Item 26 - Adoption of the City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan

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City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan Part I Basic Plan Chapter 5 — Disaster Recover 5.1 Recovery Overview Recovery from disaster is unique to each community and depends on the type and extent of damage caused by the incident and the resources that the jurisdiction can bring to the recovery effort. In the short term, recovery is an extension of the response phase in which basic services and functions are restored. In the intermediate and long term, recovery is a restoration of both the personal lives of residents and the livelihood of the community. Actions are taken to help individuals, households, businesses, communities, and governments return to a normal level of function. Recovery operations include developing, coordinating, and executing plans to restore City facilities and infrastructure; reconstituting government operations and services; establishing programs to provide housing and promote rebuilding; long-term care and treatment of affected persons; and additional measures for social, political, environmental, and economic restoration. Disaster recovery also involves incident -related cost recuperation, identification and implementation of mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate effects of future incidents, and evaluation of lessons learned. Disaster recovery can begin shortly after the disaster occurs. Even as the immediate imperatives for response to an incident are being addressed, the need to begin recovery planning emerges. Once immediate lifesaving activities are complete, the focus shifts to assisting individuals, households, critical infrastructure, and businesses to meet basic needs and return to self-sufficiency. The emphasis upon response will gradually give way to recovery operations. Disaster recovery can generally be divided into three phases: short-term, intermediate -term, and long-term. Short -Term Recovery - Short-term recovery is activity to return vital life-support systems and critical infrastructure to minimum operating standards. This may range from a few days to weeks following a disaster. Key objectives of short-term recovery are to restore the community to a functioning, if not pre - disaster, state. Activities may include damage assessment, debris clearance, sheltering or relocation of impacted populations and businesses, restoration of services and utilities, temporary financial relief to affected populations, immediate abatement of extreme hazards, and crisis counseling. Emergency repairs and temporary reconstruction may occur during this period. There will be pressure to resume essential services and pay prompt attention to residents' needs and requests. In some cases, plans may include secondary service agencies that can be brought in (such as through mutual aid or disaster relief organizations) to provide services during a prolonged disruption. Continuity of operations, business continuity, and continuity of government plans are often developed to enable short-term recovery priorities. Short-term recovery typically overlaps with both the emergency response and intermediate recovery phases. Intermediate -Term Recovery - In the intermediate phase of recovery, the most vital services have been restored, but life would not be characterized as back to normal. This period, which can range from weeks to months after the event, may overlap with both short-term and long-term recovery. Displaced persons may need to transition from emergency shelters to temporary housing solutions; government, schools and businesses may have re -opened but may be operating at a reduced scale or from temporary facilities; and transportation arteries may be open but not fully restored. The City and private organizations and individuals may have applied for financial assistance but have not yet received payments. During intermediate recovery, actions may be taken to address specific conditions, such as requests for utilities to provide bill relief, waivers or postponements of fees, payments or deadlines for government services or regulations; a need to establish temporary housing and business spaces; altered traffic patterns; and 159