Hurricane Harvey After-Action Report COUNTY JUDGE ED EMMETT I HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT APRIL 2018 twitter.com/ReadyHarris facebook.com/ReadyHarris @jinstagram.com/ReadyHarris youtube.com/HCOHSEM PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Harris County Emergency Management Partners, The goal of Harris County’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (OHSEM) is to be a national model of best practices in emergency planning, preparation, response, and recovery. Working toward that goal is a team of dedicated emergency management professionals and county employees who improve our region’s emergency management capabilities when it makes the greatest difference — when our lives are free from disaster. They are creating a culture of preparedness within government and in the community. Preparation and planning are constant. Seeking out ways to do their jobs better is part of the daily routine. Planning and practice pays off, but real events test how ready we truly are. Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, was the second most costly tropical storm in our nation’s history. It was also the nation’s most devastating flood event. This historic storm yielded unprecedented flooding across southeast Texas with various agencies coordinating relief efforts for the public and for their own employees and volunteers. Hurricane Harvey’s test of our flood response plans highlighted remarkable successes and areas for improvement. Applying those lessons learned will certainly make us better prepared for the next disaster. This Hurricane Harvey After Action Report (AAR), while representing a substantial effort by both the county and its partners, is only one of many tools to be used by Harris County in striving to better serve its residents. Many of the lessons outlined here are already in place, and the process for identifying next steps continues. Harris County is proud of its community, heroic first responders, emergency management officials and dedicated employees who were a shining example of public service. As director of our county’s office of emergency management, I am thankful for the unwavering commitment of our partners, the countless volunteers who served wherever needed and the neighbor-helping-neighbor spirit that jump-started the recovery immediately after the storm passed. While Harris County works to improve its response to future disasters, it continues to focus on the long road to recovery facing our most devastated communities. Sincerely, Ed Emmett County Judge Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 i PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 ii HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS This document, entitled Harris County Hurricane Harvey After Action Report and Improvement Plan (AAR/IP), is For Official Use Only (FOUO) and should be handled as sensitive information not to be disclosed. This document should be safeguarded, handled, transmitted, and stored in accordance with appropriate security directives. Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, without prior approval from the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) is prohibited. At a minimum, the attached materials should be disseminated only on a need-to-know basis, and when unattended, should be stored in a locked container or area offering sufficient protection against theft, compromise, inadvertent access, and unauthorized disclosure. Questions or concerns related to this document should be directed to: Harris County OHSEM 713-881-3100 www.readyharris.org Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 iii PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 iV CONTENTS Handling Instructions .................................................................................................................. iii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 After Action Report Methodology and Development Process .................................................. 7 Analysis of Best Practices, Strengths, and Areas for Improvement....................................... 11 Improvement Plan ...................................................................................................................... 25 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 37 Appendix A – Invitation to Participate in the AAR Process ................................................... 39 Appendix B – AAR Data Collection Interview Tool ................................................................ 41 Appendix C – After Action Meeting Invitation........................................................................ 49 Appendix D – After Action Meeting Agenda ........................................................................... 51 Appendix E – Acronyms............................................................................................................. 53 Appendix F – Agencies and Organizations Interviewed ......................................................... 55 Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 v PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 Vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) initiated the effort to develop the Harris County Hurricane Harvey After Action Report and Improvement Plan to identify strengths and areas for improvement observed during response and recovery activities. The strengths and areas for improvement identified in this AAR affect the ability of the county, as a whole, to respond to and recover from a disaster and are not specific to any one organization. As such, the responsibility for identifying and implementing solutions to ensure strengths are repeatable and areas for improvement are remedied is shared by all Harris County departments, other government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector partners. The resulting improvement plan serves as a roadmap to enhance the outcome of emergency management efforts and potentially guide funding decisions. This roadmap is applicable to all County organizations involved in a broad array of emergency response and recovery activities. While this process is focused on the events surrounding Hurricane Harvey, it is designed to strengthen our capacity to effectively respond as a region to any catastrophic incident in a highly coordinated way. The AAR is organized as follows:  Command and Control • Federal, State, and Local (County and City) Coordination • Emergency Operations Center Operations • Human Resources • Public Information • Coordination with Private Sector Partners (Including Utilities)  Operations • Communications Interoperability • Rescue Operations and Coordination • Debris Management • Transition to Recovery  Mass Care and Sheltering • Shelter Establishment and Operation • Housing • County Staging Areas (Ice, Water, Food, etc.) • Volunteer and Donations Management The AAR is composed of the following sections:  The Introduction and Hurricane Harvey Timeline (Exhibit 1) describe the impetus for this AAR along with important events and impacts of Hurricane Harvey.  The After Action Report Methodology and Development Process describes the process used to develop this AAR. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 1  The Analysis of Strengths and Areas for Improvement includes a comprehensive summary of the strengths and challenges observed by those involved in the Hurricane Harvey emergency response and recovery activities.  The Improvement Plan can serve as a stand-alone document and provides a roadmap for County organizations to improve overall emergency response and recovery capabilities.  The Conclusion provides a summary of the overall AAR.  Appendices A through D include documents that were used during the development of this AAR. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 2 INTRODUCTION The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) strives to be a national model of best practices in emergency planning, preparation, response, and recovery. Its core function is to help prepare, safeguard, and protect the residents of Harris County and their property from disaster. During times of crisis, HCOHSEM is the lead coordinating agency for regional response. HCOHSEM activates the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Regional Joint Information Center (JIC) to support the efforts of its emergency management partners. HCOHSEM initiated the development of the Hurricane Harvey AAR in an effort to improve the county’s ability to respond to future disasters. HURRICANE HARVEY EVENTS Harvey was the costliest hurricane since Hurricane Katrina.1 For Harris County, Harvey was a flooding event rather than a hurricane. As the seventh named storm of the extremely active 2017 hurricane season, Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, on Friday, August 25, 2017, as a Category 4 storm. With top wind gusts reported at 132 miles per hour (mph), Hurricane Harvey caused catastrophic, record-breaking flooding.2 Harvey was extremely slow-moving from August 26, 2017 to August 30, 2017. Harvey set a record for the most rainfall from a single tropical storm in the continental United States, at 60.58 inches near Nederland, Texas.1 Over the 6day period, Harvey dumped approximately 27 trillion gallons of rain over Texas and Louisiana.3 For a more detailed timeline of events, refer to Exhibit 1 below. Exhibit 1 Hurricane Harvey Timeline August 13, 2017 A tropical wave emerges off the west coast of Africa. August 17, 2017 The National Hurricane Center reports that Tropical Storm Harvey has formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Harvey has maximum winds around 40 mph and is moving west at 18 mph. August 18, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey enters the Eastern Caribbean Seas as a minimal tropical storm. 1 Blake, Eric S.; Zelinsky, David A.. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Harvey (AL092017) 17 August–1 September 2017. National Hurricane Center, 2018. Accessed February 4, 2018. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092017_Harvey.pdf. 2 Major Hurricane Harvey – August 25-29, 2017. National Weather Service, 2018. Accessed February 9. 2018. http://www.weather.gov/crp/hurricane_harvey 3 After the Storm: The Environmental Impacts of Natural Disasters, Sound Science. Creative Solutions., November, 2017. Accessed February 9, 2018. https://www.swca.com/news/2017/11/after-the-storm-the-environmental-impacts-of-natural-disasters Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 3 Hurricane Harvey Timeline August 19, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey weakens to a tropical wave. August 23, 2017 At 10:00 a.m. CDT Tropical Depression Harvey reforms 535 miles southeast of Port O’Connor, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Intensifying quickly, Harvey was forecast to make landfall as a hurricane over the Texas Coast. August 24, 2017 Harvey becomes a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph approximately 325 miles southeast of Port O’Connor at 1 p.m. By midnight, the storm is upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. August 25, 2017 Hurricane Harvey is a Category 3 hurricane with sustained maximum winds of 120 mph and is 75 miles southeast of Corpus Christi. August 25, 2017 Hurricane Harvey increases to a Category 4 storm and is 45 miles from the City of Rockport with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. August 25, 2017 Hurricane Harvey makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The eye of the storm comes ashore between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, Texas. August 25, 2017 The eye of Hurricane Harvey moves over Aransas Bay. August 26, 2017 Hurricane Harvey makes a second landfall on northeastern shore of Copano Bay. August 26, 2017 Hurricane Harvey’s eye is 15 miles inland and is downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. August 26, 2017 Hurricane Harvey is downgraded to a Category 2. August 26, 2017 Hurricane Harvey is downgraded to a Category 1. August 26, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey stalls inland dropping heavy rainfall and causing widespread flooding. August 27, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey continues to stall inland dropping heavy rainfall and causing widespread flooding. August 28, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey drifts back out into the Gulf of Mexico. August 29, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey makes its third landfall west of Cameron, LA. August 31, 2017 The National Hurricane Center ceases tracking Harvey’s remnants. 1 Blake, Eric S.; Zelinsky, David A.. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Harvey (AL092017) 17 August–1 September 2017. National Hurricane Center, 2018. Accessed February 4, 2018. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092017_Harvey.pdf. 2 Metz, John. Major Hurricane Harvey – August 25-29, 2017. National Weather Service, 2018. Accessed February 9. 2018. http://www.weather.gov/crp/hurricane_harvey 3 After the Storm: The Environmental Impacts of Natural Disasters, Sound Science. Creative Solutions., November, 2017. Accessed February 9, 2018. https://www.swca.com/news/2017/11/after-the-storm-the-environmental-impacts-of-natural-disasters Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 4 HARVEY STRIKES HARRIS COUNTY Harvey made landfall on the evening of August 25, 2017, between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, Texas, as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph.2 High, strong pressure systems over the southeast and the southwest of the United States left Harvey hovering over the area for the next two days, picking up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and generating rainfall that inundated Harris County. Hurricane Harvey retreated out to the Gulf of Mexico, and then made landfall again on August 30, 2017, over Louisiana.2 Harvey’s severity and the extent of the extreme rainfall was unprecedented in United States history. Rainfall was measured at a record-breaking 60.58 inches.1 This exceeded the previous record of 48 inches of rainfall caused by Tropical Storm Amelia in Texas in 1978.1 Devastating flooding resulted from Harvey. One trillion gallons of water fell across Harris County during a 4-day period. The unprecedented storm affected the residents of each of Harris County’s 22 watersheds, and it is estimated over 120,000 structures were flooded in Harris County.4 Thirty-six flood related deaths were reported in Harris County.3 The overall response and recovery efforts by HCOHSEM and its partners demonstrated professional and well-practiced levels of planning, coordination, and collaboration. 1 Blake, Eric S.; Zelinsky, David A.. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Harvey (AL092017) 17 August–1 September 2017. National Hurricane Center, 2018. Accessed February 4, 2018. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092017_Harvey.pdf. 2 Major Hurricane Harvey – August 25-29, 2017. National Weather Service, 2018. Accessed February 9. 2018. http://www.weather.gov/crp/hurricane_harvey 3 Sanchez, Luis A. Storm-Related Deaths: Hurricane Harvey. Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, 2017. Accessed February 9, 2018. https://ifs.harriscountytx.gov/Documents/HarrisCountyHarvey-RelatedDeaths.pdf 4 Hurricane Harvey: Harris County Has Never Seen A Storm Like Harvey. Harris County Flood Control District, 2018. Accessed February 9, 2018. https://www.hcfcd.org/hurricane-harvey Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 5 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 AFTER ACTION REPORT METHODOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS This After Action Report (AAR) was developed in four steps over a three month period following Hurricane Harvey. One of the key goals for this project was to ensure the process used to create this AAR followed national best practices and could be replicated in the future not only by HCOHSEM, but by other jurisdictions as well. The AAR development methodology described below was time-intensive and corresponded to the magnitude of the event. However, for less significant events or for jurisdictions with less time and resources, this methodology can be scaled down. All communications, including the interview tool, meeting agendas, and other documents, are included as appendices and can serve as a template for other entities wishing to follow the same methodology. STEP I – IDENTIFY PROJECT GOALS AND ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS HCOHSEM personnel met to discuss the issues the AAR should cover and the timeline for completing the AAR, and to review the major activities and meetings required to develop the AAR successfully. Two members of the HCOHSEM planning team were identified to lead the project and work with a contractor to complete the AAR. The results of this meeting were documented in a project work plan. The key to the successful development and completion of this AAR was the active participation of stakeholder groups. Throughout this project, significant effort was dedicated to stakeholder engagement. To ensure the resulting AAR accurately reflected the observations of all stakeholders and included specific recommendations they would implement, it was essential to engage them throughout the AAR development process. The project sponsor identified a list of over 40 organizations that participated in Harvey response and recovery efforts. At the start of the AAR development, the lead coordinator for HCOHSEM distributed a letter to identified stakeholders describing the process and requesting their support and participation. The stakeholders in the region are accustomed to receiving all correspondence from HCOHSEM through the Public Information Officer (PIO), so using this strategy helped ensure the letter would be delivered, read, and internalized by the stakeholders. A copy of the letter is included in Appendix A. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 7 STEP II – REVIEW INCIDENT DOCUMENTATION AND CONDUCT AAR INTERVIEWS The Tetra Tech AAR team reviewed incident documentation, emergency operation plans, and previous AARs (from Hurricane Ike; 2015 Flooding Event; and Hurricanes Rita, Edouard, and Gustav) to gain an understanding of County roles and responsibilities as well as emergency management capabilities and processes. This review served as the foundation for identifying strengths and areas for improvement in the overall emergency management process. Using the information learned during the documentation review, the AAR Team developed an interview tool. A copy of this interview tool can be found in Appendix B. The interview tool asked a series of questions focusing on the following areas, which were identified by the HCOHSEM senior staff during the project kickoff meeting:  Command Structure (Incident Command System and National Incident Management System)  Federal, State, and Local (County and City) Coordination  EOC Operations  Human Resources  Public Information  Coordination with Private Sector Partners (including utilities)  Communication Interoperability  Rescue Operations and Coordination  Debris Management  Shelter Operations  Housing  County Staging Areas (ice, water, food, etc.)  Volunteer and Donations Management One-hour interviews were conducted with more than 40 different stakeholder organizations, which included elected officials, traditional emergency management agencies, other county departments, representatives of industry, and nonprofit organizations. These interviews were conducted from November 13, 2017 to January 12, 2018. STEP III – HOST AFTER ACTION MEETING HCOHSEM hosted an after action meeting on January 19, 2018 from 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at the NRG Center. The after action meeting was attended by 101 county personnel and agency representatives involved in response to Harvey. The purpose of the after action meeting was to gather input regarding the issues identified, the corrective actions needed to address the issues, the identification of departments and agencies to be tasked with the corrective actions, and the establishment of timelines for accomplishing the corrective actions. Copies of the after action meeting invitation and agenda, are included in Appendices C and D. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 8 STEP IV – DRAFT AAR AND SUBMIT FOR COMMENTS AND APPROVAL TO STAKEHOLDERS The purpose of this AAR is to identify strengths and areas of improvement and to present a roadmap for any additional assessments and improvements that may need to be made. The AAR consists of these sections:  The Introduction and Hurricane Harvey Timeline (Exhibit 1) describe the impetus for this AAR along with important events and impacts of Hurricane Harvey.  The After Action Report Methodology and Development Process describes the process used to develop this AAR.  The Analysis of Strengths and Areas for Improvement includes a comprehensive summary of the strengths and challenges observed by those involved in the Hurricane Harvey emergency response and recovery activities.  The Improvement Plan can serve as a stand-alone document and provides a roadmap for County organizations to improve overall emergency response and recovery capabilities.  The Conclusion provides a summary of the overall AAR.  Appendices A through D include documents that were used during the development of this AAR. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 9 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 10 ANALYSIS OF BEST PRACTICES, STRENGTHS, AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT BEST PRACTICES  Identified partners within the rescue operations served as subject matter experts (SMEs) during the rescues. SETRAC collaborated with the Coast Guard and helped with water rescues. (SETRAC)  Communication via GroupMe (a mobile group messaging application) is a trackable way to connect with coworkers. Houston SPCA used GroupMe and it allowed for situational awareness, information dissemination, and employee feedback among all stakeholders and first responders. (Houston SPCA)  Operation Reunite placed displaced animals into foster care, allowing for human interaction while locating owners. After 45 days, the animals were eligible for rehoming. Using Operation Reunite helped free-up space in the shelters. (Houston SPCA)  Finding Rover was instrumental in connecting displaced pets with their owners. Finding Rover is a facial recognition system. Owners missing pets could log onto the system and search for their pet. (Houston SPCA)  By pre-positioning county, state, and federal assets – A Type 1 Command Team from FEMA, the response to the high floodwaters was immediate. Need to pre-position more assets for all future events. (HCOHSEM)  The Harris County Juvenile Probation Center used Facebook to communicate with employees and parents regarding the status of the juveniles and the facilities. (Juvenile Probation)  The Harris County Juvenile Probation Center evaluated release dates and allowed early release of juveniles with impending release dates. (Juvenile Probation Center)  Government officials performed damage assessments while handing out water to the community after the hurricane had passed utilizing the First Contact program. (Commissioner PCT 4)  The Fire Marshal’s Office paired civilian personnel and resources with skilled professionals to assist with the rescue operations, which improved the efficiency of rescue operations. (Fire Marshal’s Desk)  Community Services conducted door-to-door canvassing to reach vulnerable populations. In collaboration, Public Health conducted canvassing operations in the Pasadena area, and Community Services conducted canvassing operations in the south Harris County area.  Daily briefings conducted at the NRG Center in the morning and afternoon with all stakeholders were well-received and provided critical situational awareness. (NRG Center)  The Regional Joint Information Center (JIC) was operational from August 22nd to September 15th for Hurricane Harvey. The Regional JIC was the coordinating point for emergency public information coming from the greater Harris County region and was responsible for keeping the public and media informed around the clock during the activation. (HCOHSEM) Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 11 STRENGTHS AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT COMMAND AND CONTROL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL COORDINATION STRENGTHS  Pre-positioning of county, state, and federal assets proved beneficial during the initial response operations. The assets were able to quickly deploy and support operations. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  There needs to be a training and adherence to state guidelines for the ordering of resources. Training should cover; all agencies need to adhere and follow guidelines in reference to resource requests and the order of the processing of resource requests. Analysis: The STAR system allows for resource requests to be made by local authorities in WebEOC and for the requests to be processed locally at the county level and/or passed to the State and Federal level for approval and fulfillment. The WebEOC system is in place to help coordinate requests so resources are not double-tasked and to ensure resources have a mission number before being sent to the field. Recommendation 1: Following and understanding Texas Administrative Code and Texas Government Code 418. Recommendation 2: Provide training on coordination of resources during a disaster. Area for Improvement 2  The Command Center established at the NRG Center was overwhelmed with contributions of support from area organizations and partners at the local, state, and federal level. Analysis: The communication of agency activity was not always clear. The NRG Center lacked notification of the intended arrival and/or departure of agencies. Agencies would arrive to the NRG Center without prior notification requesting space and accommodations the NRG Center could not always guarantee. Prior notification before arrival would benefit the agencies and the NRG Center because it would allow time to prepare in advance of arrival. Several of the agencies that demobilized left equipment and supplies at the NRG Center. It was difficult to identify the owners of the abandoned equipment and supplies when resources were demobilized. Recommendation 1: Create a plan to coordinate all activities at the NRG Center. This plan should address the following: • Agency roles and responsibilities • Chain of command • Communications protocols • Agency and resource check-in/check-out and/or accountability procedures Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 12 Area for Improvement 3  Harris County needs to address the framework of their COOP. Analysis: Due to the immense flooding, numerous of Harris County’s departments were unable to access and operate from their normal locations. Most of these departments do not currently have a COOP Plan that outlines their mission essential functions, identifies essential personnel, and establishes an alternate work location should the primary location be uninhabitable. Without a COOP Plan, many of these departments had difficulties locating an alternate work location and were delayed in providing vital services to the community. At this time, Harris County does not have a countywide COOP program. Departments are not required to have a COOP Plan, nor are departments required to update any plans they may have on a regular basis. A COOP framework would better prepare county departments to provide essential services to the community during disruptions to normal operations. Recommendation 1: Harris County should develop an overarching framework that requires all departments to create a COOP. EOC OPERATIONS STRENGTHS  County agencies require employees to undergo both National Incident Management System (NIMS) training and Incident Command System (ICS) training. Having this training made it easier for departments to transition from daily operations to disaster operations and to understand their roles and responsibilities.  The EOC conducted twice daily briefings that allowed departments to provide an update on their current operations and on the overall response operations. These briefings allowed EOC staff to report back to their departments and organizations and provide the most up-to-date information to support decision making.  Maintaining a consistent EOC battle rhythm allowed staff to prepare for planning and operational meetings and briefings. Catering services in the EOC successfully provided meals for up to 500 people on a daily basis. Having on-site caterers allowed for meals to be served around the clock (every 6 hours) allowing for all shift schedules to be fed. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  County personnel not previously utilized in a major disaster response do not have a working knowledge of their individual roles and responsibilities within the ICS structure when activated for disaster response operations. Analysis: While all applicable Harris County employees are required to take NIMS and ICS training, many have not been required to implement the doctrines outside of the training environment. Their basic working knowledge was beneficial; however, when required to complete disaster operationsrelated tasks, support personnel report that they were unsure of their roles and responsibilities because they had never applied these skills. Employees noted the initial ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 courses were useful, but that they needed follow-up opportunities to include real application experience, similar to what is provided in a no-fault exercise environment. The primary concern expressed by employees was correctly completing the necessary documentation for operations and reimbursement. Recommendation 1: Provide additional and follow-up NIMS/ICS training to county employees who may be involved in disaster response operations. Training may include but not be limited to the following: Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 13 • A refresher course after a specific period of employment (i.e., a minimum of every 3 years) to ensure personnel remain current with NIMS/ICS training. • County employees who will operate in the Finance Section should take the FEMA All Hazards Finance Section Chief course and/or the E975 All Hazards Position Specific Finance/Administration Unit Leader course. • All county employees who may be involved in disaster response operations, should be trained in ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 courses. Area for Improvement 2  Due to flooded roadways limiting transit, personnel in both the EOC and the field were required to fill multiple roles; however, most had not been adequately trained on the additional responsibilities for the job function they were expected to fulfill. Analysis: The flooding across Harris County hampered the ability for personnel to reach not only the EOC but also the field operations. This delay caused personnel who were already in place to have to fill multiple roles in the EOC and the field, and caused novice personnel to be sent to the EOC or various staging areas. Some personnel were asked to fill roles that they had not been trained to fill in addition to their assigned disaster role. Filling multiple roles caused some personnel to feel overwhelmed by the workload and unsure of what was required of them. Recommendation 1: Conduct tactical level exercises and training to transition into normal operations and to allow personnel to practice operating in multiple roles in the EOC and the field. Functional exercises provide a no-fault learning environment where employees can become familiar the functions they may be asked to fill. Recommendation 2: Cross-train multiple personnel in each position vital to emergency operations to allow backups for unforeseen circumstances and to appropriately staff multi-day, 24-hour operations. Area for Improvement 3  The EOC staff included limited personnel who were dispatched from agencies not well-versed in roles and responsibilities in an EOC environment.  Analysis: Due to travel constraints and the length of the operations, agency representatives who had never operated in an EOC environment were used to staff the EOC. Some staff, particularly from outside and partner agencies, had not been provided introductory NIMS and ICS training before reporting to the EOC. This created an environment where some staff were unsure of what their particular roles and responsibilities entailed. Staff who had previously worked in the EOC offered assistance to the best of their abilities while also trying to fulfill their own responsibilities. HCOHEM provides a welcome packet and resource binder to all incoming EOC staff that could be enhanced or expanded. Recommendation 1: Develop an EOC orientation course that can be provided either in-person or via online training module to give staff an introduction to EOC operations. Recommendation 2: Provide additional time orienting staff to the EOC Guidebook that includes information regarding: • Roles and responsibilities of EOC staff • Building information • A listing of the departments and agencies regularly represented in the EOC and their primary roles Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 14 Recommendation 3: Provide printed copies at each workstation and store electronic copies in an accessible online location. Recommendation 4: Add training for the new elected official’s orientation book. Area for Improvement 4  EOC representatives were not clearly identifiable by department/agency or by their assigned command function. Analysis: Upon their arrival, staff in the Harris County EOC were not provided name badges or other forms of identification notating their name, department/agency, or job function. Staff who had not previously operated in the EOC were not able to easily identify EOC representatives from partner agencies. In addition, command staff did not wear vests identifying their role, which made them difficult to identify. Recommendation 1: The EOC should identify all workstations clearly so that EOC staff can easily locate individual/group workstations. Recommendation 2: All command and general staff should wear high visibility vests that clearly show their assigned role on both the front and back of the vest. Recommendation 3: Provide an information technology solution to identify what workstation and job each individual is assigned to in the EOC. Area for Improvement 5  All department personnel need to keep an activity log to ensure reimbursement for the event. Analysis: The county utilizes WebEOC to capture important information relating to EOC and field operations. The system, however, is not set up to track individual department decisions and interactions while in the EOC. While this information may not seem important to the staff member at the time, it can be vital during shift changes to brief the incoming staff or when recreating the operational records for after action reporting, reimbursement requests, and plan updates following a disaster. To capture information, all department personnel working the disaster need to maintain a log of their activities during their operational shift utilizing a common form that can be collected and logged as a part of the EOC documentation. Recommendation 1: All personnel should maintain a record of their activities utilizing the ICS-214 Activity Log. Area for Improvement 6  Some departments were not aware of how the county’s disaster procurement policy works. Analysis: When a disaster occurs, a line is opened for emergency purchases, and departments are expected to make their own emergency purchases. They may consult HCOHSEM or Logistics for assistance with identifying resources as necessary, but ultimately the requesting department is responsible for the purchases. Recommendation 1: Harris County departments should review existing procedures on the county’s disaster procurement policy and making disaster-related purchases. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 15 HUMAN RESOURCES STRENGTHS  Central Technology Services (CTS) operators were able to work remotely to support county operations. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  Human Resources and Risk Management can assist departments with reassigning employees when their normal functions are suspended due to a disaster, but many departments were not aware of this capability. Analysis: Human Resources can support departments whose employees must be temporarily reassigned because their normal functions have been suspended. Conversely, Human Resources can support departments that require surge staffing to support disaster response operations. In effect, Human Resources can function as a centralized staffing agency to help departments manage staffing challenges during disaster response operations; however, many departments were not aware of this capability. Recommendation 1: Procedures regarding employee reassignment should be integrated into countywide continuity of operations/continuity of government planning. Recommendation 2: Human Resources and HCOHSEM should collaborate on developing a procedure for matching the employees to areas of need based on skillset. Area for Improvement 2  A standardized emergency timekeeping system is not established. Analysis: Currently, multiple time-keeping systems are used throughout the county, and not all departments have established emergency timekeeping procedures. It is noted that the planned transition to PeopleSoft may help, but a standardized offline/manual backup procedure should be established. Recommendation 1: Harris County should establish a standardized emergency timekeeping system and offline/manual backup procedure. PUBLIC INFORMATION STRENGTHS  The Regional Joint Information Center (JIC) defined predetermined times to release information and maintained this schedule throughout operations.  The JIC conducted rumor control operations by monitoring social media and traditional media outlets and releasing information to clarify any identified false information.  The daily JIC Conference Calls provided an opportunity for other partners to provide updates on their activities and receive key information. Response partners and JIC staff found that the daily call was a key element in keeping partners informed.  The Gulf Coast Emergency Communications Network (GECN) worked with Clear Channel Outdoor to provide critical information on digital billboards throughout the region during Harvey. This partnership is offered at no cost to cities and counties that have signed on to the partnership and offers an alternative to provide information to residents moving throughout the region. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 16  Resource requesting procedures already in place for the JIC made asking for additional PIOs easy. A STAR Request for additional PIOs from the North Texas PIO Group resulted in a well-trained strike team to come to the JIC to relieve staff.  County agencies successfully utilized social media outlets (particularly Facebook, Twitter and NextDoor) to provide information to both employees and the public. Noted example: • Parents of juveniles housed in the Juvenile Detention Center were able to check the status of the buildings where their children were housed.  GroupMe, a smartphone application, was used by multiple organizations to update employees. The application allowed organization to track and log their communication. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Areas for Improvement 1  The overwhelming participation in the JIC Conference Calls overwhelmed the conference bridge system being used at TranStar. Analysis: Critical information was conveyed on these calls, so the ability to have numerous partners participate was critical. The announcements for the JIC Conference Calls were done via a subscriber distribution list, which allowed more participants to sign up as they became involved in the Harvey response. Recommendation 1: Invest in an enhanced and larger capacity conference bridge system. Areas for Improvement 2  The JIC is staffed by representatives from across county departments that are trained to fill the assigned duties. The number of members in the JIC Strike Team needs to increase to meet the demand of a large incident like Harvey. Analysis: As the region continues to grow, the capacity of the JIC must also grow. What made the JIC Strike Team so successful during Harvey is that every member went through a vetting process so there was an “inventory” of the skills that were on the team. This was followed up with Just In Time Training (JITT) on the skills they needed to know to fill various JIC roles during Harvey. Recommendation 1: The JIC strike team should look at including representatives from all county departments to help prevent burnout of staff during an incident. Additional strike team members could also serve as liaisons to the EOC, legislative affairs, neighborhoods, etc. Recommendation 2: Rolls and responsibilities for the JIC must be documented and JIC strike team members must be cross-trained on these different technologies, tasks and roles. Areas for Improvement 3  Critical and complex information from partner agencies that needed to be shared immediately with the public was sometimes slow to come out, creating confusion and a delayed response. Analysis: While the JIC tried to coordinate the flow of information on Harvey, some partners and external organizations key messaging conflicted that of others based on the broad scope of the event. This happened both knowingly and unknowingly. In the case of Harvey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) faced a difficult and complex situation with the release of water out of the Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 17 Barker and Addicks Reservoirs. Briefing of partner agencies and peer-review of key information did not always occur, causing some confusion and conflicting messaging.  Recommendation 1: Have PIOs from outside partners like USACE who are familiar with the complexities of reservoir operations and able to provide accurate and timely information.  Recommendation 2: Ensure that partner messages undergo the same thorough and expedient peerreview process that all JIC messages use before going to the public. Areas for Improvement 4  The JIC handled message coordination before, during and after Harvey, but recovery messaging was difficult to organize and ensure timely posting. Analysis: While the JIC provided information on response and recovery, coordinating efforts for recovery activities sometimes fell to the JIC Strike Team and other HCOHSEM teams during Harvey. These teams are meant to support and help inform on recovery activities, but they cannot lead recovery activities. Despite the appearance of a well-oiled machine from preparation to response to recovery, HCOHSEM staff and resources were pulled in too many directions over the course of Harvey. Recommendation 1: PIOs from key county departments handling recovery efforts such as Community Services and Engineering should lead recovery communication efforts in the JIC. Recommendation 2: Volunteer organizations (i.e. VOADs), non-profit groups, and local government partners must step up to coordinate and lead recovery activities. COORDINATION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS (INCLUDING UTILITIES) STRENGTHS  Private partners provided representatives in the EOC to support the Harris County EOC Logistics Section.  CTS was able to remotely track fuel status at gas stations and report that fuel status 3–4 times a day so that law enforcement could see when fuel was available and where it was located. CTS staff were able to keep shops open to access fuel. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 18 OPERATIONS COMMUNICATIONS INTEROPERABILITY STRENGTHS  Both internal and external partners attended operational conference calls, which helped to coordinate operations and facilitated the sharing of situational updates.  Harris County CTS distributed more than 1,000 functioning radios during the incident. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Areas for Improvement 1  Additional training on regional radios prior to an incident and just-in-time training is needed during an incident. Analysis: The large number of users attempting to access the radio system at the same time quickly took up the majority of Harris County’s radio frequencies and caused lapses in communication. Agencies were required to share frequencies with responders out in the field who needed to stay in constant contact. Many users who were provided radios had never used them before and were unfamiliar with the concept of radio discipline. This led to communications taking place over the radio that could have been handled via other communications methods, which delayed important communications between partners. Recommendation 1: Review regional communications interoperability plans and assign agencies to frequencies based upon their disaster response and recovery role. Recommendation 2: Implement training officers for each department and develop the just-in-time training. Recommendation 3: Check into alternatives for radio and communications. RESCUE OPERATIONS AND COORDINATION STRENGTHS  Harris County first responders have previous experience responding to flooding incidents (Memorial Day 2015 and/or Tax Day) and understood the importance of accurately responding to and documenting their operations.  First responders integrated Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) personnel into the rescue teams, which enabled them to provide SMEs to support the operations. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  Some county employees used to conduct water rescues had not previously been provided with any training. Analysis: County employees, especially in the precincts, were utilized to conduct water rescues due to the number of people stranded by the rapid onset of the flooding. While all employees recognized the need to assist with life safety efforts, many had never completed any water safety, boat safety, or water Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 19 rescue course. Water safety, boat safety and water rescue courses would have provided employees with a working knowledge of how to enact rescues, how to operate boats in debris-filled waters, and general water safety principles. Recommendation 1: Identify the agencies/departments that support ESF 9 - Search and Rescue and provide the following rescue training: • Floodwater Response Training • Swift Water Rescue Training Recommendation 2: Identify and provide training on equipment and personnel to departments/agencies that coordinate all response efforts and integrate into all Harris County response training. DEBRIS MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS  HCOHSEM and Harris County Engineering effectively coordinated debris management efforts.  Recovery teams were mobilized efficiently due to preplanning efforts.  Pre-existing contracts were in place, which aided in timely deployment.  Harris County Engineering had just completed their pre-planning for debris management, which aided in the timely mobilization of assets/resources.  The use of the permitting automation process allowed the county to issue approximately 29,000 permits in a short amount of time. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  Debris hauler contract needs more clarity and options provided within the pre-event contract to allow for more flexibility. Analysis: The county had a primary contractor that did not honor their debris management contract because the rates in the contract were too low, and they could not afford to operate under the rates identified in the contract. There is also a need for clarity on line items (i.e., what line items used hauling to a landfill or debris management sites as well as debris reduction). Recommendation 1: The county should revise/update the current debris hauler contract. The updated contract should allow contractor to respond/operate under flood and wind conditions and allow for secondary and tertiary contractors in the contract. Recommendation 2: The county should revise/update the current debris hauler contract to provide clarity on line items used for hauling to a landfill or debris management site as well as debris reduction. Area for Improvement 2  There was a lack of identification and sourcing of debris management sites by a contractor. Analysis: A county contractor should have identified and sourced debris management sites for the county but failed to do so. This caused the county to have to identify and source debris management sites, which took time and resources away from other critical tasks. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 20 Recommendation 1: Update and revise the current debris management contract to include incentives and disciplinary actions for contractors. TRANSITION TO RECOVERY STRENGTH  Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN), a partnership between Red Cross and nonprofit disaster relief organizations, provided services by inputting data into the CAN system to support information sharing among stakeholders. The data inputted into CAN consisted of client records to provide real-time access to the client records by all stakeholders. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  Harris County should augment and increase communication on all of the recovery plans. Analysis: For recovery operations to be successful, transition planning must begin shortly after response operations start. Decisions made during the response phase will have a direct bearing on the recovery operations and should be coordinated accordingly. In order to coordinate these phases, staff must be assigned to both response and recovery, which can be taxing when personnel resources are limited. Harris County’s plans currently do not include a section on how the EOC transitions from response to recovery and who takes the lead on this effort. This leaves the county without a formally defined way to transition as response operations begin to subside and move into short-term and longterm recovery begins. Recommendation 1: Update the Harris County Emergency Operations Plan, Annex J - Recovery to address how the EOC will transition from response to recovery in a more formalized manner. Recommendation 2: Identify general staff from county departments to work in the EOC. Create new positons and build a team with the appropriate supporting agencies. Area for Improvement 2  FEMA recently changed the requirements for Public Assistance (PA) and implemented the new FEMA PA Portal, resulting in challenges for the Harris County staff. Analysis: With the changing FEMA requirements, staff tried to be proactive learning the changes, but felt like they needed additional training on the new requirements, as well as training on the FEMA PA Portal. Recommendation 1: Provide additional training and work on the integration earlier in the Public Assistance process. Recommendation 2: All new personnel identified to assist with PA Program functions should take an initial FEMA background and reimbursement course to understand the process. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 21 MASS CARE SHELTER OPERATIONS STRENGTHS  The NRG Center was set up as a shelter in a timely and efficient manner, and with the support of Baker Ripley, provided sheltering to more than 74,000 individuals from across southeast Texas. The shelter was operational within 6 hours of notification.  The shelter operations at the NRG Center were very well organized, and the intake process was conducted in a way that set the calm tone for the shelter and the operation as a whole. The shelter checked-in people using 16 different languages with no issues.  The NRG Shelter provided behavioral health and medical services, as well as recovery services onsite.  The Red Cross used GIS tracking of feeding locations used to coordinate with partners on feeding operations locations, which provided a real-time tracking of feeding status. HOUSING STRENGTHS  Harris County was able to quickly work with federal partners to secure monetary assistance for affected residents.  Interfaith Ministries did very well resuming meal delivery and meeting the needs of the seniors.  CTS was able to track a large number of permit requests for housing flood-related issues. COUNTY STAGING AREAS (ICE, FOOD, WATER, ETC.) STRENGTHS  The CSA team did exceptionally well transitioning from the existing County Staging Area (CSA)/ Regional Staging Area (RSA) Points of Distribution (POD) Plan that was designed and established by HCOHSEM to a Shelter and Camp Plan based on the same requirements and guidelines. The modification of the plan enabled staff to work efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of private shelters, NRG Center Shelter, Harris County Maintenance Camps, as well as other County departments. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  The County Staging Area/Points of Distribution Plan needs to be amended to address First Contact. Analysis: Harris County Community Services/County Staging Area successfully implemented a First Contact approach to distribute emergency resources to communities via first responders (Fire, Emergency Medical Services [EMS], Constables). The approach was effective, but it should be codified in the County Staging Area/Points of Distribution Plans so that it can be easily applied to future response operations. Recommendation 1: Harris County should update their County Staging Area/Points of Distribution plans to include First Contact approach. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 22 Area for Improvement 2  Regional Staging Area and County Staging Area should establish a way to track trailers carrying resources. Analysis: In many cases, truck drivers carrying resources from the RSA would drop off trailers of supplies but would have to leave before the trailer could be unloaded. This resulted in many trailers being left behind with no driver to return them to the original source. There was not a clear information exchanged from the RSA to the CSA on the trailer requirements for the offloading and storage of resources. Recommendation 1: Ensure that resource check-in documentation properly identifies the owner of the resource and provides a resource tag for the item that includes a resource number and agency information. Recommendation 2: RSA should clearly define shipper’s requirements for the delivery, storage and offloading of resources and convey each upon transfer to the CSA. VOLUNTEER AND DONATIONS MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS  The Fire Marshal, in coordination with one of the CERT volunteers, organized the resources and support of spontaneous volunteers to aid in the water rescue operations.  The Cajun Navy was an effective spontaneous volunteer resource. The Cajun Navy was self-sufficient and had their own resource/mission tracking system so they could track the missions they conducted for water rescues. This was coordinated with Harris County EOC and other partners to ensure no duplication of services for resources.  Fire, Police, and EMS agencies found ways to use the spontaneous volunteers effectively. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Area for Improvement 1  HCOHSEM recognized the need to develop an updated process for handling spontaneous volunteers. Analysis: Spontaneous volunteers arrived to Harris County in large numbers and contacted the Fire Marshal’s desk in the EOC. Some of the volunteers required food and accommodations. The Fire Marshal assigned the volunteers to various rescue operation areas and within the areas they housed and fed the volunteers without accommodations. The volunteers were unplanned and their needs of fuel, food, and lodging strained the current plans in place for the rescue operation areas. Recommendation 1: Update the current Volunteer Reception Center Plan and thoroughly identify how to handle spontaneous volunteers. Area for Improvement 2  HCOHSEM recognized the need to revise the Donations Management Plan to identify a new process to coordinate donations management with an external partner. Analysis: Many of the agencies operating during Hurricane Harvey fielded donations on an individual basis. Most of the agencies fielding the donations lacked the physical space and resources to manage the donations. HCOHSEM created the Harris County Emergency Operations Plan, Annex T Donations Management in July 2016 that outlines how to field donations in the community and how to communicate to the community the current needs. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 23 Recommendation 1: Re-identify an external partner to execute the Donations Management Plan. Recommendation 2: Review and revise the Donations Management Plan to address the following: • Identification of one agency to coordinate all donations management needs throughout Harris County. • Better integration among all donations efforts. • Communications and inventory management of all donated goods. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 24 IMPROVEMENT PLAN This improvement plan was developed for Harris County following Hurricane Harvey. The recommended solutions, the lead and supporting agencies identified, the suggested resources, and proposed timeline were identified by County stakeholders during the January 19, 2018 After Action Meeting. The recommendations are based on findings detailed in the Analysis of Strengths and Areas for Improvement section of this AAR. This improvement plan is intended to be a stand-alone document and can be excerpted from the rest of this AAR. The recommended solutions described in this improvement plan represent the best thinking of regional stakeholders at the time. Lead and supporting organizations may choose another path upon further investigation and reflection on the issue. HCOHSEM will periodically update this improvement plan and provide an update to the HCOHSEM Emergency Management Coordinator on a quarterly basis. All lead and supporting agencies are encouraged and empowered to initiate the recommendations offered in this improvement plan immediately. A large majority of the solutions listed are to be completed immediately (prior to Hurricane Season 2018) or in the short-term (next 6 to 12 months). The lead coordinating agencies are simply coordinating entities that are responsible for bringing stakeholders together to develop and implement the recommended solutions. In many cases, HCOHSEM has been identified as the lead coordinating agency, which matches the Office’s role as the lead coordinating entity for emergency response. However, the support from all County departments, precincts, nonprofit agencies, and private sector stakeholders is important for the successful implementation of these solutions. Timeframe represents when the activity or solutions should be completed. All activities should be initiated immediately as appropriate.  Immediate (High) – next 6 months (before the next hurricane season)  Short-term (Medium) – next 12 months  Medium-term (Medium) – next 13–24 months  Long-term (Low) – more than 24 months Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 25 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 26 IMPROVEMENT PLAN MATRIX Issue Recommended solution(s) Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority Finance, Administration and Logistics There needs to be a training and adherence to state guidelines for the ordering of resources. All agencies need to adhere and follow the guidelines in reference to resource requests and the order of the processing of resource requests. Human Resources and Risk Management can assist departments with reassigning employees when their normal functions are suspended due to a disaster, but many departments were not aware of this capability. Following and understanding Texas Administrative Code and Texas Government Code 418. Harris County Judges Office HCOHSEM Ongoing High Provide training on coordination of resources during a disaster. Human Resources/ Purchasing All County Departments 2 yearsOngoing High Human Resources HCOHSEM 3 years High Human Resources 3 years Medium Purchasing 6 -12 months High Procedures regarding employee reassignment should be integrated into countywide continuity of operations/continuity of government planning. Human Resources and HCOHSEM should collaborate on developing a procedure for matching the employees to areas of need based on skillset. A standardized emergency timekeeping system is not established. Harris County should establish a standardized emergency timekeeping system and offline/manual backup procedure. Some departments were not aware of how the county’s disaster procurement policy works. Harris County departments should review procedures on the county’s disaster procurement policy and making disaster-related purchases. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 27 Issue The County Staging Area/Points of Distribution Plan needs to be amended to address First Contact. The Regional Staging Area and County Staging Area should establish a way to track trailers carrying resources. Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) Harris County should update their County Staging Area/Points of Distribution plans to include First Contact approach. HCOHSEM CSA Ensure resource check-in documentation properly identifies the owner of the resource. Provide a resource tag for the item that includes a resource number and agency information. RSA should clearly define shipper’s requirements for the delivery, storage and offloading of resources and convey each upon transfer to the CSA. Recommended solution(s) Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority TBD 1 year Medium HCOHSEM TBD 1-2 years High HCOHSEM TBD 6 -12 months High 2 Year Harris County/ 3-4 Years Dep. Specific Medium 1-2 years High JIC, Planning and Public Outreach Harris County needs to address the framework of their COOP. Harris County should develop an overarching framework that requires all departments to create a COOP. Human Resources CTS HCOHSEM FPM The overwhelming participation in the JIC Conference Calls taxed the conference bridge system used at TranStar. Invest in an enhanced and larger capacity conference bridge system. HCOHSEM CTS Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 28 Issue The JIC is staffed by representatives from across county departments that are trained to fill the assigned duties. The number of members in the JIC Strike Team needs to increase to meet the demand of a large incident like Harvey. Critical and complex information from partner agencies that needed to be shared immediately with the public was sometimes slow to come out, creating confusion and a delayed response. The JIC handled message coordination before, during and after Harvey, but recovery messaging was difficult to organize and ensure timely posting. Recommended solution(s) Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) The JIC strike team should look at including representatives from all county departments to help prevent burnout of staff during an incident. Additional strike team members could also serve as liaisons to the EOC, legislative affairs, neighborhoods, etc. HRRM Rolls and responsibilities for the JIC must be documented and JIC strike team members must be cross-trained on these different technologies, tasks and roles. Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority HCOHSEM 2 years High HCOHSEM HRRM 1-2 years High Have PIO from outside partners like USACE who are familiar with the complexities of reservoir operations and able to provide accurate and timely information. HCOHSEM USACE 2-3 years Medium Ensure that partner messages undergo the same thorough and expedient peer-review process that all JIC messages use before going to the public. HCOHSEM 1-2 years Medium PIOs from key county departments handling recovery efforts such as Community Services and Engineering should lead recovery communication efforts in the JIC. HCOHSEM 1-2 years High Volunteer organizations (i.e. VOADs), non-profit groups, and local government partners must step up to coordinate and lead recovery activities. HCOHSEM 1-2 years High Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 CSD 29 Issue Additional training on regional radios prior to an incident and justin-time training is needed during an incident. There is a need for fire prevention plans at all debris management sites. Harris County should augment and increase communication on all of the recovery plans. FEMA recently changed the requirements for Public Assistance (PA) and implemented the new FEMA PA Portal, resulting in challenges for the Harris County staff. Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) Review regional communications interoperability plans and assign agencies to frequencies based upon their disaster response and recovery role. CTS in coordination with State Wide Interoperability Coordinator Implement training officers for each department and develop the just-intime training. Check into alternatives for radio and communications. Recommended solution(s) Harris County should implement contractual and tighter contract changes. Update the Harris County Emergency Operations Plan, Annex J - Recovery to address how the EOC will transition from response to recovery in a more formalized manner. Identify general staff from county departments to work in the EOC. Create new positons and build a team with the appropriate supporting agencies. Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority HCOHSEM 1 year High CTS HCOHSEM 1 year High CTS HCOHSEM 2 Years Medium Engineering Fire Marshal 3-9 Months High HCOHSEM All county departments as applicable to recovery. 2-3 Years Medium Human Resources HCOHSEM 1-2 Years Medium Provide additional training and work on the integration earlier in the Public Assistance process. All new personnel identified to assist with PA Program functions should take an initial FEMA backgrounds and reimbursement course to understand the process. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 30 Issue Recommended solution(s) Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority 3 Months High HCOHSEM needs more storage space for resources. Invest in a larger warehouse facility, 10,000 ft. or more for storage, staging, and reallocation before an incident. HCOHSEM County Budgeting Engineering FPM HCOHSEM recognized the need to develop an updated process for handling spontaneous volunteers. Update the current Volunteer Reception Center Plan and thoroughly identify how to handle spontaneous volunteers. HCOHSEM VOAD Supporting Agencies 3-5 Years Low Re-identify an external partner to execute the Donations Management Plan HCOHSEM County Partners 6 -12 Months High 2-3 years Low 2-3 years High HCOHSEM recognized the need to facilitate a revision to the current Donations Management plan to identify a new process to coordinate donations management with an external partner. Review and revise the Donations Management Plan. - Identification of one agency to coordinate all donations management needs throughout Harris County - Better integration among all donations efforts. - Communications and inventory management of all donated goods. VOAD HCOHSEM All Applicable Partners Operations and General The Command Center established at the NRG Center was overwhelmed with contributions of support from area organizations and partners at the local, state, and federal level. Create a plan to coordinate all activities at the NRG Center. This plan should address the following: - Agency roles and responsibilities - Chain of command - Communications protocols - Agency and resource checkin/check-out and/or accountability procedures Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 NRG Center HCOHSEM CSD SETRAC CTS State of TX Law Enforcement 31 Issue Recommended solution(s) Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) County support personnel do not have a working knowledge of their individual roles and responsibilities within the ICS structure when activated for disaster response operations. Provide additional and follow-up NIMS/ICS training to County employees who may be involved in disaster response operations. Training may include, but not be limited to: - A refresher course after a specific period of employment (i.e., a minimum of every 3 years) to ensure personnel remain current with NIMS/ICS training. - County employees who will operate in the Finance Section should take the FEMA All Hazards Finance Section Chief course and/or the E975 All Hazards Position Specific Finance/Administration Unit Leader course. - All county employees who may be involved in disaster response operations should have training in NIMS 100, 200, 700, and 800 courses. HCOHSEM Human Resources Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority 2-3 years High 32 Issue Recommended solution(s) Due to travel constraints, personnel in both the EOC and the field were required to fill multiple roles; however, most had not been trained on the responsibilities for the job function they were expected to fulfill. Conduct tactical level exercises and training to transition into normal operations and to allow personnel to practice operating in multiple roles in the EOC and the field. Functional exercises provide a no-fault learning environment where employees can become familiar the functions they may be asked to fill. Cross-train multiple personnel in each position vital to emergency operations to allow backups for unforeseen circumstances and to appropriately staff multi-day, 24-hour operations. The EOC staff included personnel who had never operated in the EOC and who were unaware of their additional roles and responsibilities. Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) Suggested Timeline Priority High HCOHSEM All County Agencies Individual County Departments Harris County Departments Develop an EOC orientation course that can be provided either in-person or via online training module to give staff an introduction to EOC operations. HCOHSEM Provide additional time orienting staff to the EOC Guidebook that includes information regarding: - Roles and responsibilities of the EOC staff - Building information - A listing of the departments and agencies regularly represented in the EOC and their primary roles. Provide printed copies at each workstation and store electronic copies in an accessible online location. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 Potential Resources Needed 2-3 years 2-3 years Medium All County Departments in EOC 2-3 years Medium HCOHSEM TBD 3-6 months Medium HCOHSEM TBD 6-12 months Medium 33 Issue Recommended solution(s) Add training for the new elected official’s orientation book. Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) HCOHSEM Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority TBD 6-12 months Medium HCOHSEM TBD 3 months Medium Human Resources All County Departments ongoing High TBD Agencies with a Role in Water Rescues 3-5 years Medium TBD Agencies with a Role in Water Rescues 3-5 years Medium The EOC should identify all workstations clearly so that EOC staff can easily locate individual/group workstations. EOC representatives were not clearly identifiable by department/agency or by their assigned command function. All command staff should wear high visibility vests that clearly show their assigned role on both the front and back of the vest. Provide an information technology solution to identify what workstation and job each individual is assigned to in the EOC. All department personnel need to keep an activity log to ensure reimbursement for the event. Some county employees used to conduct water rescues had not previously been provided with any training. All personnel should maintain a record of their activities utilizing the ICS-214 Activity Log. Identify the agencies/departments that support ESF 9 - Search and Rescue and provide the following rescue training: - Floodwater Response Training - Swift Water Rescue Training Identify and provide training on equipment and personnel to departments/agencies that coordinate all response efforts and integrate into all Harris County response training. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 34 Issue Debris hauler needs more clarity and options provided within the pre-event contract to allow for more flexibility. There was a lack of identification and sourcing of debris management sites by a contractor. Recommended solution(s) The County should revise/update the current debris hauler contract. The updated contract should allow contractor to respond/operate under flood and wind conditions and allow for secondary and tertiary contractors in the contract. Lead Coordinating Agency(ies) Supporting Agency(ies) County Engineering The County should revise/update the current debris hauler contract to provide clarity on line items used for hauling to a landfill or debris management site as well as debris reduction. Update and revise the current debris management contract to include incentives and disciplinary actions for contractors. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 County Engineering Potential Resources Needed Suggested Timeline Priority Purchasing Legal 2-3 years Medium Purchasing Legal Pollution Control 2-3 years Medium 35 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 36 CONCLUSION The Harris County Hurricane Harvey After Action Report is intended to provide a path forward for improving the County’s emergency response and recovery capabilities. The action items and next steps listed in this report will be implemented and require the full support of all County departments and elected officials. Some of the items listed are quick and easy fixes, while others require a major long-term investment of time and money. However, emergencies do not wait for us to be ready. They can happen at any time, and interim solutions may need to be implemented prior to next hurricane season. As public servants, it is our duty to be as innovative as possible to address these challenges during difficult economic times. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 37 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 38 APPENDIX A – INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AAR PROCESS The following is a copy of the letter that was sent to all stakeholders inviting them to participate in the AAR development process. This letter was electronically distributed. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 39 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 40 APPENDIX B – AAR DATA COLLECTION INTERVIEW TOOL The following questions were used during the interviews with stakeholders to obtain their observations of the County strengths and weaknesses demonstrated during the Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts. These questions were not asked verbatim but rather served as a general tool to ensure each interview was sufficiently comprehensive. Harris County AAR Data Collection Interview Tool Purpose: This document contains a list of questions that will be used by the interviewer (Tetra Tech) during one-on-one conference call interviews with emergency management organizations (federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private) that participated in the Harris County Emergency Management Hurricane Harvey response and recovery efforts. Directions: A brief description on the background of the project and how the individuals’ interview responses will be utilized for the development of the Harris County AAR/IP will be provided at the beginning of each interview. The format for the meeting will be explained. The first set of questions focuses on their individual organization’s response and recovery efforts and then move on to overall countywide response and recovery efforts with a focus on the following areas as appropriate and relevant: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Command Structure (use of ICS and NIMS) Federal, State, and Local (County and City) Coordination Public Information EOC Operations Shelter Establishment and Operation Volunteer Coordination Housing Rescue Operations and Coordination County Staging Area (ice, water, food, etc.) Debris Management Communication Interoperability Coordination with Utilities (water, power, etc.) Donations Management Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 41 Organization Specific Questions 1. Please describe your organization’s role during Hurricane Harvey? 2. Please describe your role during Hurricane Harvey? 3. What are the areas your organization did well? 4. What are the areas your organization could improve upon? 5. Were there any short-term or immediate fixes your organization put in place to remedy any challenges? 6. Does your organization have any long-term and future plans to address the areas of concern? 7. What type of support would your organization need from Harris County OHSEM or other organizations? 8. Are there any practices, protocols, or systems your organization has in place you think are worthy of being suggested as a best practice? (Follow-up questions to clarify or delve deeper into an area will be asked as needed.) Countywide Questions 1. How did the County respond to and recover from Hurricane Harvey? In what areas did the County perform well? What are some of the areas you think the County could do better? Briefly describe some examples of what you saw? 2. Did you participate in the response and recovery from Hurricane Ike? Are any of these challenges/areas for improvement the same as what you observed during the response and recovery from Hurricane Harvey? Have you seen improvements since the response to Hurricane Ike? (As we go through the remaining questions, please call upon your experience with past events to identify long-standing challenges.) 3. Do you have any suggestions for addressing these challenges? 4. What organizations should will play a role in addressing areas needing improvement? Command Structure 1. How well was NIMS and ICS employed during the response and recovery efforts? 2. What do you think is the root cause of any NIMS and ICS effectiveness issues? 3. What do you think it will take to fix this problem? 4. What level of NIMS and ICS training has your agency/department had? 5. Do you think most of the emergency management representatives in the County have taken the required NIMS and ICS courses? ICS-100, 200, 300, 400, IS 700, and 800? 6. Were there any issues in identifying and utilizing essential personnel when transitioning from normal operations to disaster response? Federal, State, and Local Communication and Coordination 1. Did communication and coordination between your organization and other emergency response organizations go as planned? (Note: Requests for state resources should be made to the disaster district committee (DDC) 2A at the Texas Department of Public Safety District Office. Requests for state resources begin at the DDC level. The request must be approved by the County Judge or a Mayor.) Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 42 2. Were Federal, State, and local plans consistent with each other? 3. Based on your experience in past events, are the issues you saw similar to what has previously occurred? 4. In your opinion, what is the root cause of the problem? 5. How would you fix the issues? Public Information 1. Was the flooding threat effectively communicated to the public? 2. What went well in regard to public information? 3. What could have been done better? 4. What suggestions do you have for improving public information? 5. Does your organization have a PIO? 6. Was a Joint Information Center (JIC) set up? If so, answer questions 18 – 23. 7. If so, was your agency’s PIO integrated in the JIC? 8. Do you feel there was a regional response partner missing/not participating in the regional JIC? 9. Do you have any observations on how the JIC operated during Hurricane Harvey? 10. Did the JIC communicate well with the EOC and other emergency response organizations to obtain information? Was this information disseminated to the public effectively? (Ask if the person was deeply involved in JIC operations.) 11. What measures or standards are being used to assess the effectiveness of emergency warning and notification? (Ask if the person was deeply involved in JIC operations.) 12. Do you think the JIC had enough resources at their disposal? How efficient do you think the JIC operated during response and recovery operations? 13. What type of communication protocols and infrastructure is needed at the JIC? (Ask if the person was deeply involved in JIC operations.) 14. Do you think the County’s public outreach and education efforts met the demands of the rapidly growing population of Harris County? EOC Functionality and Capabilities 1. Does your organization have an EOC? Does it effectively meet the needs of the organization? 2. Do you have access to all documents needed to operate the EOC (i.e., plans, SOGs, policies, etc.)? 3. Is your organization’s EOC a dedicated space or multi-use? Is there sufficient space for emergency management and EOC staff? Is it equipped and staffed to conduct 24/7 operations? 4. Is the EOC vulnerable to any major hazards or threats (e.g., flood plain, near chemical or hazmat facility)? 5. Does the EOC have backup power? 6. Did you have a representative in the Harris County OHSEM EOC? 7. How well did the County EOC at TranStar function? What sort of functionality or capability is needed and why? 8. Was there sufficient space for staff to conduct EOC operations? Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 43 9. Is the County’s current list of vendors comprehensive enough? 10. How current is the County’s resource database? Were there any issues with the database? 11. Do you think the process of submitting, tracking, and closing out resource requests was efficient? 12. Were there any issues in fulfilling resource requests? 13. Did County employees responding to Hurricane Harvey have any issues in getting fuel? 14. Were there any issues in restoring County services? (i.e., loss of power, availability of generators, access to fuel). 15. Did the County use any subject matter experts? If yes, were there any issues? 16. Were there any demobilization issues? 17. What issues (if any) were encountered in implementing the Displaced Employee Program? Responsibility Specific Questions The following set of questions will be asked to organizations that were engaged in the various response areas. Only organizations that were involved in the following tasks/activities will be asked the questions listed under that activity. Shelter Establishment and Operation 1. Describe what role, if any, your organization played in sheltering? 2. Describe your overall impressions on how the County provided shelter and mass care support for the populations, specifically focusing on the following a. Decision process to open shelters? b. Communication and coordination with ARC to open shelters? c. Process for opening and staffing shelters? d. Providing the necessary services, resources, and support for shelters, such as shelter kits, feeding, emergency first aid, and other basic life support needs for those occupying temporary shelters? e. Communication and coordination with other groups (social service groups, Salvation Army, or faith-based organizations) to provide services? f. Registering those occupying public shelters? g. Location, safety, capacity, and infrastructure at shelters? h. Providing shelters for those with access and functional needs and pets? i. Decision process to close shelters? j. Did the disaster welfare inquiry system work? Was it effective? k. Providing long-term shelter assistance or housing assistance? 3. Compared with past events, how do you think the County has improved its shelter planning, response, and coordination efforts? Volunteer Coordination 1. Were Citizen Corps and CERT teams utilized during emergency response and recovery efforts? 2. How did volunteer opportunities get communicated to Citizen Corps or CERT team members? Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 44 3. How well did the County utilize spontaneous volunteers? 4. What issues (if any) were encountered in managing spontaneous volunteers? 5. What issues (if any) were encountered in dealing with spontaneous volunteers? 6. Were volunteers (both spontaneous and volunteer groups) effectively utilized before, during, and after the response? 7. Did you see any direct improvement in overall community preparedness due to citizen outreach programs? Housing 1. Were there any issues with providing of transitional housing for displaced residents in response to Hurricane Harvey? Describe some of the major concerns. 2. What could have been done to improve the situation? 3. Who has the responsibility to coordinate these efforts? 4. What planning should occur to better coordinate and provide housing resources? 5. What are long-term solutions to the problem? (e.g., change in building codes) What types of mitigation strategies should be implemented? 6. How were housing efforts coordinated with public information efforts during the recovery phase? Rescue Operations and Coordination 1. How efficiently were rescue operations conducted? 2. Were there any issues in coordinating rescue operations? If so, what were the issue? 3. How were spontaneous volunteer groups coordinated with established rescue groups for rescue operations? 4. Were there enough resources available to handle rescue efforts? County Staging Area (Ice, Water, and Food) 1. What were the problems surrounding the distribution of commodities to commodity partners (ice, water, food, etc.) in the County? 2. What are the root causes of these problems? 3. What are suggestions to fix these problems? 4. Was the County able to provide relief resources (e.g., ice, water, food, etc.) using other mechanisms? 5. How well do you think emergency procurement procedures were understood by personnel? 6. Did the EOC and commodity partners communicate well with each other to coordinate response and resumption of service? 7. What type of coordination issues occurred? Damage Assessment and Debris Management 1. Were the damage assessments done quickly? Accurately? Did the paperwork completed reflect the amount of support needed? 2. Did the debris removal phase process go as planned? Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 45 3. How was communication to the public about debris removal? (e.g., media press releases, call center hotlines) 4. Were the contractors available and ready to go? 5. How can communication and coordination with FEMA in regard to the debris removal reimbursement process be improved? Communication Interoperability/Resiliency 1. What went well in regard to communications interoperability and resiliency? 2. What types of communication (technology) failures occurred (e.g., 911 call centers, radios, etc.)? 3. Were any of these systems/protocols/procedures put in to place as a result of the lessons learned from Ike or past events? 4. What do you think should be improved? How would you improve upon the system? 5. Were handheld radios used in the EOC at TranStar? If yes, were there any issues? Coordination with Utilities 1. Was there any loss of power to critical facilities? If so, did the loss of power affect emergency response and recovery activities? If yes, how? 2. Did the EOC and the utilities communicate well with each other to address power outages? 3. Was there coordination between utilities and emergency management for: a. Rendering downed or damaged electric lines safe to facilitate debris removal from roadways? b. Cutting off utilities to facilitate the emergency response to fires, explosions, building collapses, and other emergency situations? c. Facilitating search and rescue operations by cutting off electrical power, gas, and water to areas to be searched? d. Establishing temporary utility hookups to facilitate response activities? 4. How did this response compare with previous events? 5. In general, how often does your organization participate in emergency planning activities such as exercises and drills with local emergency management? 6. Did your organization follow ICS/NIMS principles? 7. What do you think could be done to improve the coordination between your organization and emergency management? Donations Management 1. Were there any issues in implementing the Harris County/City of Houston Donations Management plan? 2. What are the root causes of these issues? 3. Do you have any suggestions to address these issues? 4. How well did responding agencies coordinate response and recovery efforts? Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 46 General Summary Questions 1. Out of the all of the items discussed today, what do you think are the top three strengths and areas of improvement in the overall County response and recovery efforts? Which are the most important to address? 2. Do you consider any of these strengths a best practice? 3. What are the next steps for your organization to improve overall emergency response and recovery capabilities? 4. What do you think are the next steps for Harris County OHSEM? 5. Will you participate in the improvement planning meeting on December 15th? Who do you think should attend? Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 47 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 48 APPENDIX C – AFTER ACTION MEETING INVITATION The following document was the invitation distributed to all stakeholders inviting them to participate in the after action meeting. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 49 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 50 APPENDIX D – AFTER ACTION MEETING AGENDA The following is the agenda followed during the after action meeting held on January 19, 2018. Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 51 PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 52 APPENDIX E – ACRONYMS Acronym Definition AAR After Action Report AAM After Action Meeting ARC American Red Cross CAN Coordinated Assistance Network CERT Community Emergency Response Team COOP Continuity of Operations Plan CSA County Staging Area CSD Community Services Department CTS County Technology Services DRC Disaster Recovery Center EOC Emergency Operations Center ESC Education Service Center ESF Emergency Support Function FPM Facilities & Property Management FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FOUO For Official Use Only GIS Geographic Information Systems HCOHSEM Harris County Office of Homeland Security Emergency Management IAP Incident Action Plan IC Incident Command ICS Incident Command System ISD Independent School District IP Improvement Plan Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 53 Acronym Definition JIC Joint Information Center LOFR Liaison Officer METRO Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County MPH Miles Per Hour MRC Medical Reserve Corps MRE Meals Ready to Eat NIMS National Incident Management System PA Public Assistance PCT Precinct PD Police Department PIO Public Information Officer PO Purchase Order POD Points of Distribution RSA Regional Staging Area SETRAC Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council SME Subject Matter Expert SOC State Operations Center SPCA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals STAR State of Texas Assistance Request TBD To Be Decided VOAD Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 54 APPENDIX F – AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS INTERVIEWED Agencies and Organizations Interviewed American Red Cross BakerRipley Harris County Budget Management Harris County Central Technology Harris County Commissioner Pct. 1 Harris County Commissioner Pct. 2 Harris County Commissioner Pct. 3 Harris County Commissioner Pct. 4 Harris County Community Services Harris County Community Services – County Staging Area Harris County District Courts Harris County Engineering Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office Harris County Flood District Harris County Human Resources Harris County Judge’s Office Harris County Juvenile Probation Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Harris County Public Health Harris County Public Library Harris County Sheriff’s Office Harris County Toll Road Authority/Harris County Constable Pct. 5 HC Constable Pct. 1 HC Constable Pct. 2 HC Constable Pct. 3 HC Constable Pct. 4 HC Constable Pct. 6 HC Constable Pct. 7 HC Constable Pct. 8 Houston ISD Houston SPCA Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 55 Agencies and Organizations Interviewed Interfaith Ministries (Volunteers) METRO Transit NRG Center Region 4 Education Service Center (schools) Salvation Army SETRAC TX Department of Public Safety / DDC TX Department of Transportation US Coast Guard VOAD Chair Walmart Hurricane Harvey After Action Report April 2018 56