The following scenario would, to my knowledge, be one of the largest table-top exercises conducted in Harrison County. In attempting to think of a disaster scenario, I couldn’t help but think of something on a larger scale than what was requested. The reason behind my thoughts of a larger disaster lies with my beliefs of how ill-prepared the community actually is. To my knowledge, there has never been a disaster scenario played to this scale, nor do I believe that there had ever been a good review of the incidents that had taken place in 1997.
I do know that much has changed since that time, and that there are many unwritten plans of action; however I do not believe that everyone is truly aware of what each other has in mind. I also do not believe that our agencies know how to function if a key member in their organization is absent—a point which would be inserted into sub-scenarios of this larger scenario.
Another hole that I know exists in our community’s plans involve what to do should our dispatch center lose communication. Granted, if the phone lines go down, there isn’t much that can be done; however, what is to be done when there isn’t any CAD ability? All of the radios are routed through a computer based system, and, to my knowledge, there still aren’t any “physical” radios on site—what then?
I believe that I may develop this plan further, and turn it into my EM director and see if it becomes one of the next exercises. I worry, though, that by the end it may turn into something resembling a game of Dungeons and Dragons…
DATE: IRRELEVANT
TIME: IRRELEVANT
LOCATION: MUCH OF CYNTHIANA AND PORTIONS OF HARRISON COUNTY
EVENT: “100-YEAR” FLOODING
NARRATIVE: A large powerful storm system has moved across the US,
pulling moisture from the gulf, and has stalled over the
area, releasing copius amounts of rain in a fashion
similar to that experienced in March of 1997. Cynthiana
and Harrison County is experiencing flooding akin to that
of 1997. The main highways are inaccessible once again.
Fresh and waste water treatment plants have been shut
down. The western side of Cynthiana is flooded and
inaccessible. The phone system is down due to AT&T’s
switching station being flooded.
One factor of this storm system differed from the one
previously experienced — high winds skirted along a
smaller system that preceded this rain event. Winds from
the line preceding the rains caused structural damage to
the roof of city hall; however this wasn’t discovered
until the following rains came, leaking through the
building into the dispatch center, rendering most of the
equipment useless. EOC is assumed to have been partially
self-activated by EMA; however other officials are not
present.
OBJECTIVES: 1.) Communications are down and infrastructure has been
crippled. Appropriate measures must be taken to fully
activate EOC. Establish alternative methods for
communication with all applicable agencies and public,
and solve the issues of infrastructure whilst a public
panics. Alternate agency contact information *may* be
located in the ERIL section of the EOP and in dispatch
SOG/SOP. Other necessary items or equipment may be
readily available or promptly procured from EMA.
2.) All agencies within Cynthiana exist on eastern side
of town. An appropriate number of response units and a
base of operations for these units must be made on
western side of town. Decide an appropriate number, find
a location for operations, direct units how to reach
western side with the existing road closures.
3.) Contact needs to be made with hospital and care
facilities to check status of operations and rations.
Locate means of providing support.
4.) Contact needs to be made with the city of Berry for
status. Attempt to provide mayor with any necessary
supplies.
DIRECTIONS: Complete objectives by utilizing all available plans and
by brainstorming to fill any gaps in plans. For areas
which are decided on the spot without an established plan
backing the decision, city/county attorney(-ies) may
provide advice if decision could have legal ramifications.
EM deputies and attornies will be assigned to represent-
atives of EOC to record decisions and provide further
information on departmental decisions from a randomized
list of sub-scenarios—EXAMPLE: EMS dispatches two EC units
to western side; deputy assigned to EMS in scenario
announces to EMS representative that one EC has arrived in
x-minutes while other EC has experienced mechanical
trouble along the way.
Notes will be collected and compiled at the end of the
scenario. Review of the scenario will be conducted next-
day, with discussion.
Initially, there would be two somewhat separate IC operations going on until a Unified Command was established with the activation of the EOC. IC-1 would be the EMA preparing for the rains, assumedly a week or so in advance—this timeframe estimation comes from the recent history of the NWS communicating with KYEM and local EM agencies on forthcoming weather events. During the EM preparation the EOC would be partially activated. IC-2 would involve the damage within the dispatch center. During this phase, dispatch would be attempting to return to a non-preferred working state. Concurrently EM would be continuing efforts in relaying messages to the county Judge-Exec and Cynthiana mayor’s office and assumedly assisting in bringing dispatch online. As the waters continue to rise, dispatch would come back to a crippled operating state (likely relying upon spare mobiles and HTs) and attempts would be made to contact other officials and bring the EOC to full activation.
All representatives in the EOC would fulfill Operations and some Planning roles. In regard to the exercise itself, additional staff or volunteers would act in planning capacities in order to keep the exercise going to provide additional documentation of the actions taken for the following day’s critique.
Logistics would primarily be headed by the EM, with communications between the agencies taking place in the EOC for additional brainstorming. All actions under logistics, unless the responsibility of another agency or another agency volunteers, would be the responsibility of EM.
Finance/Administration would be handled by the heads of the governments and/or their appointed representatives/staff. How this would be handled with the event affecting two to three governmental bodies (Berry, Cynthiana, and Harrison County) would be questionable and likely an issue which would need to be addressed—part of the point of an exercise. One could speculate that Berry would not be present and rely upon Harrison County, and that the county and Cynthiana would work mutually for the entire event while keeping separate records.
Other elements of ICS would be the responsibility of respective agencies.
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