EXEMPLARY PRACTICES IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
Program Description: The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, along with an advisory committee consisting of State and local emergency services, fire services, law enforcement, emergency medical services, utilities, and other special districts, provided leadership in the development of SEMS. In addition to the regulations, SEMS Guidelines were developed to assist emergency management agencies.
The SEMS Guidelines:
- Delineate the activities of the five SEMS functions: management, operations, planning/intelligence, logistics, and finance/administration.
- Explain the principles and operating concepts of SEMS as set forth in regulations.
- Describe how SEMS functions operate at all levels (field response, local government, operational area, regional, and State) and the relationship among levels.
- Provide training that may be used to plan and develop SEMS.
- Describe how existing plans and systems fit with SEMS.
- Describe the role of various levels of government, special districts, and private and volunteer agencies in SEMS.
- Describe the system for maintaining and improving SEMS.
The maintenance system for SEMS includes three levels of multidisciplinary committees. These committees continually recommend changes to the Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
Evaluation Information: Public hearings were held by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in six mutual aid regions. SEMS regulations became part of California Government Code 8607 and the California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 2, Office of Emergency Services, in September 1994. (Elements of SEMS will be incorporated into the Veterans Administration Medical Center emergency management plans in the near future.)
Annual Budget: No funding was specifically allocated for SEMS.
Sources of Funding: General fund revenues.
Program Type: SEMS provides an organizational framework and information system at each level of the State's emergency management system. It provides the regulatory umbrella under which all response agencies must function in an integrated manner. It incorporates the Incident Command System (developed under the FIRESCOPE Program), multiagency or interagency coordination, the State's master mutual aid agreement and mutual aid systems, the operational area concept, and the Operational Area Satellite Information System.
Target Population: All emergency management responders, including State agencies, fire services, police services, utilities, and other special districts.
Setting: Statewide.
Project Startup Date: 1994.
Contact: Dave Zocchetti
Manager, Planning Assistance UnitGovernor's Office
of Emergency Services
2800 Meadowview Road
Sacramento, CA 95832
Tel: 916-464-3248
Fax: 916-464-3204
Last Modified: Wednesday, 29-Mar-2006 12:29:35 EST