| SEMS
was created by a state law enacted after the devastating Oakland
Fire Storm in the mid l990's. Its purpose is to strengthen mutual
aid response and facilitate different units of government in working
together.
SEMS
is applicable to five jurisdictional levels: State, Region,
Operational Area, Local, Field; and has five major elements:
1. Incident Command System (ICS) 2. Multi-agency or inter-agency
coordination 3. The State's Mutual Aid Program 4. Operational
Areas 5. The Operational Area Satellite Information System
(OASIS)
SEMS
is required for managing response to multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction
emergencies in California. State agencies must use SEMS. Local
governments must use SEMS to be eligible for state funding
of certain response-related personnel costs.
When
an Operational Area (OA) activates its Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) in response to an emergency to any of its Cities,
Districts or the County, so must the State (via its Regions).
An
Emergency Operations Center (or Incident Command Post in the
field) must have its staff organized by the five functions
of the Incident Command System.
Other
impacts and requirements of include incorporation of SEMS into
all plans, training and exercises, and documentation of the
use of SEMS in planning, training, exercises and actual emergencies.
SEMS also led to the development of the Response Information
Management System (RIMS).
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