How the City is Preparing

The City of Albuquerque government is
preparing to respond and recover from
all hazards

First, the City is working to identify and reduce risks:

• The City’s Fire Wise program reduces fuel sources close to Albuquerque homes and buildings – and works to reduce fuel loads in the Bosque.
• Where possible, the City and Bernalillo County advance lower-population routes for dangerous chemicals, and otherwise work to reduce local storage and transit of hazardous materials.

Second, the City is preparing to respond to and recover from all hazards:

• The Mayor and the Office of Emergency Management coordinate planning by Police, Fire, Rescue, Haz-Mat, 311, Environmental Health, and other City agencies.  
• The City integrates its planning with local businesses, the federal government, state government, the New Mexico National Guard, the American Red Cross, Albuquerque Public Schools, United States Postal Service, Sandia National Labs, and the Kirtland Air Force Base, to name just a few.
• The City conducts mock-disaster exercises to test the City’s integrated response to an emergency.  
• The City plans for continuity of government.
• The City's revised and upgraded All-Hazard Emergency Operations Plan is now before the City Council.
• To prepare for an act of terrorism, the City engages in tactical planning.   Most of this work is coordinated through the Police, Fire, Rescue, and other federal agencies through the Mid Rio Grande Terrorism Early Warning Group.

What the City Will Do in an Emergency

In a nutshell:  The Mayor, the Office of Emergency Management including the Emergency Operations Center, and the incident commander will lead and manage the crisis.   The City’s 311 call center will answer questions.   As needed, the Bomb Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), and other Police Department teams will respond to the crisis, direct traffic, block streets, and go door-to-door.   As needed, Emergency Management Technician (EMT) -trained fire officers and rescue officers will combat fire, rescue people, and control hazardous materials.   As needed, shelters will be established and evacuation routes announced.  

Specifically, the following steps will be taken, as needed, under the leadership of the Mayor, the City Emergency Manager and the Office of Emergency Management:

1. Activate the Emergency Operations Center.
2. Assess the situation and involve all appropriate agencies:  law enforcement, fire, rescue, hazardous materials, public health, communications, energy, etc.
3. Support the incident commander.
4. Provide information via the City’s website, 311 call center, and news media (newswires, radio, TV, Internet).
5. If needed, establish shelters and evacuation routes (and what routes not to use) and transportation for every citizen possible.
6. If needed, inform public school officials and provide specific instructions regarding APS school children.
7. Ensure continuity of government.
8. Ensure that all levels of government – federal, state, county, and municipal – work together in a coordinated manner on operations, logistics, planning, and finance.
9. Launch strategic disaster recovery efforts.

Emergency Training Exercises

Through the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Office of Emergency Management is preparing for a disaster in Albuquerque by conducting a range of training exercises.  

We have developed a three-year exercise program beginning January 2006 for the Albuquerque metropolitan area:

• Throughout 2006, we will train all EOC personnel in their duties and responsibilities in the Emergency Operations Center.
• In 2007 we will conduct seminars and table top exercises for different sections (operations, logistics, etc.).  
• Near the end of 2007, we will assemble all EOC teams to conduct a table top exercise.
• Our final stages of training in 2008 will involve a full EOC team conducting a functional exercise.   
• In 2008 or 2009, we will conduct a full exercise involving all agencies (government and private) in a simulated disaster response.
• Each year from 2008 or 2009 on, we will conduct full exercises.