Regional Hazardous Materials Response Planning

Based on Geographic Information System Analysis of

Hazards and Capabilities Project: Submitted by the

North Central Florida Regional Hazardous Materials Team

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter of Transmittal 1

Title Page 2

Table of Contents 3

North Central Florida Hazardous Materials Team Overview 4

Criteria Area 1 – Project Explanation and Need 5

Criteria Area 2 – Proposal Benefits 8

Criteria Area 3 – Proposal Consistency 9

Criteria Area 4 – Methods/Approach 10

Budget 11

Criteria Area 5 – Matching Funds 13

Criteria Area 6 – Abilities and Qualifications 13

North Central Florida Hazardous Materials Team Overview:

On June 9, 2000, the organizational meeting of the newly created North Central Florida Regional Hazardous Materials Team (NCFRHMT) was held. This team is an outgrowth of the need to better protect the public from chemical releases and possible terrorist Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) attacks in our region. Some areas in rural North Central Florida have response times of two hours or more.

The counties of Alachua, Bradford, Union, Columbia, and Gilchrist and cities of Gainesville, Starke, and Lake City have entered into an Interlocal Agreement forming the NCFRHMT. The Gainesville Fire Rescue Team forms the core of the Technical Response Team for the NCFRHMT. The Team does not charge other local governments for response as there currently is no funding mechanism for the NCFRHMT. Cost recovery is accomplished through the Hazardous Materials Cost Recovery Ordinances passed in each jurisdiction.

The goal of the NCFRHMT is to reduce response times by establishing a two-tiered response to a hazardous materials incident. The first tier uses local "Initial Response Teams" to conduct primarily defensive operations to protect the public. Possible actions include: initial scene stabilization, emergency decon, initiation of evacuation, and the determination for the need of a "Technical Team." The Initial Response Team includes members from Fire Rescue, Law Enforcement, EMS, Hospitals, Emergency Management, and other agencies with a role in public safety.

When requested, the "Technical Team" would be assembled to respond and provide technician-level offensive operations. Based on research conducted by the State Emergency Response Commission's District Response Team Workgroup, this is a unique approach to this problem.

In populous jurisdictions, a "regional team" is comprised of two or more technician-level hazardous materials teams responding to support each other. The concept that we are using of Initial Response Teams supported by a Technical Team is groundbreaking. We believe this approach could be successfully used in other similar, primarily rural jurisdictions where it is just too expensive to pay for a traditional hazardous materials team comprised of seven technicians immediately available at all times.

North Central Florida Regional Overview:

Much of North Central Florida is largely undeveloped and rich in natural areas and resources. In addition, it has been, until recently, relatively untouched by the rapid growth occurring in other parts of the state. The region consists of 11 counties covering an area of 6,813 square miles with Dixie and Taylor Counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Inland counties include Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Union.

Overall, the population density is very low with a 1999 population of around 434,000. Approximately one-half of the population of the region is located in Alachua County. Currently, the region's population comprises less than three percent of the state's total population. Special populations include a number of correctional institutions distributed throughout the region, the University of Florida, and a concentration of medical facilities in Gainesville.

Critical time variables impacting emergency services include a large area with sparse population and limited available resources. Currently, the North Central Florida Local Emergency Planning Committee Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Plan recognizes the Gainesville Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Team as the LEPC’s regional hazardous materials response team. Based on criteria being developed by the State Emergency Response Commission, district hazardous materials teams will need to contractually commit to being immediately available on a continuous basis. The intent of this designation by the LEPC is to align the efforts of the LEPC regional team with the district response team system being developed by the Florida State Emergency Response Commission.

Criteria Area 1. Clearly identify, describe, and document the emergency management need or problem; provide an in-depth explanation of the proposal; and show how it meets the need/solves the identified problem. If applicable, clearly link the emergency management need to the priority issue area(s) contained in the current Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA).

Problem:

Currently, the response agencies in North Central Florida need a centralized planning tool upon which to base hazardous materials response planning decisions. Emergency managers and other first responders have individual plans, resource lists, and training information that is not readily available to all planners. Hazardous materials response is truly a regional event in rural North Central Florida.

With the creation of the NCFRHMT, it is imperative that there be developed a detailed regional response plan for a hazardous materials release or an act of terrorism. This includes the ability to take advantage of existing regional plans, hazards analyses, capability and needs assessments, and ability to “see the big picture.” This data access also must be available to the responders in the field in order to support critical decision-making.

Proposal:

The NCFRHMT is proposing through this grant to develop a Regional Hazardous Materials Response Planning Geographic Information System (GIS). This system will be based on data collected from sources such as County Emergency Managers, County Property Appraisers, City Government, Water Management Districts, State Agencies, and the Federal Government, as well as chemical-specific information provided by 302 reports, site visits, and preplans.

GIS is a computer-based system for the capture, storage, retrieval, manipulation, analysis, and display of geographic information. The main advantage to GIS is that this type of system can produce information quickly. This benefit is particularly important to emergency managers and responders who often need to make critical decisions quickly. Another advantage is that because GIS data are typically portrayed in a map or tabular format, the information tends to be well organized, accessible, and easy to understand. Additionally, GIS is more easily updated with the ability to maintain more up-to-date files than could be achieved without GIS.

By combining information that is currently available in various formats, this project will perform a specific capability and needs assessment for the 11 counties in our district. This will look at first responders such as Fire Rescue, EMS, and Law Enforcement as well as Public Health, Hospitals, Public Works, Environmental Protection, and other agencies that may be called upon in the event of an incident. This project would create an information resource which planners in all jurisdictions could use to determine the resources available in their area as well as potentially available resources in neighboring jurisdictions.

The GIS information will be made available to all response and planning organizations in the form of CD-ROMs. The desire is to make this information available in the future via the Internet; however, this is not currently planned as part of this project.

Expected Results:

The project would provide each of the 11 County Emergency Managers in the District 3 LEPC, the NCFRHMT, and other agencies involved with a hazardous materials or terrorist incident with a tool to effectively plan their response needs. Additionally, this would enhance the capabilities to plan for the need of providing aid to other counties and municipalities in the region.

This project addresses the emergency management need outlined in the Notice of Fund Availability.

· Category 4) Other projects which will further state and local emergency management objectives as priorities in the applicable Notice of Fund Availability.

· Priority area B) Projects which implement the community's Local Hazard Mitigation Strategy.

· Priority area D) Projects which will improve the training and operations capabilities of agencies assigned lead or support responsibilities as identified on page 38, figure 11 of the Florida Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

Priority area B is addressed by this project in that each of the 11 counties’ Local Hazard Mitigation Strategy calls for extensive planning in preparation for an event. An example of this is Alachua County's Local Mitigation Strategy, which states their Goal 3 is to "[e]ndorse and promote public and private preparedness and disaster planning to include mitigation activities and planning." Examples of the 11 LMS will be included as attachments.

Priority area D is addressed by this project in that the NCFRHMT supports ESF 4, ESF 10 and Annex B - The State of Florida Terrorism Incident Response Plan.

ESF 4 addresses Statewide Fire Response. The Florida Fire Chiefs’ Disaster Response Plan indicates "[t]he Florida Fires Chiefs’ Association created the Statewide Emergency Response Plan to provide for the systematic mobilization, deployment, organization, and management of fire rescue resources throughout the state and the nation in assisting local agencies in mitigating the effects of a disaster. The local fire rescue agency is the first tier of defense in responding to the ravages of a disaster." "The Statewide Emergency Response Plan lends itself to the rapid activation and response of aid to a community in the event of a localized disaster. These events include train derailments, hazardous materials incidents, wildland fires, domestic terrorism, and other events that may overwhelm the department serving the community and its normal mutual aid resources." The North Central Florida Hazardous Materials Team provides our eleven-county area with the fire rescue support to respond to and mitigate a hazardous materials or terrorist incident.

The Key Concepts of the Disaster Response Plan include "Integrating Fire-Rescue into the planning and response phases of Emergency Management systems at the county and state levels."

Appendix IV: ESF 4 - Firefighting in the Florida State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan 2000, Section II - Concepts of Operations Item D. Actions 1. Preparedness. States "Utilizing the Florida Fire Chief's Association Fire-Rescue Disaster Response Plan planning, coordination, and mobilizing resources from Fire Service Organizations Statewide through the seven fire regions is accomplished." Our proposed project would create a standardized, uniform platform in which the agencies charged by the Disaster Plan for response could more effectively coordinate regional planning. A letter from the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association stating its support of our grant and the recognition that the NCFRHMT performs essential support functions for ESF 4 will be made available.

The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan states that the "DEP BER works closely with municipal and county governments during an incident. Since local public safety organizations are generally the first government representatives at the scene of a discharge or release, they would be expected to initiate public safety measures necessary to protect public health and welfare. These responsibilities include directing evacuations, fire suppression and hazardous materials support where available, …and such responsibilities as described in the state Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan." The NCFRHMT is the only hazardous materials response team in our eleven-county area and performs the initial response functions as outlined in the State CEMP. As is stated in the plan, the act of preparing for and planning the response to an incident is one of the core goals.

The NCFRHMT has received a letter of support from the State Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Response which indicates that the team provides support for ESF 10 in our eleven-county area.

Annex B - State of Florida Terrorist Incident Response Plan states under "Scope" that the "[r]ole of emergency management in responding to a terrorist incident is the same as in any other incident: that of managing the consequences of the threat. Thus, the all-hazards planning approach is maintained…" It addresses crisis management - "This response involves measures to identify, acquire, and plan the use of resources needed to anticipate and/or resolve a terrorist threat or incident."

In response to Annex B, this project will perform the necessary planning that would enable those agencies in Fire Rescue, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Hospitals, Public Health, or EMS to prepare for and effectively respond to a terrorist incident.

Criteria Area 2. Identify and demonstrate long- and/or short-term tangible benefits of this proposal coupled with the availability of resources necessary to continue the project; and identify the number of emergency management personnel whose emergency management needs will be directly benefited by the project.

This project has both short- and long-term tangible emergency management benefits, the most significant being an increase in public safety resulting from a plan that identifies the best resources available to respond to a specific chemical release.

Short-term planning benefits include:

- Standardization of information in each county, allowing the data to be compiled to create a regional picture

- Providing a sound basis for planning for chemical hazards in each county

- Centralization of data, allowing immediate access

- Mitigation of the impacts on the community of a chemical release because a more rapid response is possible when decisions can be pre-planned and supported using GIS analysis.

- Providing information on current local response capabilities with respect to training; equipment, and staffing which can then be used to determine response levels and areas for improvement.

Long-term planning benefits include:

- Providing a sound basis for identifying future hazardous materials training in each county

- Providing enhanced all-hazards planning as a result of establishing GIS analysis as a tool

- A model for other districts to use in expanding current Section 302 hazards analyses into a site-specific emergency response plan based on current GIS data of hazards and capabilities

- That the model developed by this project can be shared with others through the delivery of two presentations at conferences

- Support of the selection of future hazardous materials training and purchasing of equipment

The population that would be served by this grant consists of 11 counties covering an area of 6,813 square miles with Dixie and Taylor Counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Inland counties include Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Union with a total population of around 434,000.

The emergency management organizations that would be served include all 11 counties’ Emergency Managers, Sheriff's Offices, and EMS departments plus 11 paid Fire Rescue Departments and over 80 volunteer fire departments. Additional organizations benefiting would include hospitals, public works, local police departments, and all those who have response responsibilities. This project has benefits to all State Agencies that play a role in the emergency response to a hazardous materials release or a terrorist incident.

The HMEP needs assessment project will begin January 2001 and conclude April 2001. The GIS project would commence upon receipt of the grant funding with training for the maintenance of the GIS data to be scheduled within three months. Completion of the project will be within the twleve-month grant cycle.

This project is being established as an ongoing program to be continued after the grant cycle. There is commitment by the NCFRHMT, as is demonstrated by the interlocal agreements, and Gainesville Fire Rescue to continue the updating of the data elements contained in the GIS database. A letter of commitment from both parties will be attached to the grant.

One of the goals set forth by the Governor's Office and the Department of Community Affairs is the enhanced use of technology. The use of a GIS platform to collect and analyze data is the accepted international standard that government and industry have set for this type of project.

The 11 Emergency Managers in District 3 LEPC have committed to expanding hazardous materials and terrorism planning efforts. To this the NCFRHMT and Gainesville Fire Rescue through the computers and software purchased through this grant commit to the continuation of the GIS program. A letter of commitment from both parties will be attached to the grant.

Criteria Area 3. Clearly describe the project’s consistency with the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and any applicable local plans.

This GIS Planning project would be consistent with the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan in several areas. In the Introduction under "Purpose" it states that the "CEMP establishes a framework for an effective system of comprehensive emergency management, the purpose of which is to:

2. Prepare for prompt and efficient response and recovery activities to protect lives and property affected by emergencies.

3. Respond to emergencies using all systems, plans and resources necessary to preserve the health, safety and welfare of persons affected by the emergency.

5. Assist in anticipation, recognition, appraisal, prevention, and mitigation of emergencies that may be accused of aggravated by inadequate planning for and regulation of public and private facilities and land use."

Our project is designed to enable emergency managers and responders to more effectively plan and prepare for an emergency. By being able to see the information in GIS that details the hazards, response capabilities, geographical information, site specific information, etc, the Emergency Managers and responders can then determine, among other things, the need for training, specific resource enhancement, response levels, and plan for evacuation and shelter needs.

The CEMP states under the section "Hazard Analysis" reference hazardous materials that "virtually the entire state is at risk to an unpredictable incident of some type." And in regards to major transportation accidents, which may involve hazardous materials that "…it is also important to note that a major transportation accident could occur in a relatively rural area, severely stressing the capabilities of local resources to respond effectively." Again our planning project is designed to enable area planners to be better prepared for such an incident.

It is also stated in the Planning Assumptions that "Local governments will utilize available resources fully before requesting state or federal assistance. By having a GIS database that includes the response capabilities of area responders, the NCFRHMT can better plan for and us those resources prior to requesting the state for assistance.

The five-year strategic plan that the DCA and each county maintain will be enhanced by the ability to access the data gathered in the GIS database.

The CEMP addresses county and municipal response in that "Municipal units of government call upon their county government or other municipalities in coordination with their county for assistance during events in which their own capabilities are overwhelmed. Counties provide assistance to municipalities and turn to mutual aid or the state for assistance when their capabilities are overwhelmed." With the information gathered for the GIS program municipalities, counties and in turn the state will be able to plan and prepare for the event if assistance is needed or required. By listing the hazards and capabilities within a region, planners can anticipate and plan for specific response needs.

Each 11 counties’ Local Hazard Mitigation Strategy calls for extensive planning in preparation for an event. An example of this is from Alachua County's Local Mitigation Strategy, which states their Goal 3 is to "Endorse and promote public and private preparedness and disaster planning to include mitigation activities and planning." Copies of the 11 counties’ LMS will be included as attachments.

The District 3 LEPC Hazardous Materials Emergency Plan states that "The LEPC is not a response agency for hazardous materials releases. Therefore, successful plan implementation depends on the information from facilities containing hazardous materials being made available in a useful form to trained and equipped first responders."

The GIS information collected by this project coupled with the emergency response software package being purchased through the grant (Consequence Assessment Tool Set CATS) makes that data instantly accessible and in turn useful to first responders. Copies will be included as attachments.

Criteria Area 4. Describe why this particular method or approach to solving the problem was chosen over other available alternatives. Include a proposed budget for the project and describe how it is necessary and appropriate to the scope of the project.

The emergency management issue is how to increase public safety from both accidental and intentional releases of hazardous materials. A major recognized issue is that there are large areas of our planning district and other parts of Florida that have response times that are much too long for adequate protection of the public. A shorter response time is a goal of the State Emergency Response Commission, as well as its Training Task Force and District Response Team Workgroup.

More detailed planning based upon GIS analysis and increased equipment and training is necessary to significantly reduce response times.

Geographic Information Systems are now being accepted as a critical tool for emergency management. Applying GIS to hazardous materials planning is a logical next step for hazardous materials response planning. The CAMEO program suite, which includes an ALOHA plume modeling and the MARPLOT mapping module, is a good tool for responders that might be first on the scene at a hazardous materials or terrorism incident. However, MARPLOT is a very limited mapping program and lacks the GIS analysis abilities of ARC VIEW. More powerful GIS software is necessary to address the complicated issue of response planning and reducing response time.

ARC VIEW from ESRI, Inc. is considered an industry standard for GIS. The North Central Florida Regional Planning Council currently uses this program in its GIS department. Since the data files use a dbase format, this expansion to a more powerful GIS does not make the data in CAMEO obsolete, but provides an easier way of looking at the big picture as well as specific details.

Budget:

There are no Salary and Benefits for this project.

Other Personal/Contractual Service involves two areas. The first is the collection of the data and the development of the GIS database. This aspect of the project will be completed by contract with the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council. The Council has extensive experience in GIS and this type of project.

The second contractual service is the HMEP Planning Grant. This In-Kind match is from federal pass-through dollars and is to be used to conduct a needs assessment for District 3 LEPC. This data will be used in conjunction with the other data gathered to compile the GIS database.

There are no Administrative Expenses involved in this project. While there will be several individuals working on this project, their individual time was not applied as a match, due to the fact they do not directly work for the NCFRHMT.

Expenses have two items. The first involves the on-site training of up to 12 individuals in the use of the Arc-View program. This will be necessary for the continued maintenance of the project. Having on-site training is dramatically less expensive than sending individuals off-site for the same training.

The second expense involves the travel expenses to deliver presentations on the project at a minimum of 2 conferences. The sharing of what is learned through this project so it may be adopted or modified for other areas is of extreme importance.

Operating Capital Outlay involves several items in two categories: hardware and software.

Software:

1. The purchase of the Arc-View GIS program with one-year maintenance and the purchase of the Consequence Assessment Tool Set (CATS). The Arc-View program will be purchased in two parts, due to an anticipated update do out early 2001.

2. The CATS software assesses the consequences of technological and natural disasters to population, resources, and infrastructure. Hazards accounted for in CATS range from natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, to technological disasters, such as industrial accidents, terrorism, and acts of war.

Hardware:

After the initial data are gathered and compiled by the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, the NFCRHMT will be maintaining and updating the information. One desktop computer will be used primarily as a data entry station with only the Arc-View Program. The Technical Response Team will use the second desktop in planning and training. The two laptops will be used in the field as response tools.

There is no Fixed Capital Outlay for this grant.

EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES	CASH MATCH	IN-KIND SERVICES MATCH	TOTAL GRANTEE COST	EMPA AWARD	TOTAL PROJECT COST
1. SALARY AND BENEFITS					0
2. OTHER PERSONAL/CONTRACURAL SERVICES A. GIS Data Entry by NCFRPC B. HMEP Planning Grant	0	10,000	0	50,000	50,000 10,000
3. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES	0	0	0	0	0
4. EXPENSES A. On-Site Arc-View Training @ $6,000 B. Conference Presentations on Project	0	0	0	6,000 2,000	6,000 2,000
5. OPERATING CAPITAL OUTLAY A. Desktop Computers 2 @ $3,500 B. Laptop Computers 2 @ 3,300 C. ArcView 3.2 + maintenance $1,690 D. ArcView 8.1 + maintenance $3,500 E. Consequences Assessment Tool Set 3 @ $3,150	0	0	0	7,000 6,600 1,690 3,500 9,450	7,000 6,600 1,690 3,500 9,450
6. FIXED CAPITAL OUTLAY	0	0	0	0	0
TOTAL EXPENDITURES	0	10,000	0	86,240	96,240
PERCENTAGES	0	10%	0	90%	100%

Criteria Area 5. Identify Applicant’s matching funds, either cash or in-kind and include supporting documentation.

The in-kind match involves the District 3 LEPC's HMEP Planning Grant. This grant program, which was adopted by the LEPC, is intended to conduct a needs assessment for the District 3 LEPC. This data will in turn be utilized in the overall GIS project.

The HMEP planning grant will continue even if funding is not made available through the EMPATF. The funding source for this is federal pass through dollars. A letter confirming this will be made available as an attachment to the grant.

Criteria Area 6. Provide evidence of the abilities and qualifications of those persons proposed to work on the project if funded.

Project Manager:

Jeff Tucker, Special Operations Chief, Gainesville Fire Rescue. Chief Tucker has been in the Fire-EMS service for over 18 years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Service Administration from Western Illinois University. He is the Chief Officer in charge of the Gainesville Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Team and is Vice-Chair of the Board of the NCFRHMT and Chair of the Technical Committee. He also has managed over $300,000 in State and Federal Grants. Chief Tucker is a Hazardous Materials Instructor and has been a speaker on the subject at several conferences. He is currently working on the committee responsible for updating the IFSTA Hazardous Materials for First Responders Manual. A complete resume will be attached in the appendix.

North Central Florida Regional Planning Council:

Dwayne Mundy, Senior Planner for the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, will have primary responsibility for the GIS analysis. Mr. Mundy has served as staff since 1989 to the North Central Florida Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and starting this year as staff to the North Central Florida Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. Mr. Mundy has completed numerous plans under contract with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Plans include: NCF Regional Hurricane Evacuation and Inland Shelter Studies (1984, 90), annual LEPC plan updates, county Hazardous materials plan updates (1989, 91, 93), Enhanced Hazards Analyses, Needs Assessment Studies, and assorted HMEP planning project studies. He is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a CAMEO instructor. Mr. Mundy has updated Section 302 Hazards Analyses for a majority of the 11 counties in the LEPC district. Mr. Mundy will be assisted by Kevin Parrish, Database Manger, North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, who has over 10 years of GIS experience and currently uses ESRI's ARC VIEW software.