course material

1. (Mt) – Graduate School USA Emergency Management System Paper
The emergency management system for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania is directed by the
Department of Public Safety. It is structured under a integrated system between Buffalo,
Niagara, Wyoming counties, and the Canadian bordering cities and lakes. Its EOP is revised
biannually to represent the integration of three major spaces (land, air, and water) ( Erie
Department of Public Safety, 2018). The declaration of disaster daily report to the governor
of Pennsylvania, provides a detailed analysis of adverse emergency events and their status
in terms of planning, logistics, and operations (open/closed). For Erie county, the report
highlights a water rescue operation with no injuries (EMA Daily Report, 2018). Another
example of this meaningful collaboration in the beginning of January 2018, focused on The
Coast Guard’s ice-breaking mission include, not only facilitation of commercial navigation,
but also the provision of ice-breaking services for search and rescue, emergency operations
and flood mitigation (Upper Michigan Resources, 2018). RESPONSIBILITIES AND SERVICES
– Provide emergency and non-emergency public safety (9-1-1) call taking and dispatch
services to the citizens and visitors of Erie County. – Provide individual and organizational
training programs for public safety telecommunications staff and emergency service
providers to ensure prompt, efficient, and effective disaster emergency services and
response, in compliance with applicable Pennsylvania State Laws and Regulations. –
Provide Quality Assurance / Quality Management programs to ensure the services provided
meet and/or exceed the highest standard of customer service to the citizens and visitors of
Erie County. – Provide Public Education programs to the Erie Community to help educate
the citizens on the resources and services provided by the Public Safety Department to
include 9-1-1, Emergency Management, Hazardous Materials Response and Special Teams.
– Provide programs and services to the citizens of Erie County, such as: – Safe Town
“Household Profiles,” a quick, easy and secure way to provide critical information about
your home and family to the people who can provide emergency services to you and your
family. – Public Alert Siren System – An all-hazard alert (siren) system used to warn the
general population of potential danger. – Cooperate and collaborate with Local, State, and
Federal Government Officials / Organizations to provide the highest standard of customer
service as it pertains to emergency services and communications TRENDS IN USE OF
SERVICES – Continued participation (direct involvement) as a member of the Legislative
Government Affairs Committee as it relates to the legislative re-write of the Pennsylvania
Emergency Services Code, 35 Pa. C.S. – Enhancement of staff expertise and competency
levels. – Continuation of the consolidation of countywide emergency communications

2. services. – Implementation of Next Generation Public Safety Radio System (APCO P25 Phase
II Trunked UHF Simulcast Repeated Radio System) to provide reliable, interoperable
communications among Emergency Service Providers on a common frequency that meets
or exceeds National Industry Standards with consideration given to include Public
Transportation, Public Works, School Districts, etc. – Continued participation in the
Regional Shared Services Assessment – Establish redundancy of the Erie County Public
Safety Answering Point (PSAP) / Dispatch Center among other County PSAPs with a
regional approach, eliminating the need for a physical redundant center located in Erie
County in the event of an evacuation or catastrophic failure. – Maintain current on emerging
technology / systems (i.e. Next Generation 9-1-1), offering the most advanced services such
as “Text-to-911, Photos, Streaming Video, Telematics, etc. – Establish a centralized record
management system for all County Law Enforcement Agencies, a central repository of crime
data; sharing information across jurisdictional boundaries; crime mapping; outstanding
warrants, etc. – Remain current on geo-referenced, aerial, oblique image libraries and
software (Pictometry) that are incorporated with the Computer-aided Dispatch (CAD) and
Geographic Information System (GIS) software. These software resources are utilized 24/7
to provide a fast response to emergencies that threaten the lives and property of citizens of
Erie County. GOALS – Continue to improve the operational capabilities of the Community
Emergency Response Team to support Search & Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Medical,
Logistical and Emergency Operations Center activities. – Improve the operational
capabilities of the county animal response team, specifically the areas of
recruitment/retention, public education and pet sheltering. – In cooperation with municipal
governments and local fire departments, establish a consolidated specialized technical
rescue team with confined space, trench, high angle, collapse, hazardous materials, and
water rescue capabilities. – Obtain a comprehensive, independent report that includes
short, intermediate, and long term goals with best practice recommendations to enhance
the emergency management program. – Develop a rail safety (all hazard) plan for
emergency preparedness to potential incidents and identify associated risk(s) to the
community. – Continue to build a “stop gap” cache of equipment and supplies to meet the
immediate response needs of the County. – Re-organize the County Emergency Operations
Center Staff positions. – Implement an on-line damage reporting system for use by the
public for reporting damages to municipal and county governments. – Assist and support
the voluntary regionalization of municipal emergency management. – Expand the use of
Knowledge Center within the County. – Work with various community groups to develop
and promote “community resiliency” initiatives. – Update the County Hazard Mitigation
Plan. References Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). (2018). Erie
Emergency Management Agency Daily Report. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.pema.pa.gov/about/publicinformation
/Daily%2520Incident%2520Reports/20180102%2520Daily%2520Report.pdf&sa=U&ved
=0ahUKEwjvuIzx4__YAhWymeAKHVJZCMoQFggUMAU&client=internal-
udscse&cx=007572080359491747877:fpjvp7ckpyy&usg=AOvVaw1-
jTQruj2zoDMoi9xnZJ_0 Thompson, C. (2016). U.S., Canadian Coast Guard perform two Lake
Erie rescues early Monday. Windsor Star. Reterived from

3. http://windsorstar.com/news/localnews/u-s-canadian-coast-guard-perform-two-lake-
erie-rescues-early-monday Upper Michigan Resources. (2018). Coast Guard cutters break
ice as Lake Erie freezes Retrieved from
http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Coast-Guardcutters-break-ice-as-
Lake-Erie-freezes-467904933.html Erie Department of Public Safety. (2018). Local
Emergency Management Coordination. Retrieved from
https://www.eriecountypa.gov/county-services/safetylaw/erie-county-department-of-
public-safety/public-safety/emergencymanagement/local-programs.aspx