Mass Shelter Plan Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management September 2016 Mass Shelter Plan Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................. 2 SHELTER PLAN .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 PURPOSE ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 SCOPE .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................. 3 ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 4 COMMAND AND CONTROL ............................................................................................................................. 5 CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 7 LIST OF APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................... 13 APPENDICES............................................................................................................................................................ 14 APPENDIX 2: SHELTER LAYOUT EXAMPLE............................................................................................................... 16 2 Mass Shelter Plan Mass Shelter Plan 1.0 PURPOSE The purpose of this plan is to provide shelter operations to displaced survivors within Harris County after a major disaster. This plan is a contingency plan to Annex C: Shelter and Mass Care and should be referred to as a support guide for further information. 2.0 SCOPE The American Red Cross is the lead partner with Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) in helping to fulfill our legal responsibility of providing shelter and mass care operations for our residents in a disaster. However, in a major disaster where there is widespread damage, the local resources of the Red Cross may be overwhelmed and not available immediately. Until such time that the Red Cross can mobilize all assets to our area and assume management and operations of shelters, Harris County may have to manage, coordinate, and/or implement shelter operations. 3.0 BACKGROUND In 2005, two catastrophic hurricanes occurred back to back providing an unprecedented test of emergency preparedness and response in Texas. Evacuation and sheltering plans were extensively tested and stressed during these two emergencies. As a result, a 14 member Task Force was appointed by the Governor of Texas to make recommendations on how to improve evacuation plans and evacuation execution to better protect Texas in the event of future emergencies. In the event of an emergency that requires evacuation of all or any part of the Harris County population, Harris County is ultimately responsible for the coordination of the evacuation, shelter and mass care of displaced local residents. In 2008, Harris County was faced with the potential direct impact of Hurricane Ike; once again Harris County was faced with the possibility of evacuating a portion of the population. Due to many factors, some residents will choose to stay instead of evacuating. Studies in Florida estimate that 1 in 4 persons seek public shelter during hurricane emergencies. Following a major no-notice disaster in the Harris County, Harris County can probably assume a similar response. Harris County can estimate that a large percentage of those displaced persons will seek alternative arrangements to public disaster shelters. This may include lodging with friends or relatives, staying in hotels, camping in their backyard, or even sleeping in the family car. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) produced a report, Shaken Awake, in April 1996, that estimates the impact of various earthquake scenarios on housing stock and numbers of persons seeking shelter. According to ABAG, two factors strongly influence the likelihood of persons seeking public shelter in a disaster. 1. Income --Lower income persons are much more likely to seek shelter following a disaster. Past disasters have shown that low-income families are nearly ten times more likely to seek public 3 Mass Shelter Plan shelter in a disaster if their homes are red-tagged or yellow-tagged, versus more moderate to upper income families. 2. Household Type --Residents from multifamily homes are more likely to seek shelter. Because of the construction (with part of the ground floor used for parking), many older multifamily homes are "soft story buildings" and are more vulnerable to collapse. Moreover, people with limited resources (persons such as the very poor, the very old and the very young), occupy many of these multifamily units. 4.0 ASSUMPTIONS 1. Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) has reviewed and understands the concepts of accessibility and nondiscrimination and how they apply in emergencies. HCOSHEM has implemented nondiscrimination concepts applicable under federal law to all phases of emergency management. 2. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. 3. To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered. 4. Responsibility for shelter and mass care belongs to local government. 5. In a major disaster, the American Red Cross will require an influx of resources from outside the area to be operational. Therefore, it may be upwards of 7 days before the Red Cross can assume a primary care and shelter role. 6. Resources and assistance from outside the local area will be available to local jurisdictions through normal channels. Resources are expected to be extremely limited the first few days following a disaster where there has been widespread damage. 7. In the immediate days after a major disaster, neighborhood, non-profit and faith-based organizations may emerge to provide shelter and mass care support independent of Harris County. Harris County will need to identify those groups that emerge spontaneously. 8. A disaster that occurs while school is in session may require the school to become a temporary shelter for its student population. Either an alternative shelter is needed for the general population, or the school may have to identify a separate area within the school building so that shelter operations can occur simultaneously. 9. Based on data collected after other disasters, Harris County can expect the shelter populations to be at its largest 3 to 7 days after a disaster. 4 Mass Shelter Plan 10. By the seventh day into the disaster, the shelter population will have peaked. Thereafter, what remains of the shelter population are generally persons with fewer resources and more long-term housing and social services needs. 5.0 COMMAND AND CONTROL Command and control of Shelter Operations in Harris County will follow the general provisions outlined in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This plan is a contingency plan to Annex C (Shelter and Mass Care) of Harris County Basic Plan. As such all authorities and references listed in Annex C and the Basic Plan apply to this plan. Texas Government Code, Section 418.020(d), states: “Any political subdivision may temporarily or permanently acquire by lease, purchase, or other means sites required for installation of temporary housing units or emergency shelters for disaster victims and may enter into arrangements necessary to prepare or equip the sites to use the housing units or shelters, including arrangements for the purchase of temporary housing units or shelters and the payment of transportation charges.” This is in addition to the general authority for the County to activate all aspects of a basic emergency plan under 418.108. With the approval of their department head, Harris County employees will have the opportunity to be trained in Shelter Operations. This training will be coordinated through Harris County Human Resources and Risk Management (HRRM) and provided by the American Red Cross.. Employees who participate in the Shelter Operations training will be added to a list that is maintained by HRRM. Shelters will be managed by Shelter Management Teams. The Shelter Manager will report to HCOHSEM Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Shelter Branch within the Operations Section. If telephones are not functional, the use of any communications available will be utilized, i.e. HF Radio, amateur radio operators for ham radio communications, FAX. As a last resort, use runners to relay messages. A. Shelter Management Operations – See Organization Chart 1. See Appendix 1 for Shelter Management Team Job Descriptions B. Consider designating an Assistant Shelter Manager, in addition to the Shelter Manager, especially for large shelter operations. C. The Red Cross recommends a minimum of 6 staff per 100 shelter residents. Depending on the size of the disaster and the number of staff available, some positions may do double-duty, or shelter residents and community volunteers can fill selected roles. D. Roles and Responsibilities – The roles and responsibilities are summarized in the following chart. These roles and responsibilities describe only the major functions of the shelter operation. Shelter Manager Shelter Staff a. Provide overall leadership and decision-making for the shelter operation. b. Perform all major Incident Command System functions not formally assigned or delegated to staff. 5 Mass Shelter Plan Shelter Management Teams Resident Director Services Branch Public Information Officer Safety Officer See Annex C (Shelter and Mass Care) for additional information. a. Coordinate with the Shelter Manager to support the administration, recordkeeping, and overall operations of the shelter. b. Coordinate and provide staffing and logistical support to the shelter from local resources. a. Coordinate and direct shelter Residents Services operations to include Registration, Lodging, Recreation/Activities, Social Services/Disaster Casework and Animal Services. EOC Command Staff a. Coordinate Public Information operations intended primarily for the population, media, and stakeholders who are external to the shelter. b. Support the Shelter in providing accurate Public Information to shelter staff and residents. a. b. Liaison Officer a. b. Operations Section Chief a. b. Public Health & Branch Director Law Enforcement Director Transportation Director Medical Branch Branch a. See Annex I (Public Information) for additional information. Advise the Shelter Branch on issues regarding shelter staff safety. Work with all sections to ensure the operational safety of shelter staff. Serve as a point of contact for agency representatives who are assisting the shelter operation. Provide support and oversight to agency representatives. EOC Operations Section Direct and coordinate the shelter functions and operations of assigned Branches. Develop and implement strategies and tactics to carry out the assigned shelter objectives. Coordinate public health & medical services during shelter operations. See Annex H (Health and Medical) for additional information. a. Provide for the safety and security of shelter operations. See Annex G (Law Enforcement) for additional information. a. Coordinate transportation to/from shelters in Harris County. b. Coordinate Mobility Impaired Transport vehicles for Access and Functional Needs population to/from the shelter. 6 Mass Shelter Plan Logistics Section Chief Facilities Branch Director Personnel Branch Director Supply Branch Director See Annex S (Transportation) for additional information. EOC Logistics Section a. Direct and coordinate the shelter functions of assigned Branches. a. Supervise and coordinate cleaning/custodial, waste management and maintenance and repair. a. Coordinate staff requirements, staff sourcing and other staff management considerations for the majority of the shelter staff (excluding law enforcement and medical). b. Assist, as needed, the Law Enforcement Branch and the Medical Services Branch with security and medical staff requirements and considerations. a. Coordinate the sourcing, delivery, receipt and distribution of supplies and equipment to support the shelter operations. b. Manage and distribute donations received at the shelter. See Annex T (Donations Management) for additional information. Communications Director Branch Planning Section Chief F&A Section Chief Food Services Branch Director 6.0 a. Coordinate and support shelter Communications and Information Technology operations and requirements. See Annex B (Communications) for additional information. EOC Planning Section a. Gather, analyze and disseminate operational information relevant to the shelter. b. Manage the shelter planning process. EOC Finance/Administration Section a. Oversee the record keeping and analysis of the shelter financial and cost accounting activities. b. Coordinate with the Logistics Section to ensure that needed resources are procured. a. Coordinate and provide meals for shelter residents, staff and supporting agencies. a. Establish designated times for Meal Delivery/Reception, Meal Serving and Dining. b. Implement all necessary food handling and sanitation practices. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS A. This plan may be activated following an incident or disaster in which Harris County is directly impacted and shelter operations are required. The following positions can open a Harris County Shelter: 7 Mass Shelter Plan i. ii. iii. iv. v. Harris County Judge Harris County Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) or Deputy EMC Incident Commander of an incident in Harris County American Red Cross representative Executive Director of Harris County Public Health (HCPH) or designee. Activation Considerations: The following considerations should be addressed prior to activation of this plan: i. ii. iii. iv. v. Evaluation of potential hazards and threats (i.e. wildfires, flooding, levee failure, terrorism) and confirmation that they do not pose a likely risk to the operation of the shelter. This evaluation is critical to ensure that specific hazards or threats will not require closure or relocation of the shelter prior to scheduled demobilization. Determination that air quality will not be unhealthy or worse according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Refer to EPA AIRNow website at www.airnow.gov. Determination that weather and other environmental conditions will not pose a threat or hardship to shelter residents. Completion of a structural assessment of the shelter facility following a major event that could jeopardize its integrity (i.e. hurricane, tornado). Consult with appropriate partners to determine if the facility is available. B. Identify the space to use as the shelter. The Shelter Facility should be ADA accessible (ramps), family showers, storage and loading docks. HCOHSEM will coordinate with partners to identify potential Shelter Sites. If possible, a PreOccupancy Inspection of the facility should be conducted. During activation of a facility a comprehensive survey must be conducted. During the comprehensive survey partners such as: County ADA Compliance Officer, Public Infrastructure, Engineering, Public Health Services should be included in the walk-through. When identifying potential Shelter Sites, consider accessibility to highways, public transportation, shopping, medical facilities, pet shelters, neighborhoods and schools. i. ii. iii. Use Red Cross pre-identified shelter list maintained by the HCOHSEM Planning Section. Buildings big, small, or commercial ISD facilities The Shelter Manager will begin directing shelter operations, which includes conducting the preoccupancy inspection if one is not on file, mapping the shelter layout and delegating tasks to workers. The Shelter Manager will assign workers to positions within the shelter. Refer to the Shelter Team Handbook for further information. C. Identify Shelter Management Team. Good shelter management is a key to successful shelter operations. Registration, credentialing and tracking of all volunteers for shelter operations should be held at an alternate site to ensure 8 Mass Shelter Plan proper credentialing procedures. A form of identification should be utilized to identify volunteers. See Harris County Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) Plan for additional information. 1. If possible, choose persons who, in a disaster, will be managing the same facility (or facility of a similar type) that they normally manage during non-disaster times and have been trained in Shelter Operations. 2. Shelter managers will presumably come from Commissioner Precincts Parks Department or Community Services staff. D. Harris County EOC Operation Section Chief will coordinate with the Shelter Branch to deploys the Shelter Manager and Shelter Management Team, along with startup supplies, to open and operate the shelter. 1. Startup supplies can be requested from the Disaster District Chair (DDC). 2. The Shelter Manager is responsible for the overall operation of the shelter facility. a. HCHRRM should have a current roster of Shelter Managers who are qualified to open and run the shelter. In addition, identify backup personnel who can assist the shelter manager with shelter operations. b. It is recommended that Shelter Managers are trained through the American Red Cross. E. Opening the Shelter. Once the facility is cleared for use, the Shelter Manager is responsible for allocating shelter space. The Shelter Manager can delegate the supervision of shelter set-up while they are completing the opening inspection. Refer to the Shelter Team Handbook for additional information. F. Set-Up Registration at the Shelter 1. The Shelter Management Team must plan for a method of registering each person housed in the shelter, including both their dates of arrival and departure. The Red Cross Safe and Well database may be used at shelters. a. This information provides the documentation for HCOHSEM to know who is in the shelter. b. It also assists the jurisdiction to locate missing family members. 2. Registration shall be conducted at a dedicated entry point in order to maintain flow of operations. Different colored wristbands can be used to identify the evacuees within the shelter. 3. Registration enables shelter staff to better serve residents by collecting important information about their needs, such as individual access and functional needs or cultural or dietary requirements. 9 Mass Shelter Plan 4. Registration also helps shelter workers keep track of numbers of shelter residents and collect other information about the disaster that may help with effective relief operation management. 5. All shelter residents must sign in and sign out of the shelter upon arriving or leaving the shelter. G. Allocating Space at the Shelter Allocating appropriate space in the shelter is extremely important. Separate space should be allocated for families with small children, single men, single women, older adults, night workers who sleep during the day and other unique situations. Privacy screens should be utilized when appropriate. Shelter workers will assign sleeping areas to residents. If a resident has a disability or access and functional need, shelter workers will work with these residents to determine their optimal location within the shelter. See Appendix 2 for an example of the layout of a shelter. H. Provide Food Services. As part of shelter operations, the County in coordination with partner agencies will provide meals, snacks and beverages to shelter residents and staff. A mealtime schedule should be established soon after the shelter is opened. When planning the menu, ensure sensitivity to cultural and dietary needs, when possible. 1. The Shelter Management Team must ensure that a food provision and ordering system is in place to feed shelter residents. a. This will require a close working relationship with the Logistics and Finance and Admin Sections of the HCOHSEM EOC to implement any of the following planning strategies. i. The Facility owner (i.e. school district) may provide food for the sheltered population. ii. The American Red Cross may provide meals if the Shelter does not have food preparation facilities and/or cannot obtain food from another resource. iii. The Houston Food Bank may assist by rotating goods to make sure perishables get used before spoiling. iv. HCOHSEM may provide “backup” food for use if food cannot be prepared at the Shelter or obtained through normal channels. I. Provide Public Health & Medical Services Shelter facilities will have access to adequate public health and health care services. Shelters will aim to protect the health of residents, prevent disease, and provide first aid as needed. 1. Harris County Public Health (HCPH) -- Shelter Management Team will coordinate the following public health and medical services branch to: 10 Mass Shelter Plan a. Health and Environmental Inspections -- To provide periodic health inspections of the shelter, including water, food, air quality and health wellness inspections. b. Medical services – will coordinate, ensure or provide basic first aid services to shelter residents. c. Disease Prevention – will provide surveillance and investigation of notifiable conditions and unusual presentations of disease within the shelter. d. Prescription Drug Management – the following action will be coordinated by the public health and medical branch. 1. Storage of medications 2. Ensure cold chain requirements for storage of certain types of medications. 3. Coordinate prescription refill with external partners when required. e. Patient Transfer – coordinate patient transfers with regional partners when required. Every effort will be made to provide needed resources to the Access and Functional Needs (AFN) population. For further information refer to Harris County Annex H – Health and Medical Services. 2. Provided for Mental Health Services. Coordinate with The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD of Harris County. The mental health impact of disasters ranges from emotional stress and anger to severe trauma and depression. The potential for drug and alcohol abuse increases. Mental health support for shelter residents is very important in helping people to deal with their losses and begin the recovery process. It will also help people to manage feelings of post-traumatic stress. Additional mental health counselors may be needed, The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD will coordinate crisis counseling with faith based or spiritual organizations. 3. Provided for Transportation to and from shelter. During the period in which the shelter is in operation, some persons will require transportation to the shelter, as wells as door-to-door transportation from the shelter to medical and other appointments. See Harris County Annex S – Transportation for further information. Specialized transportation services may be needed for the transport of individuals with access and functional needs. Transportation methods such as school buses and charter buses may not be suitable for members of the AFN population. Additional resources may be required to address those needs such as paratransit companies. These specialized companies will also be utilized for their extensive knowledge regarding the location and needs of specific members of the AFN population within the County. One such service that may assist in transportation is METROLift, a complementary paratransit service offered by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in accordance with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). METROLift provides transportation for persons with disabilities who cannot board, ride or disembark from a METRO fixed-route bus, even if that bus is equipped with a wheelchair lift or ramp. 4. Provide communication and information to shelter residents. 11 Mass Shelter Plan Shelter Management Team must plan for the collection, communication and distribution of shelter and mass care information. This includes information about the disaster, about relief services available to shelter residents, as well as information to help reunite separated family members. i. Consistently provide shelter information, disaster information and recovery information. ii. Use various methods for conveying information. The Harris County ADA Coordinator’s Handbook describes processes and policies in place to obtain communication services. 5. Provide telephone communications for those housed at the shelters. Plan for additional telephones to facilitate communication between shelter residents and family members outside the area. The telephone company can bring in a phone trailer to supplement shelter telephone capacity. Also assure a place is identified within the shelter for charging phones, computers, etc. 6. Provide for Social and Humane Needs. a. Child Care -- If a shelter remains open for more than a day or two, plan to provide child care services to support parents with child supervision and care needs. b. Clothing --Emergency clothing becomes a need when possessions are lost in a disaster. c. Comfort Kits -- Shelter residents will need basic hygienic items such as soap, a washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, a razor, and a comb. d. Space and/or transportation should be provided to shelter residents in order to conduct religious observance. e. AFN and disabled population should receive services in an appropriate manner. f. Pre-disaster homeless should be identified and referred to Houston Coalition for the Homeless. g. Long Term Housing Assistance should be addressed through case management. 7. Provided for Language Translation. Consider the following options for bilingual support. 2. Enact our County American Sign Language (ASL) Translator contract. 3. Enact our County Translation contract. 4. Survey County Employees and maintain a list of “other languages spoken”. 8. Coordinate Disaster Assistance and Case Management. Shelter residents will need assistance in identifying where to go for services to meet their specific disaster recovery needs. Disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and FEMA, along with other local government, faith and community-based relief programs, may all initiate recovery services for disaster survivors. 12 Mass Shelter Plan 9. Provide for Replacement of Medical and Durable Equipment. Elderly persons and people with access and functional needs will require help to replace personal supplies and equipment, if lost or damaged in the disaster (e.g., items like eye glasses, wheelchairs, batteries, or hearing aids). 10. Provide for Animal Services. HCPH Division of Veterinary Public Health (VPH) is responsible for managing pets during shelter operations within Harris County. VPH will follow the internal HCPH Veterinary Response Plan ensuring the management of shelter pets by engaging local and regional partners to accomplish this task. Note: Animal Shelter Operations falls under the Public Health & Medical Branch” of the organization chart. 11. Shelter Management Team must plan to operate shelter facilities in a manner that promotes the safety and security of each resident within the shelter. This includes establishing and posting clearly understood rules so all shelter occupants understand what is expected while residing at the shelter. Effective means of reducing the possibility of problems arising involve the 3 R’s: respect for residents, rules and routines. See the Shelter Team Handbook for additional information on the 3 R’s. 12. Operating a shelter for a sustained period requires plans for the daily upkeep of the facility and for the ongoing acquisition of equipment and supplies. Since it is their “temporary home,” ask shelter residents to assist with housekeeping and cleaning activities. Staff normally responsible for the facility (e.g., school janitorial services) may be available to support operations. 13. Donations Management at the shelter When appropriate, the County receives in-kind donations of materials and services to support disaster relief operations. Spikes in the arrival of in-kind donations often occur in the immediate aftermath of a very large event. The public, wanting to help, often sends or delivers unsolicited items to shelters. See Harris County Annex T – Donations Management for further information. 14. Demobilization of the shelter. Ideally shelter operations should last no longer than 7 days from activation, with demobilization complete and the facility ready and available for regular uses within 10 days of activation. However, depending on the event, shelter operations may last longer than 7 days. The EOC will support and assist the demobilization of the shelter. See the Shelter Team Handbook for additional information on demobilization. 7.0 LIST OF APPENDICES  See Table of Contents under the Appendices Section 13 Mass Shelter Plan - Append APPENDICES Mass Shelter Plan - Appendices MASS SHELTER PLAN ORGANIZATION CHART I'i I I Mass Shelter Plan - Appendices Appendix 2: Shelter Layout Example ?7 Am walw 151mmr?fTFungi! Auk. Stooge .?Zfoawm To SI ?I0'DmcF.u Priucylqu LJ Spice?? 16 Mass Shelter Plan - Appendices 17