SimpleTabletopExercise

NaturalDisasterScenario
Scenario#XCatastrophicBuildingFire
FacilitatorsGuide
ScenarioSummary

Background:Itis9:30amonthemorningofJanuary17th,itis27degreesoutside.

TheEvent:Theextremecoldhasforcedtheboilersrunningtheheatsystemtostress.Aspark
intheboilerroomignitedsomeleavesandpaperthathadnotbeencleanedup.Palletsstored
nearbyaddedfueltothesmallerfireandthefirebegantogainmomentum.Forsome
unknownreason,thefirealarmdidnotgooff,andthefirewasnotdiscovereduntilan
employeesmelledsmokeandwenttoinvestigate.Shetriedtoopenthedoortotheroom,but
thedoorknobwastoohot,sosheranbacktoherofficetocall911.Anotheremployeepulled
thefirealarmanditdidnotsound.Minuteslatertheemployeeswereevacuatedbycalling,
emailinganddirectnotification.Thesmellofsmokealsoensuredthateveryonehadasenseof
urgency.Theentirebuildingwasevacuatedinapproximately15minuteswithnoinjuries.

TheResults:TheFireDepartmentarrived4.5minutesafterthe911call.Thesprinklersystem
workedasintended,butthefire,waterandsmokedamagedestroyedallbuildingcontents.
Thebuildingownerpredictsthatitwilltake9monthstoayeartomakethebuildinghabitable
again.

TotheFacilitator:Thegoalofthisexerciseistorecreatethedisruptioncausedbya
catastrophicfireinanolder,multistorystructure.Theparticipantswillberequiredtodiscuss
criticalnotificationsandcollaborationsrequiredtoaddressthedamagingeffectsofthisdisaster
inanorganizedandeffectivemanner.KeyIncidentCommandSystem(ICS)elementsshouldbe
includedasapartoftheparticipantsresponsediscussions.

IntendedParticipants:Thisexercisemayberunforagovernmentagencyorprivateindustry.

Youmaywishtoconsiderinviting:
KeyAgencyStaff: BuildingOwner: LocalOfficials:
- Leadership - PropertyManager - LocalEmergency
- Facilities - Management
- HumanResources - FireDepartment
- EvacuationPlanner
- FloorCaptains
- InformationTech
- IncidentResponse
Team

RunningtheExercise

Step1:Decideonafacility,trainingdate,trainingduration,andwhotoinvite.Invite
participantswellinadvanceofyourtrainingdatetoensurethatyoucanachieveyour
attendancegoal.Allowadequatetimeforplanningandbesuretoprepareallmaterials(digital
andhardcopy)aheadoftime.

Step2:Dependingonwhoisparticipatinginthisexercise,itmaybeagoodideatohavethe
participantsgoaroundthetableandintroducethemselves(name,utility,andjobtitle)sothat
everyonewillunderstandwhereanyparticularindividualiscomingfromduringtheensuing
discussions.

Step3:Explaintotheparticipantsthattheyareparticipatinginasimpletabletopexercise.
Thereisnotimepressure,andthattheyarethereasagrouptodiscusstheirrolesand
responsestoanemergencyincident.Therearenorightorwronganswers,butthegroupshould
beabletodiscussproblemorgrayareasthatmayariseduringtheexercise.Letthemknow
thisisgood,astheexerciseshouldstimulatediscussionthatmayleadtochangesinthewaythe
participantsconducttheirdailyandemergencyoperations.Alsoinformtheparticipantsthat,
althoughtheincidentissetinfictionalZenithCity,itisokaytotalkabouttheincidentfrom
theirownexperiencesorinthecontextoftheirownprotocolsandprocedures.Itwillmakethe
exercisemorebeneficialfortheparticipantsiftheyexchangeemergencyresponsepractices,
protocols,andproceduresthattheymaycurrentlyuse.

Step4:BesuretogivethebackgroundPowerPointpresentationtointroducetheparticipants
totheagencyCOOPPlanandtosetthestagefortheincident.Theexercisegoalswillalsobe
presentedasapartofthispresentation.

Step5:Begintheexercisebydeliveringthefirstinject.Then,letthediscussionevolvenaturally
onitsownaftergivingtheparticipantsthefirstinject.Ifnecessary,togetthediscussion
started,simplynudgetheparticipantswithanonleadingquestionsuchas:Whatwouldyou
dointhissituation?Youcoulddirectthisquestiontothegroupatlarge,or,inagroupwhereno
oneiswillingtobreaktheice,toaparticularindividual,preferablyonethatyouknowservesin
aleadershiproleduringthecourseoftheirdailyactivities.Youcanalsorefertothediscussion
pointsintheFacilitatorsGuidetohelpjumpstartdiscussion.

Step6:Besuretotakenotesduringthediscussions.Thesenoteswillformthebasisofyour
afteractionreview.Noteproblemorgrayareasthatneedmoreresearchpriortoresolution
andwhowillperformthisresearchoranyactionitemsdecideduponbytheparticipants.The
notesyoutakewillensurethatasummaryofthetakehomepoints,actionitemsormessages
willnotbeforgottenoroverlooked.Youmaywishtowritethesepoints,actionitemsand
messagesonaflipchartattheendoftheexercise.

Step7:Performanafteractionreview.Youmaywishtogivetheparticipantsa10to15minute
breakattheendoftheexercisetogiveyourselftimetocomposeyournotespriorto
conductingthereview.Besuretoreviewtheexerciseobjectivesagaintodetermineifthe
objectivesweremetbytheexercise.Allowtheparticipantstogivetheirfeedbackonthe
exerciseandtheconclusionsordecisionsthattheyarrivedatduringtheexercise.Theentire
tabletopexercise,includingtheafteractionreview,cantypicallybeconductedinatwotofour
hoursession.Thistimerangeisflexibleandisdependentontheamountofdiscussion
generatedduringtheexercise.Thepaceoftheexerciseiscontrolledentirelybythefacilitator,
whomanagesthediscussionsandpresentstheinjects.

DiscussionPoints
Remember,itisJanuaryinTopekaanditisverycoldoutside.Thefireprogressedveryquickly
andverylittletimewasusedtoremoveitemsfromthebuilding.Exerciseparticipantsare
providedamapofthebuildingandthedesignatedevacuationzonesandplan.

Inject#1(09:45hrs.,January17):Itisthoughtthatallpersonnelweresafelyevacuatedfrom
thebuilding.Severalstaffareunaccountedfor.

PointsthatcouldbecoveredinthediscussionofInject#1include:
Discusswhattypeofcommandstructureshouldbeestablished.Whatisthe
commandstructureneededtodealwiththisincident?
Whatistheprocesstodealwiththepersonnelwhoareunaccountedfor?
Whatmitigationfactorsareinplacetodealwiththistypeofdisaster?
Whatactionswouldbetakenatthispoint?

Inject#2(10:15hrs.,January17):Agencystaffdeterminedthatthepeoplewhowere
unaccountedforhadleftthebuildingforcoffee.Fireofficialshaveannouncedthatthebuilding
willnotbeaccessibleuntilatleastthenextday.

PointsthatcouldbecoveredinthediscussionofInject#2include:

Whatdoyoutelltheemployees?
Whatareagencyleadersdoing?
Howareyoucommunicatingwithemployeesthatarenotattherallypoint?
Whatoutsidenotificationswouldyoubemaking?

Inject#3(10:25hrs.,January17):Reportersandcameracrewsfromtwolocalnewsstations
havearrivedandarelookingfortheagencyspokesman.Employeesaredispersingandgoing
home.

PointsthatcouldbecoveredinthediscussionofInject#3include:
Whowouldbethespokesperson?
Whatarethekeymessagesyoubedelivering?
Describetheplantocommunicatewithemployeesatthispoint

Inject#4(11:00hrs.,January17):Thebuildingownermetwiththefirechiefandhasreported
toagencyleadership.Thedamagetothebuildingissosignificantthatingresswillnotbe
alloweduntilfurthernotice.Atimelineforreentrywillbeprovidedtotheownerwhenthe
buildinghasbeeninspectedbystructuralengineers.Chiefreportedthatserverroomhasbeen
completelydestroyed.

PointsthatcouldbecoveredinthediscussionofInject#4include:
Describethecurrentactivitiesoftherelocationteam.
Aretriggersidentifiedforactivationoftheteam?
Describecommunicationplanatthispoint.
Howdoesthedestructionoftheserverroomaffectyourcommunicationsplan?

Inject#5(12:00hrs.,January17):Theagencydirectorisreceivingphonecallsfrom
stakeholders.TheagencyPublicInformationOfficerisalsoreceivingcallsfromreporters.
Questionsthatneedtobeansweredinclude:
Wheredowesendourlicensingfees(mail,applications,etc.)?Thisinjectcanbe
personalizedbasedontheagencyneeds).
HowdowereachtheXXXprogram?
Wherewillyouremployeesreporttoworktomorrow?
Howwillthiseventaffectyouragenciesabilitytocarryoutyourstatutory
responsibilities?

Inject#6(17:00hrs.,January17):TheCOOPplanandtheagencyleadershipteamwilloperate
outofthealternatesiteforthenextfewdays.

PointsthatcouldbecoveredinthediscussionofInject#6include:

Describetheprioritiesforthispoint
Describethevariousresponsibilitiesfortheleadershipteamandtherelocation
team.

Inject#7(08:00hrs.,January18):.Theleadershipteamismeetingtodiscusspriorities.

PointsthatcouldbecoveredinthediscussionofInject#7include:

Describewhattheprioritiesareatthispoint.
Howwillfundingbesecuredtoimplementpermanentrelocation?
Whatareyourcontractualresponsibilitieswiththebuildingowner?
Whatisthestatusofagencyrecordsanddata?