Tabletop Exercises The EPA Perspective and Experience

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Tabletop Exercises The EPA Perspective and
Experience
Patti Kay Wisniewski wisniewski.patti-kay_at_epa.gov
Drinking Water Security Coordinator US EPA Region
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Tabletop Exercises

• What is a tabletop exercise?
• Effective tool to simulate emergency event and
  practice ERP procedures
• Involve developing scenarios that describe
  potential problems and provide limited
  information (injects) necessary to address
  problem
• Goals
• Present state or utility staff and ER personnel
  with a fabricated event, verbally respond,
  evaluate responses compared to ERP
• Identify lessons learned to enhance future
  staff response and recovery
• update ERP

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Tabletop Exercises

• Importance
• Communication
• Coordination
• Build partnerships and relationships
• ERP practice and refinement

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Tabletop Exercises

• Who can conduct Exercises?
• State, regional group of water systems,
  interconnected systems, individual systems
• Who needs to participate in Exercises?
• StateDW program and emergency responders
• Localpolice, fire, ER, health department
• Local officials
• Utility personnel (DW, WW, haz-mat)
• FederalEPA (DW, OSC, CID, press office), FEMA,
  FBI, CDC, National Guard
• Folks to play roles of those not present

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Tabletop Exercises

• Documentation
• Before scenario details, maps, injects
• During record of communication
• After lessons learned, unanswered questions,
  areas for refinement for future exercises or ERP

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EPAs Possible Exercise Role

• Regional Drinking Water staff can assist by
• Aiding in the development of scenarios
• Serving as observers or facilitators
• Playing active role in person or by phone
• Contacting EPA or other Federal Agency personnel
  for their participation
• Providing short training session
• Explaining EPAs Response Role
• Other role as needed

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Relationship to RPTB

• EPAs Response Protocol Toolbox (RPTB) is not an
  emergency response plan, but a planning tool
• Tabletop exercises could make use of RPTB,
  particularly forms
• RPTB is not just for utilities, so exercise may
  be first introduction to others
• EPA to conduct ERP and RPTB training with
  tabletop exercises this summer

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Lessons Learned about Exercises

• Preplanning must include role for all groups
• Allow time for scenario to develop and play out
• Plan for someone to handle role of those not
  present (e.g. Governor, Press)
• Have sufficient facilitators on hand to control
  and monitor progress of the exercise
• Be realistic

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Lessons Learned about Exercises

• Stop and assess as needed
• Stress groundrules at the start, make
  participants aware of confusion which may exist
  (during exercise and in real event)
• Allow sufficient time for Hot Wash
• Do not worry if you do not have all the answers
• Expand exercises to field drills include media
  role played by public information officer (PIO)

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Lessons Learned about Responses

• Use as opportunity to practice utility specific
  ERP
• Be realistic (natural disaster scenario, spills,
  terrorism, blackout)
• Be realistic for those who cannot be on-site
• Document all unanswered questions, dont let this
  slow the exercise down (make some assumptions and
  move on)
• Seek and share answers later

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Lessons Learned about Responses

• Keep dialog going
• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Build on each tabletop exercise to reach field
  exercise or full scale drill
• Dont forget--dealing with public, media, how to
  provide alternate sources of drinking water

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Resources to Assist

• EPA to conduct ERP and RPTB training with table
  top exercises this summer
• EPA state security grants
• State primacy agencies and emergency responders
• Other utilities
• Partnering with LEPCs
• Other industry groups

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QUESTIONS?