Audit documents
Why this audit is important
The Metro region is vulnerable to natural and human-made hazards. Metro has a variety of operations that span three counties. To deal with emergencies, organizations and governments use emergency management. We reviewed four recent emergency incidents to see whether Metro's approach covered the basic elements of emergency management.
Curtis Perry/flicker Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
What we found
Metro's response was ad-hoc and did not cover many of the basic elements of emergency management. However, the impact of the four incidents we reviewed were not severe. Because of this, and because of the experience and initiative of Metro employees, the effects of missing the basic elements were relatively minor.
Metro
We determined that Metro was able to respond well to these incidents overall. However, we saw opportunities for improvement for managing emergencies. Metro needed a more formal structure to be prepared for severe multi-facility emergencies or disasters. We noted progress on the development of a disaster debris management plan and a continuity plan for solid waste.
Source: Metro Auditor’s Office analysis of documents and interviews related to incidents
We determined that Metro was able to respond well to these incidents overall. However, we saw opportunities for improvement for managing emergencies. Metro needed a more formal structure to be prepared for severe multi-facility emergencies or disasters. We noted progress on the development of a disaster debris management plan and a continuity plan for solid waste.
What we recommend
We made recommendations for Metro to clarify roles, responsibilities and authority, and to formalize administrative procedures. We also recommended Metro plan for continuity of operations, and develop an inventory of emergency resources, backup communication system, and notification system(s) to cover all employees.