Planning Project Part 1 assignment. Please see my comments within the documents and make changes. Two documents attached. one is the checklist, and the other is the Planning Project make the necessar

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(Hurricane preparedness plan for the coastal community of Galveston, Texas)

(Planning Community )

(Rashid Osmanu)

(Mark Sloan )

(Emergency Management Coordinator)

Harris County, Texas

HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN

PROMULGATION

The primary role of government is to provide for the welfare of its citizens. The welfare and safety of citizens is never more threatened than during disasters. The goal of emergency management is to ensure that mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery actions exist so that public welfare and safety is preserved.

The Harris County, Texas Emergency Operations Plan provides a comprehensive framework for Harris County, Texas-wide emergency management. It addresses the roles and responsibilities of government organizations and provides a link to local, State, Federal, and private organizations and resources that may be activated to address disasters and emergencies in Harris County, Texas.

The Harris County, Texas Emergency Operations Plan ensures consistency with current policy guidance and describes the interrelationship with other levels of government. The plan will continue to evolve, responding to lessons learned from the actual disaster and emergency experiences, ongoing planning efforts, training and exercise activities, and Federal guidance.

Therefore, in recognition of the emergency management responsibilities of Harris County, Texas government and with the authority vested in me as the Chief Executive Officer of Harris County, Texas, I hereby promulgate the Harris County, Texas Emergency Operations Plan.

____________________________________

Mark Sloan

Emergency Management Coordinator, Harris County, Texas

(Mark Sloan), (Emergency Manager) (Major Razo), Fire Chief

(Harris County Office) (Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office )

(Brian Mason), (Director of Public Health) (Joe Leonard), (Superintendent)

(Public Health) (Independent School District)

(James Chebra), (CEO) (John Whitmire), (Mayor)

(County Engineering Department) (Director of Public Works)

(Thomas Diaz), ( Mayor ) (Brian P. Sullivan), (Director)

(City of Houston) (Director public safety )

This plan supersedes the Harris County , Texas Emergency Operation Plan dated (January-16-2025).

The transfer of management authority for actions during an incident is done through the execution of a written delegation of authority from an agency to the incident commander. This procedure facilitates the transition between incident management levels. The delegation of authority is a part of the briefing package provided to an incoming incident management team. It should contain both the delegation of authority and specific limitations to that authority.

The Harris County, Texas Emergency Operations Plan delegates the (Chief Elected Official) 's authority to specific individuals in the event that he or she is unavailable. The chain of succession in a major emergency or disaster is as follows:

(Fire Chief)

(Director of Public Health )

(Superintendent)

(Mayor)

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Please adjust page numbers before you submit each section )

TITLE PAGE_________________________________________________1

PROMULGATION STATEMENT__________________________________2

SIGNATURE PAGE____________________________________________3

APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION_____________________________4

RECORD OF CHANGES________________________________________5

RECORD OF DISTRIBUTION_____________________________________6

PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION OVERVIEW, ASSUMPTIONS__________8

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

ORGANIZATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES

DIRECTION, CONTROL, AND COORDINATION

INFORMATION COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION

COMMUNICATIONS

ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, AND LOGISTICS

PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES

1. Purpose, Scope, Situation, and Assumptions

1. 1. Purpose

It is the purpose of this Plan to define the actions and roles necessary to provide a coordinated response within Harris County, Texas. This plan provides guidance to agencies within Harris County, Texas with a general concept of potential emergency assignments before, during, and following emergency situations. It also provides for the systematic integration of emergency resources when activated and does not replace county or local emergency operations plans or procedures.

1. 1. Scope

This plan applies to all participating departments and agencies of the jurisdictions contained within the geographical boundary of Harris County, Texas .

1. 1. Situation Overview

      1. Characteristics

         1. Location

            1. Harris County, Texas includes Spring County and Crosby County.

         2. Geographic

            1. Spring County is the second largest City in the state. Crosby County lies west of Spring County and is the gateway to the jurisdiction. A map illustrating the areas covered by the plan is shown as follows.

         3. Demographic

            1. Harris County, Texas has a population of 950,000 residents as of July 1, 2007. Daytime population in Harris County, Texas exceeds 1,020,000 due to large commercial and industrial areas in the southeastern portion of the jurisdiction. The jurisdiction is also a popular base for outdoor adventurists, attracting a large number of tourists each year.

         4. Designated Areas of Interest

            1. Two State parks within the jurisdiction are visited by over one million tourists during the months of June, July, August, and September .

         5. Special Events

            1. In mid-August, Harris County, Texas hosts the State County Fair for two weeks. 750,000 people usually attend the fair .

         6. Economic Base and Infrastructure

            1. Harris County, Texas' s economy has evolved from its traditional tourism and textile dependence into one of great diversity. Today's commercial and industrial manufacturing base is complemented by solid and growing trade and service sectors. Much tourism activity is centered around Spring. This economic diversification has helped create new employment and smooth the impact of cyclical swings. As a result, unemployment rates have been below State and national averages since 1987. Finances have improved with three years of surplus operations and are expected to be further strengthened by solid operating results in 2008 .

      2. Hazard Profile

         1. Potential Hazards

Spring County is subjected to the effects of many disasters, varying widely in type and magnitude from local communities to statewide in scope .

Disaster conditions could be a result of a number of natural phenomena such as avalanches, earthquakes, floods, severe thunderstorms, high water, drought, severe winter weather, fires (including urban, grass, and forest fires), epidemics, severe heat, or high winds. Apart from natural disasters, Spring County is subject to a myriad of other disaster contingencies, such as derailments, aircraft accidents, transportation accidents involving chemicals and other hazardous materials, plant explosions, chemical oil and other hazardous material spills, leaks or pollution problems, dumping of hazardous wastes, building or bridge collapses, utility service interruptions, energy shortages, civil disturbances or riots, terrorism, warfare, applicable criminal acts, or a combination of any of these.

1. 1. 1. Vulnerability Assessment

         1. Spring County

The vulnerability assessment checklist for Spring County is shown below.

1. 1. 1. 1. Crosby County

The vulnerability assessment checklist for Crosby County is shown below.

1. 1. Planning Assumptions

      1. Effective prediction and warning systems have been established that make it possible to anticipate certain disaster situations that may occur throughout the jurisdiction or the general area beyond the jurisdiction's boundaries.

      2. It is assumed that any of the disaster contingencies could individually, or in combination, cause a grave emergency situation within Harris County, Texas. It is also assumed that these contingencies will vary in scope and intensity, from an area in which the devastation is isolated and limited to one that is wide-ranging and extremely devastated. For this reason, planning efforts are made as generally as possible so that great latitude is available in their application, considering they could occur in several locations simultaneously.

      3. Initial actions to mitigate the effects of emergency situations or potential disaster conditions will be conducted as soon as possible by the local government.

      4. Assistance to the affected jurisdictions(s) by response organizations from another jurisdiction(s) is expected to supplement the efforts of the affected jurisdiction(s) in an efficient, effective, and coordinated response when jurisdiction officials determine their own resources to be insufficient.

      5. Federal and State disaster assistance, when provided, will supplement, not substitute for, relief provided by local jurisdictions.

      6. It is the responsibility of officials under this plan to save lives, protect property , relieve human suffering, sustain survivors, repair essential facilities, restore services, and protect the environment.

      7. When a jurisdiction receives a request to assist another jurisdiction, reasonable actions will be taken to provide the assistance as requested .

2. Concept of Operations

   1. General

      1. Communications are maintained between affected jurisdictions and area emergency management branch offices. Branch office personnel may respond to the jurisdiction to facilitate ongoing information exchange.

      2. Spring County commissioners may declare local states of emergency and request State assistance. All requests for State assistance should go through the local emergency management area coordinator and the appropriate emergency management branch manager to the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

      3. When the State EOC is activated, the TEXAS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AGENCY becomes the office of primary responsibility for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT). The director of emergency management will normally serve as SERT leader.

      4. Texas State EOCs will serve as clearinghouses for response and recovery operations and for deployment of resources within the counties, including cities within the counties.

      5. Planning for recovery will be implemented at the same time local governments are taking the emergency response actions necessary to protect the public. Preparations will be made for rapid deployment of resources necessary to facilitate recovery.

   2. Hazard Control and Assessment

      1. Perceive the threat.

      2. Assess the hazard.

      3. Select control strategy.

      4. Control hazard

      5. Monitor hazard.

   3. Protective Action Selection

      1. Analyze the hazard.

      2. Determine protective action.

      3. Determine public warning.

      4. Determine protective action implementation plan.

   4. Public Warning

      1. Determine message content.

      2. Select appropriate public warning system(s)

      3. Disseminate public warning.

   5. Protective Action Implementation

      1. Monitor progress of protective action implementation

      2. Control access and isolate danger area.

      3. Evacuation support

      4. Decontamination support

      5. Medical treatment

      6. Functional needs population support

      7. Search and rescue.

   6. Short-term Needs

      1. Shelter operations

      2. Unite families.

      3. Continued medical treatment.

      4. Increase security.

      5. Stabilize the affected area.

   7. Long-term Needs

      1. Re-entry

      2. Recovery