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Positive Policing. I heard this phrase used recently to highlight the good our police do on a daily basis that weoften don’t hear about.

I recently witnessed Positive Policing listening to my agencycar’s radio system. A woman and four children werestranded along I-80 after the vehicle ran out of fuel. IllinoisState Police Trooper Brian Walker of the Chicago Districtwas just getting off duty but, after hearing of the disabledmotorist and young kids, made the decision to stop to help.After learning the motorist had no money, Walker arrangedto have an Illinois Department of Transportation EmergencyTraffic Patrol Unit provide emergency fuel so they could exitthe interstate. At a nearby gas station, Walker personallycovered the cost of enough fuel for the motorist to make ithome.

I heard Walker’s calls and those of other troopers offering to help pay for fuel. One even asked if all the kids hadshoes in good condition. It was heartwarming to hear, so much so that I jumped on the radio and asked Walkerto call me so I could commend his selfless deed.

In a time when so many try to make villains out of our police, it’s important to remember that the men and womenbehind the badge perform acts of kindness like this every day, but don’t publicize it. It’s up to the rest of us tohighlight the good work our first responders do daily, and to pray for their safety.

I also want to mention Macon County DeputySheriff Tony Anello, son of IEMA’s Phil Anello.Just weeks into the job and with his FieldTraining Officer Deputy Pat Smith close by,Deputy Anello saved a life by administering thecounteragent Narcan to a citizen who hadoverdosed on opioids.

Both stories take me back to the phrasePositive Policing, and the men and women thatkeep us, our families and our communities safeon a daily basis. I encourage you to seek thesesecret heroes out in your own communities, andto thank them for their daily service andsacrifice. God bless.

In this issueCanterbury Oversees Hazardous Materials Unit ..................2

What is EPCRA.................................................................2

Dragoo Travels to Saudi Arabia for EMAP...........................3

Quad Cities Reception Center Plan Demonstrated..............4

FEMA Offers Webinars on NIMS Refresh ............................5

IEMA Hosts Week-Long Radiation Specialist Course ..........5

Staff Participate in REP Executive Education ....................6

Take Precautions to Drive Safely in Darkness ....................6

November is Winter Weather Preparedness Month .............8

From IEMA Director James K. Joseph

October 2017Illinois Emergency Management Agency

Trooper Brian Walker Deputy Tony Anello

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Canterbury Promoted to Hazardous Materials Unit HeadLori Canterbury was recently promoted tosupervisor of the Hazardous MaterialsUnit in IEMA’s Bureau of Radiation Safety,which oversees the federal and stateEmergency Planning and CommunityRight-to-Know Acts (EPCRA) in Illinois.Canterbury has been with the Unit fornearly 18 years.

The Hazardous Materials Unit is alsoresponsible for processing and

monitoring hazardous material incidentreports, ensuring compliance with the IllinoisChemical Safety Act and the IllinoisHazardous Materials Emergency Act, andfacilitating IEMA’s Hazardous MaterialsAwareness Training Program.

Canterbury can be reached by email atLori.Canterbury@illinois.gov or (217)785-9903.

Lori Canterbury

What is EPCRA?EPCRA was enacted at both the federal and state levelfollowing the tragic 1984 accidental release of a highlytoxic chemical that led to more than 2,000 deaths near achemical plant in Bhopal, India. It establishes reportingrequirements for the storage, use and release ofhazardous substances for federal, state, local, and tribalgovernments, and industry.

Between Jan. 1 and March 1 of each year, regulatedfacilities are required to file hazardous chemical inventory(Tier II) reports detailing the quantities and types ofhazardous and extremely hazardous substances (EHSs)they had on site at their facilities during the previouscalendar year. Each facility is issued a unique facilitynumber (username) and must complete the Tier IIreporting requirements on-line through IEMA’s Tier IIManager by March 1.

Reports are submitted to IEMA as the State EmergencyResponse Commission (SERC), Local EmergencyPlanning Committees (LEPCs) and jurisdictional firedepartments. IEMA’s Tier II website is located athttp://www.illinois.gov/iema/Preparedness/SERC/Pages/SERC_Tier2.aspx. For calendar year 2016, more than 8,100Tier II reports were submitted to IEMA.

In addition, owners and operators of facilities are requiredto immediately notify IEMA, affected LEPCs, andsometimes the National Response Center when releasesof certain substances occur that equal or exceedthresholds. The information collected by communities onthe storage, use and releases of hazardous materialshelps them plan for chemical emergencies and, incollaboration with chemical facilities, work to improvechemical safety and protect public health and theenvironment.

The LEPCs are the link between citizens, industry, andgovernment. Because LEPCs are most familiar with thehazards in their communities, and because local citizens

tend to be the first responders for chemical emergencies,LEPCs are in the best position to assist local governments in developing plans to respond to hazardous materialemergencies.

Under the Illinois EPCRA, IEMA was designated as theSERC. Among other things, the SERC is responsible fordesignating local emergency planning districts andappointing LEPCs for each district. In Illinois, planningdistricts are designated by county boundaries, with theexception of the city of Chicago, which is also designatedas a LEPC.

LEPCs are composed of various organizations anddisciplines, which may include elected state and localofficials, law enforcement, health, hospitals, fire service,emergency management, transportation, regulatedfacilities, and others. The LEPCs develop emergencyresponse plans that are reviewed at least annually, andprovide awareness about chemicals in the community tolocal citizens.

To assist LEPCs in the above requirements, theHazardous Materials Unit provides LEPCs with a PlanDevelopment and Review (PDR) document for chemicalemergency response/LEPC plans. The documentcontains five basic planning concepts and the nine LEPCplanning elements in a user-friendly checklist format.

The Hazardous Materials Unit also regularly attends LEPCmeetings, conducts presentations on facility and LEPCregulatory requirements and LEPC organization, providesTier II Manager access to LEPCs and fire departments,and participates in LEPC exercises. The IEMA Tier IIwebsite is kept updated and general LEPC informationale-mails are sent on a regular basis.

For more information about the SERC and hazardousmaterials preparedness, visit the IEMA website athttps://www.illinois.gov/iema/Preparedness/SERC/Pages/SERC_Tier2.aspx.

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Dragoo Travels to Saudi Arabia as Part of EMAP TeamFor more than 14 years, Darryl Dragoo, of IEMA’sStrategic Planning Cell, has been an evaluator for theEmergency Management Accreditation Program(EMAP), an independent organization that fostersexcellence and accountability in emergencymanagement and homeland security programsthrough a rigorous, voluntary accreditation process.

This role takes Dragoo to dozens of states and citiesas EMAP teams evaluate the entities’ emergencymanagement programs against the accreditationorganization’s stringent criteria. His involvement withEMAP also enabled him to provide valuable insight asthe state of Illinois prepared for EMAP reaccreditationin 2010 and 2015.

In September, Dragoo’s work with the accreditationprogram took him on a new adventure, this time toSaudi Arabia for nine days as the team leader forEMAP training at King Faisal Hospital and ResearchCentre (KFH&RC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. KFH&RCare tertiary care medical research and academicfacilities located in two regions within the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia. The hospitals are the national referralcenters for oncology, organ transplantations,cardiovascular diseases, neurosciences and geneticdiseases.

The team went to KFH&RC to conduct training on theEMAP standard to representatives of the hospital’sleadership and disaster preparedness staff. KFH&HCis the first international hospital organization to seekaccreditation by EMAP and requested the on-sitetraining and review activities to prepare for a fullassessment in February 2018.

Dragoo will be the team leader for that assessmentalso, with the trip lasting two weeks. The team also willassess KFH&RC in Jeddah later in 2018 and early2019. For that assessment, Dragoo will assume therole of the assistant team leader.

All travel expenses related to Dragoo’s EMAP work arecovered by the accreditation organization.

The biggest challenge for the team was overcomingpre-conceived ideas about the country, citizens,facilities and programs. The team, composed of U.S.and Canadian representatives, was welcomed by allof KFH&RC and was impressed with the commitmentthe staff had made toward achieving accreditationand improving preparedness as a critical link withpatient care.

Dragoo said bringing together a group of emergencymanagement and hospital professionals to discusspreparedness, response and recovery exemplifieswhy the two communities need to work side by side.By working together, the team and KFH&RC staff wereable to remove barriers caused by language (use anddefinitions), integrate the two professions into a single-framework of response and recovery, and establishmodel practices brought by KFH&RC to the region.

Local vendors, residents and other visitors were morethan gracious and always willing to help out withdirections, interpretations and food suggestions.Dragoo said his personal favorite was the shawarma,which is similar to a burrito and gyro combined intoone, with veggies, a pickle slice and sauce. The meatcan be lamb, chicken or beef. A full dinner ofshawarma would cost about $4 U.S. Dragoo said theyare “like our McDonald’s cheeseburger, everywhereand delicious.”

The team also traveled around the city each eveningfor dining and shopping. Dragoo said the market wasmost fascinating and filled with shops sellingeverything from traditional clothing (abayas andthobes) to fresh-squeezed fruit juices, toys, souvenirsand food. Temperatures ranged from a low of 95degrees to a high of 110. “The best way to describe itis dry and hot,” Dragoo said. “Overall the trip wasnothing less than an amazing education.”

Dragoo noted that lessons learned and modelpractices from this trip, as with each of his previousaccreditation experiences, have been brought backto Illinois to be integrated into our emergency plansand procedures.

KFH&RC disaster preparedness staff and the EMAP assessmentand training team at the completion of on-site training and thepreliminary assessment.

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Quad Cities REP Reception Center Plan DemonstratedOn Oct. 12, IEMA’s Radiological Response Group(RRG) conducted a Radiological EmergencyPreparedness (REP) program reception centerdemonstration at Rock Island High School. The RRG’sability to set-up, implement monitoring anddecontamination procedures and process evacueesin a timely manner were the focal points of theevaluation. Reception centers and related operationsare required to be evaluated by FEMA at least onceevery eight years per federal regulation. Rock Island High School is one of two Illinois receptioncenters designated in the Illinois Plan for RadiologicalAccidents (IPRA) for the Quad Cities 10-mileemergency planning zone (EPZ). The reception center demonstration involved the set-up of RRG monitoring equipment, vehicle andevacuee monitoring, vehicle and simulated evacueedecontamination, American Red Cross (ARC)evacuee registration, public health support, securityand fire operations. Participants included the RRG, ARC, Rock CountyEmergency Management Agency, Rock Island CountyRegional Office of Education, Rock Island HighSchool, Rock Island County Health Department, RockIsland Police Department, Rock Island FireDepartment, CERFP (CBRNE (Chemical, Biological,Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) EnhancedResponse Force Package), UnityPoint Health – Trinity,and local student volunteers. The students participated as mock evacuees duringthe monitoring, decontamination and registrationexhibitions. Some students were assigned specific

issues and/or medical problems that were revealedduring the ARC registration process. This provided theARC with a more challenging test of their capabilities.All participants were successful in meeting theirobjectives and evaluation points. FEMA will provide adraft After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP)to IEMA within 30 days. Overall, it was an excellenttraining opportunity for all involved.

Volunteers with the American Red Cross register a mock evacueeat the reception center.

Evacuees and emergency workers are screened for radiation asthey walk through a portal monitor upon arrival at the receptioncenter.

Equipment and supplies for the reception center are unloadedupon arrival at the facility.

IEMA hosted the U.S. Department of Energy’sRadiation Specialist week-long course in Springfieldin late September. Thirty individuals from IEMA, theIllinois National Guard, the city of Chicago, theMissouri Department of Public Health, the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources, and the MichiganDepartment of Environmental Quality participated inthe training.

The course is designed totrain participants to be able toanalyze a hazardousmaterials incident involvingradioactive materials todetermine the complexity ofthe problem and potentialoutcomes; plan a responsefor an emergency involvingradioactive material within thecapabilities andcompetencies of availablepersonnel, personalprotective equipment, andcontrol equipment based onan analysis of the radioactivematerial incident; andimplement the plannedresponse to a hazardousmaterials incident involvingradioactive material.

FEMA currently is hosting a series of webinars toprovide information on the recently released NationalIncident Management System (NIMS) refresh.Released on Oct. 17, 2017, this updated doctrinereflects the collective expertise and experience ofstakeholders who provided almost 3,000 commentsover a 30-day national engagement effort in April andMay of 2016.

NIMS provides a common, nationwide approach toenable the whole community to work together tomanage all threats and hazards. NIMS applies to allincidents, regardless of cause, size, location, orcomplexity.

The refreshed NIMS retains key concepts andprinciples from the 2004 and 2008 versions, whileincorporating lessons learned from exercises and real-world incidents, best practices, and changes innational policy.

Download the refreshed NIMS here:www.fema.gov/nims-doctrine-supporting-guides-tools.

FEMA currently is hosting a series of 60-minutewebinars to discuss the updates in the refreshedNIMS and answer questions related to NIMS. Allwebinars are open to the whole community.

Each stakeholder webinar will cover the sameinformation; choose the session most convenient foryou.

Advance registration is required due to spacelimitations. Registration is on a first-come, first-servedbasis. To register, click on your preferred webinarsession from the list below. (Note: four webinars werescheduled before publication of this newsletter.)

Webinar 6: Tuesday, Nov. 7, 10:00 a.m. EST

Webinar 7: Thursday, Nov. 9, 3:00 p.m. EST

Webinar 8: Monday, Nov. 13, 2:00 p.m. EST

Webinar 9: Tuesday, Nov. 21, 10:00 a.m. EST

Webinar 10: Wednesday, Nov. 29, 6:00 p.m. EST

FEMA Offers Webinar Series on NIMS Refresh

SSG Kevin Engelken, 5th Civil Support Team, uses an ionchamber to determine the dose rate of a radiation source.

IEMA Hosts Week-Long Radiation Specialist Course

Harold Osborne, IEMABureau of Radiation Safety,uses a radiological isotopeidentification device toidentify an unknown source.

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Anastasios Deligiannis, Bureau of Nuclear FacilitySafety, and Mike Borcky, Bureau of Operations, wererecently invited to participate in a national RadiologicalEmergency Preparedness (REP) Executive Educationcourse at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center forHomeland Defense and Security in Monterey,California.

Participants in the four-day course represented thevarious partners in the REP program, including FEMA,the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.Department of Energy, utility, state and local REPplanners. Deligiannis said the diverse list of

participants made for a lively exchange of ideas andperspectives on the REP program.

Presentations and discussion topics covered a widerange of issues, including appreciative inquiry,communicating strategically, ethics in decisionmaking, North Korea, the use of data incommunications, current and future threats, and aperspective on emergency management.

The program’s agenda was designed to encourageparticipants to think outside of the box and explorenew ways of making the REP program relevant toemergency management in the 21st century.

Staff Members Participate in Naval Post Graduate School

At 2 a.m. on Sunday,Nov. 5, daylightsaving time will end inthe U.S. The shift intime combined withseasonal changes indaylight will meanthat we spend moretime driving inreduced light anddarkness. Accordingto National SafetyCouncil research, therisk of a fatal crashoccurring is threetimes greater at night.

In a 2005 poll performed by the National SleepFoundation (NSF), 37 percent of adult drivers reportedthat they had fallen asleep while operating a motorvehicle. NSF data indicates that most motor vehiclecrashes and near-misses occur at times when youwould expect drivers to be tired: 4 to 6 a.m., midnightto 2 a.m., and 2 to 4 p.m.

Make sure to get the recommended amount of sleepat night, and make plenty of stops to rest if you’redriving long distances. If you do get drowsy, find asafe place to pull over and take a nap.

Driving in the dark presents many difficulties. Depthperception, color recognition, peripheral vision and

reaction time can allbe reduced orcompromised in low-light conditions. Someindividuals havegreater difficultyseeing at night due toc a t a r a c t s ,degenerative eyediseases and age.

The National SafetyCouncil recommendsthat drivers checkheadlights to ensurethat they are cleanand properly aimed,

dim dashboard lighting, clean windshields, look awayfrom oncoming lights, minimize distractions andreduce speed for limited visibility. Drivers with glassesmay want to consider getting anti-reflective lenses.

Stay alert when driving at night. While most of ourdriving is done during daylight hours, the majority oftraffic deaths occur at night. No matter how familiar itis, the road always becomes more dangerous in thedark. Take extra precautions and get home safe.

(Information for this article was obtained from theNational Sleep Foundation, National Safety Counciland American Optometric Association websites.)

Take Precautions to Drive Safely in Darkness

The Great Central U.S. Shake Out

Fourth graders at Blessed Sacrament School in Springfieldpractice the Drop, Cover and Hold On actions.

Director Joseph talks about the earthquake risk in Illinois tostudents prior to the start of the ShakeOut drill.

Director Joseph recently joined state Sen. Pam Althoff to testifybefore the Illinois Senate Executive Committee on Senate Bill1086. The bill, written by IEMA, allows the Governor to moveavailable state monies to ensure National Guard deploymentscan be funded in relation to a request for assistance through theEmergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Whilefunding issues have been concerns in the past, this was the firsttime a solution was brought to the matter. After the jointtestimony, the measure unanimously passed the Senate and willbe considered by the Illinois House when it returns to Springfieldfor the final week of the fall veto session.

Director Joseph welcomed current and former crew membersof the USS Springfield recently as the group toured of the StateEmergency Operations Center in Springfield

Deputy Director Joe Klinger (third from left) met withNational Weather Service Director Dr. Louis Uccellini (fourthfrom left) and staff from the NWS Lincoln Office whileUccellini was in Illinois to visit NWS personnel. Otherspictured include, from left, Llyle Barker (NWS Lincoln),Ernie Goetsch (NWS Lincoln), Paul Rasch (IEMA) and ChrisMiller (NWS Lincoln).

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State of IllinoisIllinois Emergency Management Agency

For more information on this newsletter, contact:Patti Thompson • Public Information Officer: (217) 557-4756

IOCI 18-0065 10-17 Web

Previous issues of Inside IEMA are available at:http://www.illinois.gov/iema/Info/Pages/Newsletters.aspx.

November is Winter Weather Preparedness MonthAccording to the National Weather Service (NWS),Illinois hasn’t had a winter without at least one winterstorm in the past century. To help people prepare forpotentially dangerous snow, cold and ice this winter,IEMA, the NWS and local emergency managementagencies will highlight winter weather preparednessthroughout November.

Each year, IEMA and the NWS publish a winterweather preparedness guide to help peopleunderstand winter weather risks, along with tips forstaying safe at home, in the car and at school. It alsoincludes lists of suggested items for home and vehicleemergency supply kits.

The guide is available on the Ready Illinois website atwww.Ready.Illinois.gov.

Take time now to prepare your family, home andvehicle for winter.

• Cell phone and charger• Blankets/sleeping bags• Flashlight with extra batteries• First aid kit• Knife• High calorie non-perishable food• Water• Extra clothing to keep dry• Sack of sand or cat litter• Shovel• Windshield scraper and brush• Tool kit• Booster cables• Compass and road maps• Tow rope with loops (avoid chains and hooks if

at all possible)

Winter Storm Survival Kit for Travelers