Title
Approval of an Ordinance Adopting the City of Olympia Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve on second reading the Ordinance Adopting the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and authorize the City Attorney to sign the letter of promulgation.
Report
Issue:
Emergency management in Olympia is defined and described in the City of Olympia, Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The CEMP was updated and re-written in places to conform to current State and Federal guidelines. The format and some language were changed to the document to make it more accessible and user-friendly for staff.
Staff Contact:
Mike Buchanan, Interim Deputy Fire Chief, 360.628.2444
Presenter(s):
Mike Buchanan, Interim Deputy Fire Chief
Background and Analysis:
Background and Analysis did not change from first to second reading.
The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) must be reviewed and updated every 5 years. A current CEMP is a requirement for Emergency Management grant programs. It has been 6 years since the last update. An additional year was added to the review cycle for all jurisdictions due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The material in the old plan was accurate but could be challenging for staff to use who are not familiar with Emergency Management/ FEMA language and systems. Patrick Knouff, currently with the City's Public Works Department, who completed the 2016 update, took 5+ years of experience managing the City's Emergency Management program and modified the plan to make the 2022 update more accessible for staff while staying in compliance with current federal regulations. Staff from each department reviewed applicable sections to ensure that the plan represented actual response actions taken during large, complex events. Despite the changes, the updated CEMP still aligns with the County and State CEMPs.
The State reviews...
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