictate a different approach. In California, State Law (Standardized Emergency Management System)(SEMS altered certain procedures of how mutual aid is handled from a communications standpoint The Response Information Management System, implemented pursuant to SEMS definitely impacts the government EMCOMM unit (such as ACS, ARES with a RACES MOU and RACES) and how it can be involved.

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Copyright 2002 by State of California OES ACS. All or any part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or quoted, provided that credit be given to this issue of the State of California "ACS Newsletter."

Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of State of California OES ACS. State of California Office of Emergency Services and its "ACS Newsletter" editor, Gary Crowe, Ph.D. KG6HIM, do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever.

73, Gary Crowe, Ph.D. "ACS Newsletter" Editor State of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Operations Support Branch Auxiliary Communications Service Tel: (916) 489-8709 Fax: (916) 488-0148 E-mail: