Department of the Interior

Departmental Manual

 

Series:  Emergency Management

Part 900:  Emergency Management Program

Chapter 4:  Coordination of Emergency Incidents

 

Originating Office:  Office of Law Enforcement and Security                                                             

900 DM 4

 

4.1     Purpose.  This chapter sets forth policy, guidance, and procedures for coordinating emergency incidents.  This includes coordination of Departmental resources, facilities and personnel, the reporting of serious emergency incidents, and providing senior leadership with comprehensive situation awareness.

 

4.2     Scope.  These policies, guidance and procedures apply to all bureaus and offices, and encompasses all hazards and emergencies that impact the Department’s lands, facilities and resources; Tribal Lands and Insular Areas; the ability of the Department to execute emergency programs; and emergencies for which assistance is provided to other units of government under Federal laws, Executive Orders, interagency emergency response plans such as the National Response Plan, and other agreements.

 

4.3     Definitions.

 

          A.      Emergency Management Activities.  Activities required to provide systematic management for emergencies across the continuum from prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.

 

          B.      Emergency Programs and Functions.  Activities involving planning, preparing, and/or responding to emergency incidents, for example:  dam safety, law enforcement, environmental response, earthquake warning, and fire fighting.

 

          C.      Essential Functions.  Based on Federal Preparedness Circular 65 (FPC-65), functions that enable the Federal government to provide vital services, exercise civil authority, save lives and protect the health and safety of the public and employees, and sustain the industrial/economic base in an emergency.

 

          D.      Incident.  As defined by the National Response Plan, an occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, that requires an emergency response to protect life or property.  Incidents can, for example, include major disasters, emergencies, terrorist attacks, terrorist threats, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous material spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, war-related disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and other occurrences requiring emergency response.

 

          E.      Incident of National Significance.  Based on criteria established in HSPD-5, an actual or potential high-impact event that requires a coordinated and effective response by an appropriate combination of Federal, State, local, tribal, nongovernmental, and/or private-sector entities in order to save lives and minimize damage, and provide the basis for long-term community recovery and mitigation activities.

 

          F.      Major Disaster.  As defined by the Stafford Act, any natural catastrophe, or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion in any part of the United States, that in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this Act.

 

          G.      Serious Emergency Incident.  Incidents that merit attention by the Office of the Secretary.  Serious incidents include all Incidents of National Significance that involve the Departmental bureaus or offices.  Also included are incidents that significantly impact the Department’s people, lands, facilities, infrastructure and resources; Tribal Lands and Insular Areas; the ability of the Department to execute essential functions and responsibilities; and responsibilities to assist other units of government.  An operational description of such incidents is provided in 4.7D.

 

          H.      Supporting Activities.  Programs and functions that may not necessarily respond directly to emergencies, but that provide activities vital to emergency planning and response, such as telecommunications, IT, human resources, and financial management.

 

4.4     References.

 

          A.      Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.)  November 25, 2002.

 

          B.      Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5), Management of Domestic Incidents, February 28, 2003.

 

          C.      National Response Plan (NRP), December 15, 2004.

 

          D.      National Incident Management System (NIMS), March 1, 2004.

 

          E.      Federal Preparedness Circular 65 (FPC 65), Federal Executive Branch Continuity of Operations (COOP), June 15, 2004.

 

4.5     Policy.

 

          A.      Incident management activities are initiated and conducted using the principles contained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

 

          B.      Response activities are managed at the lowest possible organizational level.

 

          C.      The Department will maintain an integrated, coordinated, and comprehensive Departmental Emergency Management Program.

 

                   (1)     Bureaus and offices will take responsibility for execution of Emergency Programs and Functions assigned to them in the Departmental Manual.

 

                   (2)     The Departmental Emergency Coordinator will ensure coordination and integration among Emergency Programs and Functions managed by bureaus and offices, and of various supporting activities.  This includes provision of Department-wide situational awareness, aggregate resource commitments, ensuring efficient and effective responses are conducted when multiple bureaus and offices are engaged in responding to serious emergency incidents, providing decision support to senior Departmental leadership, and providing coordination of interagency response and liaison with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other departments and agencies.

 

          D.      Timely reporting is required to enable bureau, Departmental and interagency coordination during serious emergency incidents.

 

          E.      The Department of the Interior’s Watch Office (DOI Watch Office) serves as the single point of contact for collection and dissemination of information to support the Emergency Management program.

 

          F.      When a major disaster or serious emergency incident threatens or impacts multiple bureaus/offices, or if an Incident of National Significance is declared that requires significant Departmental involvement, the Emergency Management Council may be convened to facilitate coordination of preparedness and response activities.

 

          G.      The Emergency Management Program, DOI Watch Office and other bureaus/offices shall coordinate reporting requirements so as to reduce unnecessary burden to subordinate organizations.

 

4.6     Responsibilities.

 

          A.      Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget (PMB) is responsible for overall leadership and coordination of the emergency management program and emergency management activities.  During serious emergency incidents, ensures coordination of response and recovery activities among PMB Offices.

 

          B.      Deputy Assistant Secretary - Law Enforcement and Security provides direct oversight for coordination of emergency incidents.

 

          C.      Director, Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES) provides direction for the coordination of serious emergency incidents including establishment of guidelines, criteria, and procedures for reporting.

 

          D.      Assistant Director for Emergency Management, OLES (Departmental Emergency Coordinator), establishes procedures for coordination and reporting of serious emergency incidents.

 

          E.      Assistant Secretaries, the Solicitor, and the Inspector General provide leadership and oversight to ensure that emergency incidents within bureaus/offices are effectively coordinated and reported.

 

          F.      Heads of Bureaus and Offices shall ensure that Emergency Coordinators participate in Department-wide emergency planning, preparation, and exercises and training activities, provide direction to ensure that emergency incidents within bureaus/offices are effectively coordinated and reported, and shall ensure a reliable system is established for communicating emergency reports and notifications to the Department’s Watch Office on a 24/7 basis.

 

          G.      Emergency Coordinators.  Each Bureau/Office Emergency Coordinator shall establish internal reporting criteria and procedures to effectively fulfill responsibilities for coordinating emergency incidents on a 24/7 basis, and establish reliable procedures to ensure notification of serious emergency incidents to the DOI Watch Office in a timely manner.

 

          H.      Employees, Supervisors, and Managers are responsible for promptly reporting incidents covered by this chapter using applicable bureau or office procedures.

 

4.7     Serious Emergency Incident Reporting.

 

          A.      When informed of an alert, incident or serious emergency incident, the Watch Office will activate Watch Office notification procedures for Departmental bureaus and offices.  The Watch Office will maintain on-going situational awareness and provide updates to senior Departmental leadership.  In addition, the Watch Office will carry out responsibilities for timely notification of the Homeland Security Operations Center under the National Response Plan.

 

          B.      Upon the discovery or notification of an alert, incident or serious emergency incident or during response to a major special event, bureaus and offices will expeditiously notify the DOI Watch Office.

 

          C.      This guidance does not supercede established requirements within bureaus/offices, but does provide for prompt notification to the Watch Office of all situations which meet the criteria of an alert, incident or serious emergency incident.

 

                   (1)     Law enforcement reporting is detailed in 446 DM 17.  For incidents occurring at locations where DOI does not have legislated statutory law enforcement authority, bureau/office emergency coordinators should ensure incidents detailed within 446 DM 17 are promptly reported to the DOI Watch Office.

 

                   (2)     Occupational Health and Safety reporting is detailed in 485 DM 1, 2 and 17.  Bureau/Office Designated Agency Safety and Health Officials (DASHO) are responsible for overseeing bureau/office safety programs, including reporting serious accidents and injuries.  Bureau/Office Emergency Coordinators should work with the Bureau/Office DASHO, to ensure occupational safety reports which meet criteria for serious emergency incidents are reported to the DOI Watch Office.

 

                   (3)     Oil discharge and hazardous substance release reporting is detailed in 910 DM 4.  Bureaus and office shall adhere to Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC) reporting requirements.  OEPC Emergency Coordinator shall ensure environmental incidents which also meet the criteria for serious emergency incidents are expeditiously reported to the DOI Watch Office.  In the event the Watch Office is notified of an oil discharge or hazardous substance release by some entity other than OEPC, the DOI Watch Office shall confirm that the National Response Center has been notified and will then notify OEPC.

 

          D.      The following incidents shall be reported to the DOI Watch Office:

 

                   (1)     Deaths, Injuries, or Accidents.

 

                             (a)     Fatality or life-threatening injury to an employee while in the performance of their duties.

 

                             (b)     Fatalities or serious injury to multiple employees or visitors on DOI lands.

 

                             (c)     All aircraft accidents on DOI lands.

 

                             (d)     Accident involving DOI owned, operated, or contracted aircraft (also reported in accordance with 352 DM 6).

                   (2)     Disaster and Incident Response.

 

                             (a)     Serious incidents, such as natural or man-made disasters, major structural fires, structural failures, or other emergency events effecting DOI lands or facilities that cause injury, significant damage (in excess of $250K), impact visitor use, or degrade the ability to provide vital services.

 

                             (b)     Emergency preparedness and response activities that significantly impact tribes or Insular communities.

 

                             (c)     Warnings, alerts, or advisories issued to the public or other government agencies by DOI bureaus and offices related to emergency conditions, including dam failures, flood, landslide, earthquake, and volcano.

 

                             (d)     Warnings of natural disasters or other emergencies that threaten DOI lands, facilities, or infrastructure and preparedness measures taken in response to such threats.

 

                             (e)     Requests for or actual deployment of DOI employees, resources, or technical assistance to support emergency activities of other departments or agencies.

 

                             (f)      Search and Rescue activities involving significant interagency resources or large numbers of personnel.

 

                   (3)     Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection.

 

                             (a)     Threats, attempted sabotage,, or actual terrorist activity directed against DOI facilities.

 

                             (b)     Threats, attempted sabotage, or terrorist activity directed against mineral, oil, natural gas, or electrical grid on DOI lands or lands regulated by DOI.

 

                             (c)     Information regarding threatened or actual demonstrations or protest activity that may impact critical infrastructure, national monuments, or mission essential facilities.

 

                             (d)     Threats or damage from natural disasters or technological emergencies impacting mission essential facilities or critical infrastructure.

 

                             (e)     Suspicious loss or theft of government vehicles (including aircraft, boats, and buses), law enforcement equipment, or credentials.

                   (4)     Law Enforcement.  Bureaus/Offices shall report law enforcement incidents in accordance with 446 DM 9.

                   (5)     Wildland Fires.

 

                             (a)     Existing wildland fire reporting methodology will be used.  However, bureaus shall alert the DOI Watch Office of significant damage to a bureau facility or activities that impact visitor use.

 

                             (b)     Bureaus shall report actual or planned deployment of significant DOI resources for non-fire emergency activities.

                   (6)     Oil Discharges and Hazardous Substance Releases.  As required by 910 DM 4 discharges or releases meeting reporting criteria (set forth in 40 CFR 110 for oil discharges and 40 CFR 116 for hazardous substance releases) must be reported to the National Response Center and appropriate OEPC Regional Environmental Officer.

                   (7)     Other Incidents.

 

                             (a)     Activation of a Bureau or Office Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan.

 

                             (b)     Emergencies on public or private property adjacent to lands administered by DOI that might have an impact on departmental resources.

         

                             (c)     Emergencies involving DOI employees on official duty outside the U.S., including incidents attracting media or diplomatic attention.

 

                             (d)     Other unusual events that have high potential to result in national media interest.

 

4.8     Serious Emergency Incident Report Requirements.

 

          A.      Initial reports to the DOI Watch Office may be telephonic, and should be followed up with written reports transmitted electronically (fax or email) as soon as the incident situation allows.

 

          B.      Updates to initial reports shall be provided when significant incident information changes.  Bureau/Office Emergency Coordinators shall review supplemental reporting frequency and termination with the Departmental Emergency Coordinator and the DOI Watch Office.

 

          C.      Bureau/Office report formats may be used.  In the future, standardized formats may be instituted to facilitate incident coordination and/or electronic reporting systems.

 

1/4/06 #3696

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