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INGA
$47.00
Whatcom County. WA
Request of: WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
3/05/2008
RETURN DOCUMENT TO:
NADEAN HANSON
WHATCOM COUNTY
COUNCIL OFFICE
DOCUMENT TITLE(S):
Intergovernmental Agreement Activation of the Emergency Alert System
REFERENCE NUMBER(S) OF DOCUMENTS ASSIGNED OR RELEASED:
Contract Number:
20~
~IJ{) 1'tJIO,3"
Additional reference numbers found on page
of document.
GRAI'JTOR(S):
Whatcom County
Additional grantors found on page
of document.
GRANTEE(S) :
Washington State Military Department Emergency Management Division
Additional grantees found on page
of document.
ABBREVIATED LEGAL DESCRIPTION (Lot, block, plat, or section, township, range)
None
Additional legal description can be found on page
ASSESSOR'S PARCEL NUMBER:
None
of document.
WHATCOM COUNTY CONTRACT
INFORMATION SHEET
Whatcom County Contract No.
rROo8'oI03~
-diJ 97100 f 1
Originating:
Whatcom County Sheriffs Office Division ofEmer/lency Mana/lement
Contact Person:
Don Boyd
Contractor's Name:
Washin/lton State Military Department EmerJleney Mana/lement Division
Ifnot. is this an Amendment to an Existing Contract?
No......x.
Yes-If an Amendment, previous number(s):
Is this a New Contract?
YesK.....- No,.
Is this a renewal?
Yes_ Nox....­
Contract Amount:(sum of orig contract
amt and any prior amendments)
$000
This Amendment Amoun/:.
$0.00
Total Amended Amount:
$000
If a
Professional Services Agreement is more than $/5,(}()() or a Bid is more
than $35,000. please submit an Agenda BiUfor Council approval and a
supporting memo. Any amendment that provides either a /0% increase in
amount or more than $/0.000. whichever is greater. must also go to
Council and will need an agenda bill and supporting memo. If less than
these thresholds, just submit to Executive with supporting memo for
approval.
Scope ofServices
Washington State agrees to provide emergency warning information to Whatcom
County Broadcaster via the Emergency Alert System (£AS)
Nature ofContract Amt: (Check one)
Term ofContract:
Fixed Amount
Not to Exceed
Expiration Date: December 30.2012
Last Renewal Expires:
Renewal Option:
Yes r
Ha-
Open Ended
Special Dates or clauses that require calendaring:
Contract Routing SleDS & Signore (sign or inilia11 (indkaU dDte t r a n s m i l U. . '
J. P",pa.-.dby,
~
D."
0;' 07
2. Atto'"'!ey review~d:~
Date'
.0
3. AS-Fmance reVIewed:
Date
0
4. Cor.rections made:
Date
5. Attorney signoff.·
Date
6. Contractor signed:
Date
7. Submitted to Exec Office
Date
v
8 Reviewed by DCA
Date I~XfJ~r7
j
9. Council approved
Date
10. Executive signed:
........Date (O-/'-Q7
1/. Contractor Original
I/$.blf {;.,. S0...4 rc.5
returned to dept:
Date II> -17-Q 7
12. County Original to
Council
/
Date .:1.- :J. 5 - 08
1#
{electronicJ
{electronicJ
{electronic/
{electronic/hard copy printed
{electronicJ
{summary via elec:hardcopiesJ
(if necessary)
This form may need to expand to more than one page
Contract foe Services Agreement
[Insert more specific appellation!
v 1.0
Page 0
October 4, 2007
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
Activation of the Emergency Alert System
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Washington State Military Department
AND
Contractor: Whatcom COunty... .
Camp Murray, Building #20, M.S. TA-20
311 Grand Avenue
Bellingham, Washington 98225
Tacoma, WA 98430-5000
(253) 512-7067 FAX: (253) 512-7207
(360) 676-6681 FAX: (360) 738-2518
Contact Person: George Crawford
Contact Person: Don Boyd
Maximum Amount: $0
Beginning Date: October 10, 2007 End Date: December 30,2012
I.
INTRODUCTION
The purpose for this agreement is to provide Whatcom County (hereinafter known as the
Contractor) authorization to the Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division
(hereinafter known as EMD) for the activation and broadcast of emergency warning messages over
the Statewide Emergency Alert System (EAS) for Whatcom County. This Agreement is entered into
pursuant to authorities for the County and the State contained in the Revised Code of Washington,
Chapter 38.52, Mutual Aid Agreements and Chapter 39.34, Interlocal Agreements.
II.
OPERATION OF EAS IN WASHINGTON STATE
The Washington State Emergency Alert System (EAS) Plan, dated March 3,1997, is administered
by the Washington State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC), and approved by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Governor of the State of Washington. That
plan is posted at http://www.wsab.org. In support of the plan, EMD maintains an Emergency Alert
System (EAS) statewide radio network (SRN) that operates in accordance with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) Rules, Part 11. The Washington State EAS is activated from
the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and is broadcasted over eleven (11) SRN
transmitter sites in Washington State. This SRN allows EMD to transmit civil authority originated
EAS warning messages to warn the public of emergency events. The SRN is tested statewide on a
weekly basis. The SRN transmitters are monitored by broadcasters on frequencies assigned in the
State EAS plan. SRN EAS warning messages are received for relay to the public by over 200 AM,
FM and/or TV stations servicing the Washington state listening or watching public. Those EMD
originated EAS warning messages are also received by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) Sand Point office in Seattle, WaShington
for relay to the public via seven (7) NOAA transmitter sites in Western Washington. The Seattle
NWS office relays of EMD originated EAS warning messages can be programmed to activate both;
NOAA Weather Receivers and Sirens, using county or special siren location codes. EMD maintains
a separate agreement with NOAA Headquarters in Washington D.C. for the maintenance, operation
and retransmission of civil alerts originated by either the SRN or Local govemments. The 53 local
government activation points utilize anyone the 17 established Local Relay Networks (LRN). The
NOAA agreement.also provides EMD with a back-up EAS activation point at either of the four NOAA
Weather Offices servicing Washington state; Seattle, Portland, Spokane or Pendleton, Oregon.
EMD also provides back-up activation for each of those NOAA offices as part of the agreement.
III.
WARNINGS AND EVACUATION RESPONSIBILITIES
EAS warning activations are either the responsibility of local governments or one of the four (4)
NOAA NWS Forecast Offices serving Washington State. Civil alerts are the responsibility of local
governments and weather related events are the responsibility of the serving NWS office. EMD's
role is to activate EAS for a local government, when requested to do so by that local government.
EMD is the primary activation point for statewide EAS AMBER alerts, when requested to do so by
the Washington State Patrol.
Activation of EAS
Page 1 of 4
~
Whatcom County OEM
E08-062
__.1
The four (4) NWS offices have responsibility for issuing weather related EAS warnings and local
governments have the responsibility for issuing EAS wamings using EAS events codes and location
codes in the Washington State Emergency Alert System Plan. The warning system shall follow the
procedures shown in Appendix A to this agreement.
IV.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE ACTIVATION AND BROADCAST OF EMERGENCY
WARNING MESSAGES OVER THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM lEAS) STATEWIDE RADIO
NETWORK lSRN) BY EMD FOR WHATCOM COUNTY.
Given the operational EAS activation capabilities ofthe EMD in paragraph /I above, and the current
local government responsibilities for activation of EAS in their jUrisdictions in paragraph III, Whatcom
county hereby authorizes EMD to activate the SRN EAS utiliZing the Sandy Point siren, transmitting
EAS warnings for Tsunami Warnings (TSW) and an Immediate Evacuation (EVI). EMD is
authorized by Whatcom County to issue the below EAS messages after receiving, from the NOAA
NWS, a Tsunami Warning for marine shorelines of Washington:
A.
CASCADIA EARTHQUAKE: If a tsunami is generated from a Cascadia Subduction Zone
event and enters the Strait of Juan de Fuca the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning
Center (WC/ATWC) will issue a Tsunami Warning Message for Whatcom County, EMD is
authorized to generate a Tsunami Warning EAS message using Whatcom County and all
Siren location codes with the same or similar audio message received from the NOAA NWS.
The intent is to activate NOAA Weather receivers a second time and sirens for the first time.
This authorization is for any NWS warning for marine shorelines of Whatcom County. This
repeat message will be: ''THIS IS NOT A TEST. A TSUNAMI WARNING HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR THE COASTAL AREAS OF WASHINGTON. A TSUNAMI CAN CAUSE
DANGEROUS FLOODING. IF YOU ARE IN A LOW COASTAL AREA YOU ARE AT RISK
AND MUST MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND OR INLAND NOW. DO NOT RETURN UNTIL
DIRECTED TO DO SO. CLOSELY MONITOR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THIS IS NOT A TEST. A TSUNAMI WARNING HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR THE COASTAL AREAS OF WASHINGTON. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
OR INLAND NOW." See Appendix A
If EMD is unable to activate the AHAB Radio, Whatcom County should use California
Seismic Integrated Network (CISN) to verify the location of the earthquake and the tsunami
warning message for decision to locally activate siren. Based on Cascadia Subduction Zone
tsunami modeling for Whatcom County there should be up to two hours before a tsunami
would strike; although earthquake induced submarine landslides could cause a tsunami to
be generated nearer the shoreline.
V.
B.
LOCAL EARTHQUAKE WITH TSUNAMI GENERATION: Activation of the AHAB would
be required through the Sandy Point responders. A public education program is required
to support the appropriate response. Tsunami generation from a local event may strike
the shoreline in minutes without warning.
C.
DISTANT TSUNAMI: There is no action required of EMD or Whatcom County. There is
no scientific evidence that a distant tsunami has caused damage to WlatcQm County.
However, citizens should be wamed to stay off beaches.
LEGAL RELATIONS
To the fullest extent permitted by law, each party to this Agreement shall be responsible for injury to
persons or damage to property resulting from negligent acts or omissions on the part of itself, its
employees, agents or officers. Each party shall defend, protect, and hold harmless the other party
from and against all claims, actions, costs, damages, or expenses of any nature arising out of or
incident to that party's negligent performance or failure to perform this agreement. Neither party
assumes any responsibility to the other party for the consequences of any act or omission of any
third party.
Activation of EAS
Page 2 of 4
Whatcom County OEM
E08-062
VI..
AMENDMENTS AND TERMINATION
This Agreement may be amended or modified at any time by mutual consent of the parties hereto.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the parties or terminated by
either Party upon giving at least 120 days advance written notice. Failure to comply with the terms
of this Agreement will serve as cause for termination of this Agreement.
VII.
EFFECTIVE DATE
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Emergency Management Division, Washington State Military
Department and Whatcom County, have, through duly authorized representatives, entered into this
Agreement. The Parties having read and understand the terms of the Agreement do by their
respective signatures dated below hereby agree to the terms thereof. The period of performance of
this agreement shall commence on the last signature date below and full execution of this
agreement and end on December 30, 2012. It is also provided that this agreement may be
renewed for subsequent year(s) upon notification by either party of the intent to do so no later than
[60] days before the conclusion of the performance period. It is incumbent upon the parties to
monitor the contract and ensure that it is renewed before the end of the period.
AGREED TO AND BY:
Contractor
Whatcom County
Agency
Washington State Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Sign re
James M. Mullen, Director
Emergency Management Division
Date
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Signatur
Sara J. Finlay
Assistant Attorney General
Activation of EAS
kL
Q~\J)t~
Signature
Randall Watts, Civil
Page 3 of 4
HI.~o"i
. Date
tomey for Whatcom County
Whatcom County DEM
E08-062
APPENDIX A
Tsunami Message Flow Chart
Activation of EAS
Page 4of4
Whatcom County OEM
E08-062