UNUSUAL OCC 16.1C
G.O. 16.1C
TEQUESTA POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
TITLE: UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES
GENERAL ORDER: 16.1C
EFFECTIVE: October 18, 2004
REVISES: 16.1B
PAGES: 9
CONTENTS:
This order consists of the following numbered sections:
I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
II. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
III. PUBLIC FACILITY SECURITY
IV. EVACUATION
V. CASUALTIES INFORMATION
VI. DEESCALATION AND RECOVERY OPERATIONS
VII. MUTUAL AID REQUESTS
VIII. SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT
IX. TRAINING
X. TRANSPORTATION
XI. MOBILIZATION
XII. MILITARY SUPPORT
XIII. AFTER ACTION REPORTS
XIV. GENERAL
XV. GLOSSARY
PURPOSE:
To assign responsibilities and establish guidelines for a comprehensive emergency
management system designed to preserve life, minimize damage, and ensure an efficient agency response
to all types of emergencies and disasters. \[
CFA 20.01\]
SCOPE:
All members of the Tequesta Police Department.
DISCUSSION:
The Village of Tequesta is exposed to many hazards, all of which have the potential to
disrupt the community, cause damage, and inflict casualties. Possible natural hazards include floods,
tornadoes, and fires. Other hazards include hazardous materials accidents, plane crashes, escapes,
manhunts, or other law enforcement intensive operations. This procedure calls for the creation of
Emergency Management Plans for responding to hurricanes, civil disturbances, mass arrests, and other
emergencies that will utilize the basic procedures outlined herein.
The complexity and variety of potential unusual occurrences make it impractical to include detailed plans
for all types of emergencies in this document. Instead, this directive will establish areas of responsibility
for key members of the agency and provide them with the necessary authority to cope with any unusual
occurrence. The success of our emergency response will depend on detailed preplanning and the
flexibility, ingenuity, and creativity of our members.
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G.O. 16.1C
Our primary goal as an agency is to protect life and property while maintaining peace and order. Your
ability to adapt to the situation while following these guidelines may be instrumental in saving lives and
will greatly assist the community's recovery from a disaster.
PROCEDURE:
I. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING:
A. Authority:
In accordance with provisions set forth in Florida Statute 166.021 Powers, as provided
in s. 2(b), Art. VIII of the State Constitution, “municipalities shall have the governmental, corporate,
and proprietary powers to enable them to conduct municipal government, perform municipal functions,
and render municipal services, and may exercise any power for municipal purposes, except where
prohibited by law.” The Chief of Police or designee retains responsibility for planning, organizing and
directing all law enforcement activity during an emergency or exceptional situation occurring in the
Village of Tequesta; the hierarchy of command shall be as follows:
1
. The shift supervisor assigned on duty when the emergency begins;
2
The Operations Commander when notified of the emergency;
.
3
In the absence of the Operations Commander, the Chief of Police (or designee) will assume
.
command
.
B. Emergency Management Coordinator:
The Fire Chief is designated as the agency Emergency
Management Coordinator (EMC). His or her duties include the following:
1.
Coordinate the development, distribution, and review of the agency's emergency management plans
and make all necessary information available to the community and the public.
2.
Serve as advisor for emergency management issues;
3.
Maintain a liaison with the county's Director of Disaster Preparedness, the state's Division of
Emergency Management, local municipal police agencies, the courts, Sate Attorney’s Office, and other
support agencies;
4.
Coordinate the acquisition of special emergency equipment and the inspections of equipment
designated for use in unusual occurrence situations to ensure operational readiness;
5.
Coordinate emergency management and mobilization training for key agency members.
6.
Maintain the Village’s situation maps.
C. The Shift Commander:
The shift commander is responsible for the following:
1.
Arrange for suitable security, processing, transportation, medical treatment, and the care and feeding
of prisoners during a mass arrest or evacuation.
a.
All arrests will be made in accordance with Florida State Statute and the Tequesta Police
Department’s operating procedures.
b.
When large numbers of arrests are anticipated the shift commander may request the assistance of
the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office or the Jupiter Police Department.
c.
The arresting officer(s) will transport the arrestee to the designated location where they will be
processed, released or transported to the County jail.
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G.O. 16.1C
d.
Whenever possible, prisoners will be secured with plastic cuffs, tagged with the arresting officer’s
ID number and the case number.
e.
Any medical attention required by prisoners will be arranged by the transporting officer. Medical
treatment will be provided when injuries or illness are first observed or reported. Minor injuries
will be treated by Tequesta Fire Rescue personnel. Seriously ill or injured prisoners will be taken to
the nearest emergency medical treatment center in accordance with General Order 18.1 Prisoner
Transport.
f.
Juvenile offenders will be segregated from the adult population and processed in accordance with
General Order 15.2 Juvenile Offender Procedures.
D. Public Information Officer (PIO):
The PIO is the authorized police department spokesperson and
will release only information which is approved by the Chief of Police or his designee. The PIO will
coordinate the media releases with other agencies (fire dept., medical examiner’s office, military units,
health department.) If needed prior to public dissemination, and will provide information to and be
responsible for:
1.
Media personnel.
2.
Community leaders.
3.
Public.
4.
Timely control of rumors.
5.
Establish and coordinate a media staging area. These information/news briefings will be on an
as-needed basis or as the situation requires.
II. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS:
A. Field Command Posts:
1. Factors to Consider:
The following factors should be considered when establishing a command
post:
a. Locate the post near the problem area, but outside the danger zone;
b. Provide space for, or be close to, a staging area for the assembly of members, vehicles, and
equipment;
c. Restroom facilities; and
d. Telephones.
2. Command Post Staffing:
The command post will be staffed by the shift commander (or
designee) whose duties will include:
a. Monitor communications (telephone and/or radio);
b. Maintain a chronological log of events that includes the following information:
1) The time the emergency was discovered;
2) The time the need for emergency operations was recognized;
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G.O. 16.1C
3) The time the Communications Division was notified;
4) The type of action being taken to restore order or to prevent the situation from increasing
in size or intensity;
5) Member job tasks, assignments, and temporary radio call signs;
6) Intelligence reports that come to the attention of the shift commander; and
7) Other information that might be of assistance in formulating an After Action Report.
B. Member Response:
Members will respond to the emergency in uniform and with issued gear. They
will report to the field command post or staging area with their assigned vehicle for assignment and
briefing. Under some circumstances, the incident commander may direct members to respond directly to
a post or assignment. In all cases, members will report their presence to the command post via radio or in
person.
D. Deployment:
Officers will be assigned to certain areas and functions according to the requirements of
the emergency. They will be assigned to squads for operational control as follows:
1.
Squads: Squads will consist of a squad leader (Sergeant or Corporal) and no moiré than six
officers. Senior officers may be assigned as squad leaders until a sufficient number of supervisors
are available.
2.
Other Law Enforcement Support: Law enforcement personnel from other agencies who report
for assignment may be permitted to work as an independent squad to maintain agency integrity;
however, a Tequesta Police Department member will be assigned as squad leader. Personnel
reporting in less than squad strength will be integrated into a police department squad.
E.Communications:
1.
All members deployed to the emergency will operate on the assigned radio group subject to the
following:
a. All radio traffic will be kept to a minimum;
b. Radio transmissions will be initiated by communications or supervisory members except
emergency or urgent traffic;
c. Plain language will be used in lieu of "10- codes" and "Signals" to facilitate communications
with members not routinely assigned to road patrol and personnel from other agencies.
d. In case of repeater system failure, field units will switch to the conventional/simplex mode
"talk around" and maintain critical communications.
e. In case of individual radio failure or the total inability to communicate with other units,
officers are instructed to return to the command post or make telephone contact with
communications as soon as possible. High-risk contacts (traffic stops, building searches,
unassisted arrests) will not be initiated while radio communications are disrupted except in
immediate life threatening situations.
III. PUBLIC FACILITY SECURITY:
The Chief of Police (or designee) will assign staff, as available, to
provide and/or assist in the security of:
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G.O. 16.1C
A.
Evacuation Shelters
B.
Police Department
C.
Fire Department
D.
Village Hall and Facilities
IV. EVACUATION:
A. Notifications:
Police Officers will be responsible for notifying the affected public if an evacuation
of an area is required due to a storm, hazardous material spill or leak, plane crash, or other hazardous
situation, crime prevention officers may assist in the evacuation process by notifying neighborhood crime
watch and security patrol groups. The following notification methods may be used depending on the
time of day, location, and emergency:
1.
Telephone contact;
2.
Door-to-door contact; or,
3.
Public address system/loud speaker.
B. Evacuation Refusal:
If a resident refuses to vacate when informed of the emergency, the officer
will attempt to obtain the resident’s name(s), phone number, and next of kin.
V. CASUALTIES INFORMATION:
A. Responsibilities:
The following will apply when mass casualties occur:
1.
The area will be secured;
2.
A command post will be established within the secured area;
3.
The victims/survivors will be given immediate medical attention and transported to the hospital if
needed;
4.
Checkpoints will be established to control access into the area;
5.
A crime scene log will be initiated;
6.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will be notified for assistance;
7.
The PIO will provide information to the media and public in reference to the situation, victims,
and the like.
8.
Crowd and traffic control will be maintained; and
9.
Recovery operations will begin as directed by the incident commander.
VI. DEESCALATION AND POST OCCURRENCE DUTIES:
The agency will restore full law
enforcement services as quickly as possible while conducting the following de-escalation and recovery
operations:
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G.O. 16.1C
A. De-escalation:
The incident commander will deescalate the agency’s response in concert with the
Village and county EOC. Procedures may include:
1.
Perform primary and secondary responsibilities as outlined in the Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan to include:
2.
Establish reentry checkpoints to evacuated areas;
3.
Assist with search and rescue operations;
4.
Assist with damage assessment;
5.
Attempt to mitigate hazards, i.e., downed power lines, chemical spills, gas leaks, and wild
animals.
6.
Protect unsecured property;
7.
Locate missing persons and victim identification.
8.
Release members whose job tasks are no longer required.
9.
Confirm that all reports and documentation related to the incident have been properly submitted.
Each member involved in the emergency operation will submit a supplement report. Required
documentation includes:
a. Offense Incident Reports
b. Supplemental reports
c. Emergency daily work logs
d. Accident reports
e. Workers' compensation reports
B. Post Occurrence:
1.
The Operations Commander shall assign available personnel to law enforcement duties after the
emergency is over to maintain order, assist with traffic, prevent looting, protect any forensic,
evidence collection, or clean up teams assigned to the area, and provide status reports to the PIO for
media release.
2.
Assignment of officers shall be determined by an assessment of the need at the time, taking into
consideration dates and times of officer’s last tour of duty and reestablishment of normal operating
procedures.
VII. MUTUAL AID REQUESTS:
Specific procedures for requesting and delivering mutual aid are
outlined in the Palm Beach County Mutual Aid Plan and mutual aid agreements.
A. Aid to Village of Tequesta:
1. State and County Law Enforcement Assistance:
When a situation exceeds the control of the
Police department, the Chief may request state assistance in accordance with the procedures outlined
in the Palm Beach County and Florida Mutual Aid Plan.
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G.O. 16.1C
B. Aid to Other Agencies:
The Police Department will provide assistance to other agencies as outlined
in established mutual aid agreements.
VIII. SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT:
The EMC is responsible for overseeing the acquisition and annual
inspection of specialized equipment for use during unusual occurrence situations.
IX. TRAINING:
A. Annual Review:
Managers and supervisors with specific emergency management responsibilities
will conduct reviews of established emergency procedures with affected members as needed. Command
personnel will review and update procedures as needed.
B. Member Training:
All members will complete training in the Incident Command System; at a
minimum ICS 100, ICS 200, and ICS 700. In addition, supervisors will be required to complete ICS 300
training.
X. TRANSPORTATION:
In the event emergency transportation of Police Department goods, equipment,
and personnel is required, the EMC will arrange for the vehicles and equipment needed to complete the
task through the Tequesta Department of Public Works. In addition all available Police Department
vehicles will be used, when practical, to facilitate move. Evacuation routes will be utilized for the
relocation.
XI. MOBILIZATION:
The following is designed to aid in the rapid mobilization of personnel in response
to an impending or actual emergency:
A. Call-Out:
In the event of an emergency that cannot be controlled by on duty personnel, off-duty
members may be called in. Call-out shall start with those members who are not scheduled to report for
duty within the next 24 hours. The on-duty supervisor may initiate this call-out and the following factors
should be considered when determining the appropriate call-out levels:
1.
Nature, scope, and duration of the emergency;
2.
Location;
3.
Number of citizens affected;
4.
Work force presently committed;
5.
Additional work force needs, i.e. crowd control, traffic control, and perimeter security.
XII. MILITARY SUPPORT:
Responsibility lies with Palm Beach County. The Tequesta Police
Department will provide leadership in the coordination efforts with the Palm Beach County and National
Guard resources to assist in the tasks where needed.
XIII. AFTER ACTION REPORT:
The Operations Commander will submit a comprehensive “After
Action Report” to the Chief of Police that outlines the agency’s response to the emergency.
XIV. GENERAL:
The Tequesta Police Department will have primary responsibility for providing the
following emergency services:
A.
Crowd management;
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G.O. 16.1C
B.
Traffic control;
C.
Protection of life and property;
D.
Coordination of evacuation efforts;
E.
Protection of Fire Department personnel and equipment;
F.
Security for damaged property until such time as the property can be released to the owner/agent
when possible;
G.
Providing assistance to medical personnel;
H.
Identification of casualty victims;
J.
Securing the property of casualty victims.
XV. GLOSSARY:
CASUALTY/MISSING PERSONS POST - A post established near the site of a disaster involving mass
casualties that will receive, record, and investigate reports of casualties and missing persons.
CHECKPOINTS - Security checkpoints are established to control entry into heavily damaged, evacuated,
or restricted areas.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT - Means the preparation for, and the carrying out of, all emergency
responsibilities and functions, other than those for which military forces or other federal agencies are
primarily responsible, to prevent, mitigate, or repair injury and damage resulting from the occurrence or
imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property resulting from
emergencies.
EOC - The County’s Emergency Operation Center, which acts as the direction and control facility during
major disasters. All available resources, and requests for assistance from higher levels of government, are
coordinated through this point. It is normally activated during hurricane preparation response, and recovery
operations, however, it may be activated whenever a response to an emergency requires resources beyond
what the Village or county government can provide.
FIELD COMMAND POST - A post established by the sergeant or incident commander of the affected area
to direct emergency operations at unusual occurrence scenes.
OFFICER IN CHARGE (OIC) - The on-duty supervisor who is charged with directing and controlling the
activities of the agency.
PUBLIC FACILITIES - City government buildings.
UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE - Any occurrence, or threat thereof, whether accidental, natural, or caused by
man, which results or might result in substantial injury or harm to the population or substantial damage to
or loss of property.
UNITY OF COMMAND - The concept that each individual in the organization has only one immediate
supervisor.
INDEXING:
DISASTERS
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G.O. 16.1C
UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES
DRAFTED:
DJR/September 30, 2004/Filed: Unus16.1
APPROVED:
Pete Pitocchelli, Chief DATE: November 05, 2011
Tequesta, Florida
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