CCP 11-19-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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.' . . ~ ~~ILLS MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Joe Lynch, City Administrator SUBJECT: Emergency Operations Plan Review and Report DATE: November 15, 2001 BACKGROUND At the direction ofthe City Council, and as required by the Emergency Operations Plan, I have reviewed the Emergency Operations Plan adopted by the Arden Hills City Council July 27, 2000, Per your direction I have reviewed the plan in light ofthe events of September 11, 2001, and critiqued it for its approach to dealing with threats to the City of Arden Hills by various means, including terrorism and bioterrorism. The Emergency Operations Plan conforms with the Minnesota State Statute 920, the State Civil Defense Act of 1951, and Chapter 7 ofthe Arden Hills City Code. The plan outlines the major responsibilities of individuals either elected or appointed, in the event of a disaster. It lists information on emergency shelters and directs that the Arden Hills City Council serve as the emergency operations center. It lists evacuation sites oflocations in Arden Hills that have agreed to serve as emergency shelters or relocation centers, It is a basic, generic document drafted in response to a state requirement and only goes so far as to meet the minimum requirements for identification of responsibilities in case of an emergency, and specifies standard operating procedures for disasters. Basically it is a reference tool to give both elected and appointed officials a beginning step in outlining some ofthe activities and duties they may have to respond to, primary information on contacts and handling the media, and identifying those sites that, at least in the year 2000, had agreed to serve as emergency shelters or relocation centers. The document did not contemplate or deal with any threats we might fact similar to the September 11,2001 event, including acts of terrorism, chemical or bioterrDism attacks. I was able to find on the internet a site through the International City Managers Association, called the Public Entity Risk Institute, which is an agency that deals with responding to risks that federal, state, and local governments face, which include everything from work place safety and accident reduction information to the most recent events of September 11. I have enclosed a copy of the information I obtained on the City of San Jose and the emergency operations plan that they have which sets the national standard in terms of scope, preparedness, and level of detail.