Operating a MECC

This Playbook uses all the Crisisworks registers apart from the Recovery registers and requires MEMO, Deputy MEMO rights or similar.

Introduction

You've been activated to respond to an emergency! After creating an Event, putting your team On Duty and doing an Activation Briefing (as per our Kick off an Event Playbook), this guide details the next steps and the Crisisworks tools and functions that can help you coordinate your response to an emergency.

Overview of core registers

Requests

Requests are Actions to be done. Record Requests for services, assign tasks to officers or positions. Workflow ensures Coordinators can assign and add resources to track costs.

Information

Store and publish intelligence intended to be shared with others. Information records are not not directly actionable.

Logs

Position or personal notes that can be seen by managers and others on duty in the same position. Logs are created to record or track evidence, documenting observations, decisions and the reason for your actions.

Library

The Library is where documents and files can be securely stored for access all year round and during emergencies. Store procedures, policies, job descriptions, minutes of meetings, plans, references guides, and anything else that you need to share with your users.

Contacts

A contact is a record for a person or an organisation that you would like to store for the current event or to retain for all and for future events. User profiles are Contact that have have an account 'enabled' for them.

Managing Information

Operations>Information

The Information register has a number of different schemas to help with the effective management, collation and dissemination of information critical to the emergency. Use the counters to quickly search and display each of the record types. This register is for any information that should be shared with all users of the event.

Incident Action Plan

This form uses the SMEACs format, helping you capture the current situation, priority actions and goals. Keep everyone in the loop by checking the ‘Share this record via email or SMS’ option. You can add contacts directly or group them using the Contact Classifications field eg. ‘EM Team’, ' or ‘Daily reports group’, or use the standard ‘Internal Distribution’ option.

Situation Report

Use this form to summarise what’s happening in your role, function or facility. These reports can then be collated and used to inform daily SitReps for your organisation and can be sent off directly to Incident Control.

Briefing or Handover

This form can be used for activations or shift handovers at any of your locations, or teams, like ERCs, Recovery Hubs, CEOC, EMLOs.

Feature of Interest

This schema allows you to quickly add markers to locations on your map, you can then enable the Feature of Interest map layer from any map view within Crisisworks. Features of interest could be things you want to plot quickly and easily on a map relating to the current event, for example road blocks, reports of impacted areas, locations of ERCs, staging areas etc.

Information

This schema is the default for Information entries, it allows you to enter a map location and to display an icon that relates to the entry.

Use consistent naming conventions to quickly identify entries within lists, eg:

Handover - ERC <location> dd/mm/yy hh:mm
SitRep - CEOC dd/mm/yy hh:mm
Incident Action Plan - dd/mm/yy hh:mm

SEE Playbook: Preparing Crisisworks

Maintain an Incident Log

Operations > Logs

Maintain detailed log records of key decisions, observations, meetings and activities to create a timeline of your response. Logs are accessible by other users with the same position, as well as coordinators.

Logs are typically shared only with others in your position. If you wish to share information with others, consider using an Information record instead.
The Decision schema in Logs can be used to track all the key decisions your organisation makes in response to the emergency event. Later print a report of all these Decisions to assist in your debriefs.

Manage Requests

Any tasks or requests from external agencies, or other departments within your organisation should be managed using the Request function.

Assign Requests: requests are assigned to a Position, rather than a person, to aid in tracking between shift changes. Users assigned to the corresponding Position will be notified when a Request is assigned to them. This allows them to access the record, add comments and update the progress of the Request directly.

Create Request Tasks and add Resources: request tasks can be created to help break down the Request into management and assignable jobs. Add Resources such as machinery, equipment, consumables and even externally supplied goods and services, to help track costs.

Other tips for Requests

Use the provided fields to record requester information and specify if they have authorised payment.
Use the workflow fields to prioritise, assign and set a due date for the Request.
Users with Communications permission can send the contents of the Request or a link to the request item by email or SMS to internal or external recipients.

Using the Library

Store all your key documents, materials and links in the Crisisworks Library for the Event so they’re easily accessible by your team including those working from satellite sites.

Use the Workflow fields to set a review time and date for items and assign them to a role to maintain the record.

Example - maintain a 'Flood Clean-Up' library item.

Attach links and materials from relevant agencies and your own organisation.
This single record ensures efficiency by staying up-to-date.
Communications function allows you to directly share from the library and download attachments for printing.
Copy the reference ID and hyperlink to share with other users in messages or items.

Manage your team

Crisisworks has a number of tools to help manage your team and support offsite services such as ERCs, Recovery Hubs and Secondary Impact Assessment teams.

Work Summaries: staff can use the Work Summary module to add their work times, just like a timesheet. They are also able to track and submit expense claims. As well as approving these staff timesheets, Managers can also enter Work Summaries on behalf of their staff.
Logs: use logs and particularly voice logs on mobile devices to track decisions and key activities throughout the day.
Requests: can be created for any support needed at the site.
Incident Action Plan: use Incident Action Plans in the Information register to keep your team in the loop and on track. Promote the record to the Dashboard or share it via email using the Communications tool to ensure everyone has the latest information and are working in a coordinated way.
Crisisworks app: Staff working offsite should all be using the Crisisworks app on their mobile device.

Communications

The Crisisworks Communications module helps with the flow of Information and Requests. Users with Communication Coordinator permissions can make use of the features of this module:

Promote to Dashboard: users with Manager permission can ‘Promote’ information entries to the Dashboard - it functions like a notice board. Make sure your staff all know to check the Promoted Information area regularly to stay up to date. Remember to remove outdated Promoted Items to avoid cluttering up the Dashboard view.
Share by email or text: you can share records from the Requests, Information, and Library registers via email or text. Share with existing contacts within your Crisisworks system, known as Comms Recipients, or with anyone outside your system, referred to as Inline Recipients.
Communications: with the Comms module, you are able to create simple one-off emails to a single recipient, or multi-channel, ‘campaign’ style messages to hundreds of recipients.
Classifications: the Contacts register and Recovery Cases have a feature called Classifications. These can be used to create groups of contacts that can be used to send emails or texts. Classifications can be added and customised through Administration>Lookups. Some Classifications groups have been set up in the system for your, including All on Duty for Current Event, Internal Distribution, External Distribution. You can add people to these groups by going into the Contact record, and them under Classifications.