Tree Emergency Plan Worksheet For: Urban and Community Foresters, Community Leaders, Public Works and Parks Departments, Planners, Councils, and other Public Officials

1. Early Warning System/Weather Forecasting Service - Use an early warning procedure to enhance mitigation: communicate with the National Weather Service, a consulting meteorological firm, a designated television weather channel, or the local police department. With a procedure in place, you should have at least three hours of lead time before most tree damaging weather strikes.

Staff Lead:

Contact Name:
Address:
Phone:
Mobile:
FAX:

Email:

Web Site

Description of services provided: 2. Local Emergency Manager - Lead contact for a community and responsible for emergency planning and response activities.

Name:		Phone:
		Mobile:

3. Public Relations Coordinator - This is the individual responsible for primary public relations, media contacts, citizen information and communications about the natural disaster. (Must have full knowledge of damage, community issues and capabilities, and be able to make decisions.)

Name:		Phone:
		Mobile:

Alternates:

Name:		Phone:
		Mobile:

Name:		Phone:
		Mobile:

4. Disaster Planning and Response Team Members: Your team should include: mayor, selected department heads including specialists in public relations and purchasing, public works specialists (streets, wood utilization and disposal, fleet manager), utilities, parks department, other local government heads, meteorologist, local emergency managers. Include creative people on your team that can think beyond barriers that may be up. Get media involved in planning so they understand what your cleanup priorities are after a storm. Someone involved with public tree management should be part of the community emergency management team. It is critical to include individuals who can make fiscal and administrative decisions because this team will most likely serve in the storm operations command center.

Name:	Role/Responsibility:
1.	Mayor
2.	Fire Chief
3.	Director of Public Works
4.	Utility Representative
5.	Public Relations Representative
6.	City Council
7.	County Emergency Management
8.	Police Chief
9.	Director of Parks
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18
19.
20.

5. Available Disaster Response Staff and Crews: Identify and list all municipal staff and crews available for disaster response work. Consider forestry and parks departments, public works, engineering, streets and sanitation, etc. Where possible, establish teams that can be responsible for specific disaster response activities (primary route clearing, assistance to utility crews, manage debris staging sites, distribute equipment, etc.)

Staff Name:	Role/Responsibility:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18
19.
20.
21.

6. Emergency Call Out Procedure - phone contact tree for staff.

Name:		Will Contact -	Name::
			Phone::
			Mobile::
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
Name		Will Contact -	Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:

Name:		Will Contact -	Name::
			Phone::
			Mobile::
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
Name		Will Contact -	Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:
			Name:
			Phone:
			Mobile:

7. Primary transportation and evacuation corridors and routes for emergency vehicles. Identify and map for reference. Have map available and accessible, and review and update annually. 8. Critical power transmission corridor restoration sites (medical treatment centers). Identify and map for reference. Have map available and accessible, and review and update annually. 9. Identify who is responsible for decision making and priority response setting for multiple life threatening situations.

Name:		Phone:
Pager:		Mobile:

10. Tree Damage Clean-up Priorities - List areas that need attention after life threatening situations are abated. Share this information with key staff the will be answering phone calls from residents, businesses, etc. Create a work order form for use when receiving calls. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11. Procedure for Debris Staging and Removal - Identify several areas for staging and processing debris. Establish a contract or agreement securing each site. Choose a processing site that is large, flat, well-drained and accessible to roads that can support truck weights of at least 9 tons per axle. Identify ways to protect significant trees or cultural resources during processing. Potential sites include undeveloped park, industrial, cemetery, fairgrounds, agency and state land. Large parking lots (even paved lots) work well. Remember to consider noise implications near residential areas. Identify multiple sites. Annually reconfirm access and availability to these sites. Make sure the site is large enough for safety considerations (flying debris from tub grinders), if possible, identify sites that can be secured (fencing).

Site 1 - Location:
Contact Name/Role:
Phone:		Mobile:

Site 2 - Location:
Contact Name/Role:
Phone:		Mobile:

Site 3 - Location:
Contact Name/Role:
Phone:		Mobile:

12. Debris and Brush Removal from Private Property - Identify how you will address this issue. A major storm makes it difficult for private property owners to remove brush and debris. Make a decision at the municipal level allowing for debris collection. Determine if your city has adequate equipment and staff available to accomplish this often enormous task. It is critical that you provide guidelines for residents. Specify the types, amounts and piling arrangement of the materials that you will accept. Cities can also assist private homeowners who must contract with private companies for trimming and removal by preparing a list of companies that are licenced, professionally trained and insured.

Person Responsible:

Phone:

Mobile:

Minor Storm Policy: Major Storm Policy: Listing of available tree care companies: 13. Identify Wood Utilization Options - Develop a list of companies and resources that can process the wood material generated from storm damage. When possible, establish a contract for utilization services.

Wood Utilization Contract:	Company/Organization:
Phone:	Mobile:
Utilization Service Contract: Yes / No
Description of Service:

Wood Utilization Contract:	Company/Organization:
Phone:	Mobile:
Utilization Service Contract: Yes / No
Description of Service:

14. Equipment Listing (available in-house) - Develop a list of public works and parks department equipment and vehicles available for tree clean up work. Keep it current. Include wood chippers, aerial bucket trucks, refuse packers, loaders, supervisory vehicles, chain saws, barricade and lighting equipment, hand saws and pole pruners on the list.

Person Responsible:

Phone:		Mobile:

Equipment Available	Quantity	Department/Contact

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

15. Additional Equipment and Assistance Sources - In an emergency, your city administrator may authorize the lease or rental of additional equipment for storm clean-up work. Make a list of potential vendors and keep it current. For certain equipment and assistance needs, it is critical to establish an emergency contract. Guaranteed access to large tub grinders and multiple additional tree trimming crews would be services to guarantee via an emergency contract. The city administrator may also authorize tree contractors to supplement city crews. Assemble a list of licensed and insured potential tree service contractors. Your neighbor cities may be unaffected by a storm that strikes your city. Establish a system to contact neighbor cities that could send staff and equipment to assist you in cleaning up your city.

Person Responsible:

Phone:		Mobile:

Equipment Available	Quantity	Department/Contact

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Emergency Contract:
Organization:	Contact Name:
Phone:	Mobile:

Emergency Contract:
Organization:	Contact Name:
Phone:	Mobile:

Emergency Contract:
Organization:	Contact Name:
Phone:	Mobile:

16. Staff, Crew Organization and Equipment Needs - In an emergency, staff members may need to lead crews from other departments or of private contractors. Determine staff who can function in this manner.

Name	Crew#	Equipment Needed

17. Individual(s) Responsible for Record Keeping - This person does documentation and cost accounting during and after disasters. Note - define a specific accounting code for each storm event. If you define a specific code for each storm event, it will allow for effective accounting.

Name:	Phone:
	Mobile:
Name:	Phone:
	Mobile:

Storm Accounting Code: 18. Individual(s) Responsible for Damage Assessment and Damage Survey Reports - This person is familiar with FEMA and Division of Emergency Management procedures and prepares the reports needed for public assistance.

Name:	Phone:
	Mobile:
Name:	Phone:
	Mobile:

19. Disaster Budget (identify potential activities to anticipate costs) Personnel Regular Time: Overtime: Equipment Owned: Equipment Contracted: Contracted Work: Operational Supplies: Disposal/Recycling: Administrative Costs (Overhead): 20. Funding Information from Past Storms - review costs from past storms to anticipate costs for future storms and establish funding needs.

Storm:

Date:

Activity	Cost
Personnel Regular Time Overtime Equipment Owned Equipment Contracted Contracted Work Operational Supplies Disposal/Recycling Administrative Costs (Overhead) TOTAL

Storm:

Date:

Activity	Cost
Personnel Regular Time Overtime Equipment Owned Equipment Contracted Contracted Work Operational Supplies Disposal/Recycling Administrative Costs (Overhead) TOTAL

21. Individual(s) and/or Organization(s) responsible for community regreening efforts: Develop a list of contacts for use in efforts to regreen the community after storm events.

Name/Organization:	Phone:
	Mobile:
Organization Role:

Name/Organization:	Phone:
	Mobile:
Organization Role:

Name/Organization:	Phone:
	Mobile:
Organization Role:

Name/Organization:	Phone:
	Mobile:
Organization Role:

22. Listing of community and neighborhood groups that promote and support community regreening efforts

Group:	Representative:	Phone:
		Mobile:

Group:	Representative:	Phone:
		Mobile:

Group:	Representative:	Phone:
		Mobile:

Group:	Representative:	Phone:
		Mobile:

Group:	Representative:	Phone:
		Mobile:

Group:	Representative:	Phone:
		Mobile:

23. Community urban forestry comprehensive management plan - Comprehensive forest management is your best defense against storms. Well planted and cared for trees stand up to weather better than neglected trees. Develop or modify a forest management plan to include information related to disaster preparedness. Identify critical activities such as hazard tree removal, tree pruning cycles, annual tree care needs, etc.

Name:

Completed:

24. Community tree risk management plan - A tree risk management plan will provide the community with a systematic approach to accurately identify moderate to high risk trees, an initiate the timely removal or corrective treatment of hazardous trees. Communities that carry out tree risk management strategies will likely see reductions in damage after storms. Go to: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/uf/utrmm/index.htm

Name:

Completed:

25. Storm Damage Assessment - If a storm is significant enough to receive a formal disaster declaration, state and/or federal funding may be available. To assist communities in the process of applying for reimbursement for storm associated costs, it is important to be able to quickly develop an estimate of damage. Consider using the Storm Damage Assessment Protocol as a tool prior to a storm. This protocol allows a community to provide an assessment of damage in a simple, credible and efficient manner. Go to: http://www.umass.edu/urbantree/icestorm/index.htm

Name:

Completed:

26. Contacts for additional assistance in natural disaster planning, response and recovery:

	Name	Phone
Area or District Forester
University Extension Agent
Consulting Foresters
City Foresters of Neighboring Cities:
Other

(Worksheet Prepared by: Lisa Burban (USDA Forest Service), Jim Hermann (Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board), and Katie Himanga (Heartwood Forestry) - Updated December, 2003)