EXEMPLARY PRACTICES IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Arlington County Emergency Management System
Program Description: Arlington County's Emergency Management System was designed to provide the ability to respond to natural and/or technological disasters in a rapid and efficient manner. The system has three basic components: the Emergency Management Team (EMT), the Emergency Planning Team (EPT), and six functional task group teams. The EMT is composed of the directors of police, fire, public works, public affairs, and the County Manager's office. It is the core of the system and the decisionmaking body. The EPT is the thinktank that anticipates future issues and makes recommendations to the EMT. The EPT and task groups brief the EMT hourly in the early stages of an incident (less frequently as the incident diminishes). During normal business, the EPT reviews the emergency operations plan to ensure that it is current. The EPT includes personnel from departments throughout the county, such as the police, sheriff, fire department, public works, public affairs, County Manager's office, parks and recreation, schools, technology and information services, and Department of Human Services. The six functional task group teams each have a different area of responsibility: shelters, communications, resources, routing and traffic control, employee support, and recovery. Members also include personnel from outside county government who have special expertise. Any of the EMT members can convene the entire team. Through the chain of command, fire and police chiefs would invoke the system. The emergency communications center would call system members who would assemble in the emergency operations center (EOC). Each team is in a separate area of the EOC. They can communicate in person or by 800 MHz radio. As an incident unfolds, the task groups monitor it on primary radio channels to anticipate resource needs, etc.
Evaluation Information: The program has undergone independent evaluation and has received feedback from participants in the program. Two Air Force Reserve officers, both Individual Mobilization Augmentees, have reviewed the program and participated in annual disaster exercises in which the program is evaluated. Both commented that Arlington's emergency management system was extraordinarily well developed and considerably ahead of most jurisdictions in emergency management. After each exercise, participants fill out a critique to assess their knowledge of the exercise. Results indicate a high knowledge/comfort range.
Annual Budget: No funds specifically allocated for this program. The Staff Assistant to the Fire Chief was responsible for maintaining the program, so that the only outlay was a portion of his annual salary. Currently, there are only ancillary costs: printing of manuals and documents and a portion of personnel expenses.
Sources of Funding: Arlington County Fire Department budget.
Program Type: Disaster preparedness and emergency management.
Target Population: All workers and residents of the county.
Setting: Countywide.
Project Startup Date: 1992.
Contact:
Captain William M. Moultrie, CEM
Deputy Coordinator of Emergency Services
Arlington County Fire Department
Arlington County Government
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Suite 400
Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: 703-358-3357
Fax: 703-358-7097
Last Modified: Thursday, 30-Mar-2006 10:55:32 EST