Participant Guide
EPO 100:
Introduction to the
Standardized Emergency
Management System
(SEMS)
Purpose of EPO 100
This training course is intended to give you a basic
overview of SEMS, including reference to the law and
regulations, standard terms, management structures,
principles and definitions.
This course also satisfies the federal guidelines for
integration of the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) by incorporating the unique elements of
the NIMS-700 introductory course.
Trademarks & Copyright
Acknowledgements
For permission or questions regarding any of the course
content, please contact the CDPH Emergency
Preparedness Office, 1615 Capitol Avenue, 3rd floor,
Sacramento, CA 95814
or email to EPOtraining@cdph.ca.gov
All course materials were developed in partnership with
the California Department of Public Health, Emergency
Preparedness Office, and Healthcare education,
Leadership and Performance, INC. utilizing resources from
the California Office of Emergency services and the FEMA
Emergency Management Institute.
Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
After completing this training, you should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Describe the purpose and scope of the Standardized
Emergency Management System (SEMS)
Identify common terminology associated with SEMS
Distinguish basic elements of the SEMS law
Cite the five levels of organization within SEMS
Explain the principles, functions and basic concepts of SEMS
Determine basic operating requirements and individual
responsibilities
Specify the benefits of using the Incident Command System
2A
(ICS)
Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
Identify when it is appropriate to institute an Area Command
9.
Identify when it is appropriate to institute a Multi-Agency
Coordination System
10. Specify the benefits of using a Joint Information System
(JIS) for public information
11. Explain how SEMS affects how resources are managed
12. Explain how SEMS influences technology and technology
systems
8.
2B
Why Are We Here?
Review Objectives (Page 2)
3
California Department
of Public Health
The
Standardized
Emergency
Management System
(“SEMS")
(With integration of NIMS IS-700)
4
What is SEMS?
An emergency & disaster
management structure that
integrates preparedness, planning,
command/control, coordination &
support activities
Utilizes “best practices” management
& business principles & processes
that apply to all levels
Integrates the elements of the
National Incident Management
System (NIMS)
5
Concepts and Principles
Flexible framework that:
 Facilitates working together . . .
 At any type of incident . . .
 Regardless of size, location, or
complexity
Flexible structures
Requirements for processes,
procedures, and systems
6
Standard Structures
The Incident Command System
(ICS)
Inter-agency/Multi-agency
Coordination
Mutual Aid
Public Information Systems
7
SEMS Purpose Is To Provide
Standardized emergency
management across all
levels of government,
tribal entities, NGOs &
private industry
Coordination between
responding agencies
Rapid mobilization,
deployment and resource
tracking
Interoperability
8
I have a riddle for you….
What does Senator Petris,
1991 Oakland Hills Fire, and
SEMS have in common….?
9
Legal Basis for SEMS
Initiated by Senate Bill 1841
Became California Statute in 1993
Government Code § 8607
CCR – Title 19
INTENT: “To Improve Coordination of
State & Local Emergency Response in
California”
10
State Agencies
MUST use SEMS
NO EXCEPTIONS!
MUST Integrate NIMS!
…To qualify for Federal
Grants
11
Local Governments
MUST USE SEMS!
…To be eligible for State
funding of RESPONSE
RELATED PERSONNEL
COSTS!
MUST Integrate NIMS!
…To qualify for Federal
Grants
12
Integrated Components
Communications &
Information
Management
Supporting
Technologies
After Action Reporting
Maintenance System
SEMS
13
Integrated Components
(Continued)
Preparedness
Command &
Management
Operational Area
Concept
Resource
Management
SEMS
14
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
PREPAREDNESS
“Preparedness is a way of life,
not a sudden, spectacular program.”
15
What Is Preparedness?
Actions to establish and sustain
prescribed levels of capability
Ensures mission integration and
interoperability
16
Preparedness Planning
Plans describe how resources will
be used.
Plans describe mechanisms for:
Setting priorities.
 Integrating entities/functions.
 Establishing relationships.
 Ensuring that systems support all
incident management activities.

17
Types of Plans
Emergency Operations Plans
(EOP)
Procedures
Preparedness Plans
Corrective Action and Mitigation
Plans
Recovery Plans
18
Training and Exercises
Incorporate standards, guidelines,
and protection
Implement modeling/simulation
Define general training
requirements
Review/approve discipline specific
requirements/courses
19
Personnel Qualifications
Preparedness based on
standards for
qualification/certification
Includes minimum:
Knowledge
 Skills
 Experience

20
Equipment Certification
Ensure performance to
standards and interoperability
Facilitate development of state
and national standards and
protocols
Review and approve
equipment meeting standards
21
Mutual Aid & Related
Agreements
Voluntary, reciprocal and
cooperative agreements which
expedite response and provide
services, resources, and facilities,
when jurisdictional resources are
inadequate
Several Mutual Aid Systems form
essential links
22
Mutual Aid & Related
Agreements
California’s Master Mutual Aid
Agreement (MMAA)
Fire/Rescue and Law/Coroner
mutual aid systems in California
Emergency Management Assistance
Compact (EMAC).
Private sector and NGOs
23
Publication Management
The development of naming and
numbering conventions
Review and certification of publications
Methods for publications control
Identification of sources and suppliers
for publications and related services
Management of publication distribution
24
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
25
What Is Resource
Management?
Four tasks:
Establishing systems
Activating the systems
Dispatching resources
Deactivating resources
26
Resource Management
Concepts
Standardize identification,
allocation, and tracking
Classify by kind and type
Implement credentialing system
Incorporate resources from private
sector and NGOs
27
Resource Management
Principles
1. Advance planning
2. Resource identification and
ordering
3. Resource categorization
4. Use of agreements
5. Effective management
28
Managing Resources
Identifying and typing resources
Certifying and credentialing
personnel
Resource inventory
Identifying resource needs and
capabilities
29
Managing Resources
Ordering and acquiring resources
Tracking and reporting resources
Mobilizing resources
Recovering resources
Reimbursement
30
STAFFING POSITIONS
Is an expansion of
day-to-day
program/function
activities
Place personnel
according to their
skills into each
SEMS Function
31
What are the type of duties
involved with a disaster
response?
Type of staff
to fill those types of duties
32
Suggested Staffing
Relationships
Management:
EOC Director
Safety
Security
Information
Liaison
EOC Program Mgr.
Risk Program Mgr.
Police or Security
Public Affairs/P.I.O.
Program Manager
33
Suggested Staffing
Relationships (Continued)
General Staff Functions
Operations:
Planning/Intel:
Logistics:
Finance/Admin:
DCDC, Drinking Water, L & C,
Food & Drug, etc.
Planning, Engineering
Business Services, Purchasing
Budgets/Accounting
34
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
COMMAND
AND
MANAGEMENT
35
The Response System
DAY TO DAY
EMERGENCY
Two separate
vocations!
36
MULTI-AGENCY
COORDINATION
Multiple jurisdictions/agencies with
concurrent emergency incident
responsibility (statutory authority)
Consensus on decisions affecting the
overall emergency response; to
include establishing priorities and
scarce resource allocation.
Anticipating and identifying future
resource requirements
37
MULTI-AGENCY
COORDINATION
Providing strategic coordination
as required
Coordinating and resolving
policy issues arising from the
incident(s)
Coordinating Entities (MAC
Group) – Usually connected to
an EOC
38
In everyday life, can you
give an example of where a
MAC might be used?
39
How the System Works
Five
Levels
Five
Functions
40
THE INCIDENT COMMAND
SYSTEM (ICS) – Field Level
Developed by
Federal, State,
and Local Fire
services in
California
A standardized
emergency
incident
management
structure
41
ICS “FUN” FACTOIDS
Result of 1970 Malibu Fire
Implemented statewide by
Ca. Fire Service 1980
Included in SEMS
Adopted by Homeland
Security in 2004
42
Field Level
Provides direct command
and control for the
emergency incident
Establish goals,
objectives and strategies
for abatement and
mitigation
Tactical on-scene
response
Requests support from
the Local jurisdiction(s)
EOC
43
Let’s Make it Real!
Division of Communicable
Disease Control
Division of Drinking Water &
Environmental Mgt
Division of Food, Drug, & Rad
Safety
Others…
44
Unified Command
When 2 or more Agencies with
responsibility for the incident respond,
a Unified Command must be
established.
45
Unified Command Thoughts
Multi-Agencies working together
Public Health
Non-site specific
Not immediately identifiable
Geographically dispersed over time
Examples:
Haz Mat Spill into a reservoir
Multiple Communities Flood
46
Unified Area Command
Area Command
ICP 1
ICP 2
ICP 3
Sets overall strategy and priorities
Allocates resources
Ensures proper management
Ensures objectives are met
Ensure strategies are followed
47
Local Jurisdiction Level
(Local EOC)
City, County, Special
District (“local”
includes state &
Federal jurisdictions)
Establish and maintain
local EOCs and DOCs
Implement Local
Emergency Plans
Directly supports Field
Level activity
Requests Support from
Operational Area/Preestablished agreements
48
Operational Area Level
(OP Area EOC)
All jurisdictions within
the geographical
boundaries of a County
(local, state, Federal and
tribal)
58 Operational Areas
Coordinate with local
jurisdictions
Requests assistance
from the REOC
49
Region Level
(REOC)
Regional OES & State
Agency representatives
Located in Sacramento,
Oakland, and Los
Alamitos
Provide technical
guidance and assistance
to Operational Areas
Implement State
Emergency Plan
Broker Resources
between Operational
Areas
50
State Level (SOC)
OES & State Agency
Representatives
Located in Sacramento
Coordinates between
Regions
Federal Response
Coordination
Communicates with
Governor and
Legislature
51
Flow of Requests and Assistance During Large Scale Incidents
Joint Field Office
Federal Agencies and
Departments
Funding
Reaching around the official
resource coordination levels
will lead to inefficient use
and/or lack of accounting of
resources
Unity of
Coordination &
Support Efforts
Unity of
Command
State
Operations Center
Statewide State Agencies
Inter-State Mutual Aid
Local Gov., Federal, State,
Tribal, Volunteers, NGO,
Private
REOC
Regional, Local Gov.,
Federal, State, Tribal,
Volunteers, NGO, Private
Op Area
Op Area Local Gov.,
Federal, State, Tribal,
Volunteers, NGO, Private
Local EOCs
Local Gov., Federal, State,
Tribal, Volunteers, NGO,
Private
Area Command
Incident Unified Command
52
Command/Management
Command
Management
(Field Level “ICS”)




Directs incident
activities
Develops incident
objectives & strategies
Establishes incident
priorities
Coordinates with local
EOCs
(EOC Levels)



Manages overall support &
coordination for incidents
Provides technical guidance
to EOCs & incident command
Coordinate with other
activated EOCs & incidents
as appropriate
53
Operations
Operations
Operations
(Field Level “ICS”)
Directs all
incident tactical
activities
 Directly involved
in preparing
Incident Action
Plan (IAP)

(EOC Levels)
Provides technical
subject/discipline
advice &
interpretation
 Coordinates
operational support
to and from other
SEMS levels
54

Planning/Intelligence
Planning
Planning/intelligence
(EOC Levels)
(Field Level “ICS”)





Collects/analyzes
incident intelligence
Develops Situation
Reports
Documents incident
action activities
Maintains incident
resource tracking
Conducts incident action
planning (IAP)





Collects, evaluates and
disseminates intelligence
Develops Situation
Reports
Documents activities
within the EOC
Conducts EOC planning
activities
Maintains EOC resource
tracking
55
Logistics
Logistics
Logistics
(Field Level “ICS”)




Orders resources,
services and
supplies for incident
Provides incident
communication
Provides incident
transportation and
facilities
Purchasing
(EOC Levels)



Obtains resources
services & supplies as
requested by
incidents/EOCs
Obtains resources,
services & supplies
for EOC
Supports EOC
infrastructure
56
Finance/Administration
Finance/Administration
(Field level “ICS”)





Personnel &
equipment time
recording
Cost Accounting
Procurement
Compensation &
Claims
Cost Recovery
Finance/Administration
(EOC)





Personnel & equipment
time recording
Cost Accounting
Procurement
Compensation & Claims
Cooperative agreements
57
FIELD LEVEL (ICS)
ORGANIZATION
Command Staff
INCIDENT
COMMAND
(Unified Command)
OPERATION
S
PLANNING/
INTEL.
SAFETY
PIO
LIAISON
LOGISTICS
FINANCE/
ADMIN.
General Staff
58
SEMS EOC ORGANIZATION
Management Staff
MULTI- AGENCY
COORD. GROUP
OPERATIONS
SAFETY
MANAGEMEN
T
PLANNING/
INTEL.
PIO
LIAISON
LOGISTICS
FINANCE/
ADMIN.
General Staff
59
SYSTEM FEATURES
COMMON
TERMS
MBO
ACTION
PLANNING
FLEXIBILITY
HIERARCHY
60
MANAGEMENT BY
OBJECTIVES
Flexible, Measurable &
attainable objectives
Identified time-frames
(Operational Period)
Objectives
Met
SEMS
Functions
Operational
Period
61
Management Principles
Unity of Command
Every individual has a designated
supervisor
Chain of Command
A clear line of authority within the ranks
of the organization
62
ORGANIZATIONAL
FLEXIBILITY
Activate what you need!
COMMAND/MANAGEMENT
OPERATIONS
PLANNING/
INTEL.
LOGISTICS
FINANCE/
ADMIN.
63
Management Principles
Span of control
The number of individuals one
supervisor can effectively manage.
Common terminology




Organizational elements
Position titles
Resources
Facilities
64
Management Principles
Personnel accountability




Check-In Mandatory
Resource Status Unit
Assignment Lists
Unit Logs - A record of personnel assigned
and major events
65
Management Components
Resources management
Resources are assigned to standard
units/functions
 “Assigned” – “available” – “out-ofservice”

Integrated communications
The "hardware" systems that transfer
information
 The procedures and processes for
transferring information.

66
Management Components
Action Planning





Conducted at the
Incident
Conducted in the EOC
Objective Driven
Eliminates
Redundancy
Establishes
Accountability
67
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
COMMUNICATIONS
& INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
68
Public Information
Incident Command/EOC Director
responsible for timely and accurate
public information.
(Public) Information Officer


Reports to the Incident Command/EOC
Director
Appoints Assistants to support JIC functions
Multiple JICs coordinate the release of
approved Public Information
69
Joint Information System
(JIS)
State JIC
Region 2
JIC
Region 1
JIC
Op Area 1
JIC
Op Area 2
JIC
Local 1
JIC
Local 2
JIC
IC/UC/
Area Command
(PIO)
70
JIC Characteristics
Includes representatives of all
players in the response
Has procedures and protocols for
communicating and coordinating
with other JICs
71
JIC Organization
Joint Information
Center
Press Secretary
(jurisdictional)
Research Team
Liaison
(as required)
Media Team
Logistics Team
72
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
SUPPORTING
TECHNOLOGIES
73
Focus on Supporting
Technology
1. Interoperability and compatibility
2. Technology support
3. Technology standards
4. Broad-based requirements
5. Strategic planning and R&D
74
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
ONGOING
MANAGEMENT &
MAINTENANCE
75
System Maintenance
Coordinated through State OES
SEMS


SEMS Advisory Committee
SEMS Technical Group
Coordination with Federal Government

NIMS Integration Center (NIC)
Both maintenance systems will monitor
through


Lessons learned
Application of “best practices”
76
NRP (National Response Plan)
(National Framework)
Predicated on NIMS
Integrates and aligns all of the
Federal special-purpose emergency
response plans into one structure.
Interfaces Federal response with
State, Tribal, Local governments,
NGOs and private enterprise
77
CONCLUSION
•This course integrates the Standardized
Emergency Management System (SEMS) and
the National Incident Management System
(NIMS) into a single course.
•The material used in this course is extracted
from the SEMS Approved Course of
Instruction (ACI) and the NIMS IS-700
course.
78