Emergency preparedness response functions

Personnel involved in chemical management activities such as transportation, emergency preparedness/response, and waste disposal in various divisions take specialized training. This training is tailored to their job function and responsibilities and meets the requirements of any applicable Federal (EPA, OSHA, DOT) laws, DOE directives, and the State of South Carolina regulations. 

The facility manager, in cooperation with the Emergency Preparedness Team, assigns people, by their title or function at the facility, to the EMO, with designated alternates for each EMO function. The duties and responsibilities of each EMO function are defined and documented in the ERP. Because there must be a functional EMO in place regardless of when a facility emergency occurs, designated shift personnel take specific EMO responsibilities until the primary members can reach the site. 

Another crucial element of disaster management is assuring that all levels of staff are competent to perform during disaster response. Emergency preparedness competencies refer to the ability of the staff to actually perform their functional roles for emergency response. Competencies are usually complex actions therefore, the best method to evaluate competence is direct observation. This can be accomplished through drills or during actual response activities. 

Federal health and medical assistance is generally categorized into the major functions of prevention, medical services, mental health services, and environmental health. Each of the 15 specific functional areas is contained in one of these categories. When the lead of the national ESF 8 (the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response) is notified of the occurrence of a potential major disaster or emergency, the Assistant Secretary will request HHS and support agencies to initiate action immediately to identify and report the potential need for federal health and medical support to the affected disaster area in the following functional areas. 

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