Denver Urban Area Security Initiative

1
Continuity of Operations Planning
Project Tabletop Exercise April 15, 2009
2
Self Introductions

• Let us know who you are, why you are here, what
  you hope to gain from participation, and where
  you would rather be.

3
Agency Introductions

• What does you Agency do?
• What other Agencies do you work with?
• Parsons State Hospital (Suzanne)
• Kansas Animal Health Department (Karen)
• OSH (Lynette)
• TAG (Angee)
• Osawatomie State Hospital (James)
• Dickinson County (Nick)
• Social and Rehabilitation Services (John)

4
Exercise Basics
5
TTX Ground Rules

• This TTX will be conducted in a stress free,
  informal environment.
• Use your expert knowledge to poke holes in the
  process and suggest solutions
• Participate openly in all discussions
• Respect the thoughts, ideas and opinions of your
  fellow participants (disagreements are okay, they
  may point out a weak area of a plan and help
  foster mutual solutions)
• Keep your thoughts and comments to the point in
  consideration of time constraints

6
Goals of the TTX

• Knowledge of Roles and Responsibilities
• Ability to Openly Interface with Other Agencies
• Understand General Flow of Possible Incident
• Improvement of All Plans

7
Exercise Introduction

• The exercise will include disaster scenario
  information that will be presented to the
  exercise participants.
• The TTX will be managed and facilitated by Bold
  Planning Solutions.
• There will be three primary exercise modules (or
  disaster events) that will build on each other as
  the exercise progresses.
• The exercise will be based on realistic disaster
  event scenarios which could affect the operations
  of all Agencies.
• The exercise will focus on Continuity of
  Operations, not emergency operations.

8
Module Details

• Module Scenario Presentation During this time,
  Bold Planning Solutions will provide details and
  information about the disaster scenario to the
  exercise team.
• Module Questions and Individual Worksheets
  After presenting the disaster scenario, Bold
  Planning Solutions will outline a number of
  topics and questions that should be considered by
  each individual participant.
• Group Breakout Meetings Each pre-assigned group
  will meet separately to discuss the scenario and
  the suggested topics and questions. Important
  issues not suggested by Bold Planning Solutions
  should also be considered at this time. Each
  group will prepare a Incident Action Plan with
  priority action items and priority
  questions/issues.

9
Module Details Continued

• Group Presentations Each group will designate a
  speaker who will present their Incident Action
  Plan to the overall exercise team.
• Hot-Wash Discussion After the group
  presentations, an open discussion will be
  facilitated for all participants. This
  discussion will focus on coordination issues and
  overall policy items.

10
Incident Action Plans
For each Module your table has an Incident Action
Plan Please take a few minutes toward the end of
your Module discussion to fill it out Determine
you priority action items (the things that need
to get done first) Rank your priority action
items Determine the significant questions and
issues from your discussions Rank your questions
and issues from most vexing to least vexing We
will collect these at the end of the TTX and use
them to create an After Action Report to help
everyone improve their plans
11
Exercise Timeline

• Each module will last approximately one hour with
  the following estimated schedule
• Scenario Presentation 5 minutes
• Questions and Issues 5 minutes
• Group Meetings 20 minutes
• Group Presentations 20 minutes
• Hot-Wash Discussion 10 minutes

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• Tornado Basics

13
Historical Events
14
Statewide Risks
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Greensburg 2007
16
Greensburg 2007
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Greensburg 2007
Facts about the May 4, 2007 Greensburg tornado Facts about the May 4, 2007 Greensburg tornado
65 minutes The tornado began in Comanche county at 900 PM and ended at 1005 PM near Greensburg
1.7 miles Maximum width of the tornado
28.8 miles Distance the tornado travelled
205 MPH Approximately the strongest surface wind in parts of town
F5 Maximum damage rating on Enhanced Fujita Scale
11 Deaths
961 Homes businesses destroyed
216 Homes businesses with major damage
307 Homes businesses with minor damage
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Topeka 1966
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Topeka 1966
20
Topeka 1966
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Topeka 1966
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Topeka 1966
Facts about the June 8th, 1966 Topeka tornado Facts about the June 8th, 1966 Topeka tornado
0.5 miles Maximum width of the tornado
22 miles Distance the tornado travelled
250 MPH Approximately the strongest surface wind in parts of town
F5 Maximum damage rating on Enhanced Fujita Scale
16 Deaths
1070 Homes businesses destroyed
5330 Homes businesses with major damage
100,000,000 (todays dollars 650,000,00) Damage Total
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• Setting the Stage

24
Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 930PMSevere Weather
on the Horizon
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Situation Status

• Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 930PM
• Early Spring evening in Topeka.
• Severe Storm Warning for the greater Topeka area.
  
• Potential for damaging hail, strong winds and
• possibly tornadoes
• Heading towards Topeka
• Weatherman predicts storms will dissipate before
  they
• reach us.

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• Module 1

27
Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 130AMA significant
tornado event impacts Topeka
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Situation Status

• Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 200AM
• At 130AM tornado sirens activate.
• News reporting severe damage to the Capitol
  complex and large areas of Topeka.
• Landline and cellular service is severely
  impacted
• Internet access is still possible.

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Questions and Issues

• How is your Agency prepared to react to this
  sudden event?
• How is your Agency gathering information about
  the current situation in the region?
• How does your management staff communicate with
  key staff about the current status?
• How does your Agency (or the State) communicate
  information to employees?
• What steps are taken to account for and assist
  your Agencys personnel and their families?
• What decisions are made about operations for
  Monday morning? Who makes these decisions.
• Does the month, day, or date of the event effect
  how your Agency reacts?
• How do you talk to the media?

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TTX Instructions

• 1) You have 20 minutes to discuss the questions
  for each module
• 2) Elect a group representative to present your
  findings at the end of this section
• 3) Elect a scribe to fill out one Incident Action
  Plan form for each Module for each table to be
  submitted at the end of the TTX
• 4) Do not just discuss your strengths, try to
  find your weaknesses
• 5) Write down your thoughts and discoveries for
  use on your agency plan
• 6) Remember, while everyones goals are the same
  (getting back to normal operations), how you
  achieve these goals may be different. Respect
  each others view and ideas.

31

• Module 2

32
Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 800AMThe Morning
After
33
Situation Status

• Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 800AM
• Complete destruction of downtown Topeka
• All of your personnel have been accounted for
• Your offices are completely destroyed or
  inaccessible
• Outside the path of destruction it is business
  as usual
• Media running constant reports shutdown of the
  State Government
• The Governor declaring a State of Emergency
• You are told to get things up and running ASAP
• Your alternate facility is open and unaffected

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Questions and Issues

• How is the COOP activated and utilized?
• Who activated the COOP?
• What are the priorities with respect to staff
  safety?
• What is your Agency doing to assist staff with
  personal and family recovery issues?
• What Agency priority functions must be performed
  given this disruption?
• How are staffing levels being maintained?
• Who are the primary staff and team members with
  responsibility for managing the departments and
  their essential functions?
• What long-term alternate facilities are
  available?
• What equipment and resources are available at the
  relocation facilities?
• What issues are given priority with respect to
  facilities and equipment?
• How do you talk to the public?
• How do you talk to the Media?

35
TTX Instructions

• 1) You have 20 minutes to discuss the questions
  for each module
• 2) Elect a group representative to present your
  findings at the end of this section
• 3) Elect a scribe to fill out one Incident Action
  Plan form for each Module for each table to be
  submitted at the end of the TTX
• 4) Do not just discuss your strengths, try to
  find your weaknesses
• 5) Write down your thoughts and discoveries for
  use on your agency plan
• 6) Remember, while everyones goals are the same
  (getting back to normal operations), how you
  achieve these goals may be different. Respect
  each others view and ideas.

36

• Module 3

37
Monday April 27th, 2009 at 1100AMThe Next Week
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Situation Status

• Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 1100AM
• You have successfully relocated to your alternate
  facility,
• You do not have all the equipment you need,
• 25 of your staff is unable to show for work
• As a result, you are unable to perform all of
  your Mission Essential Functions.
• You need to increase the current levels of
  security at your alternate facility
• Public has started contacting you

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Questions and Issues

• What Agency mission essential functions must be
  performed?
• How are staffing levels being maintained?
• How do you get the additional equipment you need
  to maintain functions?
• What long-term alternate facilities are
  available?
• How are resources being allocated to State
  Agencies?
• How have you reestablished communications with
  the public?
• How long can you remain in your alternate
  facility?
• What outside agencies are you working with and
  how do you contact them?
• Is your level of security adequate for the
  long-term?
• How do you communicate with your customers (the
  public)?
• How do you communicate with the media?

40
TTX Instructions

• 1) You have 20 minutes to discuss the questions
  for each module
• 2) Elect a group representative to present your
  findings at the end of this section
• 3) Elect a scribe to fill out one Incident Action
  Plan form for each Module for each table to be
  submitted at the end of the TTX
• 4) Do not just discuss your strengths, try to
  find your weaknesses
• 5) Write down your thoughts and discoveries for
  use on your agency plan
• 6) Remember, while everyones goals are the same
  (getting back to normal operations), how you
  achieve these goals may be different. Respect
  each others view and ideas.

41

• Successful Completion

42
Monday, May 25th, 2009 at 1100AMBack in Business
43
Situation Status

• Monday, May 28th, 2009 at 1100AM
• You have relocated to your permanent new offices.
  
• You are back up to full staffing.
• Your COOP activation was a success
• But your plan was missing a few important
  details.
• You resolve to fix these areas
• You also resolve to keep your COOP up to date as
  possible

44
Participant Evaluation

• Your feedback is important!
• Please fill out the
• Participant Evaluation Form
• in your exercise package and turn-in before
  leaving.

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Matt_at_BoldPlanning.com [phone]