EMC375 EMCOMM Officers Handbook 9

EXERCISE OR INCIDENT OPERATION
MOBILIZATION AND INITIAL FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES 

In the event that the EMCOMM unit leader is called on to help organize mutual aid assistance or emergency communications, the following procedures should be followed as closely as possible. Some of these may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the specific incident. Also, a specific procedure may be custom to a particular unit, such as one that may have an "Active Duty Officer" designee for each week (or similar.)

1. (Agency Name) will notify the EMCOMM unit leader or his alternate and order or request mobilization of the EMCOMM unit. The first person on the list that is notified will act in that persons stead until he/she can be reached.
   
2. Initiate the pre-determined call-up procedures.
   
3. The first person notified by the unit leader is responsible to insure the call-up is completed and personnel are informed of the current information. (Again, local customized systems may apply, as where there is an agency paging system for example.)
   
4. Set up the initial work schedule while the call-up is being completed. (This may require an assistant to be assigned to follow up on the personnel not initially contacted via the call-up procedures.)
   
5. If the EMCOMM response team is depleted then you will have to go to adjacent county or Region for mutual aid (with authorization) for assistance. Set up an ongoing schedule for assistance (also via mutual aid from authorized local/county government organizations) or operators as the situation requires.
   
6. Obtain incident mutual aid assistance via, first, the telephone or if necessary assign an operator to go to the correct resource net frequency, or repeater, for the incident if required. (But, be careful of attracting those convergent volunteers that may show up unannounced just "because they heard it on a repeater" - meaning there is the need to carefully phrase all public information.)
   
7. Using the MUTUAL AID OPERATIONS CHECK LIST (bulletin 377, Hdbk 11), make an initial evaluation of the requirements vs resources with the incident EMCOMM unit resource manager.
   
8. Keep a log or documentation trail of all details.
   
9. The Agency OES Manager or Comm Coordinator (or an EMCOMM unit officer with their permission) will contact the government agency official first, to ask if their EMCOMM unit resources can be called up or go on standby to provide mutual aid.
   
10. Once permission is given allow time for the agency official to contact their EMCOMM unit leader before making contact.
    

The EMCOMM Unit Leader and trained alternates from the EMCOMM Unit staff is to manage the entire operation at all times, with the exception of a local situation where a paid staff person may be required to handle that function. Only when there is a need for an operator or manager that no one else can fulfill, or for training purposes, does the EMCOMM unit lead staff to go into the field. When this occasion occurs, responsibilities will be turned over to a trained alternate until such time as the staff member can return to their primary duties. The unit's lead officers must always be within reach of the OES Manager or Comm Coordinator (or other local title of agency paid staff.)

When personnel are sent to the field, insure that they have valid resource orders with the appropriate identifications numbers, such as a incident and resource order mission number and the responding mutual aid agency resource order mission number.

Continues next week

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