Crisis Management Plan

At Lewis & Clark College, planning ahead for emergencies is part of our normal business planning and campus life. All community members share a responsibility for preparedness.

The Crisis Management Plan is the result of the recognition that Lewis & Clark has the primary responsibility for managing limited elements of emergency and disaster situations that occur on campus or at locations controlled by the institution. It was further recognized that a comprehensive plan was needed that was compliant with the requirements of HSPD-5, including the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS).

The plan must also be consistent with and closely linked to regional plans. The plan was prepared by Lewis & Clark officials and is in the process of being approved by the College’s Executive Council and reviewed by the City of Portland Office of Emergency Management. This plan is an integral part of the regional emergency management program. Authority to undertake this effort is provided by Declaration of the Governor.

Lewis & Clark recognizes the need for a comprehensive emergency management plan that will be placed into operation whenever an emergency affecting the college cannot be controlled through routine, daily and normal channels and procedures. The plan outlines actions and activities to facilitate such a management capability. The development of this plan is based on a realistic assessment of potential hazards that could affect our community, and an assessment of existing capabilities to respond to those situations. This plan is patterned after the comprehensive plan adopted by the City of Portland which, in an emergency or disaster, will be the first unit of government officially notified and to which requests for assistance are forwarded.

This plan is intended to provide general all-hazards management guidance, using existing organizations and lines of authority to allow Lewis & Clark to meet its responsibilities before, during, and after an emergency occurs.

Comprehensive Approach

The concept of prevention, planning, response, recovery and mitigation, is acknowledged as the appropriate way of managing emergencies and disasters. This comprehensive approach can save lives and minimize damage related to the occurrence of an unusual event. This plan consists of sections dealing with the aspects of a comprehensive approach.

The plan assigns responsibilities for emergency management to specific existing Lewis & Clark departments and the College’s Crisis Management Group. The assignments are made within the framework of the existing management organization of those specific departments and the Crisis Management Group. Those specific departments and the Crisis Management Group maintain standard operating procedures for special situations, and they are considered part of this plan. All personnel designated to carry out specific responsibilities are expected to know and understand the policies and procedures outlined in the plan.

Although, as referenced, Lewis & Clark has primary responsibility for managing limited elements of emergency and disaster situations, the City of Portland and the County of Multnomah are obligated to provide assistance to Lewis & Clark after resources are exhausted and Lewis & Clark is unable to cope with the disaster.

For purposes of response to emergencies and disasters, the Crisis Management Group is subdivided into two subgroups-the Policy Group, comprised of the President, Provost, Deans of the Colleges, and Vice Presidents, and the Operations Group, comprised of approximately twenty managers and administrators. The Director of Campus Safety or his/her designate acts as the Crisis Management Director.

Realizing that emergencies are not easily contained, and that assistance may quickly be needed from both city and state agencies, Lewis & Clark has adopted both NIMS, best described as a framework for everyone on the team to work together towards common goals, and ICS, a standardized on scene all hazard incident management approach that enables a coordinated response among various jurisdictions and functional agencies, both public and private.

At Lewis & Clark, when an emergency unfolds, an Incident Management Team is assembled whose charge is to stabilize and isolate the scene. The on-scene person in charge is referred to as the Incident Commander (IC). Based on input from the IC, one of the following threat severity levels will be assigned to the emergency:

Level 0 Non Emergency

Level I  Monitor/Standby

Level II Alert

Level III Emergency

Depending on the assigned threat severity level, certain triggers occur, causing notifications to members of the Crisis Management Group, including the Provost, and, as appropriate, the President, the establishment of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and reporting in by Crisis Management Group personnel.

Incident Management System

Utilizing ICS as the principal means of organizing and directing the effort to resolve the incident, the Incident Management Team works as a team to manage assets during the incident. The ICS structure is flexible, able to grow or shrink to meet different needs. That structure includes the Command Post (CP), where overall direction and coordination of the incident is accomplished

At the CP, the IC and the Incident Management Team work toward scene stabilization. The IC may staff various Incident Management positions, such as Operations, Logistics, Planning, and Finance if the size and scope of the emergency merits it.

When an emergency situation involves multiple jurisdictions or agencies, unified command enables the College and other local, state, federal or private agencies to coordinate, plan, and interact effectively. Under unified command, the ICs of the different involved agencies make joint decisions.

When the size, scope, and seriousness of the incident exceeds the ability of the CP to manage the situation, and there is a need to manage the impact of the incident on the institution, Lewis & Clark will establish an EOC to manage that impact, as well as to support and coordinate on scene activities.

For at least a short period of time, both a CP and an EOC may exist simultaneously. As scene resolution winds down, persons staffing positions at the CP may well transition to the EOC and assume positions at that location. As mentioned, the personnel staffing the EOC are not in charge of scene resolution. Instead, they are the support and business continuity piece.

Once the EOC is established, the group populating that site will be the Crisis Management Operations Group. Mirroring positions associated with the CP, the Emergency Manager (Campus Safety Director or designate) may staff various sections, including  Resource Coordination, Operations Coordination, Campus & Planning Analysis, and Finance and Administration.

To the extent that policy guidance of priorities and objectives becomes necessary, the Executive Policy Group will be staffed by the college’s Crisis Management Policy Group.

Authority

Lewis & Clark has developed the Crisis Management Plan as authorized under the Declaration of the Governor. The plan is consistent with the:

City of Portland

County of Multnomah

National Incident Management System

American Red Cross ARC

Oregon Emergency Management OEM

Succession

During emergency situations, the line of succession for Lewis & Clark is:

President

If the President is not available, the line of succession is:

Vice President/Provost, or one of the below listed Vice Presidents

Vice President for Business and Finance

Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Plan Management

The Crisis Management Plan, a fluid document, will be re-examined and amended as necessary by the Crisis Management Planning Committee and/or the Crisis Management Director or his/her designate. The Planning Committee, comprised of members of both the Operations and Policy Groups, provides general oversight for the entire planning process and typically meets quarterly to address emergency preparedness, response and recovery issues. Each academic year, the Crisis Management Planning Committee will endeavor to coordinate and sponsor a tabletop or other role playing exercise for the Crisis Management Group and other members of the College community.

The College’s Executive Council must approve exceptions or major modifications to the Crisis Management Plan.