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Council adopts updated Emergency Operations Plan after questions over availability and incident roles
Summary
After a lengthy presentation and questioning from council members, the Compton City Council approved an updated Emergency Operations Plan the staff said was vetted by DMACC and the Safety Commission; council asked staff to provide the full document and clarified that EOC activation will be led by fire staff and the city manager.
City emergency management staff and the fire department urged the Compton City Council to adopt an updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) designed to align local response procedures with FEMA, the National Incident Management System and state SEMS.
"The EOP is a living document… It provides guidance and procedure for city staff to respond to and recover from large-scale emergencies," Jaime Guerrero, the city’s emergency management coordinator, told the council. Guerrero said the update incorporates new forms, job aids, and the city’s recently updated hazard mitigation information.
David Ashman, the area DMACC coordinator who assisted with the revision, said the document was adapted to Compton priorities and edited in collaboration with local fire and public works officials.
Several council members pressed staff for more detail and for a physical copy of the plan. "Where is the plan? Is it customized for Compton, not a general plan? Who's the incident management team? What's the trigger point?" one council member demanded.
Renee Eric Simpson, fire chief, said Compton has had an operating plan on the books since 2012 and described the update as the product of a multi-year process that required FEMA approval of the city’s hazard mitigation plan before the EOP update could proceed. Deputy Chief Donald added that EOC activation will be run by fire department staff with the city manager and that typical EOC functions (finance, logistics, operations, planning) will be represented.
Chief Simpson and other staff told the council the EOP had been reviewed by DMACC and the Safety Commission and that a detailed document (about 100 pages) would be provided to the council. Staff also noted an expanded resident alerting system with roughly 39,400 residents signed up to receive notifications.
Council members said they wanted clarity about roles, notification triggers and training; staff responded they would provide the full document and work with departments to conduct drills and training using the EOP.
The council voted to adopt the updated EOP by roll call (all members voting yes). Staff will deliver copies of the plan to the council and schedule follow-up trainings and drills.
