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Policy Issue on Emergency Management  2009 PPSA/LORL, PA House of Reps. ISSN 0890-2410

Regional Response to All-Hazards Events:
A Commonwealth Perspective

Gregory G. Noll, CSP, CHMM
South Central Task Force

Program Manager

Events of the past five years have illustrated the need to develop
partnerships beyond one=s contiguous borders. While state and federal
resources will ultimately respond, the reality is that there will be a
substantial gap between when those resources are requested and when
they become operationally engaged. The challenge for all communities is
how to fill that void until the “cavalry arrives.”

The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the South
Central Task Force (SCTF) and its role in developing and implementing
a regional-based organization within a commonwealth form of state
government to meet the “all-hazards” needs posed by today=s emergency
preparedness challenges.

Background

SCTF is one of nine regional counter-terrorism task forces originally
formed in 1997 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to coordinate
local and regional efforts in response to acts of terrorism. In 2002,
further authorities were granted under Pennsylvania’s Counterterrorism
Planning, Preparedness and Response Act 227-2002.

SCTF encompasses an eight-county region, covering an area of
approximately 5,200 square miles and a population of over 1.7 million.
The region includes the state capital of Pennsylvania, three metropolitan
areas with populations exceeding 250,000, and the center of the
Commonwealth’s agriculture industry. Perry County, the smallest and
most rural county, was the site where the 1993 World Trade Center
bombers tested their explosive devices before the actual attack. Although
it is not a DHS Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) region, regional



18 REGIONAL RESPONSE TO ALL-HAZARDS EVENTS: A COMMONWEALTH
PERSPECTIVE

threats, risks and response requirements are also influenced by its
proximity to the Philadelphia and Baltimore metropolitan areas.

Pennsylvania is a commonwealth form of government, which results
in a myriad of local, town, city, and township governmental jurisdictions.
Within the south central region, there are 312 municipalities. Over 90%
of fire/rescue organizations are volunteer-based, including the hazardous
materials and Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)/technical rescue units.
In contrast, the emergency medical services community is in the midst of
shifting from a volunteer-based system to a career-based system. Finally,
over 75% of the police departments have fewer than five officers. The
following summarizes the SCTF regional response community:

$ Fire/Rescue Departments = 326

$ Police Departments = 143

$ Emergency Medical Services (BLS) Agencies = 104

$ Emergency Medical Services (ALS) Agencies = 31

$ Hospitals = 16

$ Special Operations Units [i.e., Tactical Teams (6), HazMat Response
Units (6), US&R/Technical Rescue Companies (6)] = 18

The Regional Task Force Concept

Within Pennsylvania, the nine regional task forces serve as the
regional point-of-contact for the distribution of all Department of
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and Law Enforcement
Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) grant funds. The Pennsylvania
State Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) functions as the State
Administrative Authority (SAA), and allocates the grant funds to the
nine regional task forces. Each respective task force is then responsible
for the development of a regional homeland security strategy and
response plan that is consistent with both federal and state guidance.

The mission of SCTF is: 1) to foster and advance the capabilities of
public safety providers, elected officials and other stakeholders
throughout the region to protect lives and social/economic infrastructure
from terrorist threats or incidents; and 2) to take a leadership role in the



Gregory G. Noll 19

development of a comprehensive regional counter-terrorism program that
addresses planning, prevention, response, and recovery issues.

While the legislative basis for SCTF is primarily based upon
terrorism-related risks, the Task Force has followed an Aall-hazards@
planning strategy since its inception. SCTF strategic priorities and
objectives are consistent with HSPD-8 B National Preparedness Goal
(March, 2005) and the 2003 Pennsylvania Homeland Security Strategy.
SCTF has conducted formal homeland security threat assessment
processes in both 1999 and 2003, with the next threat assessment
tentatively scheduled for 2007.

From a strategic perspective, SCTF exists to coordinate and facilitate
the development of regional solutions to regional problems and response
scenarios that may exceed the capability of local government agencies. It
does not have any command and control authority, and there is no
mandate for any agency or organization to participate in the regional
process. As a result, SCTF must continuously Amarket and sell@ the
benefits of participating in the regional concept.

The Players

SCTF membership can be broken into three categories: the executive
committee; liaison members; and SCTF participating agencies,
organizations and individuals. A contract program manager is
responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of Task
Force activities, and another contractor serves as the exercise
coordinator.

Executive Committee. SCTF is governed by an Executive Committee
consisting of the Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) from each
county within the Task Force. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson
must be state-certified EMC=s and are elected by the Executive
Committee. All decisions are based upon a majority vote process.

Liaison Members. These representatives are from state or federal
agencies that support or are involved in Task Force activities. Primary
government agencies with a liaison to the Task Force include:

 PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)

 PA Department of Agriculture (DOA)

 PA Department of Corrections (DOC)



20 REGIONAL RESPONSE TO ALL-HAZARDS EVENTS: A COMMONWEALTH
PERSPECTIVE

 PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

 PA Department of Health (DOH)

 PA State Police (PSP)

 PA Wing, Civil Air Patrol

 PA National Guard, 3rd Civil Support Team (CST)

 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Harrisburg Office

 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF),
Harrisburg Office

 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Philadelphia
Office, Office of Infrastructure Protection

 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Participating Agencies. This is where the actual “work” is accomplished
and includes public, private and volunteer agencies, organizations and
individuals who fall into one of the following categories:

1. SCTF Subcommittee or Working Group member, including:

$ Business, Industry and Infrastructure Subcommittee

$ Communications Subcommittee

$ Criminal Justice Subcommittee, including the Tactical Team
Working Group

$ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Subcommittee

$ Equipment Subcommittee and Technology Working Group

$ Fire, Rescue and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, including
the HazMat Chiefs Working Group

$ Hospital Subcommittee

$ Training Subcommittee and Exercise Working Group

2. Agency or organization provided with SCTF-acquired resources
which agrees to be available for regional mutual aid responses.

3. Individuals serving on SCTF discipline-specific units, Strike Teams
or Task forces.



Gregory G. Noll 21

Concept of Operations

SCTF activities are based upon the following strategic planning
assumptions:

1. Any regional response must build upon the elements of mutual aid
used on a daily basis.

2. Although the primary focus of SCTF is directed towards terrorism
planning and response, where possible all equipment acquired
through DHS grant funds shall have a “dual use” or “all hazards”
capability.

3. Local response agencies will likely be “on their own” for the initial
24 hours before substantial state resources and up to 96 hours before
substantial federal resources will arrive.

4. SCTF planning, procurement and response policies and decisions
will be based upon “regional” needs and perspectives vs. “local”
perspectives.

5. Emphasis shall be placed upon implementing policy changes that can
be institutionalized or will have long-term benefits in the event that
current funding streams are terminated.

The SCTF regional concept of operations is based upon providing
regional-based mutual aid for large-scale events that exceed the
capabilities of local resources prior to the arrival of state and federal
response assets. This concept of operations is primarily based upon the
deployment of specialized regional response teams.

Under Pennsylvania Act 227, the Counter-Terrorism Regional Task
Forces are required to establish “Y specialized regional counter-terrorism
response teams” that can be deployed in the event of a major event.
Deployment of these teams builds upon the basic concepts of mutual aid,
and provides a logical framework by which regional-based resources can
provide assistance to local jurisdictions when an event exceeds their
capabilities.

SCTF specialized response teams include the following:

$ Incident Support Team B Type 4 Incident Management Team
(IMT)

$ Law Enforcement Strike Teams (LEST)



22 REGIONAL RESPONSE TO ALL-HAZARDS EVENTS: A COMMONWEALTH
PERSPECTIVE

$ Decontamination Strike Teams

$ Hospital Decon Strike Teams

$ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Task Forces

$ Special Operations Units, including five Hazardous Materials
Response Teams certified to Pennsylvania Act 165 requirements,
six Tactical Teams, technical rescue companies, and
Pennsylvania US&R Company 1, which is an in-state component
of the Pennsylvania Task Force 1 federal urban search and
rescue team.

Accomplishments

The drive to establish a regional planning and response organization
has been a significant challenge. Some of our accomplishments include:

1. Recognition of the Business, Industry and Infrastructure (BI&I)
Subcommittee by its peers as the first Pennsylvania Regional Task
Force that has successfully addressed coordination with the private
sector on a regional basis. Since its inception in 2003, the
Subcommittee has doubled in size and includes representation from
eight critical infrastructure/key resource (CI/KR) sectors. During the
2005B2006 legislative session, the BI&I Subcommittee worked with
Pennsylvania House legislators to introduce the Critical
Infrastructure Tax Credit Bill, to provide tax credit incentives for
private sector investment for security enhancements by critical
infrastructure industries.

2. Implemented the Decon Strike Team concept, under which 37 fire
department engine companies have been trained and are capable of
initiating mass decontamination operations. These units can be
deployed individually as a Decon Company to an incident or a
hospital to provide decon support, or as a Decon Strike Team (five
Decon Companies operating under the direction of a Strike Team
Leader who is trained to the Hazardous Materials Technician level).

3. Implemented the concept of the SCTF Incident Management Team
(IMT), which is typed as a Type 4 IMT under the NIMS resource
typing standard. During the past year, the IMT has been deployed to
provide support for the Northeastern Pennsylvania June floods, to a



Gregory G. Noll 23

major hazardous materials train derailment in Hershey,
Pennsylvania, to the Nickel Mines Amish school shooting in
October, and in January worked with the Pennsylvania Type 3 IMT
to provide support for the Pennsylvania Farm Show Exposition.

4. Conducted a major field exercise (Wide Vigilance) that tested and
validated the regional concept of operations. The exercise included
response operations at three major field locations approximately 20
miles apart from each other (Letterkenny Army Depot, New
Cumberland Army Depot, Fort Indiantown Gap), medical activities
at all 16 regional hospitals, the activation of eight county Emergency
Operations Centers (EOC), the establishment of a Regional multi-
agency coordination center (MACC), and the processing of
approximately 500 victims.

5. The 16 hospitals in the South Central Region have implemented an
aggressive program to enhance their individual and collective
capabilities. Key accomplishments include:

$ Enacted formal Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) among
all 16 hospitals.

$ Developed a Regional Hospital Response Plan.

$ Implemented a uniform hazmat training curriculum that is used
by all 16 hospitals.

$ Used both DHS and U.S. Health and Human Services - Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant funding
streams, increasing the surge capacity of regional hospitals.

$ Established a pharmaceutical cache for emergency response
personnel.

$ Conducted over 20 tabletop exercises so that each hospital could
exercise its plans, policies and procedures to respond to a
terrorist incident causing a mass casualty event. These exercises
were conducted in preparation for the October field exercise
previously noted.

6. In 2006, approximately 3,800 students attended training courses
coordinated and funded by SCTF, and delivered by SCTF-related
agencies.



24 REGIONAL RESPONSE TO ALL-HAZARDS EVENTS: A COMMONWEALTH
PERSPECTIVE

7. Delivered a series of seven Local Elected Officials Workshops to
familiarize local and county elected officials with the regional
concept, the role of SCTF, the process by which DHS grants
management and procurement decisions are made, and to respond to
their questions.

8. Delivered the Third Annual Homeland Security Conference that is
designed to bring all of the various response disciplines together and
facilitate their networking in an educational setting. The Conference
brings together over 300 attendees annually.

The Task Force has received several awards for its efforts to
establish a regional-based capability, including the International
Association of Emergency Management (IAEM) 2006 Interagency
Disaster Preparedness Award, the U.S. EPA Region 3 Partnership
Award, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional All-Hazards Forum 2006
Regional Readiness Achievement Award.

The Future

SCTF has made substantial progress in developing a regional “all-
hazards” planning, response and recovery capability. However, many
challenges remain including:

1. Managing the day-to-day business of emergency management
and response while trying to facilitate the development of a
regional concept requires good people, hard work and good
balance. In reality, there is no separate SCTF. The Task Force
actually consists of numerous local and county-based agencies and
organizations who have agreed to work together for the benefit of the
collective eight county region. In simple terms, they simultaneously
wear a “local hat” and a “regional hat.” In addition, most of the
actual work performed at the “task level” is accomplished by
individuals who already have a “full-plate.”

2. The Regional Task Force concept is a “work in progress” and
continues to lack authority in different areas. While significant
improvements have been made, the last five years have demonstrated
the need for additional state legislative action to address Task Force
gaps in mutual aid legal protections, workman compensation, and
insurance protection. In addition, there currently exists no state



Gregory G. Noll 25

mechanism for funding emergency responses to large-scale regional
incidents and events that exceed local capabilities.

3. SCTF is currently a “people dependent” organization and if the
regional concept is to grow and sustain itself, it must become a
“system dependent” organization. SCTF is fortunate to have a
cadre of highly motivated stakeholders who collectively desire to
make a difference in both their organization and in the region.
However, the long-term success of the regional concept of operations
will be dependent upon our ability to “institutionalize” the regional
response concept, so that it is ultimately viewed as a routine part of
our business in the emergency management and response
communities.

4. Despite our successes, an objective assessment would show that
numerous agencies and organizations have not yet been “sold”
on the benefits of a regional approach. The SCTF Leadership
Team continues to move forward with the large number of agencies
and organizations who are willing to embrace the concept and the
collective benefits it brings to the citizens of South Central
Pennsylvania. While we consistently market the advantages that
regionalization can bring, we have also made a conscious decision to
not allow our failures to stop the forward movement of regional
partnerships. Our philosophy is simple B get on the train, get off the
train, or get run over by the train.

5. The regional concept of operations must be continually marketed
and validated to all of our stakeholders. Key elements in this
process include: (a) continued movement from the Pennsylvania Act
227 and DHS Homeland Security grant program terrorism focus to
an all hazards perspective; (b) supporting the continued growth and
maturation of all SCTF subcommittees, Strike Teams and related
components; and (c) an aggressive and value-added county and
regional training and exercise program.

6. Adoption of a common incident management framework is the
foundation for any successful regional response. If SCTF-acquired
equipment is the equivalent of “emergency response hardware,” then
adoption, training and implementation of the National Incident
Management System (NIMS) is the “emergency response software
package” that provides the foundation for an effective regional



26 REGIONAL RESPONSE TO ALL-HAZARDS EVENTS: A COMMONWEALTH
PERSPECTIVE

response. While we have made significant strides in facilitating the
regional adoption of NIMS, additional work remains.

7. Increased efforts are required to fully integrate volunteer
agencies and organizations on a regional basis. While there have
been substantial efforts to integrate and coordinate with volunteer
agencies at the county level, efforts to facilitate the collaboration of
these agencies at the regional level have been “hit or miss.”


