Return to Emergency Operations Plan - main page 

INTRODUCTION

The Anchorage Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is an all-hazards document that establishes emergency management activities for the Municipality of Anchorage (Municipality). The EOP accomplishes the following:

This plan is not intended to limit or restrict initiative, judgment, or independent action required to provide appropriate and effective emergency and disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

All municipal and partner agencies should become familiar with this document to ensure efficient and effective execution of emergency responsibilities. While the plan can help establish the relationships, responsibilities, and general guidelines for agencies to use during an emergency, it does not replace the responsibility an agency has in developing its own emergency protocols and testing its own plans.

When applicable, the Municipality will use this plan in conjunction with the State of Alaska Emergency Response Plan, the National Incident Management System, and the National Response Plan.

For purposes of this document, the terms emergency and disaster are used interchangeably.

Plan Development, Distribution, and Maintenance

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will solicit input from all municipal departments for development and maintenance of this plan. Each annex will be annually reviewed and updated by the agencies listed therein and whenever state or federal mandates require a change or if deficiencies are identified after drills and exercises.

A copy of the plan will be distributed to all department heads and key emergency officials. The plan will be available to the public through electronically the OEM website or a hard copy may be issued upon request to the OEM.

Minor changes to the EOP may be issued by the director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Major revisions must be signed by the mayor. Changes to the EOP will be posted online and distributed to key emergency officials within a reasonable period following an update or revision.

Assumptions

No guarantee is implied by this plan. Because municipal assets and systems may be damaged, destroyed, or overwhelmed during an emergency, the Municipality can only endeavor to make reasonable efforts to respond based on the situation and the information and resources available at the time.

Each household within the Municipality is encouraged to develop a family disaster plan and to maintain the essential supplies to be self-sufficient for five to seven days. The OEM will make materials available to the public to assist personal preparedness.

A fundamental principle of emergency management is that all disasters are managed locally. Although state and federal resources may be available, it is essential for the Municipality to be prepared to carry out disaster response and short-term actions on an independent basis.

Businesses are expected to develop internal disaster plans that will integrate and be compatible with municipal resources and this plan and to encourage their employees to develop a family disaster and communications plan.

Emergency Management Phases

The Municipality will protect life and property from the effects of hazardous events by acting within each of the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These phases are neither linear in implementation nor do they have a distinct starting or ending point.

Preparedness

Preparedness actions develop response capabilities needed during an emergency. Planning, training, and exercises are among the activities conducted under this phase.

Response

Response is the delivery of services during an emergency to help protect life and property and speed recovery. Warning, evacuation, and rescue are examples of response actions.

Recovery

Recovery is the restoration of the community to its normal or improved state of affairs. Recovery operations include repairing roads, restoring communications, and finding housing for displaced families.

Mitigation

Mitigation activities reduce the probability of a disaster occurring and lessen the damage of unavoidable hazards. Mitigation efforts include amending building codes, implementing land use guidelines, and initiating structural retrofitting measures.

Hazard Vulnerability

The Municipality is vulnerable to the damaging effects of certain hazards, which can be categorized into three basic types:

• Natural hazards are expected or uncontrollable events caused by nature. In some cases, they can be human triggered, such as a human-triggered avalanche.
• Technological hazards are generally caused by human error or omission. They may also be triggered by a natural hazard, such as a weather-related power failure.
• Human/societal hazards are the result of deliberate human acts.

Anchorage Hazard Index by Type

Anchorage Hazard Index by Frequency and Severity