MUE Toolkit Version 1.7 Preparation Sample MUE Tabletop Exercise Instructions

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1 Abstract: This document describes a sample MUE tabletop exercise to help states become familiar with the components of the MUE Toolkit and how they are used during a MUE. This document is part of a larger set of documents comprising the MUE Toolkit. This document will generally require referencing one or more of the other documents such as the Glossary, Checklists, Guidance, or other referenced documentation for a complete understanding of the MUE Toolkit. If a disaster declaration has already been made in your state, go directly to the Do We Need Help Instructions for information and guidance in determining if your UI agency might experience a MUE. Introduction This document is a complete description of the tabletop exercise for the facilitator. The participants are only given the briefing and inserts, which are facts presented to the state UI agency representatives throughout the exercise. Your state UI agency should notify your USDOL RO first when your agency is ready to conduct a MUE tabletop exercise. Your USDOL RO can assist your UI agency in finding potential helper states and making other arrangements. While this tabletop exercise is for an impacted state and at least two helper states the results will be more meaningful if there are three to five potential helper states responding to the assistance request. If your state UI agency elects to use a NEMA/EMAC agreement in this tabletop exercise, it will require the participation of several states EMR. The UI agency s EMRs will involve their SEMAs to the extent required to process and broadcast a sample Req-A. This scenario describes a pandemic that puts a significant number of your state s citizens out of work for two to three weeks until vaccine can be delivered, administered, and take effect. The pandemic causes a MUE and your UI agency requests assistance from helper states. Because a pandemic can strike anywhere and spreads the fastest through major population centers, schools, and workplaces it can cause a MUE in almost every state. Purpose To verify your UI agency can complete and evaluate an assistance request. This exercise has the following goals and objectives: Clearly and accurately complete the header and Section I Request of the Assistance Request form. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the helper states. How well did they understand what was needed? How many questions did they have to ask and what were they? Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 1 of 10

2 Clearly and accurately complete Section II Response of the Assistance Request form. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the impacted state. How well did it understand what was offered? How many questions did the impacted state have to ask the helper states and what were they? If your UI agency elects to use an EMAC agreement: Verify the header and Section I Request of the Assistance Request form includes all the information necessary for your UI agency s EMR to complete the request section of a Req-A form. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the impacted state s SEMA. Verify Section II Response of the Assistance Request form includes all the information necessary for your UI agency s EMR to complete the response section of a Req-A form. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the helper state s SEMA. If your UI agency elects to use a state-to-state agreement: Verify the header and Section I Request of the Assistance Request form includes all the information necessary for your UI agency s procurement review team. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the impacted state s procurement review team. Verify Section II Response of the Assistance Request form includes all the information necessary for your UI agency s procurement review team. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the helper state s contract review team. Generate an After-Action Report to document the results and make recommendations for improvement. The successful completion of this objective will be determined by the USDOL ROs involved. Prerequisites None Instructions Determine whether your UI agency will use an EMAC or state-to-state agreement for this exercise and contact the appropriate agencies to make arrangements. After your UI agency schedules the exercise, fill in the appropriate dates and names on the inserts and print them out for the exercise. This tabletop exercise is facilitated from the impacted state. The helper states receive no inserts. Helper states respond to the assistance request and ask questions. Be sure to make enough copies of the inserts for the participants and those who will be copied on the exercise materials and After-Action Reports. Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 2 of 10

3 Prepare a briefing that presents the goals for this exercise from the purpose section of this document. This briefing will be presented to both the impacted and helper states at the start of the exercise. Running the Exercise Step 1: Present the briefing to both the impacted and helper states. Perform introductions before you start the briefing if necessary. Step 2: Begin the exercise buy delivering the first insert, Newspaper article titled: Flu Outbreak Now Epidemic. Nudge the group if necessary with some non-leading questions to get them started. Take notes throughout discussions for the After-Action Reports. Relevant Point: The impacted state UI agency should foresee a pending MUE at this point and verify the preparation phase has been completed. Step 3: Continue the exercise by delivering the following inserts during the impacted state UI agency s verification of preparations delivering the fourth insert when they are complete or near completion. Insert 2 State of Emergency Declaration by Governor Insert 3 Federal Disaster Declaration Insert 4 Governor s Executive Order Relevant Point: The impacted state UI agency should have begun working through the Do We Need Help Instructions by this point in the exercise. Step 4: Deliver insert five, message titled Daily Absenteeism Report while the impacted state UI agency is working through the Do We Need Help Instructions. Relevant Point: The impacted state UI agency should begin contacting potential helper states and completing the Assistance Request Template at this point. The impacted state agency should be seeking remote assistance to avoid exposing helper state staff to the flu. Step 5: Observe and take notes during the completion & evaluation of the Assistance Request Template. Step 6: Collect feedback from the helper states and/or EMR as soon as they have finished processing sections I and II of the Assistance Request. Step 7: Have the helper state or EMR send back the fully executed state-to-state agreement or Req-A Form to the helper state(s). The exercise ends when the helper state receives a fully executed state-to-state agreement or Req-A form. Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 3 of 10

4 Step 8: Take a break after the exercise to finish collecting feedback from the helper states and compose your notes. Step 9: Perform an After-Action review and evaluation to determine if the objectives were met by the exercise and collect any comments, suggestions, or Lessons Learned from the participants. Step 10: Have the participants complete an After-Action Report. Step 11: Send copies of all exercise materials including the After-Action Report to the USDOL ROs involved and the USDOL NO. Referenced Document(s) Glossary Do We Need Help Instructions Assistance Request Template Referenced Resource(s) FEMA Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 4 of 10

5 Insert 1 Newspaper Article Local Paper: [Insert date 10 days prior to disaster declaration] Headline: Flu Outbreak Now Epidemic By: Reliable Reporter Local hospitals report number of flu cases is increasing to epidemic proportions. Doctors say this is a new strain of flu that spreads easily and causes serious illness. The doctors are waiting for results of tests being performed by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta to determine whether or not this new strain of flu is a form of Avian Influenza, commonly referred to as Bird Flu. We don t have a vaccine for this strain of flu yet, says Dr. Smith, head of epidemiology at the local hospital, and, if it keeps spreading at this rate, it will become a pandemic. Up to thirtyfive percent of the population could become ill. A pandemic is defined as an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads throughout human populations across a large region such as a state or country. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met: The disease is new to the population; it infects humans, causing serious illness; and it spreads easily and sustainably among humans. In the meantime doctors are urging people to practice common sense infection control measures such as frequent hand washing and cough etiquette. Doctors are also requesting voluntary home quarantine of members of households that are in contact with confirmed or probable flu victims. Dr. Smith recommends, Members of households with ill individuals stay home for seven days following the onset of symptoms in a household member. If other family members become ill during this period extend the time of voluntary home quarantine for another seven days from the time that the last family member becomes ill. Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 5 of 10

6 Insert 2 State of Emergency Declaration State Declares State of Emergency from Flu Pandemic The state of emergency extends from [date] through [date + 30 days], unless terminated sooner. The Executive Proclamation Declaration of State of Emergency: WHEREAS, the [state] Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., confers upon the Governor of the state emergency powers to deal with emergencies and disasters, including those caused by fire, flood, earthquake or other natural or man-made causes, in order to ensure that preparations of this state will be adequate to deal with such emergencies or disasters and to preserve the lives and property of the people of the state of [state]; WHEREAS, when the Governor determines that a disaster or emergency has occurred, or the threat thereof is imminent, R.S. 29:724(B)(1) empowers him to declare a state of emergency by executive order or proclamation, or both; WHEREAS, the current flu epidemic is affecting all of the state s major population centers; WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control has determined this epidemic meets the criteria for a category four pandemic; WHEREAS, the counties of [state] are expected to issue county declarations of emergency; and WHEREAS, a declaration of emergency is necessary to allow state agencies to thoroughly prepare for any eventuality and to allow federal agencies and federal resources to be deployed if necessary; NOW THEREFORE I, Governor of the state of [state], by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the state of [state], do hereby order and direct as follows: SECTION 1: Pursuant to the [state] Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act, R.S. 29:721, et seq., a state of emergency is declared to exist in the state of state as a result of a flu pandemic that has created emergency conditions that threaten the lives and health of the citizens of the state. SECTION 2: The Director of the Governor s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is hereby authorized to undertake any activity authorized by law which he deems necessary and appropriate in response to this declaration; SECTION 3: The state of emergency extends from [date] through [date + 30 days], unless terminated sooner. Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 6 of 10

7 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of [state], at the Capitol, in the city of [state capitol], on this [date] th day of [month], [year]. GOVERNOR OF [STATE] Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 7 of 10

8 Insert 3 Federal Disaster Declaration [State Name] Flu Pandemic Release Date: [Insert date one day prior to exercise] Declaration Number: XXXX Release Number: HQ-XX-XXX WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of [State Name] to help people and communities recover from the effects of the Flu Pandemic on [Date] and continuing. FEMA Administrators said the assistance was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by the President. The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of [insert names of most populous counties in state]. The assistance, to be coordinated by FEMA, can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, medical expenses, and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration also will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance. Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organization on a cost-sharing basis for the counties of [insert names of most populous counties in state] for disaster related activities. FEMA named John Smith as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are complete. The Agency said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at or by calling FEMA(3362) or (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday until further notice. FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or manmade, including acts of terror. Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 8 of 10

9 Insert 4 Governor s Executive Order News Broadcast Transcript [State Capitol, State] Due to the Flu pandemic, State governor [insert name] has issued an executive order implementing the following measures in the affected counties to reduce or delay the spread of infection and relieve the pressure on already overburdened health care facilities until a vaccine can be developed and distributed throughout the state. These measures are based on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Heath Organization (WHO) recommendations for category four and five pandemics. All schools and child care programs are closed and parents and officials are to discourage or prevent the re-congregation of children in similarly dense enclosed spaces. All public events and large public gatherings such as concerts, sports events, and theatres are cancelled. All travel in and out of the infected counties is restricted. Persons needing to travel in or out of the restricted area must apply for a permit from the SEMA. The number of flights, trains, and buses in and out of the area will be restricted. All non-essential state and federal agencies will operate with minimal staff. All businesses are encouraged to close or use telecommuting, teleconferencing, and other alternatives to in-person contact and working in close proximity to other workers. Businesses are encouraged to consider modifying work schedules to reduce rush-hour crows on public transportation. Mandatory home quarantine of members of households that are in contact with confirmed or probable flu victims. The governor said these measures will be in place for at least sixteen days and may continue for as long as eight or ten weeks if a vaccine cannot be developed quickly. Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 9 of 10

10 Insert 5 Message from HR Sent: [date] From: Human Resources To: UI Director Cc: Chief of Benefits; Chief of Tax Subject: Daily Absenteeism Report Benefits staff: 20% Call Center Staff: 30% Tax Staff: 15% (all field auditors) Printed: 11/15/ _Prep_SampMUETabletopExer_Ins_v1.7.doc Page 10 of 10