SOP-HR-DST-001Disaster Staffing, Personnel & Training

1.1 Purpose

This SOP establishes the policies, procedures, and standards governing disaster-specific staffing, personnel management, and workforce training for Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance.

It is designed to ensure HSCVS can rapidly assemble a qualified, credentialed, and safety-conscious workforce while maintaining accountability, lawful compensation practices, and reimbursement-ready documentation.

1.2 Scope

• All permanent, part-time, temporary, and redeployed HSCVS employees.
• Registered CERT volunteers and FEMA-credentialed volunteers.
• Spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers.
• Borrowed or loaned staff under MOUs or EMAC.
• Contractors engaged specifically for disaster response and recovery work.

1.3 Legal Authority

1.4 Veterans Priority Policy

• Veterans receive priority consideration for paid temporary disaster hire positions when qualifications are substantially equivalent.
• Veterans with service-connected disabilities receive maximum preference points in competitive disaster workforce selections.
• Veterans Liaison serves as a standing Planning Section member during disaster activations.

1.5 Document Control

HSCVS uses four workforce categories, each with distinct legal, administrative, and operational requirements.

Paid Staff

• Activated by Deployment Order.
• Must sign Deployment Agreement before assignment.
• Daily time must be recorded on ICS 214 plus HSCVS timesheets.

CERT Volunteers

• Activated through the Volunteer Notification System.
• Integrated under Operations Section staffing.
• Volunteer hours are recorded on VOL-001 and transferred to the database within 24 hours.

FEMA-Credentialed Volunteers

• Credentials are verified within four hours of arrival.
• Assignments must match documented qualifications.
• Alternate compensation terms require Resource Use Agreement documentation.

SUVs

• Processed at the Volunteer Reception Center.
• Screened for ID, fitness, skills, conflicts, and background concerns.
• Tracked on VOL-002 and supervised by trained staff or CERT leadership.

3.1 Annual Readiness Drills & Exercises

3.2 Deployment Roster Maintenance

The Disaster Deployment Roster is the authoritative list of personnel available for activation and includes ICS qualifications, credential status, emergency contacts, family preparedness status, geographic limits, special skills, and availability tiers.

3.3 Credentials Renewal Calendar

HSCVS tracks FEMA IS courses, CERT recertification, CPR/AED, first aid, internal disaster orientation, physical deployment clearance, CDL compliance, Hazmat Awareness, and WebEOC user certification.

3.4 Equipment Pre-Positioning

The Disaster HR Kit includes printed forms, badging supplies, ICS 211 registers, ICS 214 pads, deployment packets, payroll backup materials, volunteer release forms, and secure document storage.

3.5 Family Preparedness Requirements

4.1 Alert Levels

4.2 Notification Cascade Tree

The notification system uses Tiers A through F so no one person is responsible for contacting more than five direct reports.

4.3 Staff Accountability at Activation

1. Confirm Tier 1 availability and ETA.
2. Open ICS 211 check-in register.
3. Confirm Tier 2 and 3 backup availability.
4. Escalate unavailability issues for alternate assignment.
5. Provide Staffing Status Report within four hours.

4.4 Deployment Orders

Each Deployment Order must include employee identity, disaster and incident identifiers, assignment, supervisor, location, expected duration, pay terms, special instructions, and required signatures.

4.5 Deployment Agreement

The Deployment Agreement confirms acceptance of extended shifts, safety conditions, modified leave rules, travel expectations, media limits, social media restrictions, and approval requirements for early departure.

4.6 Advance Pay Procedure

For activations longer than 14 days, employees may request up to 80% of the first pay period's anticipated gross wages using Form HR-ADV-01.

5.1 ICS Organizational Chart

5.2 Key Command Staff Roles

5.3 Minimum Staffing by Activation Level

5.4 Span of Control

• No supervisor may exceed seven direct reports without written authorization.
• Volunteer supervision targets are 1:10 for trained CERT volunteers in low-risk settings and 1:5 for SUVs.

6.1 FEMA IS Courses

6.2 Classroom and ICS Training

• ICS-300 for Section Chiefs, Branch Directors, and Unit Leaders with supervisory ICS roles.
• ICS-400 for Incident Commander, Deputy IC, and Section Chiefs.
• CERT Basic Training for CERT volunteers and staff supplementing CERT operations.

6.3 HSCVS Internal Modules

6.4–6.7 Exercises and Recordkeeping

HSCVS conducts notification drills, ICS 211 check-in exercises, VRC drills, joint field exercises, semiannual tabletops, and an annual readiness assessment, while retaining training records in the LMS and secure cloud archive.

7.1 Badge Levels

7.2 Badge Issuance

Badge issuance requires identity verification plus role-specific training, assignment, registration, or screening checks. All badges are recorded in Form HR-BADGE-01.

7.3 Credential Verification

1. Review original credential and photo ID.
2. Photograph or copy the credential.
3. Verify through WebEOC, FEMA, FDEM, or partner agency channels.
4. Document method and result on Badge Log.
5. Issue provisional or restricted badge if full verification is delayed.

7.4 Lost or Stolen Badges

Lost or stolen badges require immediate reporting, completion of HR-BADGE-02 within two hours, invalidation of the old badge number, and security notification.

7.5 SUVs

SUVs receive ID verification, skills assessment, rapid background screening, and orange Level 4 badges, with specialized assignments prohibited unless credentials are verified.

8.1 Shift Structure

8.2–8.4 Time Documentation

1. Employee completes ICS 214 and HSCVS timesheet each shift.
2. Time Unit reconciles ICS 211, ICS 214, and timesheets and prepares HR-TIME-01.
3. Finance/Admin reviews reimbursement eligibility and cost codes.
4. Payroll processes approved time on emergency cycles when activated.
5. Cost Unit assembles FEMA documentation packages.

8.5 Overtime

Non-exempt employees receive 1.5x overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, with pre-authorization or approved retroactive authorization documented on HR-OT-01.

8.6 Compensatory Time

Exempt employees may accrue up to 240 hours of disaster comp time per activation, generally to be used within 12 months.

9.1 Receiving Staff from Partners

Borrowed staff are accepted only under a current mutual aid MOU covering scope, pay responsibility, supervision, liability, confidentiality, duration, and return conditions.

9.1.2 Onboarding Borrowed Staff

• Report to VRC or HR Director.
• Complete HR-BORROW-01.
• Receive orientation, safety briefing, ICS assignment, credential verification, and badge issuance.
• Be entered in ICS 211 and Borrowed Staff Register.

9.2–9.4 Loaned Staff and EMAC

10.1 Emergency Payroll Procedures

• Emergency payroll begins at Level 2 or higher.
• Payroll shifts from biweekly to 7-day cycles for disaster-duty personnel.
• Manual Payroll Kit forms HR-PAY-01 through HR-PAY-05 are used if electronic systems fail.

10.2 FEMA Labor Cost Documentation

10.3 Volunteer Match Hours

Volunteer match uses VOL-001 or VOL-002 and the applicable Independent Sector rate, unless skilled professional volunteer documentation supports a higher market-rate valuation.

10.4 Per Diem

Employees deployed more than 50 miles from their primary worksite may claim meals and incidentals at the current GSA locality rate using HR-PERDEM-01.

10.5 Reconciliation

Within 30 days of demobilization, Finance/Admin compiles all personnel records, reconciles hours, calculates volunteer match, prepares HR-FEMA-01, and issues the final activation summary.

11.1 PAR

Personnel Accountability Reports occur at shift start, shift end, after safety incidents, when an individual cannot be confirmed safe within 30 minutes, or whenever directed by command.

11.2 Buddy System

• No one conducts field operations alone.
• Buddies check in at least every 30 minutes.
• SUVs in field roles must be paired with trained HSCVS or CERT personnel.

11.3 Missing Personnel Procedure

1. Notify Safety Officer and Incident Commander immediately.
2. Attempt direct contact within 15 minutes.
3. Confirm last known assignment and location.
4. Escalate to controlled search and law enforcement notification if unresolved within 60 minutes.
5. Document on HR-MISS-01 regardless of outcome.

11.4 Critical Incident Reporting

Critical incidents include serious injury, fatality, threats or violence, security breaches, adverse-media events, and harassment or assault allegations, with HR-CI-01 required within four hours.

11.5 Medical and Mental Health Support

12.1 Release Order Process

No one may self-demobilize. Release Order HR-REL-01 controls release timing, property return, final paperwork, and check-out.

12.2 Final ICS 211 Reconciliation

1. Compile all ICS 211 records into a master roster.
2. Verify every check-in has a check-out.
3. Cross-reference badge logs and deployment orders.
4. Resolve missing time records within five business days.
5. Produce HR-FIN-01 as final personnel participation record.

12.3 Return-to-Work Transition

Returning staff receive structured reintegration, comp-time confirmation, workload prioritization, and formal release documentation where applicable.

12.4 Post-Activation Health Assessment

Personnel deployed seven or more consecutive days complete post-activation physical and mental health review, including HR-MH-01 and follow-up for elevated distress scores.

12.5 Lessons Learned

HR distributes HR-AAR-01 within 30 days, compiles the staffing after-action report within 60 days, and tracks corrective actions until closure.

Below is a complete built-in HTML forms packet based on the appendix and all referenced operational forms, including fillable printable sections where the PDF listed the form but did not provide a full page template.

Tree Last Verified: ____________________   Verified By: ____________________   Date: ____________________

By signing below, each authorized official confirms review of SOP-HR-DST-001 and acceptance of their designated responsibilities for implementation.