Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

The Emergency Response Plan (ERP) is a supporting document intended to facilitate RIDEM’s environmental response in a safe, timely and effective manner to best protect the state’s environmental and public health. It promotes coordination between federal, state, municipal, public, and private response organizations in the event of a multi-agency incident response. The ERP can be used for incidents varying in size, location, and severity, including cross-border scenarios and incidents that pose an imminent danger to public health, safety, or welfare. Making up the ERP are the 10 sections and 3 appendices listed below:

  1. Introduction to DEM Priorities and Authority
  2. Emergency Response Notifications
  3. Checklist of Emergency Response Issues
  4. Policies, Standard Procedures, and Forms for DEM Office of Emergency Response
  5. Guidelines for Environmental Sampling, Cleanup and Criminal Investigation
  6. Departmental Support, Including Incident Command Structures and Response Plans
  7. Policies, Plans and Forms for Health and Safety
  8. Job Aids for Key Positions in Incident Command System (ICS)
  9. Plan Templates for Oil Spill Response
  10. Forms for Incident Command
  11. Appendix 1 – Oil Spill Field Operating Guide
  12. Appendix 2 – RI Oil Spill Science Plan for Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)
  13. Appendix 3 – Glossary of Abbreviations and Definitions

Each section of the ERP may be accessed on its own webpage listed above, or the entire ERP may be viewed. The most recently updated ERP can be found below:

Contact information included in the ERP is constantly changing over time, and the most up-to-date contacts might not be available in the most recent ERP. For current DEM contact information, please visit the DEM Staff List page.