NWTEMC Tabletop Exercise September 17, 2008 Wolf Lodge

Agenda Exercise Agenda Schedule: Exercise Briefing Scenario Description Activity period Critique/DebriefingCritique/Debriefing Define next action steps

Exercise Briefing PurposePurpose This tabletop exercise is an opportunity to discuss how you might use your tribes’ Emergency Management Plan to respond to a large scale incident affecting tribal nations located throughout the Northwest.

Exercise Briefing DefinitionDefinition –Informal discussion stimulated by a scripted disaster scenario –No time pressures, low stress, designed to promote free and open exchange of ideas –Identifies issues (e.g., policies, resources, communication, data, coordination) –Familiarizes players with roles, functions, plans, and procedures

–To familiarize players with roles, functions, plans, and procedures –To offer informal discussion stimulated by the description of a possible disaster scenario. –Time pressures and stress are low in order promote a free and open exchange of ideas. –You are encouraged to identify issues and resources that YOU know about. Why Exercise?

Exercise Objectives Practice and clarify response roles: –Discuss policy issues and identify gaps in local preparedness policies –Identify additional training needs – Recognize the roles of other public officials, and identify strengths and needs in partnerships –Share measures to improve response, and Illustrate the need for strong teamwork and communication

Exercise Guidelines –Participants Act out your role as realistically as possibleAct out your role as realistically as possible Not everyone will participate equally, but everyone should participateNot everyone will participate equally, but everyone should participate Please take notes for debriefingPlease take notes for debriefing –Policy Issues Focus on who, what, and when- rather than the details of howFocus on who, what, and when- rather than the details of how Identify gaps and strengths of the system rather than an individual’s knowledge.Identify gaps and strengths of the system rather than an individual’s knowledge. Consider what should be done to improve the system.Consider what should be done to improve the system.

Description –The scenario we will consider is a fictional, but possible, event. –The timeline of the exercise is intended to simulate the first hour of planning functions conducted after the event occurs.

Saturday, September 13 A bus with 42 visitors from B.C. Canada begins a 24 hour promotional tour of Western Washington casinos.

Stops during the first day include the Nooksack, Lummi, and Swinomish tribal casinos. Saturday, September 13

The evening concludes with dinner and an overnight stay at the Tulalip casino and resort hotel. Saturday, September 13

Personnel from most Washington State tribes are attending a TGA conference at the hotel on the same night. Other conference participants are from Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. Saturday, September 13

The conference ends the next morning, and hotel staff check-out both groups. Sunday, September 14

On the return trip to Vancouver, the tour bus first stops at the QuilCeda Village outlet mall, and then at the Upper Skagit and Stilliguamish casinos. Sunday, September 14

Staff at each casino and the hotel begin to call in sick. Most are very ill with severe vomiting and diarrhea. Several of the TGA conference attendees are also affected. Tuesday, September 16

Staff at The State Department of Health has received a report that 37 of the Vancouver tour-bus visitors have also been ill, and have been diagnosed with a highly contagious norovirus. Wednesday, September 17

To prevent further spread of the disease, DOH recommends the immediate closure of all tribal casinos until a through cleaning process is completed. The process will take at least 73 hours. Wednesday, September 17

This story is immediately released on local and national news. Media begin contacting local casinos for more information. Wednesday, September 17

Immediate Situation Tribal Emergency Operations Centers have been activated, and you are here to attend a Incident Command System planning session to determine actions needed to address this event.

The planning session will begin now…

Based on the information given, consider the first decisions required… What expertise is needed to contain and control this emergency?What expertise is needed to contain and control this emergency? What type of response processes are needed?What type of response processes are needed? From which agencies/departments would you seek assistance?From which agencies/departments would you seek assistance? Discuss prioritization of first action steps Use ICS guidelines to initiate discussion on the following actions.

Discussion- What are the ongoing expectations for: – Planning – Operations – Logistics – Finance/ Administration – Safety -Public Information Are there any anticipated long-term issues?

Critique/Debriefing

Let’s Review Objectives Practice and clarify response roles –Discuss policy issues –Identify gaps in local preparedness policies –Identify additional training needs –Identify strengths and needs in partnerships –Share measures to improve response –Recognize the roles of other public officials –Illustrate the need for strong teamwork and communication

The Issues Four major issues identified in this incident need to be considered: 1. Treatment of the illness in affected people, and preventing further spread of the norovirus; 2.Cleanup of contaminated areas; 3.Public relations/communications and;\ 4.Addressing the economic impact of business closures

Critique- What did not go well?What did not go well? What went well?What went well? What were some of the challenges we identified, and what are your suggestions to address this issue?What were some of the challenges we identified, and what are your suggestions to address this issue?

Did we consider: –Review/updates to Action Plan information? Contacts, information sourcesContacts, information sources Critical services/coordination-safety componentCritical services/coordination-safety component Supply statusSupply status –Updates about situation/plan? –Updates regarding personnel availability status? –Provide public information?

Prioritize Action Steps Based on the lessons learned in today’s Exercise: 1.Please identify which three action items should be the highest work priority. 2. Who should be responsible for this work? Incident Management Teams?Incident Management Teams? Workgroup(s)?Workgroup(s)? 3. What is the timeline for completion?

Action Items

QUESTIONS?

Thank you for participating in our Exercise today!

T.J. Harmon, CEM Northwest Emergency Services (NES)