SITUATION & NEED
Coordinated Consulting Services (CCS) was hired in 2024 by Columbia County, Oregon, to develop a Mass Care and Sheltering Emergency Support Function (ESF-6) Plan. The goals of the project were to work closely with Columbia County agencies and other organizations’ subject matter experts involved in ESF-6 response activities, such as Columbia County Public Health and American Red Cross, to develop this plan as an annex supporting the county Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Additionally, CCS developed a virtual tabletop (TTX) exercise to validate plan components and solicit feedback from exercise participants. Project planning and development work took place from May 2024 through August 2024, and utilized best practices identified by CCS and the county planning team to develop new plan content and the TTX. Plan strengths and areas for improvement were identified during the virtual TTX and incorporated into the final plan
NEED:
In May 2024, Columbia County requested a quote for developing a Mass Care and Sheltering Plan to support the Columbia County EOP. The project required reviewing existing Columbia County plans, including the EOP, and working with county subject matter experts that support mass care and sheltering responses in order to develop a Mass Care and Sheltering Plan and virtual TTX that met the specific needs of Columbia County.
SOLUTION
After the contract was awarded to CCS, CCS staff worked closely with the Columbia County planning staff to identify a core planning team. The core planning team consisted of the Director/Emergency Manager, the Deputy Director of Emergency Management, the Emergency Management Specialist, and CCS planning and exercise development staff. The core planning team assisted with the overall management and direction of plan and exercise development; attended and participated in core planning team meetings; reviewed and provided feedback on plan and exercise content; and provided direction on the ongoing scope, timeline, and any additional technical assistance. CCS and Columbia County Emergency Management staff held bi-weekly core planning team meetings throughout plan and exercise development from May through August 2024.
OUTCOME
The Mass Care and Sheltering (ESF-6) Plan synthesized key mass care and sheltering components for Columbia County and aligned with state and federal mass care and sheltering frameworks. Key components of the plan include:
- Plan Activation;
- Planning Assumptions;
- Roles and Responsibilities;
- Coordination and Communication;
- Sheltering and shelter organizational structure;
- Feeding;
- Human Services, such as supplemental nutrition assistance, mental health and psychosocial support, family reunification, social services support, childcare and education services, and disaster case management;
- Guidance for meeting the needs of the whole community including people with disabilities and access and functional needs; and
- Sheltering Animals.
The resulting plan was formally named the Columbia County Mas Care and Sheltering (ESF-6) Plan dated Response Plan in Support of the Quad-County Region dated July 2024. The plan provides a framework of guidance and operational procedures that can be used by decision makers to support mass care and sheltering responses during emergencies.
The Columbia County Mass Care and Sheltering Virtual Tabletop Exercise was conducted on June 20, 2024 and provided additional feedback and recommendations for the plan. The After Action Report and Improvement Plan was completed in July 2024.
