Form 2050-0162 The 2007 National Survey of Local Emergency Planning Com

LEPC Survey Draft 03-26-07

2007 Nationwide LEPC Survey

Demographic Information

1. In which state is your Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) located?

2. What size population does your LEPC serve?

   1. Fewer than 50,000

   2. 50,001 to 100,000

   3. 100,001 to 500,000

   4. 500,001 to 1,000,000

   5. More than 1,000,000

3. How would you best describe your LEPC’s service area?

   1. Predominantly or entirely rural

   2. Mixed rural/suburban

   3. Predominantly suburban

   4. Mixed suburban/urban

   5. Predominantly or entirely urban

LEPC Structure

4. How is your chairperson chosen?

   1. Elected by LEPC

   2. Appointed by State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

   3. Rotating basis

   4. Volunteer

   5. Other _________________

   6. Have chairperson but do not know how he/she was chosen

   7. Do not have a chairperson

5. Representatives from which of the following groups or organizations make up your LEPC’s membership? (Select all that apply)

• Elected local officials

• Elected state officials

• Fire department (or Hazmat) representatives

• Law enforcement representatives

• Civil defense (or Emergency management) representatives

• First Aid (Emergency Medical Service) representatives

• Hospital or public health representatives

• Local environmental group/organization representatives

• Transportation representatives

• Broadcast and print media representatives

• Community group representatives

• General public

• Representatives from industry/facilities affected by EPA Title III of the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act of 1986 representatives

• Other ________________

6. Is there currently a Citizen Corps Council (component of USA Freedom Corps that creates opportunities for individuals to volunteer to help their communities prepare for and respond to emergencies by bringing together local leaders, citizen volunteers and the network of first responder organizations) within your community?

   1. Yes

   2. No – Skip to Question 8

7. Please describe the relationship between your LEPC and the Citizen Corps Council within your community.

   1. My LEPC merged with the Citizen Corps Council

   2. My LEPC coordinates closely and works in cooperation with the Citizen Corps Council

   3. My LEPC infrequently coordinates with the Citizen Corps Council

   4. My LEPC and the Citizen Corps Council work independently

LEPC Meetings

8. How often has your LEPC met in the past 12 months?

   1. Weekly

   2. Monthly

   3. Bi-Monthly (every other month)

   4. Quarterly

   5. Yearly

   6. As needed – (a-f) Skip to Question 10

   7. Has not met in the past 12 months

9. Why has your LEPC not met in the past 12 months?

   1. Did not need to meet

   2. No interest from members

   3. Insufficient resources (meeting location, time, funding)

   4. LEPC activities covered at other meetings

   5. Other ________________

10. Do you advertise your LEPC meetings to the public?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 12

11. How do you advertise your LEPC meetings to the public? (Select all that apply)

 Newspapers

 On-line

 Flyers and handouts

• Mailings

• Postings in government buildings

• Other_________________

Emergency Plan

12. When did your LEPC last review and update its emergency response plan?

    1. Within the past 12 months

    2. 1 - 2 years ago

    3. Over 2 years ago

    4. Plan has not yet been reviewed or updated

    5. Have a plan, but do not know when it was last reviewed and updated

    6. Do not have a plan – Skip to Question 19

13. Who was the primary author of your LEPC’s emergency plan?

    1. One LEPC member

    2. More than one LEPC member

    3. Both LEPC members and outside sources

    4. A consultant or other outside party

14. When did the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) last review your emergency plan?

    1. Within the past 12 months

    2. 1 - 2 years ago

    3. Over 2 years ago

    4. Plan has not yet been reviewed

15. How familiar are the majority of your LEPC members with your emergency response plan?

Very Familiar	Familiar	Somewhat Familiar	Slightly Familiar	Not at All Familiar
				

16. Does your emergency plan? (Select all that apply)

• Take into account natural hazards (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes)

• Take into account homeland security (The potential for terrorist events and/or events extending beyond chemical to radiological and biological incidents)

• Take into account environmental justice (The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies)

• Identify extremely hazardous substances (EHS) facilities subject to the plan

• Identify Tier I and II facilities

• Identify Risk Management Program (RMP) facilities

• Identify the routes likely to be used for the transportation of hazardous substances

• Provide procedures for informing the key persons (“call down list”) designated in the emergency plan

• Designate a community emergency coordinator and facility emergency coordinators, who make necessary determinations to implement the plan

• Provide procedures for informing the public in an emergency

• Address use of shelter-in-place

• Outline methods to determine the area and population likely to be affected by a chemical release

• Describe emergency equipment available to the community

• Include evacuation plans, such as precautionary evacuations and alternative traffic routes

• Address training for first responders and other response personnel

• Include methods and schedules for exercising the emergency plan

• Integrate with other applicable state plans

• Demonstrate consistency with NIMS (National Incident Management System)

17. Has your LEPC exercised your emergency plan?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 20

18. How have you exercised your emergency plan? (Select all that apply)

• Full-scale exercise

• Table-top exercise

• Public briefing

• Drill

• Actual response

• Other________________

19. When did your LEPC last exercise its emergency plan?

    1. Within the past 12 months

    2. 1 - 2 years ago

    3. Over 2 years ago

    4. Exercised plan, but do not know when

20. If an emergency at a chemical facility occurred tomorrow, responders would coordinate their response efforts with a plan developed by: (Select all that apply)

• The LEPC

• Another emergency response organization (not the LEPC)

• Chemical facility

• Other _________________

21. In the past five years, approximately how many chemical accidents have occurred in your LEPC’s service area?

    1. None – Skip to Question 23

    2. 1-5

    3. 6-10

    4. 11-15

    5. 15 or more

22. How did these chemical accidents most impact the way your LEPC operates?

    1. Improved coordination efforts with industry/facilities

    2. Revised emergency plan based on lessons learned

    3. Changed the way information is made available to the public

    4. Extended LEPC membership

    5. Increased frequency of LEPC meetings

    6. Other______________

    7. Did not impact

Data Use and Management

23. How do you primarily receive Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Tier I and II data (Sections 311-312)?

    1. Paper

    2. Tier II Submit from EPA

    3. State or local electronic submissions (e.g., diskette or CD)

    4. State or local Web-based submission

24. How does your LEPC manage EPCRA Tier I and II data? (Select all that apply)

 Paper files

• CAMEO (Computer-Aided Monitoring of Emergency Operations) (A suite of software developed by EPA and NOAA used widely to plan for and respond to chemical emergencies)

 Database created by LEPC

 Other state or local database

• Web-based database

• Other__________________

25. How does your LEPC use EPCRA Tier I and II data? (Select all that apply)

• For emergency planning (e.g., hazard analysis, identification of risk areas)

• For emergency response

• To make hazard reduction recommendations to industry

• To make preparedness recommendations to local government

• To respond to public inquiries

• For zoning or other land use issues

• Other______________________

26. Does your LEPC use Risk Management Program (RMP) data?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 29

27. For what purpose(s) does your LEPC use RMP data? (Select all that apply)

• To improve your local emergency planning

• For emergency response

• To work with industry to prevent accidents

• To support homeland security

• Other__________________

28. From what source does your LEPC primarily obtain RMP data?

    1. State

    2. EPA

    3. Other__________________

29. Does your LEPC use CAMEO?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 31

30. For what purpose(s) does your LEPC use CAMEO? (Select all that apply)

• For emergency planning (e.g., screening and contingency plans)

• For actual emergencies

• For drills and exercises

• To access chemical information

• To manage Tier II data

• To respond to public inquires

• Other______________________

Communication

31. Does your LEPC have a Web site?

    1. Yes. Please provide the Web address: __________________(optional)

    2. No

32. Does your LEPC notify the public that its emergency plan and chemical hazard information is available?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 34

33. How does your LEPC notify the public that its emergency plan and chemical hazard information is available? (Select all that apply)

• Brochures

• Newspaper

• Radio/TV

• Public meetings

• LEPC Web site

• Other____________

34. Does your LEPC have mechanisms in place to notify the public of a release requiring evacuation or shelter in place?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 36

35. Which of the following mechanisms are in place to notify the public of a release requiring evacuation or shelter in place? (Select all that apply)

• Radio/TV announcements

• Internet/cell phone alerts

• Telephone dialers

• Fixed sirens/audible alarms

• Emergency broadcast system

• Fire/police – going door to door

• Vehicle mounted voice communication

• Fixed message boards on public roadways

• Other____________

• Do not know

36. How many public inquiries has your LEPC received and responded to during the past 12 months?

    1. 1-5 inquiries

    2. 6-10 inquiries

    3. 10-20 inquiries

    4. 21 or more

    5. None

37. How does your LEPC interact with chemical facilities in your area of service? (Select all that apply)

• Collecting reports/fees

• Meetings

• Visits to the facilities

• Discussion about Risk Management Program (RMP) plans

• Other _____________________

38. Other than receipt of reports/fees from chemical facilities in your area of service, how often does your LEPC communicate with those facilities?

    1. Weekly

    2. Monthly

    3. Quarterly

    4. Every six months

    5. Annually

    6. Never

Funding

39. Does your LEPC have an operating budget?

    1. Yes

    2. No

40. Does your LEPC receive direct funding?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 42

41. Please indicate the agencies/organizations from which your LEPC receives direct funding. (Select all that apply)

• State fees from Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) report submission

• Local fees from EPCRA report submission

  • Other local government funding

 Other state government funding

• Federal funding – e.g., Hazmat Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) Grants

• Private industry

• Other_________________

42. Does your LEPC receive any indirect/in-kind funding (e.g, meeting space, office equipment)?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 44

43. Please indicate the type of indirect funding your LEPC receives. (Select all that apply)

• Office space

• Meeting space

• Materials or office supplies

• Use of computers or other equipment

• Printing

• Other ______________________

Support from Federal Agencies

44. In the past five years, did your LEPC receive technical assistance or guidance from any federal government agencies?

    1. Yes

    2. No – Skip to Question 47

45. From which of the following federal agencies did your LEPC receive technical assistance or guidance? (Select all that apply)

 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

 DHS (other than FEMA)

• U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Other ____________________________________

46. The support (technical assistance or guidance) received from EPA has played a significant role in guiding your LEPC’s activities:

Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
				

47. As a representative of your LEPC, how often do you visit the EPA Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Web site http://www.epa.gov/oem (formerly http://www.epa.gov/ceppo) for technical guidance or other information?

1. At least once a week

2. At least once a month

3. At least once every six months

4. At least once a year

5. Never – Skip to Question 50

48. When visiting the OEM Web site, I found the information I was looking for:

    1. Right away

    2. After performing a site search

    3. After browsing through the site

    4. I was unable to find the exact information

49. Please rank your level of satisfaction with the technical information you received by visiting the OEM Web site.

Very Satisfied	Moderately Satisfied	Slightly Satisfied	Not At All Satisfied
			

Homeland Security

(The potential for terrorist events and/or events extending beyond chemical to radiological and biological incidents)

50. Since the events of 9/11, the overall activity level of your LEPC has:

Increased Greatly	Increased Somewhat	Stayed About the Same	Decreased Somewhat	Decreased Greatly	Do Not Know
					

51. Since 9/11, the number of requests from the public for chemical hazard information has:

Increased Greatly	Increased Somewhat	Stayed About the Same	Decreased Somewhat	Decreased Greatly	Do Not Know
					

52. Since 9/11, has your LEPC changed the way chemical hazard information is made available to the public due to homeland security concerns?

    1. Yes

    2. No

Strengths and Additional Needs

53. What is the single greatest factor contributing to the success of your LEPC?

    1. Funding

    2. Dedicated leadership (Chair)

    3. Dedicated membership

    4. Regularly scheduled meetings

    5. Local government support

    6. Cooperation from regulated community

    7. State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) support

    8. Public interest

    9. Other____________

54. What is the greatest obstacle to the success of your LEPC?

    1. Funding

    2. Lack of dedicated leadership

    3. Low membership involvement

    4. Infrequent and/or irregular meetings

    5. Poor local government support

    6. Poor State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) support

    7. Public apathy

    8. Limited cooperation from regulated community

    9. Other___________

55. In which of the following areas could your LEPC use assistance? (Select all that apply)

• Determining the level of risk in your jurisdiction

• Identification and compliance assistance for non-reporting facilities

• Conducting drills and exercises

• Developing/reviewing local emergency response plans

• Data management

• Outreach and communicating with the public

• Integrating homeland security into emergency plans

• Coordination with state and federal agencies

56. The LEPC on which I serve has had a positive impact on chemical safety in the community (prevention, preparedness, and response).

Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
				

Please provide additional comments, including best practices, in the space below:

Thank you for participating in the 2007 LEPC Survey. Your responses will help us to make informed decisions related to LEPCs in the future. Look for the results of this survey on the EPA Web site in September 2007.

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