|
Ramsey County │ Glossary
<br />Standard Operating Procedures (SOP): A set of instructions constituting a directive, covering those
<br />features of operations that lend themselves to a definite, step-by-step process of accomplishment. SOPs
<br />supplement EOPs by detailing and specifying how tasks assigned in the EOP are to be carried out.
<br />State of Emergency: The governor declares a state of emergency when he/she believes a disaster has
<br />occurred or may be imminent that is severe enough to require state aid to supplement local resources in
<br />preventing or alleviating damages, loss, hardship, or suffering. This declaration authorizes the governor
<br />to speed state agency assistance to communities in need. It enables him/her to make resources
<br />immediately available to rescue, evacuate, shelter, provide essential commodities (i.e., heating fuel,
<br />food etc.), and quell disturbances in affected localities. It may also position the state to seek federal
<br />assistance when the scope of the event exceeds the state's resources.
<br />Technological hazards: Hazards which originate from technological or industrial accidents, infrastructure
<br />failures, or certain human activities. These hazards can cause the loss of life or injury, property damage,
<br />social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation, and often come with little to no warning.
<br />Terrorism: The use of--or threatened use of--criminal violence against civilians or civilian infrastructure
<br />to achieve political ends through fear and intimidation, rather than direct confrontation. Emergency
<br />management is typically concerned with the consequences of terrorist acts directed against large
<br />numbers of people (as opposed to political assassination or hijacking, which may also be considered
<br />"terrorism").
<br />Threat: Natural, technological, or human-caused occurrence, individual, entity, or action that has or
<br />indicates the potential to harm life, information, operations, the environment, and/or property.
<br />Vulnerability: The susceptibility of people, property, industry, resources, ecosystems, or historical
<br />buildings and artifacts to the negative impact of a disaster.
<br />Warning: The alerting of emergency response personnel and the public to the threat of extraordinary
<br />danger and the related effects that specific hazards may cause. A warning issued by the National
<br />Weather Service (NWS) (e.g., severe storm warning, tornado warning, tropical storm warning) for a
<br />defined area indicates that a particular type of severe weather is imminent in that area.
<br />Watch: Indication by the NWS that, in a defined area, conditions are favorable for the specified type of
<br />severe weather (e.g., flash flood watch, severe thunderstorm watch, tornado watch, tropical storm
<br />watch).
<br />Whole Community: A Whole Community approach attempts to engage the full capacity of the private
<br />and nonprofit sectors, including businesses, faith-based and disability organizations, and the general
<br />public, in conjunction with the participation of local, tribal, state, territorial, and federal governmental
<br />partners.
<br />
<br />
|