Page - 46 - in Book of Full Papers - Symposium Hydro Engineering

describes hazard mitigation (actions to reduce risk), as well as preparedness and recovery from disasters. The SEP is compatible with federal emergency planning concepts. Key elements of the plan are used on a regular basis in response to different incidents and emergencies, such as statewide winter storms, wildfires, and the Oroville Emergency Response. The SEP, through its mutual aid and resource management systems, identified the state agency and department resources to be used to assist local governments in evacuating 188,000 people, providing meals and shelter for almost 10,000 people, and aided the sharing of information and coordination of activities from the field level to state government response. 3.1.2 The Standardized Emergency Management System The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) (Fig. 2) is the cornerstone of California’s emergency response system and the fundamental construct of emergency management. California law requires SEMS for managing multiagency and multijurisdictional responses to emergencies. The system unifies all elements of California’s emergency management community into a single integrated system. SEMS incorporates: 1) Incident Command System (ICS) - field-level emergency response system based on management by objectives; 2) Multi/Inter -agency coordination - affected agencies working together to coordinate allocations of resources and emergency response activities; 3) Mutual aid - system for obtaining additional emergency resources from non-affected jurisdictions; and 4) Operational Area Concept - County and its sub-divisions to coordinate damage information, resource requests and emergency response. Fig. 2 - SEMS Organization Structure 3.1.3 STATE OPERATIONS CENTER During major incidents, multiple emergencies can occur simultaneously. It is important that emergency responders communicate and coordinate throughout the various layers of government. At the highest level of emergency coordination in California is the State Operations Center (SOC) that is responsible for coordinating resource requests and resolving priority issues that arise at the regional level. The SOC is also responsible for coordinating with federal agencies. SOC operations are under the management of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. SOC responsibilities include, in part: 1) overall state coordinator in the event of simultaneous, multi-regional incidents; 2) monitors and facilitates inter-regional communications and 46