HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                      Olympia, Washington

Bill Analysis      Bill No. HB 1171

Revising emergency management statutes               Public Hrg: 1/29/97

Brief Title       

Reps. D. Schmidt/Scott/Dunshee                       Staff Contact: S. Lundin

Sponsor (Req. of Military Dept.)                 Comm. on Govt. Admin.

                                           Phone: 786-7127

BACKGROUND:

A comprehensive program of emergency management exists in the state.  In 1995, the authority to administer this program was transferred from the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development to the Military Department, whose director is the Adjutant General.

The Adjutant General is required to develop a comprehensive, all-hazard emergency plan for the state that includes an analysis of natural and man caused hazards and procedures to coordinate local and state resources in responding to such hazards.  In the event of a disaster beyond local control, the governor, through the adjutant general, may assume operational control over all or any part of emergency management functions in the state.

Each county and city is required to establish a local organization for emergency management and prepare a local emergency management plan.  The adjutant general may allow two or more counties or cities to establish a single local organization.  Local plans are submitted to the adjutant general for recommendations and certification with the state comprehensive emergency management plan.  If the local organization does not agree with the recommendations, the matter is referred to the emergency management council for final action.  The emergency management council consists of not more than 17 persons appointed by the governor with membership from a variety of groups, including counties, cities, fire chiefs, emergency management directors, search and rescue volunteers, and medical experts.

The Military Department develops a model contingency plan for hazardous waste management and pollution control facilities.

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HB 1171 - Page 2

A system of enhanced 911 service is either individually or jointly with other counties established throughout the state.  Each county is required to implement an enhanced 911 communications system that is funded with receipts from a telephone access line tax.

A state fire service mobilization plan is established to provide for large-scale mobilization of fire fighting resources in the state by action of the Adjutant General.  The plan includes mutual aid agreements and state reimbursement for outside jurisdictions that mobilize under the plan, as well as for a host jurisdiction if its resources are exhausted.  The state fire protection policy board makes recommendations to the Adjutant General to refine the state fire services mobilization plan and approves the plan for inclusion in the state comprehensive emergency management plan.  The state fire protection policy board is an eight member board appointed by the governor, including representatives of various groups and interests, including counties, cities, fire chiefs, the insurance industry, a fire commissioner, and fire fighters.

Seven regions are designated in the state, with a regional fire defense board in each region consisting of two members from each member county.  The boards develop regional service plans for mutual aid responses that are consistent with the incident command system and state fire services mobilization plan.  Each regional plan must be approved by the state fire defense board.

SUMMARY:

A number of changes are made to laws relating to emergency management.

The term Aman made@ disaster is altered to Atechnological, or human caused@ disaster.

The state comprehensive emergency plan and local comprehensive emergency plans must include use of an incident command system, which is defined as an all-hazards, on-scene functional management system or a unified command for multi-agency or multi-jurisdictional operations that is a component of the national interagency incident management system.

The Aexecutive head@ of a city is defined, depending on whether the city operates under a mayor council, commission, or council manager system of government.

The term Ajoint@ local emergency management organizations replaces the term Amulti-jurisdictional@ local emergency management organizations.

The Adjutant General verifies, rather than certifies, whether a local comprehensive emergency management plan is consistent with the state comprehensive emergency management plan.

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HB 1171 - Page 3

A variety of groups assist in the development of a model contingency plan for hazardous waste management and pollution control facilities, rather than actually developing the model contingency plan.

Changes take cognizance of the transfer of fire service mobilization functions from the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development to the Military Department and the transfer of state fire marshal functions from the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development to the State Patrol.

All fire fighting resources, including the host fire protection authorities, are mobilized under the fire service mobilization plan.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.