Disaster Scenario Exercise for Community Planning Critical Power FailureFEMA 2011 Image of a stopped car at an intersection, during a power failure Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE alt="" Purpose Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA •Why are we investing this time? •Where is your organization in emergency planning? •Do we have unidentified gaps? •Have we considered all populations? EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Agenda •Overview of modules •Hotwash •Introductions Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Objectives .Exercise teamwork: Public Sector + Private Sector = Resilient Communities. .Provide us tools for emergency planning, and a forum for discussing and developing emergency plans .Test assumptions Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Rules for Players .Relax –this is a no-fault exercise. .Respond based on your current capability. .Allow for artificialities of the scenario –it’s a tool. .Feel free to improvise –think outside the box. .This is a safe environment, a chance to propose and test solutions. .The more you contribute, the more successful we will be. Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Our Community .Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources .Economic Development Overview including key sectors, schools and colleges .Maps .Weather/Climate .Hospitals, fire, police, rescue .Local and state resources Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Scenario: Critical Power Failure .With complicating severe weather Image of downed powerlines due to severe weather EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Emergency Management Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA .Prepare and Protect .Respond .Recover .Mitigate .Overview of National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, and Incident Command System EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Prepare and Protect Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA .Have a plan, activate it .Gather the planning team .Assess hazards, prepare facilities and people .Confirm and check evacuation plans and routes .Stock and check supplies and first aid .Monitor incident development .Activate Response Teams .Coordinate among public sector agencies and private sector organizations EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE VNN sihouette of palm trees during a power failure .Click to Play News: EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Video VNN ANCHOR Good evening and welcome to VNN. Breaking news. Streets without power. Millions without lights. A sudden and devastating blackout left many of our neighboring counties, cities, and towns in the dark. The surrounding region is at a standstill and a 911 outage emergency is in effect. Local officials are scrambling to get emergency info to millions of homes that now have no TV or internet services. So far the blackout has not affected our immediate area, but local officials are preparing for the worst and are urging every citizen to prepare their homes, businesses, and families for a possible loss of power. Even without the cover of darkness, the local community is already feeling the impact as transportation in the region has been crippled. Reports are in that the airport’s back-up power failed, leaving the control tower and ticketing systems inoperable. At least 475 outbound flights were cancelled and inbound flights were diverted leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Subways, light rails, and other public transportation operating from electricity were shut down. 911 systems, while operable, are overwhelmed by volumes of calls from residents trapped in elevators and train cars. Cell phone service is taking a big hit as providers are struggling to restore service after back-up power sources failed. Several gas stations are closed, so motorists are running out of gas, leaving stalled vehicles along the highway already clogged with pedestrians forced to walk long distances home. No one knows the exact cause of the outage at this time and the theories are numerous. Politicians point to gross mismanagement of power systems. Some officials suspect a possible act of terrorism, while others blame a mild earthquake and warn that a larger earthquake could be imminent. Although the jury is still out on the cause, the verdict is in on the resulting effect: complete and total chaos. And this disaster couldn’t have come at a worse time. Temperatures have reached record highs this week and people desperate for relief, are running cooling units which are draining an already strained power grid. Officials are asking local residents to conserve power whenever possible, but Health officials warn that the elderly, infirm and families with infants can be especially vulnerable to the scorching heat. Police are urging residents to stay home and off the roadways wherever possible, to keep the roads clear for emergency responders en route to assist our neighbors. Stay tuned for more updates on this devastating situation. I’m Lydia Washington for VNN. Prepare & Protect -Discussion Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA .What are our priorities? .What are our initial actions? .What message do we need to communicate, and to whom? What if systems fail? .Who are vulnerable populations, who may require aid? How will we deliver it? .What are the hazards? .What are our needs for supplies, etc.? EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE .Break Image of a car in front of a stop sign Respond Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE .Mobilize and position emergency equipment .Evacuate or shelter-in-place .Provide food, water, shelter, medical services .Initiate continuity plans .Assess and restore damaged services and systems .Coordinate among local responders, government agencies, and private sector organizations VNN EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE aerial image of flooded businesses Audio Only VNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Breaking news from VNN radio. The Governor has declared a state of emergency as the chaos arrives at our front door. Local residents are now without power adding to the tens of millions who already lost power nearly 24 hours ago. Our studio here at VNN is operating on generator power as are many hospitals and critical infrastructure. Officials are asking building owners to conserve fuel and to only operate essential services. Gas stations that remain open are reporting long lines at pumps across the regions, and some stations have pushed up prices. A boil water advisory is in effect for the area due to the loss of power in sewer centers and decontamination facilities. Essential government is operating, but asks that all non-essential government employees remain at home. Many private corporations and small businesses are encouraging their employees to do the same. Still no final word on the cause of the disaster as experts and officials continue to issue conflicting reports. All that is certain is that unspecified operating errors at one or more power generating facilities have resulted in power outages of massive proportions. We have reports of a number of deaths overnight from fires in homes that were likely caused by the use of candles or the improper use of generators. To add to this grim news, meteorologists issued a one two-punch this morning with an ominous weather forecast. High heat will persist late into the afternoon, forcing millions suffering from the heat wave to get by without cooling units. A cold front is then expected to sweep across the area in the early evening bringing with it, its own threat of possible severe storms. If that’s not enough, Health officials warn that a more immediate threat could be right in our homes. Power outages could cause bacteria outbreaks in refrigerated food and officials suggest that when in doubt, throw food out. Police are still struggling to get emergency information to a powerless residents and the local government is offering these blackout and heat wave safety tips: boil water before drinking it, wear light-colored loose fitting clothing, avoid strenuous activities, and check in on elderly relatives and neighbors. Stay tuned right here at VNN for more updates and advisories. •Click to Play Radio Report: Respond -Discussion .Transportation .Incident Command .Operating Locations .Staffing Needs .Security Concerns .Emergency Supplies .Communication/Messaging Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Local Government Emergency Text Alert Image of a Blackberry Phone displaying text of local government emergency text alert EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Tornado Watch in effect until 8:00 p.m. Cold front approaching, wind gusts to 60 mph, possible downpours and hail. Stay indoors or seek shelter. VNN Emergency Text Alert Image of a Blackberry Phone displaying text of local government emergency text alert News Alert: Tornado Watch cancelled. Heavy rains expected across the region. Tune in to VNN for more information. EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Twitter Post GeauxSaintsIt’s Crazy! Wind just blew the roof off three houses on Elm St!!! Armageddon headed our way. Take cover 3 minutes ago twitter logo Top Tweets View all Geaux Saints logo The best way to discover what’s new in your world. Search EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Respond -Discussion .Information Reliability .Alternative Communications .Government Capabilities .Public Capabilities .Options Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Recover Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE .Provide relief .Distribute disaster assistance .Assess damage .Form community committee to plan long-term recovery .Restore community tax base and local economy .Repair infrastructure .Restore housing VNN image of repairmen reparing downed powerlines .Click to Play News: EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Video ANCHOR: Good morning. This is VNN. Relief at last. It’s been five days since the blackout first struck our region and power has finally been restored to at least 89% of the region. City officials cannot predict when full power will be restored, but report that two thirds of the region’s traffic lights are now operable. Drivers are cautioned to treat stop signs as four way stops and minimize travel whenever possible as cleanup crews are still working to clear fallen trees and other debris from the roadways. Public transportation is now running, but operating on a modified schedule. Major wireless providers are reporting that voice and data networks are 82% operational, but are suggesting that customers with full service use their cell phones sparingly until the networks are fully restored. The region is reviving slowly, but things are far from normal. Thousands of displaced residents remain in emergency shelters and many of those, who were victims to home fires or storm damage, are now permanently displaced. Millions are still under a boil water advisory and raw sewage and industrial chemicals from failed treatment facilities have polluted natural waterways and beaches. The looming question is, what will the financial impact of the blackout be? Although it is too early to predict the final costs, all signs point to a long recovery. Major retailers including grocery stores are feeling the bite. Hundreds of stores, forced to close, lost millions of dollars in revenues on top of the millions in spoiled produce, meats and frozen goods. And while the lights are on at many businesses, the future is not so bright for many employees. Some companies will operate with limited staff only as they await deliveries and supplies. Local economic development officials fear as many as 10% of small businesses many not be able to recover and might shut their doors forever. As for the cause of the blackout, officials remain in the dark, but a joint public-private taskforce chaired by the US Energy Secretary has been formed to investigate. The local government has promised to fight to uncover the truth behind this catastrophe, and to ensure that it never happens again. This is Lydia Washington for VNN. Recover -Discussion Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE .How will we repair structural and physical damage? .How will we restore disrupted services? .How will we address health and safety hazards? .How will we limit economic loss? Limit loss to property .How will we return to the economic base prior to the outage? .Are there any gaps or redundancies in our roles? Mitigate .What hazards have been identified in the community? .What steps can we take to mitigate risks? .What steps is the community taking to mitigate community-wide risks? .How can private sector organizations work with public sector officials? Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Hot Wash Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE .What gaps in our organization/community plans were revealed? .What obstacles must we overcome or conflicts resolve? .What strengths in our organization/community plans were proven by this exercise? .Who within and outside of our organizations do we need to meet with to develop and improve our emergency plans? What information do you need from them? .List three to five short-term and three to five long-term actions for follow-up. Planning Resources .http://www.ready.gov .http:// www.fema.gov .http://www.fema.gov/privatesector/ .http://Training.fema.gov .Community Resources Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Contact Logo of U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE For more information or to provide feedback on this exercise, contact: FEMA Office of External Affairs, Private Sector Division 500 C St. SW Washington, DC Email FEMA-private-sector@dhs.gov