Logistics Planning: Routing and Roadblocks

1. Logistics Planning:Routing and Roadblocks Presented by Jaye Compton, Washington Emergency Management Division Gretchen Martinsen, US Army Corps of Engineers Randy Weaver, Washington Dept. of Labor & Industries Tony Cebollero, King County Office of Emergency Management

2. Determine the Destination • Where do you need to be? • Resource Acquisition • Distribution Plan • Staging Area Development • Mutual Aid • Reference tools for future staff

3. A Look Ahead • What will be needed to get there? • Workgroup participants • Expertise and experience • Observation • Training • Testing • Throughout it all – Communication!

4. Develop a Roadmap • How will you get there? • Plan for the plan • Intermediate goals and objectives • Deliverables • Timeline • Participants • Develop “Information Paper” as a roadmap

5. Collect Your Vehicles • Who do you need to bring onboard? • Subject Matter Experts • Representatives of support agencies • Affected organizations and individuals • What tools are needed? • Distribution list • Conference calls or Video Teleconferencing (VTC) • Meeting space • Training classes

6. Solicit Input on Routing • Communicate where you’re going, how you plan to get there, and ask for input from the group. • Use the “information paper” to solicit input • Get input on goals, objectives, and timeline prior to first meeting • Number and date versions for clarity

7. Get Your Convoy Moving! • Begin to develop your processes • Discuss group participation expectations up front • Information prior to, during and following each meeting • Actively engage participants between meetings • Listen to participants and be willing to accept ideas other than your own

8. Don’t Stop at Dead Ends • If a process will not work, drop it. • Protocol limitations • Manual vs. electronic processes • Technology changes • Lack of funding

9. Build Bridges • Create something new to accomplish the task. • Remember something old to others may be new to you and vice versa • Tracking spreadsheets and other documents • Command and control system • Relationships • Mutual aid agreements

10. Go Around Obstacles • Change direction for awhile when necessary to keep moving ahead. • Obtain additional expertise • Gather more information • Develop a new tool • Invite additional participation or build new relationships • Skip to the next phase and return later

11. Slow Down in Stormy Weather • Take your time with the more difficult processes. • Timelines are estimates, not rules • Events may overcome planning meetings • Some processes will invoke more discussion than anticipated • New information may require processing time • You only have so many hours in a busy day to write or develop supporting documents

12. Check the Road for Hazards • Periodically look at what you’ve done as it applies to what’s coming up – give it a logic test. • All processes should be building blocks toward the final product • Consolidation of similar or parallel processes may be possible • May need to bridge elements of the plan that are left hanging

13. Communicate Route Changes • Communication is key throughout the process. • Communication reinforces the importance of the project • Meeting date changes and why • Timeline alteration • Additional topics or processes needed • Address non-participation

14. Don’t Stop If a Vehicle Drops Out • Keep moving ahead is you lose a group member – they may rejoin and catch up later. • Send them updates offline to obtain their input on appropriate processes.

15. Allow The Convoy to Grow • Continually look for new people and tools who can benefit the group – and benefit from joining. • Actively recruit expertise at conferences and events • Invite affected individuals to provide their voice • You may be missing the one set of eyes that can see a potential problem • Workgroups are networking opportunities

16. Watch Out for Pirates! • Don’t allow interference to completely destroy the process. • Manage the flow of information – keep participants on the route • Some folks like to play “devil’s advocate” • Management priority conflicts will arise • Some will underestimate the group’s ability • Allow other activities to delay progress, but not completely derail it • Communicate with participants at all times

17. When You Have Arrived… • Review the route again – check the early processes based on later developments. • Forms and processes developed early on may need to be adjusted based on later findings • Did you miss an important stop enroute? • Are any tools missing from the plan? • Is the plan well organized and readable?

18. Check for Site Hazards at the Destination • Test your processes for viability and adjust as necessary. • Small scale exercise • Use all players during exercise • Get input on results from workgroup or SMEs

19. Share the Route and Destination • Provide the benefit of your experience to others. • Become an SME • Train and/or brief others • Let them have your plan electronically • It won’t be plagiarism if they have your permission.

20. YOU HAVE ARRIVED! • But continue to check for hazards periodically – don’t let the plan sit. • Embed processes in upcoming planned exercises • Continue to note and improve any problem areas • Reconvene workgroup to discuss updates annually or semi-annually.

21. Helpful Links • Washington State Emergency Management Division • http://emd.wa.gov • US Army Corps of Engineers • http://www.usace.army.mil/ • https://eportal.usace.army.mil/sites/ENGLink/default.aspx • Department of Labor & Industries • http://www.lni.wa.gov/ • King County Office of Emergency Management • http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/prepare.aspx

22. Questions?

23. Contacts Jaye Compton Washington Emergency Management Division (253) 512-7097 – j.compton@emd.wa.gov Gretchen Martinsen US Army Corps of Engineers (206) 909-7941 – gretchen.l.martinsen@usace.army.mil Randy Weaver Washington Dept. of Labor & Industries (360) 415-4018 – wear235@lni.wa.gov Tony Cebollero King County Office of Emergency Management (206) 205-4059 – anthony.cebollero@kingcounty.gov