Emergency Support Functions for Public Information and External Affairs

In the wake of the devastation caused by wildfires recently, it has become increasingly evident of the importance for government to be prepared in any kind of emergency. For the town of Marana, this no exception as government officials and staff are fully updated on what kind of natural disasters can occur in the area, and are currently improving their existing emergency managements system through the use of Emergency Support Functions.

Emergency Support Functions (ESF's) are broken into 15 specific duties that will be assigned to relevant departments within the Town of Marana. Having this system is very useful because it avoids miscommunication and confusion in duties, and provides a support system for the departments. They are as follows:

1. Transportation
2. Communication
3. Public Works/Engineering
4. Fire
5. Emergency Management
6. Mass Care/Housing/Human Services
7. Resource Support
8. Public Health/Medical Services
9. Urban Search and Rescue
10. Oil and Hazardous Materials
11. Food Supply/Water/Natural Resources
12. Energy
13. Public Safety and Security
14. Long-Term Community Recovery and Mitigation
15. Public Information

The department of Strategic Initiatives was assigned ESF #15: Public Information, quite appropriately because Rodney-the Public Information Officer- is in that department and will be the most knowledgable on how to inform the public before, during, and after an emergency. My involvement with this assignment is to begin looking at sample ESF's from other jurisdictions and become familiar with the many intricacies involved and identify best practices in managing emergency public information.

This is a fascinating project because there are so many complexities involved. After looking at examples of emergency information management, one recommendation would be to create a website through the current Town of Marana's website that is dedicated to emergency management. This site would be the beginning of an important relationship with the public, because articles can be posted regarding occurances common to the area, signs to look for, and treatments that have been done in the past or in other jurisdictions to mitigate or prevent the problem. A news section on the front page can alert the community to any concerns in the area (dry weather warnings, or incoming monsoon and what they should do to prepare). The website would also update the community on any emergencies in neighboring areas, like the wildfires. To stay updated with technology, it would be also be good if the website was mobile friendly, so people can access it on their phones if ever they were away from home or they can't access their computer.

It is very important for public information to begin its relationship with the public before an emergency occurs, because in the face of emergency the public will then know where to go to get information, or will at least have some knowledge of what to do. I look forward to seeing where this project takes me, and while I look forward to monsoon so the fires will be dampened, the rains will bring in a whole new set of concerns regarding water flow and flooding. Luckily, the Town's infrastructure has been constructed with this very concern in mind (creating canals and drainage systems), so hopefully we'll have a very event-free monsoon season. :)