DIRECTION AND CONTROL

WASHINGTON COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
Updated: February 26, 2004

I.	PURPOSE
	This annex outlines the direction and control procedures for emergency operations and identifies the personnel, facilities and resources which will be utilized in the coordinated response activities.
II.	SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS
	A.	Situation
		1.	Many potential hazards threaten the County. This necessitates the centralization of direction and control to conduct effective and efficient emergency operations.
		2.	The Washington County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves as the central direction and control point for county‑wide emergency response activities. The EOC is located on the 4th Floor of the Courthouse in the Emergency Management Office and the Foyer directly across from the Emergency Management Office at 120 Adams Street, Plymouth, NC.
	B.	Assumptions
		1.	The designated EOC will be activated upon the threat or occurrence of a major emergency / disaster and designated personnel will report to the EOC in a timely fashion.
		2.	The County EOC facility and equipment is adequate for coordinating county-wide emergency operations.
		3.	Sufficient procedures have been developed to effectively direct and control disaster operations / recovery.
		4.	Emergency operations and coordination at all levels of government will be carried out according to plans and procedures.
III.	CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
	A.	General
		1.	Emergency operations shall include all activities which are directed toward reduction of the immediate hazard, establishing situation control and restoration of normal operations within the county.
		2.	The Emergency Management Coordinator will activate, organize and operate the EOC in a flexible manner based on the magnitude of the situation.
		3.	The organizational structure of the EOC will be arranged according the type of incident, agencies and / or jurisdictions involved, objectives and strategies selected to resolve the situation and the demands of the emergency. Municipalities will provide representation in the County EOC for interjurisdictional coordination when the event severely affects the jurisdiction or as requested.
		4.	The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners will be notified by the Emergency Management Coordinator when EOC Activation is warranted to direct and control emergency operations.
		5.	The EOC will be managed in accordance with the County EOC Standard Operating Procedures.
		6.	On-scene activities of emergency response personnel will be managed utilizing the Incident Command System (ICS).
		7.	EOC activation is necessary when one or more of the following situations occur:
			a.	There exists an imminent threat to the safety or health of the public.
			b.	Extensive multi‑agency or interjurisdictional response and coordination is necessary to resolve or recover from an disaster situation.
			c.	Local resources are inadequate or depleted, and significant mutual aid resources must be obtained to resolve the disaster situation
			d.	Declaration of a State of Emergency is imminent.
		8	Whenever the EOC is activated or activation of the EOC appears imminent, the Emergency Management Coordinator will notify the Division of Emergency Management, Eastern Branch Office and State EOC.
	B.	Staffing
		Personnel reporting to the EOC will operate in one of two functional sections assigned or predetermined by the Operations Officer.
		1.	The Control Group under the direction of the Chairman of the jurisdiction or his designee, consists of the decision makers of the jurisdiction and others as decided by the chairman. This group is responsible for:
			a.	The approval of policies and strategies pertinent to the emergency / disaster operation.
			b.	Leadership and decision making (for implementation by the Support Group.)
			c.	Preparation and release of statements to the general public in coordination with the Public Information Officer.
			d.	Maintaining a line of communication with their respective administrators and County / City elected officials.
			e.	Maintaining a presence in the EOC, as necessary, to provide direction and control.
		2.	The Support Group, under the direction of the Control Group is responsible for on-scene operations including the allocation of resources. Depending on the incident at hand, any Department may be required to provide a representative to the Support Group. Additionally, representation by other agencies may be necessary (e.g. Red Cross, Food Panty, Salvation Army, etc.). The County Manager / Emergency Management Coordinator will determine those required to be present.

Appendix 1

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

FOR INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMAND

CHAIRMAN of the BOARD / COUNTY MANAGER

INCIDENT COMMANDER

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

-	City / County Elected Officials	-	Emergency Medical
-	City / Town Managers	-	Law Enforcement
-	Finance	-	Rescue
-	Purchasing	-	Communications
-	Public Information	-	Fire Services
		-	Volunteer resources (Red Cross / Salvation Army)
		-	State Response resources
		-	Federal Response Resources
		-	All other resources not listed