WINNEBAGO - Imagine a tornado ripping through town, destroying businesses, homes, property and people. How does a community respond to the emergency disaster? Who's in charge?
Winnebago City Council needs to decide who will serve in the various branches of emergency operations, and who will be command officer and public relations officer.
Police Chief Bob Toland recently presented the Winnebago City Council the city's emergency operations plan per a federal requirement.
In management control training, Toland said one person can maintain control of five to seven people. Using that management process, each element of a disaster is planned in small groups.
Toland explained in small emergencies, the type of incident and who's there determines who is in charge. For example, for a house fire, the fire department makes the decisions. If a tornado blew through Main Street, however, there would not be a clear department in charge.
"When you look at a tornado situation, you are probably going to switch gears," Toland said. "The devastation area, no one person can control. You need to open an emergency operations center."
Toland said City Hall was used as an operations center when the town had a high profile homicide case. The only problem with City Hall is there is no backup generator. The next possibility for an operations center would be in Blue Earth, or the city could borrow neighboring counties emergency operation trailers.
"Another strategic part of EOC is dealing with the press," Toland said. "Believe it or not, the press is your best friend."
The media is useful since it has the ability to share information with the public in a timely manner. Channel 6 News, for example, has a commitment with the southeastern region of the state to make their satellite truck available for communication. In the Red River Valley floods, TV helicopters and footage were used to survey flood damage.
However, Toland said, a designated public information officer should handle how information is presented: "That would be a trusted community member that is going to act in your best benefit."
To handle the various elements of a disaster, the responsibilities are broken down and handled by the following groups:
o Operations, which involves police, fire, ambulance, public utilities, building inspection and street departments.
o Logistics, comprised of service and support branches. Service includes communication, medical needs for responders, food and shelter. The support branch handles equipment and supplies.
o Planning, to prepare for incoming resources.
"You plan how you're going to demobilize and start shutting down your operation," Toland said. "Planning shares a role with finance and administration - this branch is together."
o Administration, to keep timelines and appropriate records needed for federal aid. Necessary data includes equipment lost and damaged, hours a contractor is hired, hours paid to personnel and volunteer hours.
"At some point, those mutual aid agreements are going to run thin and they're going to want to be reimbursed," Toland said.
A worst-case scenario, with a large portion of Main Street destroyed, can cause harsh damage to a town's tax values. That's why realtors and assessors play an important role in emergency management.
The City Council must decide which members should act as liaisons for the varying groups.
"You need to plan ahead," Toland said. "You can't wear all of these hats. You will have to make a decision amongst yourselves where you best fit with your experience."
Toland also explained the chain of command in the most severe cases. If a disaster is coming, the sheriff's office is responsible to notify the city with information from the state computer system. The city, in turn, should ask the sheriff's office for help as needed. If a disaster is severe enough, the mayor can ask the sheriff in writing for assistance from the National Guard, and the sheriff then asks the governor.
Toland warned the council, however, that if the tornado solely affected Winnebago, federal or state disaster relief would be unlikely, because the damage has to have a dollar effect on everyone in the state.