EMPREP Consulting — Emergency Preparedness for Water & Wastewater Utilities

Emergency Operations Center — ICS roles and positions ready for activation

CISA Critical Infrastructure Sectors — © US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency

Florida's Utility Emergency Experts

About EMPREP

Preparedness is Not a Checkbox

EMPREP Consulting was founded by Jeff Odoms — a career water and wastewater professional with over 30 years of direct operational and emergency management experience in Florida's municipal utility sector. Jeff has served as Director of Public Works and Utilities, Emergency Management Coordinator, FEMA-certified ICS/NIMS Instructor, and Adjunct Professor at Florida International University.

EMPREP specializes exclusively in critical infrastructure emergency planning for public utilities — combining deep regulatory expertise with real operational experience. Jeff has personally conducted AWIA 2018 Risk Resilience Assessments, led hurricane preparedness tabletop exercises, secured $18MM in State of Florida infrastructure grants, and directed emergency response for utility systems serving tens of thousands of residents.

Whether you need a compliant ERP, a COOP that actually works, a THIRA assessment, or State of Florida approved CEU training for your operators — EMPREP brings the field-tested knowledge your utility needs.

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Regulatory Expertise

AWIA 2018, FDEP Rules 62-555 & 62-604, FEMA NIMS — fully navigated.

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Operational Focus

Plans written for operators, not filing cabinets. Practical, exercisable, and current.

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State of Florida Approved

CEU courses approved for all Florida water/wastewater license types and grades.

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Florida-Specific

Built on real Florida utility responses to Irma, Michael, Dorian, and Ian.

Founder & Leadership

Jeff Odoms

President & Senior Instructor · EMPREP Consulting

Jeff is a highly accomplished Director of Public Works and Utilities with decades of hands-on experience in municipal water/wastewater operations, environmental emergency management, and regulatory compliance. As the City of Hallandale Beach's Emergency Management Coordinator, he led AWIA 2018 Risk Resilience Assessments and Threat Analyses, secured $18MM in State of Florida infrastructure grants, and directed hurricane preparedness training and tabletop exercises for utility teams. He currently serves as Director of Public Works/Public Services for the Town of Pembroke Park and as an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University teaching Emerging Issues in Environmental Emergency Management.

Education

M.A. Disaster & Emergency Management, FIU
B.A.S. Supervision & Management, PBSC
A.S. Forensic Science, Palm Beach College

Licenses & Certifications

Class "A" FL Wastewater Treatment Operator
Six Sigma Black Belt
FEMA ICS/NIMS Certified Instructor
Certified Environmental & Safety Compliance Officer (CESCO)

Service & Community

U.S. Army — Army Commendation Medal
FL Army National Guard — Distinguished Service Medal
Founder, Life Relief International (clean water for impoverished communities)

Consulting Services

What We Do

EMPREP provides end-to-end emergency preparedness consulting for water and wastewater utilities — from regulatory assessments and plan development to staff training and exercise facilitation.

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Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans

Fully compliant Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) built to AWIA 2018 and FDEP requirements, grounded in your utility's actual infrastructure, threats, and operational realities.

AWIA 2018 FDEP 62-555 FDEP 62-604

Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) aligned planning
ICS-structured roles and position checklists
Threat-specific action plan annexes (hurricane, cyber, pandemic)
Mutual aid activation procedures and WARN coordination
Exercise design and after-action facilitation

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Continuity of Operations Plans

FEMA CGC-2 compliant COOP frameworks that ensure your utility can maintain essential functions when facilities are damaged, staff are unavailable, or a mass evacuation order is issued.

FEMA CGC-2 FDEP Compliance AWWA Standards

Essential function identification and prioritization
Succession of authority documentation
Alternate operating facility analysis
Personnel cross-training matrix development
Evacuation-period operations protocols

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Utility THIRA Assessments

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (THIRA) tailored specifically for water and wastewater utilities — identifying capability gaps before a crisis exposes them.

FEMA THIRA Risk Analysis Gap Assessment

Utility-specific hazard profile development
Consequence and probability risk scoring
Capability target setting and gap analysis
Mitigation project concept development (HMGP/BRIC-ready)
Integration with AWIA RRA requirements

THIRA Process

Know Your Risks Before the Storm Does

A THIRA is the cornerstone of evidence-based emergency preparedness. EMPREP conducts utility-specific THIRA assessments that translate FEMA's national framework into actionable intelligence for your system — identifying the specific hazards that threaten your infrastructure and the capability gaps that leave you exposed.

Florida utilities face a distinctive threat landscape: Category 4–5 hurricanes, coastal flooding and sea-level rise, sinkholes in karst geology, cyber intrusion against SCADA systems, and cascading power grid failures. Your THIRA must reflect your reality, not a generic template.

Request a THIRA Assessment

Identify Threats & Hazards Catalog all natural, technological, and human-caused threats specific to your service area and infrastructure.

Give Context to Each Threat Define the realistic worst-case scenario for each hazard — the event that drives your planning basis.

Establish Capability Targets Set measurable performance goals for responding to the defined threat scenarios.

Apply Results to Planning Use capability gaps to prioritize plan updates, training investments, and mitigation projects.

Professional Training

State of Florida Approved CEU Courses

EMPREP offers a comprehensive library of approved continuing education courses for Florida licensed water, wastewater, distribution, and stormwater operators. All courses are available in classroom (1-day) and online self-study formats. Click any course to view the full summary.

Water treatment facility at sunset — Emergency Response Planning

Emergency Planning

Emergency Response Planning for Water Utilities

Complete lifecycle of an ERP — from regulatory framework and risk assessment to plan writing, staff training, activation, and post-incident update. Grounded in Hurricane Ian case studies.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Emergency Planning

Emergency Response Planning for Wastewater Utilities

Wastewater-specific ERP development using EPA guidance templates. Covers SSO notification requirements, lift station emergencies, bypass pumping, and wet-weather operations.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Command & Coordination

Incident Command System for Water & Wastewater Utilities

ICS applied to utility operations — integrating mutual aid crews, coordinating with county EOC, and maintaining command structure under real Florida utility emergency scenarios.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Basic–Int.

Continuity Planning

Continuity of Operations & Mass Evacuation

How utilities maintain essential functions during mandatory evacuations and staffing crises. Covers FEMA evacuation framework, skeleton crew protocols, and COOP development.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Infrastructure Resilience

Extended Power Grid Failure: Preparedness & Response

Generator operations, fuel logistics, and service continuity during long-term outages. Addresses the reality of outages beyond 72 hours, drawing from Hurricane Ian and the Texas grid failure.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Basic–Int.

Pandemic preparedness PPE protective equipment

Health & Safety

Biological Threats & Pandemic Preparedness

Workforce continuity, PPE protocols, and decontamination procedures for critical infrastructure workers who cannot work from home during a pandemic or biological incident.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Security

Terrorism Awareness & Active Shooter Response

Threat recognition, WaterISAC reporting, Oldsmar cyberattack lessons, and Run-Hide-Fight protocols for utility facilities. Includes physical and SCADA security assessment.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Radiological Hazards

Nuclear & Radiological Incident Awareness

Practical guidance for utilities near Florida's nuclear facilities — protective actions, water supply monitoring, EPZ coordination, and shelter-in-place vs. evacuation decision frameworks.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Mitigation

Hazard Mitigation Planning for Utilities

FEMA HMGP and BRIC funding pathways, risk scoring methodology, and mitigation project development. Includes generator hardening, lift station conversion, and infrastructure elevation standards.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

Advanced · 2-Day

Climate Resilience & Infrastructure Planning

Two-day advanced course combining climate science with capital planning practice. Participants leave with a working Climate Resilience Infrastructure Assessment for their utility. 1.0 CEU.

⏱ 1.0 CEU 📚 10 Hrs 🎓 Advanced

Communication

Crisis & Risk Communication for Utilities

Message mapping, boil water notice protocols, media relations, and regulatory notification requirements. Includes the Flint, Michigan case study and cyberattack communication scenario.

⏱ 0.5 CEU 📚 5 Hrs 🎓 Intermediate

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Schedule Training for Your Utility

Available as on-site classroom sessions, regional workshops, or online self-study. Group rates available for utilities registering multiple operators.

Request Scheduling

Protecting Critical
Water Infrastructure

Preparedness is Not a Checkbox