Emergency Operations Plans and Annexes

​​​​​​​​​​Promulgation Statement

​Dallas College is committed to the safety and security of students, faculty, staff, and visitors on its campuses. In order to support that commitment, college staff have conducted a thorough review of the emergency mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery procedures relevant to natural and manmade emergencies and disasters.

The Emergency Operations Plan tha​t follows is the official procedure of Dallas College. It is a result of a comprehensive review and update of College ​policies in the context of its locations in the cities and airports of Dallas County and the County of Dallas in which they lie; as well as the State of Texas and matters pertaining to national response in the United States of America. We support its recommendations and commit this institution’s resources to the ongoing training, exercise, and maintenance required of this plan and its supporting documents.

This plan is a blueprint that relies on the commitment and expertise of individuals within and outside of the college community. Furthermore, clear communication with emergency management officials and ongoing monitoring of emergency management practices and advisories is essential.

The approval of this plan provides clear delegation of authority for the Public Safety and Security staff, as defined by the National Incident Management System, to conduct operations during events and incidents when activated.

Dr. Joe May
Chancellor
Dallas College

Approval and Implementation

Dallas College - Emergency Operations Plan

This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is hereby approved for Dallas College. This plan shall apply to all College personnel participating in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Furthermore, the EOP may be applied to any College College-sponsored events, whether on or off campus, and all public or private College sanctioned activities. This plan is effective immediately and supersedes all previous editions.

Authority

This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is established and authorized by the Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Dallas College ​through the authority of the elected Board of Trustees and established Board Policy. Emergency management plans and operations derive their creation and implementation authority through local policy, state law, and federal law. The persons fulfilling functional positions within this plan are authorized to perform their duties through the policies and laws in this section and are described further in the sections: Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities, Direction and Control, and/or this plan’s supporting documents. Failure to comply with the authorized emergency management plan is an offense under Texas Government Code Sec. 418.173(a) where a state, local, or interjurisdictional emergency management plan may provide that failure to comply with the plan or with a rule, order, or ordinance adopted under the plan is an offense. Under Texas Government Code Sec. 418.173(b) failure to comply with this authorized plan is an offense punishable by a fine that does not exceed $1,000 or confinement in jail for a term that exceeds 180 days.

Local

1. Board of Trustees College Policy, CGC (Safety Program - Emergency Plans and Alerts)
2. Board of Trustees College Policy, CG (Safety Program)
3. Inter-local Agreements, Memorandums of Understanding, and Established Contracts

State

1. Education Code, Chapter 37, Sec. 37.108 (Multi-hazard Emergency Operations Plan; Safety and Security Audit)
2. Government Code, Chapter 418 (Emergency Management)
3. Government Code, Chapter 421 (Homeland Security)
4. Government Code, Chapter 433 (State of Emergency)
5. Government Code, Chapter 791 (Inter-local Cooperation Contracts)
6. Health & Safety Code, Chapter 778 (Emergency Management Assistance Compact)
7. Executive Order of the Governor Relating to Emergency Management
8. Executive Order of the Governor Relating to the National Incident Management System
9. Administrative Code, Title 37, Part 1, Chapter 7 (Division of Emergency Management)
10. The Texas Homeland Security Strategic Plan, Parts I and II, December 15, 2003
11. The Texas Homeland Security Strategic Plan, Part III, February 2004

Federal

1. Jeanne Clery Act, 34 C.F.R. 668.46
2. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief & Emergency Assistance Act, (as amended), 42 U.S.C. 5121
3. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 42 USC Chapter 116
4. Emergency Management and Assistance, 44 CFR
5. Hazardous Waste Operations & Emergency Response, 29 CFR 1910.120
6. Homeland Security Act of 2002
7. Homeland Security; Presidential Policy Directive. PPD-8, National Preparedness
8. Homeland Security Presidential Directive. HSPD-5, Management of Domestic Incidents
9. Homeland Security Presidential Directive, HSPD-3, Homeland Security Advisory System
10. National Incident Management System
11. National Response Plan
12. National Strategy for Homeland Security, July 2002
13. Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex of the National Response Plan

Purpose, Scope, Situation, and Assumptions

Purpose

This purpose of this plan is to outline The College's approach to all-hazard emergency operations. It represents a series of best practice guidelines and general guidance for emergency management activities and an overview of The College's methods of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

The plan describes The College's emergency response organization and assigns responsibilities for various emergency tasks. The plan and its corresponding annexes provide the framework for responding to major emergencies that threaten the health and safety of the college community or seriously disrupt programs and operations.

The College has developed this plan in order to promote a secure and resilient collegiate environment with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from hazards facing the community.

In any emergency situation, the overriding goals of Dallas College are to:

• Protect life
• Secure College infrastructure and facilities
• Resume instruction and all academic programs

Scope

This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) applies to Dallas College. It may be implemented across all College properties, owned or leased, in all counties in which the College operates, and for all activities in which the College participates during an emergency situation.

The emergency situations in which this plan applies consist of a broad range of incidents that include, but
are not limited to:

• Bomb Threats / Detonations
• Civil Disturbances
• Epidemic / Infectious Disease
• Violent Intruders (To Include Intruder Lock-downs)
• Fires and explosions
• Hazardous Materials Releases
• Hazardous Weather
• Mass Casualty Events
• Search and Rescue Incidents
• Study Abroad Incidents
• Terrorism
• Transportation Accidents

Situation Overview

Geography

Dallas College operates as one college in Dallas County. Texas Education Code § 130.190 defines the service area of Dallas College to include all of Dallas County, and all territory included in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (a portion of which is in adjacent Collin County and Denton County). The College lies in FEMA Region VI, Texas DPS Region 1, and Disaster District 4B.

Population Characteristics

The College population of 77,247 credit student enrollment and 6,137 full and part-time employees, as indicated in the Spring 2019 Dallas College ​​​Data Depot in myPortal.

Capability Assessment

The College operates its own public safety and security agency to include a police department with sworn Texas Peace Officers. The College does not operate its own emergency medical or fire response agency. College leadership has the capability of utilizing this plan for maintaining continuity and coordinating recovery efforts. For any medical emergency, fire emergency, or police emergency of a large scale, outside resources will be required. Established inter-local agreements, contracts, and cooperative working relationships with outside agencies, as well as emergency response training provided to the faculty, staff, and students, build college response capability. Administrative support of this plan and its annexes bolsters the capability of emergency response personnel to perform the duties as outlined in these documents.

Mitigation Overview

The Hazard Mitigation Plan, as outlined in the Hazard Mitigation Annex, has developed goals, objectives, and courses of action to mitigate the effects of those threat and hazard events identified as having the highest prevalence and/or potential impact. Mitigation actions for The College include multiple and diverse efforts related to preventative measures, property protection measures, natural resource protection, emergency services measures, structural projects, and public information and education activities.

Hazard Summary

The College is exposed to many hazards, all of which have the potential for disrupting the community, causing casualties, and damaging or destroying public or private property. A table of the major hazards is provided in Figure 1.

Assumptions

Emergency planning requires a commonly accepted set of assumed operational conditions that provide a foundation for establishing protocols and procedures. These assumptions are called planning assumptions, and the standard practice is to base planning on the potential worst-case conditions. These assumptions indicate areas where adjustments to the plan have to be made ad hoc, as any emergency or disaster evolves. This emergency operations plan assumes the following:

1. It is assumed that any emergency or disaster individually or in combination with other emergencies may cause a serious situation for the College. It is also assumed that these incidents will vary in size and intensity. For this reason, planning efforts are made as general as possible so that great latitude is available in their application and considering the potential for simultaneous occurrence of emergencies or disasters in multiple locations.
2. The College will continue to be exposed to and subject to the impact of those hazards described above and as well as lesser hazards and others that may develop in the future.
3. It is possible for a major disaster to occur at any time and at any place. In many cases, dissemination of warning to the public and implementation of increased readiness measures may be possible. However, some emergency situations occur with little or no warning.
4. Outside assistance will be available in most emergency situations affecting our College. Since it often takes time to summon external assistance, it is essential for us to be prepared to carry out the initial emergency response on an independent basis to the best of our ability.
5. Proper mitigation actions, such as awareness and education, following disaster resilient and code conforming construction guidelines, floodplain management, and fire inspections, can prevent or reduce disaster-related losses.
6. Detailed emergency planning, training of emergency responders and other personnel, and conducting periodic emergency drills and exercises can improve our readiness to deal with emergency situations.
7. For The College, severe weather hazards pose the most probable threat of emergency conditions. As a result, the following planning assumptions were incorporated into this plan:
   1. Critical lifeline utilities may be interrupted, including water delivery, electrical power, natural gas, telephone communications, microwave and repeater based radio systems, cellular telephones, and information technology systems.
   2. Regional and local services may not be available.
   3. Major roads, overpasses, bridges, and local streets may be damaged.
   4. Buildings and structures may be damaged.
   5. Damage may cause injuries and displacement of people in the community.
   6. Normal suppliers may not be able to deliver materials.
   7. Contact with families and households of the College community may be interrupted.
   8. People may become stranded on campus, and conditions may be unsafe to travel off campus.
   9. Emergency conditions that affect campus will likely affect the surrounding community.
   10. The College may not receive outside assistance in rapid damage assessment and will need to conduct its own situation analysis and deployment of onsite resources and management of emergency operations on campus, through the College EOC while emergency conditions exist.
   11. Communication and exchange of information will be one of the highest priority operations for the college EOC.

Concept of Operations

Objectives

The objectives of our emergency management program and this operations plan are to protect public health and safety and preserve public and private property. To achieve these objectives in a structured manner this plan supports:

1. Organization, which will:
   1. Provide guidelines for the most critical functions during an emergency response.
   2. Provide an easy-to-follow format in which users can quickly determine their roles, responsibilities, and primary tasks.
   3. Link and coordinate processes, actions and the exchange of critical information into an efficient and real-time overall response, in which all entities have access to the emergency response process and know what is going on at the college(s).
2. Communications and Information Management, which will:
   1. Serve as the central point of communications both for receipt and transmission of urgent information and messages.
   2. Serve as the official point of contact for the College during emergencies when normal channels are interrupted.
   3. Provide 24-hour, comprehensive communication services for voice, data and operational systems.
   4. Collect and collate all disaster information for notification, public information, documentation and post-incident analysis.
   5. Provide a basis for training staff and organizations in emergency response management.
3. Decision Making, which will serve as a reference for:
   1. Determining the level of response and extent of emergency control and coordination that should be activated when incidents occur, through a clear decision process.
4. Response Operations, which will provide guidance for:
   1. Utilizing college resources to implement a comprehensive and efficient emergency operations team.
   2. Continuously preparing a pro-active emergency response guide, for the possibilities and eventualities of emerging incidents.
5. Recovery Operations, which will provide guidance for:
   1. Transitioning response operations over to normal management processes as able.
   2. Supporting business resumption plans and processes, as needed, during restoration phases.
   3. Providing documentation and information support to the state and federal disaster assistance programs.

General

This section provides a clear methodology to realize goals and objectives for execution of the EOP. It describes general requirements and a sequence of response concepts employed by The College.

1. As required by Texas Education Code Statute 37.108, Dallas College will adopt and implement a multi-hazard emergency operations plan for use in the College's facilities. The plan will provide emergency management services and facilitate prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery actions for presenting emergency or disaster situations.
2. It is the College's responsibility to protect public health & safety and to preserve property from the effects of hazardous events. The College has the primary role in identifying, mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and managing the recovery from hazards and emergency situations that affect the College community.
3. It is necessary for the campus community to prepare themselves to cope with emergency situations and manage their affairs and property in ways that will aid the College in managing emergencies. The College will assist the campus community in carrying out these responsibilities by providing training, public information, and instructions prior to and during emergency situations.
4. The College is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping public safety and emergency management personnel, providing appropriate emergency facilities, providing suitable warning and communications systems, and for establishing inter-local agreements or relationships for emergency services.
5. To achieve these general objectives, the College has organized an emergency management program that is both integrated (employs the resources of the College, local government, organized volunteer groups, and businesses) and comprehensive (addresses mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery). This plan is one element of the preparedness activities.
6. This plan is based on an all-hazard approach to emergency planning. It addresses general functions that may need to be performed during any emergency situation and is not a collection of plans for specific types of incidents.
7. Positions, departments, and agencies tasked in this plan are expected to develop and keep current standard operating procedures that describe how emergency tasks will be performed. Departments and agencies are charged with ensuring the training and equipment necessary for an appropriate response are in place.
8. This plan is based upon the concept that the emergency functions that must be performed by many departments or agencies, generally parallel to some of their normal day-to-day functions. To the extent possible, the same personnel and material resources used for day-to-day activities will be employed during emergency situations. Because personnel and equipment resources are limited, some routine functions that do not contribute directly to the emergency may be suspended for the duration of an emergency. The personnel, equipment, and supplies that would normally be required for those functions will be redirected to accomplish emergency tasks.
9. The College has adopted the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in accordance with the President’s Homeland Security Directive (HSPD)-5. The adoption of NIMS will provide a consistent approach to the effective management of situations involving natural or man-made disasters, or terrorism. NIMS allows for the
   integration of response activities using a set of standardized organizational structures designed to improve interoperability between all levels of government, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations.
10. This plan, in accordance with the National Response Framework (NRF), is an integral part of the national effort to prevent, and reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, major disasters, and other emergencies, minimize the damage and recover from attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies that occur. In the event of an incident of national significance, as defined in HSPD-5, the College will integrate all operations with all levels of government, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations through the use of NRF coordinating structures, processes, and protocols.

Phases of Emergency Management

The College recognizes that most emergencies occur with little or no advance emergencies occur with little or no advance warning, requiring near-immediate activation of this plan and the commitment and deployment of all obligated resources and personnel. The coordination of this response is achieved through five emergency management phases. While not every emergency or disaster will require coordination through all phases, general response activities and emergency operations are accomplished through phase-specific objectives.

Prevention

The prevention phase focuses on preventing human-impact hazards, primarily from potential natural disasters or terrorist (both physical and biological) attacks. Preventive measures are designed to provide more permanent protection from disasters; however, not all disasters can be prevented. This phase has much in common with the mitigation phase, but is considered to be applicable to areas where actions can exceed mitigation’s mere hazard impact reduction and prevent impacts entirely.

Preparedness

The preparedness phase includes activities to develop operational capabilities and effective responses to emergency situations or disasters. The College's ​goal under preparedness is to increase readiness and resiliency. Preparedness activities include the following:

• Emergency Planning
• Providing emergency equipment and facilities
• Conducting or arranging appropriate training for emergency responders, emergency management personnel, other local officials, and volunteer groups who assist the College during emergencies.
• Conducting periodic drills and exercises to test plans and training.
• Campus community information sharing, education, and outreach
• College and department-level policies and procedures

Response

Coordination and response actions are transitioned from the preparedness to the response phase when a hazard is recognized as active or imminent. The goals of response actions for the College ​surround protection of life, property, the environment, and the continuity of instruction and operation. Tactical response operations will utilize the incident command system (ICS) and establishing an incident command post (ICP). All response phase decisions are designed as protective measures and are made via execution of a decision process that is outlined below.

• Pre-Impact Response Phase: Hazard Control and Assessment. The College will act to perceive and assess the threat or hazard and begin to select control and mitigation strategies. Primary operational priorities may include the following:
• Dissemination of accurate and timely emergency information and warnings
• Intelligence gathering and assessment of the evolving situation
• Resource allocation and coordination
• Incident access and control
• Impact Response Phase: Protective Action Implementation. In this phase, the College will select protective action(s) appropriate to the evolving situation and deploy additional primary and support resources. Operational priorities may include the following:
• Dissemination of accurate and timely emergency information and warnings
• Law enforcement action and scene security
• Emergency medical services (EMS), fire services, search, and Hazmat
• Evacuation on small or large scales
• Public health interventions
• Determination of need for mutual aid
• Engaging plans for continuity of instruction and operation

• Assessment and Allocation of Short-term Needs. Short-term operational needs are determined and dependent upon actions and assessment during the Impact Response Phase. These operations often transcend the response and recovery phases. Short-term needs may include the following:
• Dissemination of accurate and timely emergency information and warnings
• Shelter operations
• Access and security adjustments
• Determination of need for (continued) mutual aid

Recovery

Following stabilization of the emergency or disaster situation and resolution or establishment of life-safety issues, the College will shift operational focus to recovery. Examples of recovery programs include resumption of regular instruction, restoration of college student and administrative services, debris removal, restoration of utilities, disaster mental health services, and reconstruction of damaged facilities. Recovery priorities may include the following:

• Continuing continuity of instruction and operation efforts
• Physical restoration of essential services, facilities, and infrastructure
• Establishing and implementing restoration priorities
• Short-term operations seek to restore vital services to the College and provide for the basic needs of those stranded on campus
• Long-term recovery focuses on restoring the college to its normal state

Mitigation

The Mitigation Phase transcends all phases of emergency management, as it involves actions that occur prior to, during, and after an emergency or disaster event. Mitigation focuses on reducing the impact of hazards which exist and are a threat to life, property, and the environment.

Emergency Operations Center

The College does not operate a 24-hour dedicated emergency operations center (EOC). A stand-up multi-use EOC facility is available for College use in any emergency or disaster. The function of the EOC is to provide a centralized focus of authority and information to allow face-to-face coordination among personnel who must make decisions regarding priorities in the use of resources. Only minor activation level events or situations requiring
social distancing protocols allow for the use of a virtual emergency operations center (VEOC), by internet chat or video conference, at the discretion of the College ​emergency management coordinator.

The College EOC must provide for:

• An operations area (to perform emergency response and management functions);
• A conference/media room (for meetings and press briefings);
• A space that may be quickly secured (to prohibit unauthorized access);
• A location with redundant power (to continue operations in the event of power failure); and
• A location with internet and telephone access (to maintain communications, information gathering, and coordination functions).

The College EOC follows command and control concepts described in the NIMS and the NRF to interface with ICS as it is utilized at the ICP. The EOC will activate when a hazard has or may present conditions of such a magnitude that a large commitment of resources from numerous sources may be required over an extended period of time or other implementation of College ​​command and control measures are needed.

The function of the EOC is to:

• Receive and disseminate warnings;
• Coordinate emergency operations between agencies and organizations;
• Develop policies and determine the state of emergency for College officials;
• Collect intelligence from and disseminate information to the various EOC representatives, other jurisdictions, state, and federal agencies;
• Maintain current situational maps and information display boards;
• Prioritize response and the allocation of resources;
• Control and coordinate the operations and logistical support resources;
• Manage communications and public information in crisis situations; and
• Coordinate mutual aid.

Activation Levels

Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities

In addition to routine day-to-day responsibilities, all departments and divisions in the College maintain obligations to emergency functions to provide the most effective and efficient emergency operations in the College. Each department is responsible for understanding these obligations, as well as maintaining professional development practices, training, and plans (as necessary) provided by College emergency management to maintain its own emergency preparedness. All positions and departments within the College are components of the coordinated effort of emergency management and must understand their roles and scopes in the process.

The organizational structure used in the College ​during emergencies originates from four sources: The State of Texas Emergency Operations Plan, National Incident Management System, and the National Response Framework. A hybrid model of the traditional ICS structure blended with the ESF model is utilized in the EOC. At incident scenes traditional and accepted ICS structures are used. The organizational structure is configured this way to maximize compatibility with state and federal assets, incident commanders in the field, and modernize the response structure for the National Response Framework. The response function format is compatible with State and Federal organizational structures, but these functions are placed in the context of the ICS. Each function, branch, or unit may be scaled up or down to one or many positions depending on the size and scope of the incident and only necessary ESFs will be activated.

Emergency Operations Center Groups and Functions

In an emergency requiring full activation of the College EOC, the following groups are designated to divide responsibilities and accomplish the activities and tasks that lead to successful outcomes for the public and ultimately restore the College:

• The EOC Policy Group
• The EOC Command Group
• The EOC General Staff Group (Functional Branches)

EOC Policy Group

The EOC Policy Group is responsible for oversight of College operations, including emergency operations. Its members include the Chancellor, the Executive Vice Chancellor, the Chief of Staff, the General Counsel, Chief of Police, Associate Vice Chancellor of Educational Policy and others as needed and dictated by the collective Policy Group and as an incident requires.

Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer

• Authorizes activation of the EOC by direct order or delegated authority in this plan;
• Establishes objectives and priorities for the emergency management program and provide general policy guidance on the conduct of that program;
• Monitors the emergency response during disaster situations and provide direction where appropriate.

Chief of Staff

• With the assistance and coordination from the EOC Command Group and PIO, keeps the public informed during emergency situations.
• Assures that members of the EOC Policy Group are aware of situation updates

General Counsel

• Serves as the liaison between the President and the EOC Command Group.

Chief of Police

• Serves as the liaison between the President and the EOC Command Group.

Associate Vice Chancellor of Educational Policy

• Assists with decision-making efforts to ensure continuity of instruction programs.

EOC Command Group

The EOC Command Group coordinates the overall College effort and operates in conjunction with neighboring resources and federal and state assets that may be involved in emergency activities. Activities overseen by the EOC Command Group are reported directly to the EOC Policy Group. The EOC Command Group includes the following members: the EOC Director (Emergency Management Coordinator), the Public Information Officer (PIO), the Safety Officer, and the Liaison Officer(s).

Emergency Management Coordinator

The Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) develops the emergency management program and serves as the key leader in planning, coordination of operations, and supporter of mitigation efforts. The EMC is responsible for coordinating all components of the emergency management system that are within or interface with the College during emergency situations. These coordinated components consist of fire and police, emergency medical service, facilities, public works, various College departments, volunteers, and other groups contributing to the management of emergencies.

The EMC, by virtue of the authority of the Chancellor:

• Coordinates activation of the EOC and supervises its operation as Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Director or designating an EOC Director;
• Provides overall direction of the activities of the College's ​departments while the EOP is in use;
• Implements the policies and decisions of the executive body relating to emergency management;
• Organizes the emergency management program and identifies personnel, equipment, and facility needs;
• Prepares and maintains this Emergency Operations Plan;
• Assigns emergency management program tasks to positions, departments, and agencies;
• Ensures that departments and agencies participate in emergency planning, training, and exercise activities;
• Coordinates the operational response of local emergency services;
• Evaluates incoming information and direct response efforts;
• Keeps the Policy Group and the EOC staff updated;
• Prioritizes emergency efforts taking place across the College when limited resources are available;
• Approves Incident Action Plans (IAPs) for each operational period; and
• Delegates and designates responsibilities appropriate to the size and scope of the presenting emergency or disaster situation, including:
• Serving as liaison with local, state, and federal agencies participating in response and recovery efforts;
• Maintaining coordination with appropriate governmental, public, private, and nongovernmental enterprises to ensure their cooperative support in the event it is needed;
• Ensuring necessary narrative and operation journals and essential records are maintained during emergencies and that appropriate information and reports are provided to higher, adjacent, and support jurisdictions; and
• Approving any activation and deployment of emergency response assets under the College's jurisdiction

Public Information Officer

The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident-related information requirements. The PIO gathers, verifies, coordinates, and disseminates accurate, accessible, and timely information on the incident’s cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; and other matters of general interest for both internal and external audiences. The PIO may also perform a key public information-monitoring role. Whether the command structure is single or unified, only one PIO should be designated per incident. Assistants may be assigned from other involved agencies, departments, or organizations. The Incident Commander, Unified Command, or Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Director, depending on the level of incident activation, must approve the release of all incident-related information. In large- scale incidents or where multiple command posts are established, the PIO should participate in or lead the Joint Information Center (JIC) in order to ensure consistency in the provision of information to the public. The PIO may perform the following additional and specific responsibilities as authorized by this plan:

• Collects and distributes the most accurate and timely information regarding emergency events as approved by the EOC Director;
• Assumes responsibilities for public communications in the EOC and in designated JICs;
• Leads and/or collaborates in joint command emergencies (the primary responding agency will take the lead in releasing information);
• Coordinates with Intelligence to provide rules of engagement for any established social media analysis and response team (SMART) or virtual operations support team (VOST); and
• Establishes and maintains ground rules with the media and serves as the central clearinghouse for public communications and releases.

Safety Officer

In any emergency situation every position holds responsibilities in calling attention to unsafe situations. The Safety Officer position is dedicated to this effort and performs the following:

• Monitors incident operations at an EOC level and advises the EOC Director on pertinent life safety protective actions for the incident as a whole; and
• Assumes responsibilities for safety of the EOC and directs EOC staff and other personnel as to appropriate actions in the event of an emergency at the EOC location.

Liaison Officer(s)

The Liaison Officer is a position that may be staffed as an accessory to the EOC at the discretion of the EOC Director or his or her designee. This position may serve appropriate function in incidents when the College EOC must interface with other operations centers and/or Dallas College workgroups as the scale of the incident grows to a large area or regional event. Responsibilities of this position may include the following:

• Obtain cooperating and assisting agency information;
• Contact and brief assisting/cooperating agency representatives, mutual aid cooperators and Dallas College workgroups;
• Communicate with agency representatives concerning resources and capabilities, and restrictions on use and provide this information at planning meetings; and
• Work with the PIO and the EOC Director to coordinate media releases associated with inter-governmental cooperation and/or Dallas College workgroup issues

Intelligence Officer

The Intelligence Officer is a position that may be staffed as an accessory to the EOC at the discretion of the EOC Director or his or her designee. This position may serve appropriate function in incidents requiring handling of information that is sensitive or otherwise critical to the end objectives of response and recovery efforts. This position may be the lead in managing a VOST in social media and could remain stand-alone or be assigned to a functional branch to meet the need of the emergency.

Responsibilities of this position may include the following:

• Ensuring compliance with FERPA and student information handling;
• Coordinates collection and handling of intelligence;
• Analyzes and shares intelligence related to the College, city, county, state, and national security, classified information, or other operational information, such as risk assessments, medical intelligence, and surveillance with the EOC Director;
• Develops and manages information-related security plans and operations;
• Coordinates with the PIO to manage VOST social media analysis and response for intelligence gathering and rumor control; and
• Protects sensitive information of all types and ensures its transfer only to those who need to access it and maintain proper clearance

EOC General Staff

The EOC General Staff make up and direct the majority of EOC staffing and operations. In addition to the responsibilities outlined below, each section will interface with ESF, support, or hazard-specific annexes to the functions outlined in this EOP. The EOC General Staff is comprised of the chiefs responsible for the four strategic sections: the Operations Section Chief, the Planning Section Chief, the Logistics Section Chief, and the Finance and Administration Section Chief.

Operations Section Chief

The Operations Section Chief coordinates incident operations at the College level with support from and in cooperation with the other Section Chiefs and the EOC Director. This position will be designated by the EOC Director based on the type of hazard and which organization is best suited to guide the efforts of field personnel. The Section Chief may change following the transition from response to recovery efforts.

Since the types of necessary expertise vary in an all-hazards environment, it is prudent to remain flexible. Each functional branch of operations provides a representative to the EOC, as requested, to facilitate coordination of the unique responsibilities of each branch and to support the overall mission and actions of the Operations Section and subsequently the College EOC.

Planning Section Chief

The Planning Section Chief collects, evaluates, and disseminates incident situation information and intelligence for the EOC Director and incident management personnel. This

Section then prepares status reports, displays situation information, maintains the status of
resources assigned to the incident, and prepares and documents the Incident Action Plan, based on Operations Section input and guidance from the EOC Director.

Support (Logistics) Section Chief

The Support Section Chief is responsible for providing the Operations Section with the equipment and resources it needs to complete its objectives and for coordinating with the Planning Section to provide resources for future emergency operations. This position will be designated by the EOC Director based on the type of hazard and which organization is best suited to guide the efforts of section personnel.

The Support Section Chief coordinates the activities of the following functional branches. In addition, each functional branch provides a representative to the EOC, as requested, to facilitate coordination of the unique responsibilities of each branch and to support the overall mission and actions of the Support Section and the College EOC.

Communications Branch

• Supports and provides all required telecommunications, radio support, and phone bank operations for disaster incidents.

General Services and Engineering Branch

• Coordinates repair of facilities and utilities, support services, fleet management, emergency debris clearance, debris management, and long- term sheltering requirements.

Ground Support Branch

• Coordinates storage, staging, and maintenance of resources acquired, procured, and/or donated in support of emergency response and disaster recovery operations.

Volunteer and Donations Coordination Branch

• Coordinates receiving and tracking of donations offered in support of emergency response and disaster recovery operations; and
• Establishes volunteer staging and facilitates volunteer training and assignment to emergency response operations, as required.

Finance and Administration Section Chief

The Finance and Administration Section Chief oversees activities related to procurement, invoicing, projection of disaster-related costs, and documentation of costs and expenditures, including man-hours and overtime. This position will be designated by the EOC Director based on the type of hazard and which organization is best suited to guide the efforts of section personnel.

The Finance and Administration Section Chief works closely with other EOC Section Chiefs and the functional branch lead agencies to ensure proper documentation of disaster-related expenses and cost projections as needed. This includes expenses related to volunteers assisting in response and recovery.

The Finance and Administration Section Chief coordinates the activities of the following Finance and Administration Section functions. In addition, each function provides a representative to the EOC, as requested, to facilitate coordination of the unique responsibilities of each function and to support the overall mission and actions of the Finance and Administration Section and the College EOC.

Time Unit

• Ensures proper recording of personnel time and equipment-use time, in coordination with the Support Section.

Procurement Unit

• Administers all financial matters pertaining to vendor contracts; and
• Assists in the identification of sources for equipment and facilitates requirements for rental and supply of needed resources.

Compensation and Claims Unit

• Coordinates tracking of financial expenditures resulting from property damage, injuries, or fatalities at the incident; and
• Coordinates tracking of financial expenditures from responders.

Emergency Support, Support, and Hazard Annex Functions

Succession of Leadership

The order of succession with delegation of authority for the Chancellor of Dallas College​ in the event that he or she is unavailable for any reason during an emergency is as follows:

• Executive Vice Chancellor
• TBD
• TBD
• TBD

Direction, Control, and Coordination

General

Coordinating response and recovery activities through one central location provides for an efficient response to an emergency. When activated during an emergency, the EOC acts as the base of direction, control, and coordination for emergency management operations in the College.

Incident Commander Authority in Life/Safety Incidents

The Chief of Police or designee, by virtue of the authority of the Chancellor, will be the Incident Commander and/or Area Commander (with sole authority over the incident) in all life/safety incidents until the life/safety threat has been neutralized and/or the criminal investigation (crime scene) has been completed.

Authority to Initiate Actions

This EOP serves as a procedural document and references and/or indicates authority related to the following:

• The Dallas College EOP is the official operations source for the College and governs all disasters related to administrative and operational tasks of the College.
• The Dallas College EOP is authorized by and promulgated under the authority contained by those local, state, and federal statutes listed herein.

All College departments and agencies are an integral part of this plan. These departments and agencies that do not have specific responsibilities outlined in this plan constitute a large reserve of material and staffing resources. At the direction of the Chancellor, Chief of Police, or Emergency Management Coordinator, these departments may be requested to perform previously unassigned tasks or may be requested to supplement specifically assigned disaster response roles.

The Policy Group, in conjunction with the Dallas College EOC Command Group, establishes priorities and is responsible for providing accurate and timely information to the campus community, especially in time of emergency.

Command Responsibility for Specific Action

• The Chancellor of Dallas College, under the authority provided by the Board of Trustees, maintains the responsibility for identifying and minimizing the effects of the dangers to the College.
• The Chief of Police, the EOC Director, or designee, acts as the chief advisor to the Policy Group during any declared emergency affecting the people and property of Dallas College. Various College departments and agencies under the direction of the EOC Director will conduct emergency operations.
• Local, state, and federal officials will coordinate their operations through the College EOC via EOC Liaison Officer(s) or other designated representative.

Information Collection, Analysis, Dissemination, and Security

During an emergency or disaster situation requiring activation of the College EOC, the EOC
will coordinate all forms of essential and critical information. Coordination of disaster intelligence may require the following activities:

• Identification of types of information are needed
• Determination of where information is expected to come from
• Identification of what sections will need and use the information
• Establishing how the information will be disseminated

Emergency and disaster information is primarily managed under the Planning Section but may flow into the EOC through any functional branch or via the Intelligence Officer, other Command Staff, or Policy Group representatives. All participants within the EOC, Incident Command structure, VEOC, and EOC support units shall comply with information handling and security procedures.

Information Handling and Security

Sensitive information moves through the emergency and disaster management mechanisms established by the College. The proper handling of this information through these established information security measures is essential to the overall response and recovery processes. Information security is the protection of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information related to the College.

In the course of business of the EOC and VEOC certain information must be considered sensitive for legal, ethical, or procedural reasons. All participants in these systems, including support teams, must respect internal communications and protect privacy. For the purpose if information handling and security all activities of “the EOC” include the physical EOC, virtual EOC systems, communications between these systems, and the activities of support teams like the Social Media Analysis and Response Team and emergency phone line support.

Public Records

Most activities of the EOC will eventually be subject to disclosure under open records policies. The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidance to the EOC staff members during emergency operations to assure confidentiality. While the incident is in progress, including the immediate recovery period, the incident record is not complete. Requests for public information go to the College's Public Information Officer responsible for the Texas Public Information Act and Freedom of Information Act inquiries (not the ESF-15 PIO). See Board Policy GCA (Legal) and GAB (Legal) for additional information on public records.

Information Security Statement

Any information marked FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY, and/or pertaining to criminal investigation, identification of disaster victims, related medical information, related student or employee record information, other protected personally identifiable information, internal planning, draft plans or documents, uncleared bulletins or news releases, the content of in- house briefings, overheard conversations or radio traffic, internal communications within the VEOC, other incident related electronic communications, or unconfirmed speculation will not be released to anyone outside of the College emergency management mechanism, including the public, unless cleared in advance by the EOC Director.

For Official Use Only (FOUO)

Documents or information labeled “For Official Use Only” is done so by the originator to limit external distribution. Such documents, information or bulletins are not be released either in written, oral or electronic form to the media, the general public, or other personnel who do not have a valid “need-to-know” without prior approval of the originator.

Law Enforcement Sensitive (LES)

During the course of operations in the EOC, information that is deemed law enforcement sensitive may be present. This can include identifying information on suspected criminal actors, criminal justice information, or sensitive procedures, sources, and methods. This information should never be shared or released to anyone outside of law enforcement and public safety. When the EOC or any part of emergency management is active in support of law enforcement for an incident involving criminal activity, all related information shall be considered sensitive.

Federal and state Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) rules require sensitive information classification for persons working near CJIS databases who may have direct or casual contact with criminal history information. Persons with access to criminal history data in performance of their official duties at the Emergency Operations Center will satisfy the Dallas College Public Safety & Security Department information management policy requirements.

Status of Draft or Preliminary Information

Preliminary information, including but not limited to draft strategic planning, Incident Action Plans in the development stage, draft press releases and unreleased Situation Reports, shall be considered sensitive.

Responsibilities of Participants in Emergency Management Mechanisms

• Recognize the conditions of these Information Handling and Security procedures when referring to the official business of the Office of Emergency Management or any involved staff or support teams.
• Safeguard sensitive information before, during, and after an activation of the Emergency Operations Center.
• Prevent incidental casual observation or access to sensitive information.
• Clear the release of possible sensitive information with the EOC Director prior to dissemination outside the EOC.
• Refrain from repeating rumors or unverified information except where necessary to clarify or refute them.

Communication

Communications requirements in emergency or disaster situations are supported through the protocols and coordination procedures that The College executes as part of routine, day- to-day operations. The Director of Media Relations will develop procedures to activate additional EOC communications support personnel and to expand the EOC communications capability, as required. These procedures will address the provisions for EOC message handling to include record keeping/documentation, distribution/internal message flow, and coordination of incoming/outgoing information.

Public Information

Public information will be managed through the PIO and/or Joint Information Center (JIC), if established. Information will be coordinated to flow through one central point to ensure accuracy, quality, and efficiency in dissemination. The PIO maintains responsibility for all actions and efforts surrounding the following:

• Media management
• Public relations strategy
• Videography and photography
• Public information administration and multi-agency/department coordination

Administration, Finance, and Support (Logistics)

Agreements and Contracts

Any agreements and/or contracts must be entered into by duly authorized officials and, where practicable, formalized in writing prior to performance. Outside a declared emergency by the College all agreements will be reviewed by College Legal.

Should College resources prove to be inadequate during emergency operations, requests for assistance may be made to other educational institutions, governmental jurisdictions, volunteer agencies, and the private sector in accordance with existing contracts or negotiated emergency agreements.

Dallas College may provide emergency assistance to another local government, whether or not the local governments have previously agreed or contracted to provide that kind of assistance under Board of Trustee Policy and Texas Government Code 791.027(a).

Resource Management

Resource management includes providing or obtaining goods or services, executing logistical or administrative activities for the College's emergency response operations, and coordinating the use of the resources to facilitate an effective, efficient, and appropriate result.

College resources, as well as mutual aid and donated resources and services, will be managed according to policies and procedures of the Support Section.

Emergency Purchasing and Acquisition

Emergency purchases, acquisitions, and other procurements may be authorized by the EOC Director in consultation with the CFO to support and facilitate objectives of Dallas College emergency operations.

Records and Reports

The Incident Command Post and the EOC shall maintain accurate activity logs recording key response activities, including:

• Activation or deactivation of emergency facilities;
• Emergency notifications to other local governments and to state and federal agencies;
• Significant changes in the emergency situation;
• Major commitments of resources or requests for additional resources from external sources;
• Issuance of protective action recommendations to the public;
• Evacuations;
• Casualties; and
• Containment or termination of the incident;
• Significant action taken during the emergency situation.

In order to continue normal college operations following an emergency situation, vital records must be protected. These include legal documents, student files, personnel files, and financial records. The principal causes of damage to records are fire and water; therefore, essential records should be protected accordingly. Each department or agency responsible for preparation of annexes to this plan will include protection of vital records (hard copies and electronic) in its SOPs. If records are damaged during an emergency situation, the College will seek professional assistance to preserve and restore them.

Expenditures and obligations of public funds during emergency operations must be recorded by the responsible departments and agencies in accordance with College policies and procedures.

The Finance and Administration Section has responsibility for distributing approved forms
for this purpose and for collecting and processing them during and after an emergency.

Narratives and operational journals of response actions will be kept by all departments and agencies with emergency responsibilities.

Post-Incident and Exercise Review

The emergency management coordinator is responsible for organizing and conducting a critique following the conclusion of a significant emergency event/incident or exercise. The After Action Report (AAR) will entail both written and verbal input from all appropriate participants. An Improvement Plan will be developed based on the deficiencies identified, and an individual, department, or agency will be assigned responsibility for correcting the deficiency and a due date shall be established for that action.

Plan Development and Maintenance

Primary responsibility for coordinating the plan development and maintenance process rests
with the College Emergency Manager serving as the College's Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC).

Operations Plan Maintenance, Updates, and Revisions

Periodic revisions to this plan will be identified by appropriate signatures and approval dates. The EMC is responsible for performing periodic reviews of plans and standard operating procedures (SOPs) with appropriate agencies and departments. The revision process will include incorporation of necessary changes based upon periodic tests, drills, exercises, or actual events.

To comply with the requirements outlined in Texas Education Code 37.108, Dallas College must review, update (if needed), and certify this plan to be current on an annual basis.

Reasons the College will update this plan (in its entirety or individual components) may
include:

• Changes to hazard consequences or risk areas;
• Changes to the concept of operations for emergency or disaster response;
• Reorganization of supporting departments, agencies, and other stakeholders that results in a change in the College's capability to respond to an emergency or disaster situation;
• Significant deficiencies in this plan or its components revealed by a training exercise or an actual emergency; and
• Changes to College policy, state requirements, or federal planning standards.

Annex Update and Maintenance Responsibilities

This operations plan is a framework for a system of emergency support functions, support functions, and hazard-specific annexes published under separate covers. The table in Figure 2 identifies the responsible positions for the annual maintenance and update of each annex.

Figure 2: EOP Annex Responsibilities

Training, Testing, and Exercising

The EMC will assist with required training activities to ensure emergency response capabilities and meet all regulatory requirements. The preparedness and readiness measures of this section conducted by the College are outlined in the Training, Testing, and Exercising support annex, published under a separate cover.

Safety and Security Audit

In accordance with Texas Education Code Sections 37.108 and 51.217, this plan is required to have a safety and security audit every three years to verify the EOP and its annexes continue to provide for training, drills, emergency coordination, and implementation of the audit process. The College emergency management coordinator is responsible for the audit and for submitting copies of planning documents for review as necessary. A College Security and Audit Committee may be utilized for this process coordinated by the EMC.

Terms and References

Acronyms

Definitions

Reference – EOP Traditional Model and ESF Model Crosswalk

Distribution List

This Emergency Operations Plan is distributed in electronic format to the positions or locations indicated in the table below. Annexes to this plan maintain individual distribution lists.

College EOP

College EOP (basic plan) (PDF - 1,047 KB)​

Plans and Annexes

Annex A-Warning
Annex D- Volunteer and Donation Coordination
Annex E-Training, Testing, Exercise
Annex H-Hazardous Weather
Annex T-Travel and Transportation
ESF 1-Transportation
ESF 2-Communications and Technology
ESF 3- Public Works and Engineering
ESF 4-Firefighting
ESF 5-Emergency Management
ESF 6-Human Services
ESF 7-Logistics Management and Resource Support
ESF 8-Public Health and Medical Resources​​
ESF 9-Search and Rescue
ESF 10-Oil and Hazardous Material Response
ESF 11-Agriculture and Natural Resources​
ESF 12-Energy
ESF 13-Public Safety and Security
ESF 14-Long-Term Community Recovery
ESF 15-Public and Governmental Annex​​​​