Emergency Support Function #3 Public Works and Engineering Annex

Primary Agency:	Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Support Agencies:	Department of Agriculture
	Department of Commerce
	Department of Health and Human Services
	Department of the Interior
	Department of Labor
	Department of Veterans Affairs
	Environmental Protection Agency
	Tennessee Valley Authority

1. Introduction

 
1. Purpose

 
Emergency Support Function (ESF) #3 — Public Works and Engineering provides technical advice and evaluation, engineering services, contracting for construction management and inspection, contracting for the emergency repair of water and wastewater treatment facilities, potable water and ice, emergency power, and real estate support to assist the State(s) in meeting goals related to lifesaving and life-sustaining actions, damage mitigation, and recovery activities following a major disaster or emergency.
 
2. Scope

 
Activities within the scope of ESF #3 include:
 
1. Participation in pre-disaster activities, such as pre-positioning assessment teams and contractors, and deployment of other advance elements;
   
   
2. Participation in needs/damage assessments immediately following a disaster;
   
   
3. Emergency clearance of debris to enable reconnaissance of the damaged areas and passage of emergency personnel and equipment for lifesaving, property protection, and health and safety;
   
   
4. Removal and disposal management of debris from public property;
   
   
5. Provision of expedient emergency access routes, which includes repairs to damaged streets, bridges, ports, waterways, airfields, and other facilities necessary for emergency access to disaster victims;
   
   
6. Emergency restoration of critical public facilities, including the temporary restoration of water supplies and wastewater treatment systems;
   
   
7. Emergency demolition or stabilization of damaged structures and facilities designated by State or local governments as immediate hazards to public health and safety, or as necessary to facilitate lifesaving operations (temporary protective measures to abate immediate hazards to the public for health and safety reasons until demolition is accomplished);
   
   
8. Emergency contracting to support public health and safety, such as providing for potable water, ice, power, or temporary housing;
   
   
9. Technical assistance, including inspection of private residential structures and commercial structures;
   
   
10. Support to other ESFs as outlined in the Federal Response Plan (FRP); and
    
    
11. Provision of emergency power to public facilities.

 
2. Policies

 
1. The Director of Military Support (DOMS) is the responsible national-level Department of Defense (DOD) office for military support to civilian authorities.  DOD has responsibility for ESF #3 and has designated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as its operating agent for ESF #3 planning, preparedness, response, and recovery.
   
   
2. USACE will develop work priorities in cooperation with the State government and in coordination with the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO).
   
   
3. A USACE division(s) will appoint an overall mission coordinator for all ESF #3 response and recovery activities at the Regional Operations Center (ROC) and Disaster Field Office (DFO) as appropriate.

 
3. Situation

 
1. Disaster Condition

 
In a major disaster or emergency, response and recovery operations may be beyond the State and local response capabilities. Structures may be destroyed or severely weakened.  Homes, public buildings, bridges, and other facilities may have to be reinforced or demolished to ensure safety.  Debris may make streets and highways impassable.  Public utilities may be damaged and be partially or fully inoperable.  A major disaster may affect the lives of many State and local response personnel and their facilities, and prevent them from performing their prescribed emergency duties.  Similarly, equipment in the immediate disaster area may be damaged or inaccessible.  Sufficient resources may not be available to State and local agencies to meet emergency requirements.  Federal assistance may be required to identify and deploy resources from outside the affected area to ensure a timely, coordinated effective response.
 
2. Planning Assumptions

 
1. Access to the disaster areas will be dependent upon the reestablishment of ground and water routes.  In many locations, debris clearance and emergency road repairs will be given top priority to support immediate lifesaving emergency response activities.
   
   
2. Early damage assessments will be general, incomplete, and may be inaccurate. Rapid assessment of the disaster area is required to determine critical response times and potential work loads.
   
   
3. To minimize threats to public health, emergency environmental waivers and legal clearances will be needed to dispose of emergency debris and materials from demolition activities.  Under Federal regulations, local authorities are responsible for obtaining required waivers and clearances.  Federal agencies are responsible for complying with appropriate Federal environmental and historic preservation statutes.
   
   
4. Significant numbers of personnel having engineering and construction skills and construction equipment and materials will be required from outside the disaster area.
   
   
5. Primary agencies (including USACE) and support agencies will perform tasks under their own authorities, as applicable, in addition to missions received under the authority of the FRP.
   
   
6. Previously inspected structures will require reevaluation if aftershocks occur following an earthquake.

 
4. Concept of Operations

 
1. General
 

ESF #3 support will supplement State and local emergency response actions.  Close coordination will be maintained with Federal, State, and local officials to determine potential taskings and to track the status of response activities. The priority of taskings will be determined jointly between the Federal and State officials.  The ESF #3 team will provide damage information to ESF #5 — Information and Planning for overall damage assessment, and inform the Emergency Response Team (ERT) Operations Section of the damage situation and ESF activities.  Support agency representatives will collocate with USACE field personnel to coordinate support with their agencies as necessary.
 

2. Organization

 
1. National-Level Response Structure

 
1. Catastrophic Disaster Response Group


The USACE representative to the Catastrophic Disaster Response Group (CDRG) is the Chief of the Operations Division of the Directorate of Civil Works.  The alternate representative is the Chief, Civil Emergency Management Branch, Operations Division, Directorate of Civil Works.


2. Emergency Support Team


The ESF #3 representative(s) to the Emergency Support Team (EST) will be responsible for coordinating mission assignments and resources to support disaster operations.  The USACE representative(s) to the EST will be assigned by the Civil Emergency Management Branch, Operations Division, Directorate of Civil Works.


3. Agency Operations Elements


Headquarters USACE (HQUSACE) will operate from the HQUSACE Emergency Operations Center (EOC). HQUSACE may request support agency liaison representatives to report to HQUSACE EOC if the disaster situation warrants.


2. Regional-Level Response Structure

 
1. Regional Operations Center


A USACE division will provide the necessary representation at the ROC.  These representative(s) will remain in the ROC until deactivated or released by the ROC Director.


2. Advance Element of the Emergency Response Team


The USACE division having responsibility for the State in which the disaster occurs will ensure that necessary representatives are immediately provided for the formation of the Advance Element of the ERT (ERT-A).  The damage assessment representative will be an infrastructure specialist assigned from the division.


3. Disaster Field Office ESF #3 Cell


A supplemental ESF #3 component to the ERT-A will deploy to the DFO and evolve into the ESF #3 cell after the DFO is established.  Among the ESF #3 roles are preparing statements of work, cost estimates, and estimated completion dates for mission assignments; tracking and executing mission assignments; maintaining cognizance of all other ERT activities; assessing information; determining resource requirements; setting priorities; disseminating information; and taking other response and recovery actions as required.  In addition to assigning the representatives from the ERT-A to the full ERT, the designated USACE division also will provide necessary staff for both response and recovery operations.


4. Defense Coordinating Officer


DOD/DOMS will provide a Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO) to serve as the single point of contact to the FCO and ESF representatives for all requests for military assistance other than that provided by ESF #3.  USACE will support the DCO and deployed joint forces as requested.


5. Response and Recovery Operations


USACE districts may be required to establish field offices (Emergency Response and Recovery Offices) to support assignments and missions.  Divisions and districts will carry out mission assignments based on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance and within established procedures.


1. Notification

 
1. Headquarters


The FEMA National Emergency Coordination Center will notify the Army Operations Center (AOC) of an emergency situation.  The AOC will then immediately notify the CDRG members from USACE and DOMS.  The AOC and HQUSACE EOC will exchange telephonic notifications to ensure that each is aware of the situation.  The EOC will notify ESF #3 EST members and subordinate USACE commands.
 
2. Region


Upon occurrence of a major disaster and/or notification of FRP activation, HQUSACE will designate the lead division(s) and instruct the division commander to implement the local notification plans. Concurrently, the responsible FEMA region will request support from the pre-designated USACE division commander.


2. Response Actions

 
1. Initial Actions

 
1. HQUSACE
   
   
1. Send EST representatives to FEMA Headquarters as required;
   
   
2. Provide CDRG representation as needed;
   
   
3. Activate the EOC and begin notification procedures;
   
   
4. Establish communications with FEMA Headquarters, DOD/DOMS through the AOC, and USACE subordinate commands;
   
   
5. Provide liaison to FEMA Headquarters to coordinate congressional relations activities with FEMA’s Congressional Relations Officer; and
   
   
6. Provide public affairs liaison to the FEMA Headquarters Joint Information Center.
   
   
2. Regions (Division and District)
   
   
1. Designate personnel to staff the ROC, ERT-A, and ESF #3 cell in accordance with the FRP;
   
   
2. Activate the EOC and identify facilities for USACE field offices;
   
   
3. Notify support agencies’ regional offices of ESF #3 activation;
   
   
4. Gather essential elements of information and report to the ROC, HQUSACE, DFO, and EOC; and
   
   
5. Identify requirements for remote sensing and imagery to ESF #5.

 
2. Continuing Actions

 
1. HQUSACE
   
   
1. Continue EOC operations; and
   
   
2. Ensure that proper and adequate coordination is in effect at all levels.
   
   
2. Regions (Division and District)
   
   
1. Support FEMA and State emergency agencies as required; and
   
   
2. Work with State and local governments to maximize the use of available regional assets and to identify resources required from outside the region.

 
5. Responsibilities

 
1. Primary Agency

 
1. Army Operations Center
   
   
1. Notify HQUSACE, DOMS, and CDRG member directly if possible; and
   
   
2. Notify HQUSACE EOC of FRP activation.
   
   
2. HQUSACE
   
   
1. Review the FRP annually.  Submit comments as appropriate and revise this annex as necessary;
   
   
2. Develop additional USACE guidance as required to execute assigned missions;
   
   
3. Participate in training and exercises to include those of support agencies; and
   
   
4. Conduct periodic meetings and workshops with support agencies at the national level to maintain capabilities, and to plan for and prepare to respond to a disaster in the event of activation.

 
2. Support Agencies
   
   
   1. Pre-Disaster Actions
      
      
      1. Provide HQUSACE with points of contact at the national level for coordinating plans and responses; and
         
         
      2. Designate representatives at the regional level.
          
   2. Specific Agency Responsibilities
      
      
      1. Department of Agriculture
         
         
         1. Provide engineering and contracting/procurement personnel and equipment to assist in emergency removal of debris, demolition, repair of roads and bridges, temporary repair of essential public facilities, and water supply.  The Forest Service will be the regional contact for this support.
            
            
         2. Provide technical personnel to evaluate damage to water control facilities.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be the regional contact for this support.
            
            
      2. Department of Commerce
         
         Provide direct technical support and advice on procurement of external consulting services for assessing the structural and fire safety of damaged buildings and lifelines (public works and utilities).  The Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, will be the contact.
         
         
      3. Department of Health and Human Services
         
         
         1. Supply engineering and environmental health personnel to assist in assessing the status of wastewater and solid-waste facilities;
            
            
         2. Provide guidance related to health problems associated with hazardous materials; and
            
            
         3. Assist in determining the suitability for human consumption of water from local sources.
            
            
      4. Department of the Interior
         
         
         1. Provide engineering support to assist in evaluating damage to water control systems, such as dams, levees, and water delivery facilities and structures;
            
            
         2. Provide technical assistance in contract management, contracting, procurement, construction inspection, and environmental and archeological assessments; and
            
            
         3. Name a point of contact (in the Bureau of Reclamation) for all Department of the Interior support for ESF #3.
            
            
      5. Department of Labor
         
         Provide supplemental assistance for debris removal or demolition activities performed by ESF #3.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be the regional contact for this support.
         
         
      6. Department of Veterans Affairs
         
         Provide engineering personnel and support, including design estimating and construction supervision for repair, reconstruction, and restoration of eligible facilities.
         
         
      7. Environmental Protection Agency
         
         
         1. Assist, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, in determining the suitability for human consumption of water from local sources and in identifying hazardous materials having the potential to affect drinking water supplies;
            
            
         2. Assist in locating disposal sites for debris clearance activities;
            
            
         3. Identify locations and provide safety guidance for areas affected by hazardous materials.  Ensure the protection and cleanup of these areas; and
            
            
         4. Assist in identifying water and wastewater needs.
            
            
      8. Tennessee Valley Authority
         
         Provide personnel to assist in damage assessment, structural inspections, debris clearance monitoring, and restoration of facilities in general