STATEWIDE MEDICAL AND HEALTH FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE EXERCISE PLAN

Transcription

1 STATEWIDE MEDICAL AND HEALTH FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE EXERCISE PLAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012 WORKING LAST REVISED JUNE 28, 2012

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3 PREFACE The 2012 Statewide Medical and Health Functional Exercise (SMHFE) is sponsored by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and locally by the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency. Consistent with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) doctrine, this Exercise Plan (EXPLAN) was produced at the direction of the exercise sponsor, with the input, advice, and assistance from the Exercise Planning Team (EPT), comprised of representatives from the following agencies/organizations: California Association of Health Facilities California Emergency Management Agency Centinela Hospital Prime Healthcare Services Children s Hospital Los Angeles Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County Good Samaritan Hospital Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Hospital Association of Southern California Los Angeles City Fire Department Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Los Angeles County EMS Agency Los Angeles County Fire Department Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Memorial Hospital of Gardena Schaefer Ambulance Service, Inc. Sherman Oaks Hospital Prime Healthcare Services St. John s Health Center Torrance Memorial Hospital UCLA Healthcare System This EXPLAN provides officials, observers, media personnel and players from participating organizations the information they need to observe or participate in the exercise. The exercise will test player s emergency response plans, policies and procedures as they pertain to a catastrophic earthquake with a loss of power component. The exercise is an unclassified exercise. The control of information is based more on public sensitivity regarding the nature of the exercise than on the actual exercise content. Exercise Plan ii

4 The exercise and EXPLAN are tangible evidence of the commitment of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Hospital Preparedness Program grant to ensure public safety through collaborative partnerships within the Los Angeles County Operational Area (LAC OA). All exercise participants should use appropriate guidelines to ensure the proper control of information within their areas of expertise and to protect this material in accordance with current jurisdictional directives. Exercise players, observers, controllers, evaluators, and EPT members may view the EXPLAN. The information in this document is current at the date of publication and is subject to change as dictated by the 2012 SMHFE Planning Team. Date of last revision: June 28, 2012 Exercise Plan iii

5 HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS 1. The title of this document is the 2012 Statewide Medical and Health Functional Exercise Plan. 2. Information gathered in this EXPLAN is designated as For Official Use Only (FOUO). Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is at the discretion of the local exercise planner. 3. At a minimum, the attached materials will be disseminated strictly on a need-to-know basis. 4. For more information about the exercise, please consult the following points of contact: LOS ANGELES COUNTY Terry Crammer RN, BSN, MICN Disaster Training Specialist Los Angeles County EMS Agency Pioneer Blvd., Suite 200 Santa Fe Springs, CA tcrammer@dhs.lacounty.gov (562) Kurt C. Kainsinger, MPH, EMT Disaster Resource Center Manager UCLA Health System 757 Westwood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA kkainsinger@mednet.ucla.edu (310) Michelle Constant Principal and Consultant Constant and Associates, Inc Torrance Blvd., Suite 300 Torrance, CA (310) michelle@constantassociates.com HEALTHCARE PARTNER OR LOCAL DEPARTMENT/AGENCY [Your Name Your Title Your Address Your Address Line 2 Your Your Telephone] STATE OF CALIFORNIA Kristy Perez Chief, Planning, Exercises, and Training Section California Dept. of Public Health 1615 Capitol Avenue MS 7002 Sacramento, CA kristy.perez@cdph.ca.gov (916) Exercise Plan iv

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7 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE... Ii HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS... iv LOS ANGELES COUNTY... IV HEALTHCARE PARTNER OR LOCAL DEPARTMENT/AGENCY... IV STATE OF CALIFORNIA... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS... vi ACRONYM LIST... viii CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INFORMATION... 1 INTRODUCTION... 1 BACKGROUND... 1 COUNTY PROGRAM... 2 EXERCISE SCOPE... 2 EXERCISE PURPOSE... 2 EXERCISE MATERIALS... 2 HSEEP DOCTRINE... 3 EXERCISE OBJECTIVES AND CORE CAPABILITIES... 4 CHAPTER 2: EXERCISE LOGISTICS EXERCISE SUMMARY ASSUMPTIONS CONSTRUCTS AND CONSTRAINTS EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS EXERCISE TOOLS CONTROLLER AND EVALUATOR (C/E) HANDBOOK MASTER SCENARIO EVENTS LIST (MSEL) EXERCISE RULES SAFETY REQUIREMENTS SITE ACCESS OBSERVER COORDINATION PARKING AND DIRECTIONS REFRESHMENTS AND RESTROOM FACILITIES EXERCISE IDENTIFICATION COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Exercise Plan vi

8 CHAPTER 3: PLAYER INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS CHAPTER 4: EVALUATION & POST EXERCISE ACTIVITIES EXERCISE DOCUMENTATION EXERCISE EVALUATION GUIDES (EEGS) HOT WASH CONTROLLER AND EVALUATOR DEBRIEFING AFTER-ACTION REPORT AND EXERCISE EVALUATION CONFERENCE APPENDIX A: EXERCISE SCHEDULE APPENDIX B: EXERCISE SITE MAPS APPENDIX C: PARTICIPANTS APPENDIX D: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK FORM Exercise Plan vii

9 ACRONYM LIST AAR C/E CAHF Cal EMA CDPH CHA CPCA DHS DOC EOC EEC EEGs EMS EMSA EPT EXPLAN FE FOAC FOUO FSE HAVBED HEAR HSEEP IP LAC DHS LAC DPH LAC OA LAC OEM MSEL OA PSYSTART SimCell After Action Report Controller and Evaluator California Association of Health Facilities California Emergency Management Agency California Department of Public Health California Hospital Association California Primary Care Association Department of Homeland Security Department Operations Center Emergency Operations Center Exercise Evaluation Conference Exercise Evaluation Guides Emergency Medical Services Emergency Medical Services Authority (State) Exercise Planning Team Exercise Plan Functional Exercise Fire Operational Area Coordinator For Official Use Only Full Scale Exercise Hospital Available Beds for Emergencies and Disasters Hospital Emergency Administrative Radio Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Improvement Plan Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Los Angeles County Operational Area Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Master Scenario Events List Operational Area Psychological Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment Simulation Cell SMHFE Statewide Medical and Health Functional Exercise Exercise Plan viii

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11 CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INFORMATION INTRODUCTION Populous, diverse, and expansive, the LAC OA is vulnerable to a wide array of natural and human-caused hazards. As such, healthcare providers, emergency management, and response partners face several unique challenges in providing services. The need for highly synchronized planning is underscored as resources and policies from multiple agencies and organizations are brought together as part of disaster preparedness efforts. Continuing its long-standing commitment to emergency planning and preparedness, the Los Angeles County EMS Agency, working in close collaboration with disaster planners from agencies and organizations throughout the County, has initiated planning efforts for the local SMHFE effort. BACKGROUND The SMHFE will be developed in conjunction with the 2012 Statewide Medical and Health Training and Exercise Program. Originally spearheaded by the State of California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) in 1999, the Statewide Medical and Health Training and Exercise Program has expanded significantly providing new and increasingly more robust opportunities for disaster planners to implement training and exercise efforts. The 2012 Statewide Medical and Health Training and Exercise Program will focus on capabilities to communicate effectively, share information, disseminate intelligence, review risk communication messaging, and respond to loss of power following an earthquake. Ultimately, the exercise will provide participants with an opportunity to evaluate current response concepts, plans, and capabilities. As a long-standing partner and contributor, Los Angeles County, along with numerous agencies and organizations within its boundaries, will participate in the exercise again this year. To that end, the Los Angeles County EMS Agency, in close collaboration with healthcare, response and emergency management partners, have initiated planning efforts for a SMHFE that is tailored for the LAC OA. Exercise Plan 1

12 COUNTY PROGRAM Planning for the SMHFE is part of the overarching Los Angeles County Medical and Health Exercise Program. This two and a half year program is an on-going, planning and training effort that focuses on the coordination and management elements of emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities. The program consists of the following projects: Gap Analysis Project Disaster Healthcare Volunteer Training and Exercise Summit 1 Mass Fatality Management Guide for Healthcare Entities 2 Mass Fatality Management Tabletop Exercise Statewide Medical and Health Functional Exercise Family Information Center Planning Guide 3 EXERCISE SCOPE Local exercise planning and execution efforts will incorporate an allencompassing County or Operational Area (OA) focus. The working scenario involves a 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault that includes a significant regional loss of power component. The exercise emphasizes the role of acute care facilities/hospitals, local health departments, community care clinics, long term care facilities, law enforcement, emergency medical services/ambulance providers, local emergency medical services agencies, coroners, emergency management, fire service, and utility authorities as well as partners who support the response to an interruption of the power supply due to an earthquake. EXERCISE PURPOSE The SMHFE is designed to establish a learning environment for players to exercise emergency response plans, policies and procedures as they pertain to a catastrophic earthquake incident. A functional exercise is a complex event that requires detailed planning. To ensure an effective exercise, subject matter experts and local representatives from numerous agencies have taken part in the planning process and will take part in exercise conduct and evaluation. EXERCISE MATERIALS Multiple resources, to include this EXPLAN, will be developed and made available to exercise planners. The purpose of these resources is twofold: and Revision 3 Revision and Seminar/Demonstration Exercise Plan 2

13 1. Provide tools for the County EPT to develop those elements of the exercise that incorporate a County or (OA) focus. 2. Provide tools for healthcare partners or local/department agency planners to design, conduct, and evaluate an exercise that meets objectives identified for their agency/organization/facility. Exercise materials are designed to be customized by exercise planners for each agency/organization/facility s needs. Exercise planners are encouraged to tailor exercise materials to better address their specific exercise objectives. While planners may modify any section of this EXPLAN, those areas that are considered primary areas of tailoring are highlighted in grey. Exercise planners are also encouraged to seek opportunities to interact with other agencies/organizations/facilities so as to better practice County-wide coordination efforts. Examples of such activity may include submission of status reports, resource requests, activation of multi-agency plans, activation of command center/department of operations center (DOC)/emergency operations centers (EOC), and the like. HSEEP DOCTRINE HSEEP serves as exercise and evaluation doctrine that is flexible, scalable, and adaptable to the needs of stakeholders across the whole community. Revised in 2012, the use of HSEEP in line with Presidential Policy Directive 8 the National Preparedness Goal, and the National Preparedness System supports efforts to improve national capacity across the whole community to collectively build, sustain, and deliver core capabilities. The EXPLAN and accompanying exercise materials provided by Los Angeles County and their Exercise Planning Team partners incorporate 2012 HSEEP revisions. HSEEP encourages planners to identify exercise program objectives that are informed by strategy documents, threat, hazard, and capability assessments, and results from previous exercises. These program-wide objectives guide the design and development for individual exercises, as planners develop exercise-specific objectives and associated core capabilities for validation and assessment during exercise conduct. Exercise evaluation assesses exercise performance against exercise objectives documenting strengths, areas for improvement, core capability levels and gaps, and corrective actions in an After Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP). Through improvement planning, exercise stakeholders prioritize, track, and analyze Exercise Plan 3

14 corrective actions, ensuring that the corrective actions inform future exercise program objectives. EXERCISE OBJECTIVES AND CORE CAPABILITIES Effective evaluation assesses performance against the exercise objectives and documents core capabilities. Understanding the exercise purpose, the capabilities to be assessed, and the associated capability performance objectives will support evaluation planning, design, and selection of appropriate evaluators. By defining requirements early in the exercise and evaluation planning process, the EPT and lead evaluator can develop the appropriate evaluation documentation and tools to ensure evaluators are trained and prepared. The exercise objectives and core capabilities listed here were selected by our Los Angeles County SMHFE EPT by: Identifying local agency/organization specific objectives Analyzing these against applicable HSEEP capabilities 4 and tailoring where appropriate Cross walking these to objectives and capabilities identified by the State Marrying recommended State- and County- identified objectives and capabilities as appropriate The selected capabilities are: Communications Fatality Management Medical Evacuation/Shelter in Place Medical Surge On-Site Incident Management EOC Management Critical Resource Logistics and Distribution The Exercise Planning Team has developed agency/organization specific objectives provided herein. Planners are encouraged to select the objectives that are most applicable to their agency/organization. 4 Based on HSEEP evaluation materials available as of the date of publication of this EXPLAN. Exercise Plan 4

15 HOSPITALS CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between hospitals and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) DOC. Test the hospitals ability to alert and notify personnel on the activation of the facility s Emergency Operations Plan. Test the hospitals ability to establish and maintain communications with internal Incident Management Team personnel. CAPABILITY: FATALITY MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for hospitals to exercise mass fatality management plans and strategies to ensure that facility level plans are integrated into the OA s plans for disposition of the deceased. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Provide an opportunity for hospitals to exercise existing medical evacuation/shelter in place plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. Test hospitals decision-making process of whether to evacuate or shelter in place. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL SURGE Test the ability of hospitals to respond to a HAVBED inpatient poll within 60 minutes of the request from the EMS Agency. Provide an opportunity for hospitals to test and evaluate PsySTART triage procedures. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for hospitals to exercise multi-casualty/mass casualty patient management, movement, and tracking processes. Test the ability of the hospital Incident Commander to activate the Emergency Operations Plan. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Test the ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 5

16 COMMUNITY CLINICS CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between clinics, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County and the LAC DHS DOC. Test the clinics ability to alert and notify personnel of the activation of the facility s Emergency Operations Plan. Test the clinics ability to establish and maintain communications with internal Incident Management Team personnel. CAPABILITY: FATALITY MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for clinics to exercise mass fatality management plans and strategies to ensure that facility level plans are integrated into the OA s plans for disposition of the deceased. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Provide an opportunity for clinics to exercise existing medical evacuation/shelter in place plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. Test clinics decision-making process of whether to evacuate or shelter in place. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL SURGE Test the ability to conduct patient tracking during emergency response. Test the ability to provide situation status to all response and partner agencies. Test the ability of the clinic and the Incident Management Team to activate a medical surge plan. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for clinics to exercise multi-casualty/mass casualty patient management, movement, and tracking processes. Test the ability of the Incident Commander to activate the Emergency Operations Plan upon event notification. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Test the ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 6

17 LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between long-term care facilities, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health(LAC DPH) DOC, and the (LAC DHS) DOC. Test the long-term care facilities ability to receive alert notification and notify facility personnel of the activation of the facility s Emergency Operations Plan. Test the long-term care facilities ability to establish and maintain internal communications within the facility during the incident, including communications within the Incident Management Team. CAPABILITY: FATALITY MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for long-term care facilities to exercise mass fatality management plans and strategies to ensure that facility level plans are integrated into the OA s plans for disposition of the deceased. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Provide an opportunity for long-term care facilities to exercise existing medical evacuation/shelter in place plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. Test long-term care facilities decision-making process of whether to evacuate or shelter in place. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for long-term care facilities to exercise multicasualty/mass casualty patient management, movement, and tracking processes. Test the long-term care facilities ability to implement its Emergency Operation Plan and utilize the Nursing Home Incident Command System. Test the ability to activate an Incident Management Team as appropriate for the incident. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Test the ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 7

18 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH LOS ANGELES COUNTY CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between long-term care facilities, the LAC DPH DOC, and the LAC DHS DOC. CAPABILITY: FATALITY MANAGEMENT Support long-term care facilities utilization of mass fatality management plans and strategies to ensure that facility level plans are integrated into the OA s plans for disposition of the deceased. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Support long-term care facilities utilization of existing medical evacuation/shelter in place plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Support long-term care facilities utilization of multi-casualty/mass casualty patient management, movement, and tracking processes. Provide an opportunity to exercise and examine DOC processes, to include: activation, incident notifications, recall of essential personnel, stand-up of DOC systems in support of response activities and prioritization of requests and distribution of resources in accordance with established procedures and protocols. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Support long-term care facilities ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 8

19 AMBULANCE SERVICES CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between pre-hospital providers and the LAC DHS DOC. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Provide an opportunity to exercise existing medical evacuation plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. CAPABILITY: ONSITE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for to exercise multi-casualty/mass casualty pre-hospital patient management, movement, and tracking processes. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Test the ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 9

20 EMS AGENCY LOS ANGELES COUNTY CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between hospitals, clinics, pre-hospital providers, and the LAC DHS DOC. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Support healthcare facility medical evacuation/shelter in place plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL SURGE Support the hospitals ability to respond to a HAVBED inpatient poll within 60 minutes of the request of the EMS Agency. Support healthcare facilities in the testing and evaluation of PsySTART triage procedures. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Support healthcare facilities exercise of multi-casualty/mass casualty pre-hospital patient management, movement, and tracking processes. Provide an opportunity for the DOC to exercise resource request processes, including the prioritization of requests and distribution of resources in accordance with established procedures and protocols. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Support facilities ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 10

21 FIRE SERVICES CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Provide an opportunity to exercise primary and redundant communication links between pre-hospital providers and the LAC DHS DOC. CAPABILITY: MEDICAL EVACUATION/SHELTER IN PLACE Support healthcare facility medical evacuation/shelter in place plans to ensure safety of patients, family members, and facility personnel. Test facilities decision-making process of whether to evacuate or shelter in place. CAPABILITY: ONSITE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT Support healthcare facilities exercise of multi-casualty/mass casualty pre-hospital patient management, movement, and tracking processes. CAPABILITY: CRITICAL RESOURCE LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION Test the ability to sustain operations and provide patient care services in response to a loss of community power source. Exercise Plan 11

22 OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY CAPABILITY: COMMUNICATIONS Test the ability to notify emergency management personnel, public safety, healthcare, key partners and public officials of the decision to activate within 30 minutes. Test the ability to establish communications with response partners and public officials when there is a loss of power. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Test the ability of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management (LAC OEM) to activate the EOC upon event notification. Test the ability to continue operations when there is a loss of power due to an earthquake. Test the ability to share all pertinent incident information with emergency management personnel, public safety, healthcare, key partners and public officials in accordance with policy. Test the ability of the Planning Section to gather, organize, and document incident situation and resource information from all sources to maintain situational awareness and horizontally and vertically in accordance with established policy and procedure. Test the ability of the EOC Command and General Staff to develop and disseminate an Action Plan within two hours of activation and in preparation for the next operational period. Exercise Plan 12

23 CORONER LOS ANGELES COUNTY CAPABILITY: FATALITY MANAGEMENT Provide an opportunity for the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner to receive incoming telephone calls 5 for request for support from three (3) hospitals 6, two (2) clinics, and three (3) SNFs. Test policy, procedure, equipment, supplies, and job knowledge as it pertains to the deployment and utilization of the multi-decedent vehicle to one (1) hospital 7. CAPABILITY: EOC MANAGEMENT Test the ability of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner to activate their DOC upon event notification. Test the ability of the DOC to provide situation status updates to the County EOC. 5 Calls must come to the DOC number, (323) This should be publicized in the Participant Seminars. 6 Good Samaritan, Henry Mayo and Centinela. 7 Good Samaritan. Exercise Plan 13

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25 CHAPTER 2: EXERCISE LOGISTICS EXERCISE SUMMARY The SMHFE is designed to establish a learning environment for players to exercise their plans and procedures for responding to a catastrophic earthquake in the Southern California area. The 2012 SMHFE will be conducted on Thursday, November 15, Play at the LAC DHS DOC will commence at 0645 hours and continue to 1245 hours for six (6) hours of play. [Enter information here regarding the start and end times for your agency/organization s involvement.] Activity will take place across several locations throughout Los Angeles County and the State. ASSUMPTIONS Assumptions constitute the implied factual foundation for the exercise and are assumed to be present before the exercise starts. The following general assumptions apply to this exercise: The exercise will be conducted in a no-fault learning environment wherein systems and processes, not individuals, will be evaluated. Exercise players will utilize existing plans, policies and procedures to frame response. Exercise planners have participated in preparatory planning conferences and seminars to obtain the information and resources needed to coordinate their portion of this community-wide event. Exercise planners and players will make a concerted effort to include partner agencies/organizations in planning and conduct to provide a more robust application of disaster response and management practices. [Insert others as applicable.] CONSTRUCTS AND CONSTRAINTS Constructs are exercise devices that are designed to enhance or improve exercise realism. Constraints are exercise limitations that may detract from exercise realism. Although there are constructs and constraints (also known as exercise artificialities) for any exercise, the EPT recognizes and accepts the following as necessary: Exercise simulation will be realistic and plausible and will contain sufficient detail from which players can respond. Timelines and duration of specific of events may be condensed to accomplish exercise objectives. Exercise communication and coordination will be limited to participating exercise venues and the Simulation Cell (SimCell). A Exercise Plan 15

26 SimCell will be located at the LAC DHS DOC. [Enter information here regarding the utilization of a Simulation Cell for your facility.] Only communication methods listed in the Communications Directory will be available for players to use during the exercise. Participating organizations/jurisdictions may need to balance exercise play with real-world emergencies. Real-world emergencies will take priority. Loss of internet will not be simulated. [Insert others as applicable.] EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS The term participant encompasses many groups of people, not just those playing in the exercise. Groups of participants involved in the exercise are as follows: Players. Players are organization/agency personnel who have an active role in responding to the simulated emergency and perform their regular roles and responsibilities during the exercise. Players initiate actions that will respond to and mitigate the simulated emergency. Actors. Actors are typically volunteer personnel responsible for simulating a specific role in an exercise. Actors are vital to creating a realistic scenario and can play a variety of roles. Controllers. In a game, drill, functional exercise (FE), or full-scale exercise (FSE), controllers plan and manage exercise play, set up and operate the exercise incident site, and possibly take the roles of individuals and agencies not actually participating in the exercise. Controllers direct the pace of exercise play, provide key data to players, and may prompt or initiate certain player actions and injects to the players as described in the Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) to ensure exercise continuity. Controllers issue materials to players as required, monitor the exercise timeline, and monitor the safety of all exercise participants. Controllers are the only participants who should provide information or direction to players. All controllers should be accountable to one senior controller. Assembly Area Controller. The assembly area controller is responsible for the logistical organization of the assembly area, including placement locations for units entering the assembly area, the release of dispatched units into the field, and coordination of pathways and overall safety within the assembly area. Safety Controller. The safety controller is responsible for monitoring exercise safety during exercise setup, conduct, and cleanup. All exercise controllers assist the safety controller by reporting any safety concerns. The safety controller should not be confused with the safety Exercise Plan 16

27 officer, who is identified by the incident commander during exercise play. Senior Controller. The senior controller is responsible for the overall organization of the exercise. The senior controller monitors exercise progress and coordinates decisions regarding deviations or significant changes to the scenario caused by unexpected developments during play. The senior controller monitors actions by controllers and ensures they implement designated and modified actions at the appropriate time. The senior controller debriefs controllers and evaluators after the exercise and oversees the setup and takedown of the exercise. Exercise Director. The exercise director oversees all exercise functions during exercise conduct; oversees and remains in contact with controllers and evaluators; debriefs controllers and evaluators following the exercise; and oversees setup and cleanup of the exercise as well as positioning of controllers and evaluators. Simulators. Simulators are control staff personnel who role play nonparticipating organizations or individuals. They most often operate out of the SimCell, but they may occasionally have face-to-face contact with players. Simulators function semi-independently under the supervision of SimCell controllers, enacting roles (e.g., media reporters or next of kin) in accordance with instructions provided in the MSEL. All simulators are ultimately accountable to the exercise director and senior controller. Evaluators. Evaluators, selected from participating agencies, are chosen based on their expertise in the functional areas they will observe. Evaluators use Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) to measure and assess performance, capture unresolved issues, and analyze exercise results. Evaluators should passively assess and document players performance against established emergency plans and exercise evaluation criteria without interfering in exercise flow. Lead Evaluator. The lead evaluator should participate fully as a member of the exercise planning team and should be a senior-level individual familiar with all relevant issues associated with the exercise, including plans, policies, and procedures of the exercising entity; Incident Command and decision-making processes of the exercising entity; and interagency and/or inter-jurisdictional coordination issues relevant to the exercise. Observers. Observers do not directly participate in the exercise; rather, they observe selected segments of the exercise as it unfolds, while remaining separated from player activities. Observers view the exercise from a designated observation area and are asked to remain within the observation area during the exercise. A dedicated Exercise Plan 17

28 controller or public information officer should be assigned to manage these groups. Media Personnel. Some media personnel may be present as observers, pending approval by individual facilities or agencies. Media interaction also may be simulated by the SimCell to enhance realism and meet related exercise objectives. A dedicated group of exercise controllers will be assigned to manage these groups. Support Staff. The exercise support staff includes individuals who are assigned administrative and logistical support tasks during the exercise (e.g., registration, catering). EXERCISE TOOLS CONTROLLER AND EVALUATOR (C/E) HANDBOOK The C/E Handbook specifically describes the roles and responsibilities of exercise controllers and evaluators and the procedures they should follow. Because the C/E Handbook contains information about the scenario and about exercise administration, it is distributed to only those individuals specifically designated as controllers or evaluators. The C/E Handbook supplements the EXPLAN and contains more detailed information about the scenario. It points readers to the EXPLAN for more general exercise information, such as participant lists, activity schedules, required briefings, and the roles and responsibilities of specific participants. The C/E Handbook contains: Scenario Assignments, roles, and responsibilities of group or individual controllers and valuators Exercise safety plan Controller communications plan (e.g., a phone list, a call down tree, instructions for the use of radio channels) Evaluation instructions Controller Packets and Evaluator Packets will be provided for controllers and evaluators at the LAC DHS DOC. The packets will contain key information from the C/E Handbook and additional information specific to the functional area in which the given controller or evaluator will be working, such as: MSEL, including injects and events for each responsible C/E Appropriate EEGs Maps, diagrams and/or floor plans [Insert information here regarding the type of information that will be provided to C/Es at your facility.] Exercise Plan 18

29 MASTER SCENARIO EVENTS LIST (MSEL) A master MSEL will be developed for the County. Controllers at the LAC DHS DOC will be responsible for injects that involve interaction with LAC DHS and other County, State or Federal partners. This master MSEL will include: Designated scenario time Event synopsis Controller responsible for delivering the inject, with controller or evaluator special instructions (if applicable) Expected action (i.e., player response expected after a MSEL inject is delivered) Intended player (i.e., agency or individual player for whom the MSEL event is intended) Capability, task, or objective to be demonstrated (if applicable); and Notes section (to track actual events against those listed in the MSEL, with special instructions for individual controllers and evaluators) Times listed in a MSEL will be as realistic as possible. If the activity occurs sooner than the MSEL writers anticipated, then C/E s should note the time it occurred, but play should not be interrupted. Prior to the start of the exercise, the mechanisms for introducing injects into exercise play should be tested to ensure that controllers are aware of the procedures for delivering MSEL injects and that any systems that will be used to deliver them are functioning properly as planned. The three types of descriptive MSEL events that will be used as needed to support exercise play include: Contextual injects introduced to a player by a controller help build the exercise operating environment and/or keep exercise play moving. Expected action events reserve a place in the MSEL timeline and notify controllers when a response action would typically take place. Contingency injects are provided by a controller to players to ensure play moves forward to adequately evaluate performance of activities [Insert information here regarding additional MSEL use for your facility.] Exercise Plan 19

30 EXERCISE RULES The following general rules govern exercise play: Real-world emergency actions take priority over exercise actions. Exercise participants will comply with real-world response procedures, unless otherwise directed by the control staff. All communications (e.g., written, radio, telephone) during the exercise will begin and end with the statement This is an exercise. Exercise participants who place telephone calls or initiate radio communication with the SimCell must identify the organization, agency, office, or individual with whom they wish to speak. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS Exercise participant safety takes priority over exercise events. Participants share the basic responsibility for ensuring a safe environment for all personnel involved in the exercise. The following general requirements apply to the exercise: A safety controller will be identified and will be responsible for participant safety for each agency/organization participating. All C/E s and exercise staff members will serve as safety observers while exercise activities are underway. Any safety concerns must be immediately reported to the safety controller. Participants will be responsible for their own and each other s safety during the exercise. All persons associated with the exercise must stop play if, in their opinion, a real safety problem exists. After the problem is corrected, exercise play can be resumed. All organizations/agencies will comply with their respective environmental, health, and safety plans and procedures, as well as appropriate Federal, State, and local environmental health and safety regulations. For an emergency that requires assistance, use the phrase real-world emergency. The following procedures should be used in case of a real emergency during the exercise: Anyone who observes a participant who is seriously ill or injured will first advise the nearest controller and then, if possible, render aid, provided the aid does not exceed his or her training. The controller who is made aware of a real emergency will initiate the real-world emergency broadcast on the controller radio network and provide the following information to the senior controller and Exercise Director: - Venue and function - Location within the venue and function - Condition - Requirements Exercise Plan 20

31 The SimCell will be notified as soon as possible if a real emergency occurs. If the nature of the emergency requires suspension of the exercise at the venue or function, all exercise activities at that facility will immediately cease. Exercise play may resume at that venue or function after the situation has been addressed. Exercise play at other venues and functions should not cease if one venue or function has declared a real-world emergency, unless they rely on the affected venue. If a real emergency occurs that affects the entire exercise, the exercise may be suspended or terminated at the discretion of the Exercise Director and Senior Controller. Notification will be made from the SimCell. SITE ACCESS The facility security will control entry to exercise venues and the SimCell. To prevent confusion and interruption of the exercise, access to exercise sites and the Simulation Cell will be limited to exercise participants only. Players should advise their venue s controller or evaluator if an unauthorized person is present. Each agency/organization should follow its internal security procedures, augmented as necessary to comply with exercise requirements. Play for the LAC DHS DOC will take place at XXXXX. The SimCell will be colocated here. In order to obtain access to this facility, participants must have registered prior to the day of the event, and furnish government issued identification. Anyone whose access authorization is in question must be vetted through EMS Agency contacts on the EPT. [Insert site access information specific to your facility.] OBSERVER COORDINATION Each organization with observers will coordinate with the specific site/venue for access to the exercise site. Observers will be escorted to an observation area for orientation and conduct of the exercise. All observers must remain within the designated observation area during the exercise. Representatives and/or the observer controller at the specific site/venue will be present to explain the exercise program and answer questions for observers during the exercise. Observers at the LAC DHS DOC must be identified and registered prior to the day of the exercise. LAC DHS DOC observers will be granted access to the DOC and all internal areas within the DOC unless otherwise determined by the exercise director on the day of the exercise. An Observer Host, XXXXXXX, Exercise Plan 21

32 will be made available for observers, to provide escort and narrative information. [Insert observer management information specific to your facility.] PARKING AND DIRECTIONS Participants may park at XXXX to access the LAC DHS DOC. [Insert observer management information specific to your facility.] REFRESHMENTS AND RESTROOM FACILITIES Refreshments and potable water will be provided for all LAC DHS DOC exercise participants throughout the exercise. LAC DHS DOC restroom facilities are located at XXXX. [Insert refreshment and restroom facility information specific to your facility.] EXERCISE IDENTIFICATION Identification will be issued to the exercise staff. All exercise personnel and observers at the LAC DHS DOC will be identified by organization/agency uniforms or identification badges distributed by the exercise staff. Table 2.1 Identifies the corresponding badge colors for each exercise position. GROUP Exercise Director Exercise Staff Controllers Evaluators Actors Support Staff Observers Media Personnel Players, Uniformed Players, Civilian Clothes Table 2.1. Exercise Identification BADGE COLOR White Black Green Red Orange Yellow Blue Pink None Gray [Insert exercise identification information specific to your facility.] COMMUNICATIONS PLAN EXERCISE START, SUSPENSION, AND TERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS Exercise Plan 22

33 The LAC DHS DOC will remain activated for six (6) hours unless the exercise director determines that exercise objectives have been met, and concludes the exercise earlier. From the SimCell, the senior controller at the site/venue will announce the start of the exercise and exercise suspension or termination through the controller communications network. All spoken and written communications will start and end with the statement This is an exercise. PLAYER COMMUNICATIONS Players will use routine, in-place communication systems. Additional communication assets may be made available as the exercise progresses. The need to maintain capability for a real-world response may preclude the use of certain communication channels or systems that usually would be available for an actual emergency. In no instance will exercise communications interfere with real-world emergency communications. Each venue will coordinate its own internal communication networks and channels. The primary means of communication among the SimCell, controllers, and venues will be telephone, , and fax. A list of key telephone and fax numbers and radio call signs will be available as a Communications Directory before the exercise starts. COMMUNICATIONS CHECK Before the exercise starts, the SimCell will conduct a communications check with all interfacing communication means to ensure redundancy and uninterrupted flow of control information. PLAYER BRIEFING Controllers may be required to read specific scenario details to participants to begin exercise play. They may also have technical handouts or other materials to give to players to better orient them to the exercise environment. Exercise Plan 23

34 PUBLIC AFFAIRS This exercise enables players to demonstrate increased readiness to deal with a catastrophic earthquake in the Southern California region. Any public safety exercise may be a newsworthy event. Special attention must be given to the needs of media representatives, allowing them to get as complete and accurate a story as possible; however, their activities must not compromise exercise realism, safety, or objectives. Exercise Plan 24

35 CHAPTER 3: PLAYER INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE THE EXERCISE Review appropriate emergency plans, procedures, and exercise support documents (e.g., earthquake response plans, surge plans, and risk communication templates.) Be at the appropriate site at least thirty (30) minutes before the exercise starts. Wear the appropriate uniform and/or identification item(s). Sign in when you arrive. If you gain knowledge of the scenario before the exercise, notify a controller so that appropriate actions can be taken to ensure a valid evaluation. Read your Player Information Handout, which includes information on exercise safety. DURING THE EXERCISE Respond to exercise events and information as if the emergency were real, unless otherwise directed by an exercise controller. Controllers will give you only information they are specifically directed to disseminate. You are expected to obtain other necessary information through existing emergency information channels. Do not engage in personal conversations with controllers, evaluators, observers, or media personnel. If you are asked an exercise-related question, give a short, concise answer. If you are busy and cannot immediately respond, indicate that, but report back with an answer as soon as possible. If you do not understand the scope of the exercise, or if you are uncertain about an organization s or jurisdiction s participation in an exercise, ask a controller. Parts of the scenario may seem implausible. Recognize that the exercise has objectives to satisfy and may require incorporation of unrealistic aspects. Every effort has been made by the exercise s trusted agents to balance realism with safety and to create an effective learning and evaluation environment. All exercise communications will begin and end with the statement This is an exercise. This precaution is taken so that anyone who overhears the conversation will not mistake exercise play for a realworld emergency. When you communicate with the SimCell, identify the organization, agency, office, or individual with whom you wish to speak. Speak when you take an action. This procedure will ensure that evaluators are aware of critical actions as they occur. Exercise Plan 25

36 Maintain a log of your activities. Many times, this log may include documentation of activities that were missed by a controller or evaluator. AFTER THE EXERCISE Participate in the Hot Wash at your facility with C/E s. Complete the Participant Feedback Form. This form allows you to comment candidly on emergency response activities and exercise effectiveness. Provide the completed form to a controller or evaluator. This form can be found in Appendix XX. Provide any notes or materials generated from the exercise to your controller or evaluator for review and inclusion in the AAR. Exercise Plan 26

37 CHAPTER 4: EVALUATION & POST EXERCISE ACTIVITIES EXERCISE DOCUMENTATION The goal of the 2012 SMHFE is to comprehensively exercise and evaluate the operational area and specific site/venue s plans and capabilities as they pertain to a 7.8 earthquake with an associated loss of power component. After the exercise, data collected by controllers, evaluators, SimCell personnel, and players will be used to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the context of the exercise objectives. Evaluation is the cornerstone of exercises and must be considered through all phases of exercise planning beginning as soon as exercise objectives are identified. Effective evaluation assesses performance against the exercise objectives, documents core capability levels and gaps, and identifies strengths and areas for improvement. HSEEP includes an objectives-driven approach to evaluating exercise performance. This approach is grounded in collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. During exercise play, evaluators collect a range of data data that evaluators can synthesize and analyze to assess how effectively exercise objectives were met. Effective evaluation involves not merely identifying what issues emerged, but also discovering the root causes of those issues. This root cause analysis enables exercise stakeholders to target how best to address areas for improvement and close capability gaps. The development of post-exercise AAR/IPs documents that summarize key exercise information and performance against exercise objectives and core capabilities is a critical element of evaluation within HSEEP. The IP portion of the AAR/IP includes corrective actions for improvement, along with timelines for their implementation and assignment to responsible parties. EXERCISE EVALUATION GUIDES The HSEEP offers a series of tools including Exercise evaluation guides (EEGs) to help evaluators collect and interpret relevant exercise observations. These documents are aligned to a core capability and applicable performance objective, providing guidance on assessing capabilities being validated by the exercise. Each EEG provides evaluators with information on what they should expect to see demonstrated or hear discussed, space to record their observations, and criteria to consider after the exercise. HOT WASH Immediately after completion of exercise play, controllers will facilitate a Hot Wash with players from their assigned location. The Hot Wash is an opportunity for players to express their opinions about the exercise and their own performance. At this time, evaluators can seek clarification regarding Exercise Plan 27