August 2019
Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency │Director’s Emergency Checklist Document Maintained by HI-EMA Training Manager
DIRECTOR’S EMERGENCY CHECKLIST
The following checklist is intended for use by Department Directors when an emergency or incident
has occurred or is threatening to occur.
IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS
REF. FOR MORE INFO
1. Gather initial incident information from department SERT
members.
Incident type and location
Known or threatened impacts
Is the SEOC activated and if department representatives need to report
EMO is short for Emergency
Management Officer.
SEOC is short for the State
Emergency Operations Center.
SERT is short for the State
Emergency Response Team.
2. Verify the EMO has initiated departmental notifications.
SESF representatives
Other departmental leadership
Other department emergency response workers and/or staff identified
in departmental plans
Key external vendors or partners
Internal notifications may vary
based on the nature of the
incident and internal
procedures documented in the
Departmental Emergency
Operations Plan (EOP).
3. Determine actual/threatened impacts to the department
Personnel
Property or Worksites
Equipment
Essential Functions
Non-Essential Functions
4. Direct implementation of safety actions to protect staff, the
public, property or equipment as applicable.
5. Determine if the Department Operations Center (DOC) should
be activated.
6. Adjust or cancel non-essential department operations or events,
as appropriate.
7. Determine appropriate staffing schedules, reporting, leave, and
return to work plans, as appropriate.
August 2019
Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency │Director’s Emergency Checklist Document Maintained by HI-EMA Training Manager
IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS
REF. FOR MORE INFO
8. Assess needs and commit departmental resources and staffing
to support the SEOC and continuity of essential agency
functions.
Identify current resources available/needed
Anticipate/Identify gaps in resources available/needed
Provide direction on addressing resource shortfalls
9. Assign additional departmental staff to emergency duties, as
required.
10. Direct dissemination of the incident information to all staff:
Type of incident
Known or threatened impacts
Safety actions employees should take or consider
Impacts or adjustments to department operations or scheduled
activities
Alterations to work schedules
Emergency policies or procedures in effect
Key staff assigned to manage emergency operations
Expectations of all staff in supporting incident response
Policy for personnel unable or unwilling to support the response
11. As appropriate, direct the release of public information, and
ensure coordination of messaging with the SEOC:
Impacts to department operations or services
Emergency activities underway
Available resources or guidance
12. Verify that an initial damage assessment of department
property and equipment is underway.
13. Direct administrative staff to track all disaster-related expenses.
Hours worked
Overtime wages
Emergency contracts
Materials/equipment
Refer to State Department
Director Guide document:
Information Sharing and
Resource Requests During
State EOC (SEOC)
Activations
August 2019
Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency │Director’s Emergency Checklist Document Maintained by HI-EMA Training Manager
ONGOING ACTION ITEMS
REF. FOR MORE INFO
1. Receive incident updates from SERT members.
2. Verify with the EMO that the agency is regularly providing
required information to the SEOC.
Submission of daily Department and SESF Situation Reports
Real-time updates on key department and SESF emergency activities
or impacts
Damage information
Cost information
Refer to State Department
Director Guide document:
Information Sharing and
Resource Requests During
State EOC (SEOC)
Activations
3. Participate in the Governor’s Policy group or other meetings of
Senior Officials, as requested.
4. Activate any emergency aid programs or services the
department manages.
5. Monitor impacts on department staff and operations and cancel
or restore non-essential functions, as appropriate.
6. Monitor the department’s emergency-related expenses and
ensure tracking and reporting are ongoing.
7. Verify a full damage assessment has been conducted of all
agency facilities/property and reported to the SEOC and
relevant staff.
Refer to State Department
Director Guide document:
Information Sharing and
Resource Requests During
State EOC (SEOC)
Activations
8. Assign staff to work with the SEOC on determining eligibility for
reimbursement of emergency work and repair costs through the
FEMA Public Assistance Program (if activated).
Refer to Public Assistance
Fact Sheet:
https://www.fema.gov/media-
library/assets/documents/90743
9. Advise the Attorney General’s Office on the continued need for
suspension of statutes or regulations to facilitate departmental
response operations.
10. Monitor public information needs or media relations concerns
and direct additional messaging or outreach as required.
11. Provide regular updates to all staff on the status of emergency
operations and work schedules.
12. Ensure information on recovery resources disseminated by the
SEOC are shared with all personnel impacted by the incident.