RPG Status and Plans

RPG status and draft guidance for Coordinators, 5/7/21

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Discussion among RPG and RVM administration representatives have arrived at the following understandings:

The developing RVM emergency preparation plan will be available within 2-3 months.

It is expected that residents will help in an emergency and cooperate with RVM response activities.

Residents will be able to participate in RVM emergency response training after the staff gets initial training.

The question of resident information and emergency databases is under discussion.  RVM is prohibited from sharing some kinds of data that are obviously important to emergency preparations and responses.  The questions of how data needed by RPG should be collected, maintained and protected are part of the overall resident database considerations of the Technical Committee (Ron Constable and Butch Finley, co-chairs).  Dan Wagner has been assembling and coordinating RPG input on data needs, and is acting as interface with the Technical Committee.

RVM has contracted for an emergency management application (app) produced by Belfor Corp. The product has been reviewed, but not yet acquired or implemented.  Its use to manage communications and operations in an emergency will probably require some revisions of current RPG plans involving the Incident Commander, Building Coordinators, and communication protocols.  Discussions are ongoing.

Other matters under discussion include the need for training and evaluation to maintain an effective group of resident coordinators, and the question of what sort of first aid capabilities should be adopted and supported.

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RPG has received the hand-held radios ordered for the coordinator network.  These have been charged and programmed for use according to network design.  They are being released to Area/Building coordinators for distribution to the neighborhood/Floor coordinators.  Familiarization and training protocols have been developed and are described below.

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DRAFT COORDINATOR GUIDANCE

The following material is intended to provide a context for the description of training in radio use, and a framework for development of an operation manual as the questions discussed above are resolved

The RPG Coordinator organization:  Purposes

The primary purpose of the RPG is communication, and specifically communication related to emergency and disaster effects on residents.  No matter how sophisticated technical communication mechanisms may be, there is no substitute for direct human communication in transmitting information and determining whether it has been received and understood.

Four communications types and purposes can be identified.

1. Acquaintanceship and community building – coordinators need to be familiar with the residents in their neighborhoods, floors, or areas, and to understand both special needs and special abilities in terms of emergency or disaster response.
2. Preparedness – coordinators can assist residents in understanding needs for emergency/disaster preparedness and in making appropriate preparations.
3. Communication to residents – coordinators provide back-up and verification channels of communication for critical information from RVM to residents (e.g., evacuation preparation status.).
4. Communication from or about residents – in the case of a major disaster (e.g., Cascadia earthquake) coordinators will self-activate to assess damage and injuries in their areas of responsibility, and transmit the information to the Incident Commander through the established radio communication channels.

Other purposes, such as first aid and community support in the aftermath of a disaster, are important but secondary to the primary communication role.

Communication Training and System Operation

Hand-held radios are being distributed to coordinators.  Training in use will have three components.

1. Basic use and maintenance – charging, turn-on, transmission reception.
2. Regular “social” use to develop familiarity and comfort in operation.
3. Training exercises to practice the discipline and protocol of emergency use.

The training exercises will also test and develop the linkages between Area/Building coordinators and the communication center/Incident Commander.

Emergency Protocols

In parallel with the radio training, disaster response operating procedures will be developed to provide consistent and reliable responses in emergency situations.