CHW EM - Module 4 - Emergency Mgmt Structure Video

Summary

In this module, Jennifer Harris, a doctorate student in public health, discusses the organizational structure of emergency management, starting at the federal level and focusing on Illinois. She explains the National Response Framework (NRF), which provides scalable and flexible guidance for all types of disasters, and highlights key systems like the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS). The module covers emergency support functions, emphasizing public health, and the structure for escalating responses from local to federal levels. The session concludes by discussing Illinois' emergency response plans and partnerships with public health agencies.

Takeaways

• 📋 The module focuses on emergency preparedness and management, tailored for community health workers, emphasizing federal and Illinois structures.
• 🇺🇸 Emergency management starts at the federal level with the National Response Framework (NRF), which is scalable and adaptable for different disaster sizes.
• 🏥 ESF (Emergency Support Functions) number 8 is primarily where public health and medical services fall, involving community health workers during emergencies.
• 👨‍🚒 ESF numbers also cover other areas like firefighting (ESF 4) and public safety (ESF 13), indicating the variety of roles in emergencies.
• 🔄 NIMS (National Incident Management System) and ICS (Incident Command System) guide how different levels of government and organizations coordinate during emergencies.
• 🚓 The ICS structure ensures that there is always an Incident Commander to coordinate emergency responses, whether at a local or federal level.
• ⚠️ The complexity of incidents ranges from Type 5 (small, local incidents) to Type 1 (large-scale disasters requiring federal intervention).
• 🏛️ Illinois follows a similar command structure, with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency leading state efforts and potentially escalating issues to the federal level.
• 🌪️ Disasters can escalate from local to federal involvement based on scope and resources required, starting with local responders and moving upward if necessary.
• 📣 The final module will focus on crisis communication during emergencies and additional resources for further emergency management training.

Q & A

What is the National Response Framework (NRF) and its purpose?

The National Response Framework (NRF) is a guide that helps the nation respond to all types of disasters and emergencies. It operates under an all-hazards approach and is designed to be scalable, flexible, and adaptable depending on the size and scope of the disaster.

How does the National Response Framework support local communities during emergencies?

The NRF is designed to assist communities by integrating continuity plans for recovery and response. It helps in areas such as stabilizing community lifelines, managing supply chains, and ensuring mutual aid agreements among neighboring counties, cities, or states.

What are Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), and which one typically applies to community health workers?

Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) are categories of resources and responsibilities used during a disaster response. Community health workers usually fall under ESF 8, which deals with Public Health and Medical Services.

What is the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and how does it relate to the NRF?

NIMS is a guide for coordinating efforts across government, non-government, and private sectors to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters. It works within the NRF framework to ensure a coordinated approach to disaster management.

How is the Incident Command System (ICS) structured in an emergency response?

ICS is a standardized approach to command, control, and coordination of on-site incident management. It establishes a clear hierarchy, with an Incident Commander overseeing the response. The size of the command structure varies depending on the complexity and scale of the disaster.

What is the difference between a Type 5 and a Type 1 incident according to FEMA?

A Type 5 incident is small in scale, with limited individuals involved and short duration, usually handled at the local level. A Type 1 incident is the most complex, involving many people and a large geographical area, requiring federal involvement and multi-jurisdictional coordination.

How does the incident command system scale depending on the size of the disaster?

The ICS is designed to be scalable and flexible, meaning it can expand or contract depending on the size, complexity, and duration of the incident. For smaller incidents, fewer resources and personnel are required, while larger disasters require more extensive command structures and resource allocation.

How does Illinois' emergency management system operate in relation to the federal structure?

Illinois follows a similar structure to the federal model, with local responders taking initial control of incidents. Depending on the complexity, resources from the county, state, or federal levels can be activated. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) leads the state's efforts, coordinating with local and federal authorities as needed.

What role does the Illinois Department of Public Health play in emergency management?

The Illinois Department of Public Health works closely with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, particularly in areas of public health. While it doesn't lead emergency management efforts, it provides clinical information, resources, and support, particularly in public health-related emergencies.

How does a disaster declaration process work at the state and federal levels?

A disaster can be declared by either the state governor or the president. The governor's declaration typically addresses state-level emergencies, while the president's declaration is made for larger, federally recognized disasters, which triggers federal support and resources.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Emergency Management Structure

Jennifer Harris introduces the module on emergency management structure tailored to community health workers. She starts with the federal level, particularly the National Response Framework (NRF), which serves as a scalable, flexible guide for disaster response. This framework, combined with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), ensures that emergency response efforts can adapt to the scope of the disaster, from local incidents to large-scale emergencies.

05:01

🚑 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) Overview

Harris explains Emergency Support Functions (ESF), which categorize resources and roles during disaster responses. Community health workers typically operate under ESF #8, focusing on public health and medical services, but other ESFs may be activated based on the type of disaster (e.g., ESF #4 for firefighting). The National Response Framework assigns these functions to ensure clear responsibilities and smooth coordination.

10:03

🛠 Incident Command System and Disaster Complexity

The discussion shifts to the Incident Command System (ICS), which is a hierarchical framework for managing emergency responses. Harris explains how disaster complexity is categorized from Type 5 (small, localized events) to Type 1 (large, multi-jurisdictional events). She emphasizes that the size of the response, including resources and personnel, scales according to the incident type. ICS ensures command and control across all responders.

15:15

🏢 Incident Command Roles and Local Response

Harris delves into the role of the Incident Commander, who manages the emergency response on-site. In smaller incidents, one person may handle multiple functions, but in larger disasters, specialized roles (logistics, planning, operations) are necessary. She highlights the importance of flexible and scalable systems based on the complexity and resources required, with the Incident Commander always in charge.

Keywords

💡National Response Framework (NRF)

The National Response Framework (NRF) is a guide that helps the nation respond to all types of disasters and emergencies. It is based on an 'all hazards approach,' meaning it applies to a wide range of potential crises. In the video, the NRF is described as scalable, flexible, and adaptable, providing a structure that can be expanded or contracted based on the size and complexity of an emergency.

💡Emergency Support Functions (ESF)

Emergency Support Functions (ESF) are critical components of the National Response Framework. Each ESF corresponds to a specific area of service during an emergency, such as firefighting or public health. For example, ESF-8 covers public health and medical services, which is relevant to community health workers. These functions ensure that key sectors like health, security, and logistics are supported in a coordinated manner during emergencies.

💡Incident Command System (ICS)

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized, hierarchical structure for managing emergency response. It is part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and is designed to coordinate command and control in disaster situations. ICS helps organize resources and personnel efficiently, with a clear chain of command, such as assigning an Incident Commander. The video uses examples like fires and large-scale disasters to illustrate how ICS works in practice.

💡National Incident Management System (NIMS)

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a framework that ensures that different levels of government, private sector, and non-government organizations can work together during emergencies. It is designed to manage the coordination and recovery process across multiple agencies. The video emphasizes that NIMS provides the groundwork for various organizations to collaborate in disaster response, ensuring unified action.

💡Scalable and Flexible Response

A scalable and flexible response refers to the ability of emergency management systems to adjust their efforts based on the severity and complexity of an incident. The video explains that the National Response Framework is designed to be scalable, meaning it can be expanded for larger disasters or scaled down for smaller incidents. Flexibility allows it to adapt to the needs of different communities and situations.

💡Community Lifelines

Community lifelines are critical services that must be stabilized during a disaster to ensure a community's survival and recovery. Examples include healthcare, food, water, and public safety. In the video, Jennifer Harris discusses the importance of stabilizing these lifelines to help communities recover from emergencies. The pandemic example, where items like hand sanitizer and masks were in short supply, illustrates how community lifelines can be impacted.

💡Public Health and Medical Services (ESF-8)

Public Health and Medical Services fall under Emergency Support Function (ESF) number 8. This ESF focuses on medical and public health needs during emergencies, such as treating injured individuals, managing healthcare facilities, and ensuring public health standards are maintained. In the context of community health workers, ESF-8 is particularly relevant as it directly involves the healthcare system during disaster response.

💡Local First Response

The concept of 'local first response' emphasizes that local agencies, such as fire departments, police, and emergency medical services, are the first to respond to a disaster. The video explains that most emergencies are managed at the local level first before escalating to county, state, or federal involvement, depending on the scale of the disaster. This principle is crucial for community health workers who are often part of the initial response.

💡Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating disaster response and emergency management in Illinois. The video highlights the role of IEMA in managing the state's emergency operations and working alongside other organizations like the Illinois Department of Public Health. It is tasked with implementing the Illinois Emergency Operations Plan, which guides the state's disaster response.

💡Incident Commander

An Incident Commander is the person in charge of managing an emergency or disaster scene. This individual has the authority to make decisions, coordinate response efforts, and allocate resources. The video describes how every emergency, whether a small local incident or a large disaster, will have an Incident Commander. Their role is crucial in maintaining command and control during chaotic situations.

Highlights

Introduction to Emergency Preparedness and Management tailored for community health workers, focusing on Illinois' emergency management structure.

The National Response Framework (NRF) serves as the foundation for all emergency management in the U.S., emphasizing scalability, flexibility, and adaptability.

The NRF operates on an 'all-hazards' approach, which means it can handle a wide variety of emergencies, from local incidents to large-scale disasters.

Emergency support functions (ESF) are critical in organizing response efforts. ESF #8 focuses on Public Health and Medical Services, where community health workers primarily operate.

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) guide how governments and private sectors coordinate during emergencies.

NIMS facilitates collaboration across sectors to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents, aligning with the phases of emergency management.

ICS provides a hierarchical structure for command and control during emergencies, with scalability based on the complexity and type of disaster.

FEMA classifies incidents by five types, with Type 1 being the most complex, involving federal coordination and multi-jurisdictional response.

The role of the Incident Commander is pivotal in any emergency, overseeing command, control, and coordination. The position is scalable depending on the emergency.

Illinois follows the national framework with its own Emergency Operations Plan, which aligns with state and federal efforts for disaster management.

Illinois' disaster management structure involves collaboration across municipal, county, state, and federal levels, with escalation based on the scope of the disaster.

Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is responsible for leading the state's emergency efforts, partnering with other agencies like the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Community health workers are vital in emergencies, often serving as the first responders due to their local knowledge of patients and their needs.

Emergencies can escalate to state or federal levels based on available resources and needs, such as medical supplies, food, and shelter.

The next module will cover crisis communication and summarize key resources for further emergency management training.

Transcripts

hello my name is Jennifer Harris and I

am a doctorate and public health student

at the University of Nebraska Medical

Center this is the fourth module in a

series of five on emergency preparedness

and management tailored towards

community health workers so welcome back

in this module we are going to focus on

the organization structure for Emergency

Management in Illinois specifically

we're going to start and talk about the

federal level because we have to start

there before we can get to Illinois but

I would like to drill down to the

Illinois level so that that's more

um more easily understood in the complex

world of Emergency Management

so from the federal level the emergency

management structure starts with

something that is called the National

Response Framework or NRF this is a

guide that helps the nation respond to

all types of disasters in emergency so

it goes by that all hazards approach

that we've talked about in the previous

modules and it is built on what they

consider scalable flexible and adaptable

to the National Incident Management

System which is referred to as Nims we

are going to talk about Nims a little

bit more and this is alphabet soup I

apologize but that is how the world of

Emergency Management

seems to come about

so again it's just important to remember

that we have a national framework and

that National framework kind of lays the

foundation that is scalable and flexible

so depending on the size and scope of

the disaster it can be increased or

decreased and we'll talk more about this

with some examples

but then off of the National Response

Framework the NRF they actually develop

it's developed so that communities can

use it they look at integrating

continuity plans so from that recovery

and response sections what can they do

for continuation of operations whether

it's medical businesses schools churches

it builds on capabilities responding to

failures so they take a look at supply

chain can everybody get hand sanitizer

during the covid-19 pandemic for a short

while that was in short supply the

vaccines themselves masks you start

thinking about it I can remember going

to the grocery store and it was very

difficult to find bleach or Lysol so

again when there are emergencies or

disasters some supplies will quickly

become in short supply again the

National Response Framework is built to

help try and walk through these issues

from a local level for something maybe

simple all the way up to a complex level

with the Federal

and then again it's to collaborate to

stabilize the community lifelines and

restore services so like I just talked

about

um you know do we need to stockpile

anything do we need to have mutual Aid

agreements with neighboring counties or

cities or even States and so again this

whole framework is just built for States

and communities counties regions to be

able to build off of

So within the National Response

Framework I only put this up here so

that you're aware of it but they also

have something within that that

framework called emergency support

functions

and in the world of Emergency Management

you may hear this return referred to as

ESF and then a number so typically

within the world that we work with

patients and clients and Healthcare

Public Health

um you know those kinds of resources we

fall right here in ESF number eight

which is Public Health and Medical

Services

but you could easily see and I wanted to

put this up here because depending on

the scale of the disaster or emergency

there easily could be other entities in

your community that are involved that

fall under a different emergency support

function for example firefighting is

number four so if you have even a

structure fire or in a big city a large

multi-attiered building that's on fire

you're certainly going to have ESF

function number four there which is

firefighting they may even be in charge

of the incident as Incident Commander

but you can see how this all starts to

play together and again that National

Response Framework was built with these

esfs listed out so that responsibilities

and Duties are easily delineated but I

think the most important part is to

remember for the most part

um community health workers and all the

services that they're associated with

will generally fall under esf8

at times there can be esf13 as well with

Public Safety and Security you know

police force even if National Guard

needs to come in so again it just

depends on the situation but for the

most part we fall under ESF number eight

a little bit more alphabet soup and then

I promise I'll stop

um two more things off the national

framework that we just talked about

which is the national Incident

Management System or Nims and the

incident command system which is

referred to as ICS these are FEMA the

Federal Emergency Management agencies

definitions and so I've put them up here

exactly how FEMA defines them Nims is

really just a guide for all levels of

government non-government the private

sector to work together

to prevent protect against mitigate

respond to and recover from incidents so

does that sound familiar we just went

through in the previous module the

phases of Emergency Management and so

there's that mitigate respond recover so

Nims is really just the framework of how

different multiple organizations can

work together and accomplish recovering

from a disaster if it should happen now

ICS Falls underneath Nims it's the

incident command system this is the

actual structure of the hierarchy that

will happen for a response to a disaster

emergency situation it's a standardized

approach and it's really just to

establish command and control and

coordination of on-site unseen Incident

Management and on this next slide we're

going to go over both of these and I

hope the pictorials will make it a

little bit easier to understand so again

alphabet soup we've got Nims and ICS

here

so in terms of ICS or Nims what that we

were talking through

this is a really good picture and I love

it for a couple of different reasons is

broken down into five types of disasters

by complexity and type and so again FEMA

follows this a type 5 incident is one in

which there are very few individuals

involved the time or the duration of the

actual incident is very limited and most

of it can be handled at the local level

and maybe not even with all entities or

those ESF functions those emergency

service functions in a community so a

great example is a car crash two cars

crash there are no fatalities there are

no power lines taken down or water mains

broken as a result and so again police

will respond potentially Emergency

Medical Services will respond but this

is an incident that's a level type five

because it can be handled locally we

don't need to call in additional

resources be on the local level and it

can be handled even if they have to

transport somebody a patient to the

hospital little again it's a very time

limited incident that has few people

involved and can be controlled at the

local level

again this escalates up to Type 4 3 2

and 1. type 1 disaster is probably the

most complex this is when the federal

government would be involved

um you've got many many people across a

large

um geographical area that are involved

or are impacted by whatever the disaster

may be and you're going to have

multi-jurisdictional individuals coming

and Community organizations coming

together so this is where you're going

to have potentially police fire Health

Care Public Health maybe even the

Environmental Protection Agency if it is

a um a train derailment we have chemical

spill

um so again you can pick your disaster

type and the scope and you can see that

they get categorized by what type of

incident they are and that dictates how

many resources individuals and otherwise

maybe needed to respond for the incident

so that leads into the incident command

system then which is the commanded

control of that incident

every incident will have an Incident

Commander it may not be called that but

there will always be somebody in charge

so again if you think of a household

fire

the fire department responds there's

probably a chief firefighter that is in

charge of that incident so he is leading

commanding controlling calling in

additional resources if needed

um but right at that for that incident

he is in charge here she is in charge of

commanding control of the fire

now if you have multiple or a bigger

disaster situation going on maybe a

level three you may have police and fire

involved so if you have the local

shopping center is on fire

so now you've got a larger population

within the public that's being evacuated

from the shopping center

you've got chaos a little bit with

people getting hurt maybe they stampeded

or fell as they were trying to evacuate

so you're also going to have Emergency

Medical Services on standby they may be

running people to the hospital back and

forth you know take people to the

hospital come back to the incident pick

up more if need be so you're getting

multiple entities that are at the scene

of the incident and so you're going to

have an Incident Commander there's no

right or wrong answer in the situation

it could be a police in charge it could

be fire it could be EMS depending on the

size of the community and the structures

that have been set up it could be any of

them which is why it's just labeled

Incident Commander and they will make

themselves known

all of these other functions can support

within an incident command system The

Incident Commander so back to that

two-car crash most likely they are not

going to need to bring in somebody for

operations how to divert traffic around

that incident or somebody to plan how

they're going to clear the car out of

the way and get traffic moving again and

get those cars removed they're not going

to call somebody in for Logistics to say

we need a tow truck now for this person

that Incident Commander is probably

going to handle the majority of those in

those issues with that incident but

again a shopping center that's on fire

or if you think back to covid-19 again

or if you think about a tornado hitting

a community you are probably going to

need all of these functions because the

disaster the timeline again so again

when you get up here and your time is

increasing and you have more of the

public involved you may have to have

more positions filled

so this is this is what they meant by

scalable and flexible it depends on the

complexity and type of your disaster

that's occurred or emergency and What

positions need to be filled the

important thing to always remember is

there is always an Incident Commander

for emergencies and for disasters when

they occur

so bringing it home a little bit more to

Illinois this is a copy of the Illinois

Emergency Operations plan it's the base

plan within the Illinois disaster

management system and I just put this up

here so you can again see

um how it kind of flows we have the

governor's office up here the state

Emergency Operations Center

and then you can say Joint Information

Center and the in the areas underneath

them that will pull together again these

are flexible depending on what the

situation is or the incident some of

these may be filled some of these may

not be filled

this is a great picture also from the

Illinois Emergency Operations plan I

don't expect you to see all these little

words what I wanted to point out was the

flexibility of this so this is a small

incident down here so we'll type five

disaster potentially up to a type 1

disaster so very catastrophic again

maybe a tornado hitting across the

county

and this will show you all the different

entities and players that become

involved when it happens so at the

municipal level when it's about a type 1

type 2 I apologize other way

um type five it'll be at the municipal

level maybe the county level if it gets

a little bit bigger but then it goes up

to State and then ultimately Federal so

they always always defer in a disaster

or emergency situation to the local

level so that you always hear a local

first that will be again you're going to

have your local EMS fire police public

health health services those are all

going to be at the local level if they

can handle it and they have the

resources and means there is no reason

that they will go further and include

maybe County state or federal depending

on what is going on but they can always

escalate depending on scope complexity

and time again and resources that may be

needed so this just kind of Paints the

picture of how Illinois follows that

chain of command and how it can escalate

if need be

I'm going to show a video

um only video of this module but it's a

good example and it kind of walks

through from a FEMA perspective so at

the federal level how a disaster

actually gets declared at the federal

level sometimes there's lots of

confusion in communities you know

there's floods or there's droughts or

something has happened and you'll hear

the governor announce that it's a

declared disaster and then sometimes we

hear the president announce that it's a

declared disaster this quick little

video from FEMA helps to kind of walk

you through that

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thank you

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thank you

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thank you

it's important to note too that in the

state of Illinois the Illinois Emergency

Management agency has been designated by

the executive branch to be responsible

for leading the efforts around Emergency

Management within the state I've just

pasted or copied a section of it so that

you can see it here on the screen but

that is the Illinois branch that is

responsible for leading our efforts and

has State Authority

similarly the Illinois Department of

Public Health has an office of

preparedness and response while they do

not have ultimate authority over leading

all of those efforts they partner very

very strongly with Illinois Emergency

Management agency and on their website I

thought it was very important to list

this website for you and this is a

screenshot of what that looks like you

can go to their website and they have a

lot of clinical information for

Emergency Medical Services or health

care providers but they also have great

resources for the public and it relates

anything from you can see and hear uh

you know laws and rules to Publications

and resources so this is another great

location that I wanted to share with you

so in summary for this module we went

through the National Response Framework

the NRF public and Health Care public

health and Health Care falls under

essential function number eight which is

typically where we will be

um we reviewed the incident command

structure how it's flexible scalable

there's always an Incident Commander in

charge of an emergency or disaster

situation and it can be a very large

incident command structure depending on

the scope and time frame and resources

and demand of the situation a more can

be very small and condensed and handled

um within a local level and even a sub

level and then we also talked about the

organizational structure and response to

emergencies again depending on the scope

and size of the disaster and the

complexity

and we've talked about how local is

always first they're usually the First

Responders they're going to be the most

knowledgeable and that's where chws fit

right in as well

um you know your clients you know your

patients you know their situations so

again you're very familiar from the

local level with what their needs are

even before a disaster situation

again if it escalates and there's more

resources needed whether it's Manpower

you know medical supplies home supplies

Food Water Shelter it can be escalated

from the regional if need be up to state

or federal level and we talk through how

a declaration of a disaster is made at

the state level as well as the federal

level

and I thank you for uh sitting through

this module on the organization

structure of Emergency Management and

specifically from the federal level down

to the local level and we have one more

module after this where we are going to

talk about

um crisis Communication in times of

these emergencies and disasters as well

as summarizing some great resources that

you can use in the future if you want to

go further with your Emergency

Management training thank you