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Assistance with Post-Hurricane Disaster Reimbursement Claim

Situation:

As a direct result of Hurricane Ike, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston County’s largest employer, sustained significant damage to over 150 buildings. FEMA’s Office of Corporate Counsel determined that a large emergency repair contract did not adhere to federal procurement rules (44 CFR, Part 13).

Need:

UTMB’s $127.4M disaster reimbursement claim submitted to FEMA was at risk of being denied or substantially reduced. They needed assistance with their post-hurricane disaster reimbursement claim.

Solution:

Hagerty mobilized several accountants with extensive FEMA public assistance experience to conduct a financial and eligibility review. To substantiate UTMB’s claim and ensure reimbursement of all eligible reasonable costs, Hagerty reviewed 170 Category B Project Worksheets, 3300 invoices, and expenses related to overtime, travel, supplies, and materials.

Outcome:

As a result of Hagerty’s work, UTMB’s claim passed a state audit and has not undergone an audit by the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG). Hagerty concluded 87%, or $111.0M, of UTMB’s $127.4M disaster claim should be reimbursed.

Emergency Operation Plan Review and Update

Situation:

Northwestern University, one of the nation’s top universities, asked Hagerty to review and update their existing emergency response framework (ERF) and plans.

Need:

Northwestern’s existing plans needed to be updated to meet the published policies and standards for national and Illinois-specific institutions of higher education.

Solution:

The Hagerty team conducted a baseline analysis by comparing Northwestern’s existing ERF with national best practice plans for higher education. Next the team set up and conducted interviews with stakeholders throughout the university community, meeting with those whose job titles and responsibilities identified them in the ERF as having important roles to play in Northwestern’s emergency response. The team compared the stakeholders’ ‘as is’ understanding of their roles with what could be done to improve and augment the ERF.  A second part of the analysis included reviewing Northwestern’s Business Continuity Plan and associated roles and responsibilities. Finally, the team gathered all of their findings and recommendations and presented them to Northwestern’s executive staff in a report, along with a roadmap for plan strategy and development.

Outcome:

As a result of Hagerty’s report and recommendations, Northwestern’s executive staff authorized University Police to hire a full-time planner in the Emergency Preparedness Department. This planner will be tasked to implement Hagerty’s recommendations.

Active Shooter Scenario

Situation:

The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) had an all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), but many of its components had never been validated.

Need:

UNCW requested a tabletop exercise (TTX) using an active shooter scenario (a workplace violence event with multiple casualties) to test the EOP. They also wanted the TTX to adhere to the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program protocols, also known as being HSEEP-compliant.

Solution:

Hagerty created all of the documentation for the active shooter scenario. The Situation Manual and sequence of events dealt with all aspects of the event including Planning, Emergency Public Safety and Security Response, Citizen Evacuation, Shelter-in-Place, and Economic and Community Recovery. Each subject area included a list of related critical tasks, with much of the focus on alert notification, response and consequence management, and event recovery.

Outcome:

At the TTX, Hagerty led three successful modules with department leaders across the university. Inter-departmental discussions were encouraged and the client successfully validated their HSEEP-compliant EOP.

HSEEP-Compliant Functional Exercise

Situation:

Pennsylvania State University (PSU) desired a HSEEP-compliant functional exercise for the Centre Region Continuity of Governments (COG), a voluntary association including State College Borough and five other townships.

Need:

The COG was established to provide “cost effective and high quality public services” to its nearly 100,000 residents. The region encompasses 150 square miles, and since 1990 there has been a regional emergency management program. However, in October 2008, Subchapter C was added to Pennsylvania Title 35, effective immediately, and it mandated “mutual cooperation among the participating subdivisions in conducting exercises, testing or other training activities.”[¹] Hagerty was hired to help meet this obligation.

Solution:

The Hagerty team, along with a hired subcontractor, Mission Critical Partners, met with representatives from PSU and COG to develop a regional scenario that would necessitate all six townships working together to provide mutual aid and multi-jurisdictional cooperation. Together they developed a functional exercise built around an extreme weather-related event, in this case a tornado. Hagerty drafted and produced all of the materials (Exercise Plan, Master Scenario Events List, Controller/Evaluator Handbook, Exercise Evaluation Guide) and directed the functional exercise.

After the exercise, the team conducted an after action review (also known as a ‘hotwash’) of the event. The main purpose of the review is to identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as specify what could be improved. All of these observations were included in the After Action Report distributed to the Exercise Design Team.

Outcome:

The final report presented to COG and PSU included an Improvement Plan for plans, processes, and procedures. The exercise improved the coordination between and preparation of COG and PSU to deal with a potential emergency, and in doing so improved the public safety of the Centre Region and the university population.

 

 

[¹] http://bit.ly/1Rdfto3; Subchapter C, Section 7331.