1. Hurricane “Sandy” After Action Survey
Background: The Town of XXXXX is conducting an After Action Report (AAR) for the
Hurricane “Sandy” activation. The AAR will assist the Town in identifying improvements
to the Town’s Emergency Management policies, plans, and programs. It is important
that this questionnaire reach as many of the Town’s employees as possible. It is
requested that the Town’s Department Directors, Division Heads, and Supervisors
organize this effort. It is also essential that you provide clear and candid comments so
your comments are of most value as we seek to improve our overall Emergency
Management & Disaster Response.
Questionnaires should be completed and returned either via email to XXXXXor via
hard copy paper to XXXXX Emergency Management Director no later than close
of business Tuesday, November6, 2012. If unable to complete by this date, please
complete and return no later than close of business on Thursday, November 8.
We still want to hear from each of you.
NOTE: If a specific question is non-applicable to you, just write “NA” in the space. If you
require more space to answer a question (s), continue on the last page of this
questionnaire, identifying the question number being added to for comments.
1. Name (optional for clarification/follow-up):
________________________________________________________________
2. Position (check one): City Administration, Department Head, Division
Head, Supervisor, Field Worker, Clerical, Emergency Responder,
Dispatcher/Operator, Other: __________________________
3. Do you or your department have Emergency Support Function (ESF)
responsibilities (primary, secondary, coordination) assigned by the Town’s
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP)? ___Yes ___ No
(Although the Town is not organized under the ESF format, refer to the attached
list to determine which ESF functional responsibilities you carried out.)
4. If yes, which ESF(s) do you or does your department have responsibilities in?
(List all that apply):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Did you work in the Town’s EOC? ___Yes ___No
a. If yes, please describe your responsibility(ies) during this assignment?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. b. Please comment on the following EOC functions and capabilities:
(i) Organization:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
(ii) Communication (phones, radios, other):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
(iii) Technology (computer, software):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
(iv) Were the EOC job aids (EOC procedures, staff position books)
- Present at your position? ___Yes ___No
- Applicable to your position/assignment? ___Yes ___No
- Useful to your assigned duties? ___Yes ___No
- Complete for your assigned duties ___Yes ___No
- Needs the following items for my position/assignment:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
(v) Were the EOC computers sufficient and capable enough for your needs?
(vi) Were the EOC visual displays sufficient (for example: television, monitors,
maps, status boards, etc.) for your needs?
6. Thinking about the emergency/disaster overall, please list 3 things that worked
well:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Thinking about the emergency/disaster overall, what areas need improvement?
Consider the following:
a. Areas of concern related to the alert and notification:
________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
b. Issues that impeded delivery of alerts/notifications:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
c. How well was information disseminated?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
d. Any communications problems?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
e. Resource deficiency issues:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
f. Any issues/concerns regarding cooperation and coordination between
departments?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
g. Any issues/concerns regarding cooperation and coordination with
Regional, State or Federal agencies?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
h. Any legal authority issues?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
i. Issues that might inhibit your ability to prepare or respond to future
incidents:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
j. Issues that were viewed (or could be viewed) as highly visible in a
negative or positive manner by the media or public:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
k. Lessons learned or improvement recommendations for future incidents:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. What additional training or drills may better prepare you for future alerts,
notifications, field emergency response, EOC activations?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
9. Following are specific "life of an emergency/disaster" stages. If you were involved
in any of these, please take this opportunity to record your thoughts, experiences
and/or recommendations.
a. Pre-events (if there was a warning phase):
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
b. Event: Field Response, Life Safety:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
5. c. Alert, warning, emergency public instructions:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
d. EOC Activation:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
e. Initial Impact Assessment:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
f. Damage Assessment:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
g. Human Services:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
h. Emergency Public Information, rumor control:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
i. Debris management:
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
h. Recovery:
___________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
i. Demobilization: (Demobilization is the process of the transition of workers
and equipment from disaster related duties back to pre-disaster duties,
while at the same time responding to post-disaster requirements such as
disaster information, recovery work, employee health and safety issues,
etc.): ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
10. Any other comments, thoughts, recommendations?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
NOTE: Please respond to each question in a complete and readable manner and
return XXXXX Emergency Management Director as quickly as possible. Thank
you for your assistance with this important process to facilitate improvement.
Use additional pages to expand on your responses to the above questions and
please enter the specific number/letter of the question that you are expanding on
for clarity.
7. XXXXX Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)
ESF 1-Transportation
Responsible for coordinating transportation support to governments and voluntary
organizations. Transportation support includes the following: performance of and
assisting with evacuation and re-entry, processing of all transportation assistance
requests and tasks received in the EOC, prioritizing transportation resources for the
transportation of people, materials, and services, and performing all necessary actions
to assist with recovery operations.
ESF 2-Communications
Responsible for coordinating actions to be taken to assure the provision of required
communications (2-way radios) and telecommunications (computer and telephone
systems) support to disaster personnel. Activation of warning systems and restoration
of essential communication systems are coordinated by ESF 2.
ESF 3-Public Works
Responsible for providing technical advice and evaluations, engineering systems,
construction management and inspection, emergency contacting, emergency repair of
wastewater and solid waste facilities, removal and handling of debris, and the opening
and maintaining of roadways.
ESF 4-Firefighting
Responsible for firefighting activities and support services including training,
suppression, investigations, and code compliance. Areas of responsibility and
activities include suburban, urban, rural, and wildland settings and the interface
between each environment.
ESF 5-Information and Planning
Responsible for collecting, processing, and disseminating information to facilitate
emergency response and recovery efforts. Preparation of special operations plans and
damage and needs assessments are handled by ESF 5.
ESF 6-Mass Care
Responsible for coordinating efforts to provide shelter, food, and emergency first aid
and for coordinating bulk distribution of emergency relief supplies to disaster victims.
ESF 7-Resource Support
Responsible for providing logistical and resource support to entities involved in
8. delivering emergency response efforts for natural and technological disasters.
ESF 8-Health and Medical
Responsible for coordinating health and medical resources needed to respond to
public health and medical care needs prior to, during and following a disaster.
ESF 9-Search and Rescue
Responsibilities include searching for and locating disaster victims in urban, suburban,
and rural environments.
ESF 10-Hazardous Materials
Responsibilities include coordination in response to an actual or potential discharge
and/or release of hazardous materials resulting from natural or technological disasters.
ESF 11-Food and Water
Responsibilities include identifying, securing and arranging for coordinating the
transport of food and water assistance to affected areas.
ESF 12-Energy
Responsible for coordinating the provision of emergency power to support emergency
response and recovery efforts and normalized community functions. ESF 12 provides
electric power, distribution systems, fuel, and emergency generators.
ESF 13-Military Support
Responsibilities include outlining specific tasks, resources, locations, and
responsibilities to support the military presence in county during disaster operations.
ESF 14-Public Information
Responsible for establishing and managing the Joint Information Center (JIC) and
coordinating emergency public warning and information systems.
ESF 15-Volunteers and Donations
Responsibilities include expediting and managing the delivery of voluntary goods and
services supporting relief efforts before and after a disaster impact.
ESF 16-Law Enforcement
Responsibilities include establishing procedures for the command, control, and
9. coordination of law enforcement agencies to support disaster response operations.
ESF 16 works with the National Guard in support of security missions and other law
enforcement agency activities.
ESF 17-Animal Protection
Responsibilities include addressing human health risks associated with animals,
assisting in the capture/rescue of animals that have escaped confinement or been
displaced from their natural habitat, providing emergency care to injured animals,
providing humane care, handling, and sheltering to animals, issuing and enforcing
animal disease quarantines, removing and disposing of animal carcasses, and
releasing information to the public about quarantine areas, rabies alerts, and other
animal related issues.
ESF 18-Business and Industry
Responsibilities include coordinating emergency activities of private sector
owners/operators and organizations in support of disaster response and recovery
efforts in the XXXXX.
