Best Practices in Homeland Security

NCSBCS/AMCBO Public Sector Members Important Issues Call Summary February 23, 2005

City of Chicago – Kimberly Brown
Rhode Island – Dan DeDentro
New Jersey – Cynthia Wilk, Emily Templeton & Dan
Florida – Ila Jones, Donald Crisp, Gordon Rodney, and Charles & Randy Bartel
New York City – David Nussbaum & Mark Sinabria
New York State - Richard Thomson
California – Delores Wilson
Akron – Greg Burgoon
NCSBCS – Robert Wible

Ila Jones, Chair of the NCSBCS Regulatory Affairs Committee and Florida Delegate, called the call to order and welcomed those in attendance. She noted the topic would include a look at the following areas:

1. Actions being taken by governments to secure building plans.
2. Building department involvement in disaster drills and planning with state and local homeland security directors and emergency managers.
3. Damage assessment criteria.
4. Mutual Aid Agreements both inter- and intra-state

It was agreed to modify the order of the above topics and cover damage assessment criteria first. Ms. Jones introduced Gordon Rodney, Randy and Charles Bartel and Donald Crisp to report on Florida’s experience in this area.

Florida’s Damage Assessment Process: During this past year’s hurricanes, Florida, in conjunction with FEMA, used three types of damage assessment teams each covering different stages of the disaster response process:

1. Reconnaissance – Quick Overview – (Often a fly-over)
2. Rapid Impact Assessment – RNA
3. Preliminary Damage Assessments – Going house to house & business to business

Florida uses assessment forms that were developed by the state for its Rapid Impact Assessments. The forms are available at www.floridapa.org.

The Damage Assessment Team includes building officials and other county and municipal personnel who have been trained ahead of time.

The Reconnaissance Team frequently flies over the disaster areas in Department of Transportation helicopters and Civil Air Patrol planes. During this past year’s hurricanes, they were assisted by U. S. Customs officials who provided infrared capabilities that aided in immediate assessment.

The Reconnaissance Team does quick overview of the situation and determines where the Rapid Impact Assessment Teams are to be sent. They concentrate on immediate relief efforts.

The Rapid Impact Assessment Teams then are dispersed into those areas and immediately assess critical facilities, such as hospitals and police facilities, to see if they have been damaged.

The Department of Transportation assesses bridges, airports, railways and seaports.

The teams do not overlap but cover different areas (FEMA teams and the state local teams).

A hospital in Charlotte Country was destroyed in the hurricane.

Building plans were used in Florida’s response and recovery in post-declaration. Florida has a critical facilities database and in two to three years will have online blueprints by floor of these critical structures to assist state and local governments in future disasters. These will be password protected.

Part of job of state’s teams was to look at how well the buildings built to the new Florida building code performed. It was determined they did well.

The state and local governments use their own damage assessment forms and definitions. These are uniform and do not conflict with FEMA’s forms. Forms can be downloaded from the state’s website www.flordadisaster.com.

Mark Sinabria from New York City described the actions taken after 9/11 by the city to secure building plans of critical structures and icon properties. After 9/11, the NY Department of Building Investigations Unit worked with the NY Police Department to run a detailed system gaining clearance for having access to review plans for such structures.

Anyone registers to request access must show ID and fill out a background check which is carried out by the Investigation Unit. The request form shows the reason for the request and also requires the consent of the owners of the property to give access.

Those that clear those conditions can only look at the plans at a secure city facility with an employee monitoring the review. An architect or engineer working in the building can have access to the plans outside of the building department.

Thus far, NYC has had no problems with this system. Many of the requests have been denied. There have been no challenges to the process.

New York City will provide NCSBCS with a copy of their form, and it will be made available to those jurisdictions that request it.

In Florida all counties and most local jurisdictions are members of a mutual aid agreement. Florida also benefited from its membership in the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). All states except for California are members of the compact.

A copy of Florida’s mutual aid agreement is available at www.floridapa.gov.

New York State requested assistance in getting more information on how to provide support to another state under EMAC.

Robert Wible provided an update on NCSBCS and AMCBO input to the Department of Homeland Security from the state and local building official’s point of view. He noted that comments were going into DHS on February 28 on the National Preparedness Goals.

Mr. Wible noted how to access DHS online NIMS compliance tool "NIMCAST". A "permission based system," NIMCSAST is designed to help jurisdictions evaluate and monitor their progress in implementing the National Incident Management System. While you have to register to use this tool, you can access the site and try out a "Demo Assessment," without registering. The site is reached at www.fema.gov/mincast/index.jsp.

It was noted that a speaker was not able to join the call for the fourth subject, role of building code officials in disaster drills. This might be covered on a future call.

At 1:10 p.m. Ms. Jones thanked everyone for their participation. The next Public Sector Members Important Issues Call will be held March 15, 2005, at noon and will cover the emerging issues of "Visitability" and Aging in Place.

The call was adjourned.