SHELTER MANAGEMENT

ALEXANDER COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN

Reviewed: Aug. 23, 2011

(Also see Special Needs Population annex)

(Appendix 1 - Specific to Special Needs Sheltering/Mass Care)

I.	PURPOSE
	This Annex provides the protection of the population from the effects of hazards through the identification of shelters and provision of mass care and social services in shelters.
II.	SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS
	A.	Situation
		1.	Based upon the County's hazard analysis, there are several emergencies for which shelters may be required including severe storms, tornadoes, floods, hazardous material accidents and fires.
		2.	Residents and relocatees (if the County has been designated a reception area) will be allocated to a "best available" shelter that provides protection.
	B.	Assumptions
		1.	Sufficient in-county sheltering exists to meet the needs of an evacuation during emergencies or disaster.
		2.	For out-of-county evacuation, sufficient shelter capacity exists in adjacent counties and shelter locations can be arranged and made available.
		3.	A high percentage of evacuees will seek shelter with friends or relatives rather than go to public shelter.
III.	CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
	A.	The NC Dept. of Human Resources through the NC Division of Social Services (NCDSS) and the County Department of Social Services (County DSS) is responsible for shelter and mass care matters. The American Red Cross (ARC) through written agreement with the State of North Carolina and by NC General Statutes 166A-9, may provide shelter and mass care to the general population in designated counties in non-war caused emergencies. The DHR will assure that shelter care is made available to complement ARC services, and in those situations in which ARC cannot provide shelter and mass care.
	B.	The DHR will support County Social Services efforts, arrange for shelters at DHR institutions, and transfer social services personnel to the affected area as needed. DHR will work in conjunction with the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and volunteer organizations to provide care for disaster victims.
	C.	The County DSS and the ARC will coordinate shelter location and operation, and will mutually support shelter operations with shared personnel and support services whenever possible. These agreements will be included in the local written plan.
	D.	Public and private providers of institutional care (medical and residential) remain responsible for having shelter plans which are approved by local DSS and Emergency Management, and for continued care of their clientele when in shelter.
IV.	ORGANIZATION
	A.	Organization
		1.	The Emergency Management Coordinator is responsible for developing a comprehensive shelter program.
		2.	DSS is designated as the lead governmental agency for shelter activation and operation.
		3.	When the local American Red Cross provides shelter care, the agreements will be contained in letters of understanding with the County Department of Social Services and the school system.
		4.	The County DSS remains responsible for answering the provision of shelter care as follows:
			a.	for special needs groups within the general population;
			b.	for the general population in which American Red Cross does not provide shelter and mass care; and
			c.	for all citizens, as required by law, regulation or ordinance.
		5.	DHR works with local Emergency Management by assuring that all public and private special needs care providers plan for shelter and mass care needs of their populations and that public shelter is provided when necessary for comprehensive shelter care.
	B.	Responsibilities
		1.	Emergency Management Coordinator, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Identify and arrange for survey of shelters.
			b.	Provide for the crisis upgrading and marking of shelters.
			c.	Identify facilities suitable as public fallout shelters and allocate shelter space for the public.
			d.	Identify congregate care shelter facilities for short-term use, which have lodging and mass feeding capabilities.
			e.	Develop procedures to activate and deactivate shelters and ensure that ARC and DSS develop shelter SOP's.
			f.	Establish public information and education programs on sheltering.
			g.	Identify campgrounds in the reception area to accommodate families evacuating in recreational vehicles.
			h.	Assist in assigning shelter/reception center teams if requested by the primary shelter agency.
			i.	Provide trained radiological monitors and or hazardous materials decontamination personnel if necessary and coordinate with the Health Director to maintain shelters free from contamination.
			j.	Assist with designating facilities and arranging for the shelter needs of institutionalized or special needs groups.
			k.	Designate shelter facilities in the reception area with the shortest commuting distance to the hazardous area for essential workers and their families.
			l.	Provide for maintenance of equipment for radiation hazard evaluation and exposure control.
		2.	County Director of Social Services, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Coordinate with American Red Cross in providing shelter/mass care.
			b.	Develop a crisis shelter-stocking plan for DSS shelters.
			c.	Provide shelter managers to operate DSS shelters.
			d.	Assure that personnel are trained to operate DSS shelters.
			e.	Arrange for staffing of DSS shelters and feeding of evacuees.
			f.	Identify evacuees within DSS shelters with special needs.
			g.	Provide shelter management supplies.
			h.	Coordinate DSS mass feeding.
			i.	Develop letters of agreement and procedures for reception and care and shelter activities.
			j.	Assist ARC in recruiting shelter staff.
			k.	Maintain current internal notification/recall rosters.
			l.	Report to EOC upon activation to assist in shelter operations.
			m.	Manage reception and care activities to include lodging arrangements as necessary.
			n.	Coordinate with health, mental health and other volunteer/non-volunteer agencies, both public and private, to provide support personnel during sheltering.
			o.	Secures cooperation of building owners for use of DSS shelter space.
		3.	American Red Cross (ARC), in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Coordinate with Dept. of Social Services in providing shelter/mass care.
			b.	Develop a crisis shelter-stocking plan for ARC shelters.
			c.	Provide shelter managers to operate ARC shelters.
			d.	Train shelter managers and staff for shelter operations.
			e.	Arrange for staffing of ARC shelters and feeding of evacuees.
			f.	Identify evacuees within ARC shelters with special needs.
			g.	Provide shelter management supplies.
			h.	Coordinate ARC mass feeding operations.
			i.	Follow established mass care procedures outlined in the ARC 3000 Series Disaster Regulations.
		4.	Superintendent of Schools, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Coordinate letters of agreement for use of schools as shelters.
			b.	Provide support personnel to staff shelters.
		5.	Health Director, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Coordinate public health services in shelters.
			b.	Provide support personnel to staff shelters.
			c.	Coordinate the distribution of exposure inhibiting or mitigation drugs, vaccines, or other preventatives.
			d.	Coordinate with the Mental Health Coordinator to provide crisis counselors at shelters.
		6.	Fire Marshal, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Survey shelter sites for fire safety.
			b.	Advise about fire security during operations.
		7.	Sheriff, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Provide security and law enforcement for shelters.
			b.	Distribute shelter kits as needed if requested.
		8.	Public Works Director, in additional to duties outlined elsewhere in the Emergency Operations Plan, will:
			a.	Inspect shelter sites for serviceability.
			b.	Prepare and mark public shelters as directed by the Emergency Management Coordinator.
			c.	Maintain water supplies and sanitary facilities at shelter sites during emergency.
V.	DIRECTION AND CONTROL
	A.	The Director of Social Services will direct and control DSS shelter/mass care operations for the County.
	B.	The American Red Cross will direct and control ARC shelter/mass care operations.
	C.	Assumption of financial responsibility dictates direction and control.
VI.	CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
	The line of succession for shelter and mass care is:
	1.	Director, Department of Social Services
	2.	American Red Cross liaison
	3.	Salvation Army (support group)
VII.	ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS
	A.	Shelter supplies consisting of appropriate forms, handbooks and identification will be provided by the Red Cross. The shelter supplies will include, but not be limited to, shelter registration forms, shelter occupancy reports, inventory reports and event logs.
	B.	The primary communications link between shelters and the EOC will be telephone. Amateur radio operators and/or law enforcement personnel assigned to the shelters will provide additional radio support.
	C.	Shelters will be stocked with appropriate supplies, as time allows, and in accordance with agency SOP's.
	D.	Sheltering will follow a non-discrimination policy, however, shelter assignments may be required for evacuees with special needs.
VIII.	PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE
	A.	This Annex will be reviewed on an annual basis and after each exercise where this function is tested and evaluated.
	B.	All involved agencies will maintain departmental SOP's, letters of agreement, personnel rosters and resource inventories.
IX.	AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES
	A.	Authorities
		1.	N.C. General Statutes, 166-A.
		2.	Alexander County Emergency Management Ordinance.
		3.	Statement of Understanding between the State of North Carolina and the American Red Cross.
		4.	American Red Cross 3000 Series Disaster Regulations.
	B.	References
		1.	Shelter Management Handbook (FEMA-59)
		2.	ARC 3000 Series Disaster Regulations

APPENDIX 1 SPECIFIC TO SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTERING AND MASS CARE
I.	SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS - Specific to Special Needs Sheltering and Mass Care
	A.	Situation
		*	Alexander County has within the general population, special needs individuals and special needs groups that will require individual and/or special assistance in the event evacuation is required.
		*	Some persons with special needs may with minimal assistance be able to function in a mass care shelter, while those persons with special health needs requiring constant care and/or life support systems will require a special needs shelter or a medical facility.
	B.	Assumptions
		*	Any person with special needs whose care can be provided by that person or by family members should be accepted in the shelter serving his family and his community.
		*	Sheltering for special needs will be unique to the county and the special needs shelter may be in a separate, designated area of a building housing a mass care shelter, or in a separate facility, depending on the resources available.
		*	Private and government operated residential facilities caring for special needs groups, such as nursing homes, rest homes, group homes for the mentally ill or developmentally disabled, etc., are responsible for their clients continual care during and after the time an evacuation is required. This includes financial responsibility.
		*	Private and government operated facilities caring for special needs groups for less than 24 hours, such as day care, pre-school, day health, are responsible for their clients continual care during and after an evacuation is required, until or unless the client is released to a parent or a responsible adult and within the agreements for such release already in place by the care giver.
II.	CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
		*	Sheltering for special needs populations will be accomplished through the coordinated efforts of private facilities, governmental agencies, and county-to-county mutual aid agreements.
		*	The Alexander County Health Department, supported by the Alexander County Department of Social Services is designated as the agencies to ensure that shelter care is provided for special needs groups. This will involve team planning for special needs shelters with public agencies, private facilities, and the medical profession.
		*	The Alexander County Emergency Management Coordinator will assist the Health Department as well as DSS and other local agencies with issues related to special needs sheltering, including coordination of operation of special needs shelters when a publicly operated special needs shelter is necessary.
		*	Divisions under the Department of Human Resources that operate residential facilities are required to have current plans in place for the evacuation and sheltering of special needs populations. These plans shall be shared with the Alexander County Health Department.
		*	Private facilities will be responsible for the evacuation and sheltering of their patients, to include transport to and from shelters, as well as financial responsibility for their clients.
		*	Sheltering needs of special needs groups may be met in the County if an appropriate facility is available, and in adjoining counties with prior approval from DHR; in certain DHR state operated facilities; or, in shelters administered by county Departments of Social Services or Health.
		*	The Special Needs population information is compiled in a database and maintained by Alexander County Emergency Management.