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The ability of local government to protect life and property in Saline County following or during a disaster could well depend upon how fast any utilities are restored or how soon debris can be removed from the streets. This annex will organize local public works resources in such a manner that they will be able to perform the many tasks that are essential to an effective emergency (disaster) response

• Saline County is subject to many types of hazards (See Basic Plan, Situation and Assumptions). The Public Works section could become involved in any of these and could be asked to perform any of a large number of assignments.

• Public Works services in Saline County are provided through the Saline County Highway Department and seven Special Road Districts. There are also four Public Water Supply Districts serving Saline County. Municipalities within the county provide public works services for their jurisdictions through Water, Sewer, Street, Electric and Sanitation Departments.

• The residents of Saline County and its municipalities are served by several different utility companies - municipal and private. See Appendix 3 to this Annex for a list of these companies.

• Private resources are available in the county to assist in public works activities. Outside resources are available to assist should all local resources become committed.

• "Public Works", for the purposes of this plan, refers to electric, natural gas, water, streets, sewer, sanitation and telephone service.

• Should a major disaster occur, local public works department(s) may not have adequate resources to deal with all potential problems immediately, and will have to assign tasks on a priority basis.

• Local private resources should be adequate to supplement the public resources.

• Outside assistance (state and federal) will respond when called upon but their ability to react may be limited.

• When a disaster occurs, all public works equipment and personnel will be available for response.

• The ultimate responsibility for providing public works services rests with local government, but utility companies play a major role.

• During an emergency, the Public Works Coordinator will coordinate activities with the EOC or the site commander (See Appendix 3 to the Basic Plan, Emergency Control Procedures).

• Following any disaster occurrence, the public works section will be a major participant in the damage assessment activities described in Annex D.

Special procedures that need to be developed

Vulnerabilities in the public works system.

• Public works personnel and volunteer augmentees to be trained to the hazardous material first responder awareness level according to 29CFR 1910-120.

• Review all other annexes of this plan to insure proper coordination of public works activities.

• Develop emergency procedures to include, but not be limited to, the following:

Debris removal	Call-up lists and procedures	Road and bridge repairs
Emergency utility service to critical facilities	Restoration of normal utilities	Damage assessment
Flood control and snow removal	Garbage disposal	Evacuation
Sheltering of personnel and equipment	Support to other agencies

• Develop and maintain mutual aid agreements with private resources that could provide support for public works activities during an emergency.

• Provide emergency backup electrical power to the EOC (or the alternate EOC), if necessary.

• Participate in drills, tests, and exercises, to include critiques and follow-up actions.

• When advised of potential hazards, check status of personnel, equipment, supplies, and facilities, especially those required to deal with the approaching hazard.

• Maintain increased readiness status until the situation escalates or the order to discontinue operations is given.

• Provide support on a priority basis as determined by the EOC or the site commander.

• Restore utility service (electric, water, etc.) to critical and essential facilities as required (i.e., the EOC, hospitals, etc.).

• Clear roads and assist in restoring utilities to facilitate emergency operations.

• Assist in search and rescue operations as required under the direction of the Fire and Rescue service.

• Take steps to protect the water supply and sewage system if threatened by the effects of a hazardous materials incident.

• Supply fuel to the EOC, as well as for any equipment used at the disaster site.

• Following an earthquake, determine the safety of: emergency operations facilities, public shelters, reception and care centers, and evacuation routes.

• Recommend changes in planning, zoning, and building codes to mitigate future disasters.

The organizational chart for the Public Works function is shown in Appendix 1 to this Annex.

• Public Works activities in Saline County will be under the direction and control of the County Commissioners. The Northern and Southern District Commissioners will direct and control activities in their respective Districts.

• The County Highway Supervisor will coordinate the public works activities for Saline County. The Highway Supervisor will advise the County Commissioners on all public works activities.

• The Special Road District Commissioners are responsible for public works activities in their respective Special Road Districts.

• Each municipal public works department will be responsible for such operations in their respective jurisdictions.

• The private utility companies are responsible for the direction and control of the services they provide to their customers. These companies are not under the day-to-day control of the county and city governments.

• Each Public Works Coordinator will locate to the EOC and operate from there. Public Works personnel in the field will keep the EOC informed of their activities.

• Outside resources will be under the direct control of their own supervisors, but will be deployed by the EOC and assigned missions by the site commanders.

• The line of succession for the Saline County public works function will be from the County Commissioners (as explained in the Basic Plan) through the County Highway Supervisor.

• The line of succession for each Special Road District will be through their respective Special Road District Commissioners.

• The line of succession for each municipal public works department will be according to their established standard operating procedures.

• Emergency operations for Saline County will be conducted from the EOC. If the EOC becomes inoperable or unusable, an alternate EOC would be utilized (see Annex A, Direction and Control).

• Overall administration of Public Works services will be by normal day-to-day procedures.

• Additional resources for this function will be requested through Direction and Control (Resource and Supply, Annex G).

• Normal hiring procedures for hiring outside contractors can be circumvented, but only when authorized in writing by the chief elected official present.

• Public Works services 'must provide necessary logistical support for food, emergency power, fuel, etc., for response personnel during emergency operations. In most situations, however, the Resource and Supply Section (Annex G) will be available to assist with supply matters.

• It is the responsibility of the Saline County Public Works Coordinator(s) and the County Emergency Management Coordinator to maintain this functional annex. They will participate in regularly conducted drills and exercises and incorporate the results into the annex.