Training Course Preparation, conduct and evaluation of exercises to test preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency COURSE MANUAL December 2004
1. COURSE OBJECTIVES Emergency response exercises are a key component of a good emergency preparedness program. They can provide unique insight in the state of preparedness of emergency response organizations. They can also be the basis for continued improvement programs for the over emergency response infrastructure. However, to be most useful, emergency response exercise need to be well organized, professionally conducted and their evaluation must focus on constructive improvement potential. The IAEA course on Preparation, conduct and evaluation of exercises to test preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency is designed for people and organizations that want to enhance their ability to hold effective and meaningful emergency exercises. The objectives of this course are: to familiarize participants with exercise to test preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency concepts, terminology, preparation process, conduct and evaluation; to provide participants with the practical knowledge and ability to organize, conduct and evaluate an exercise to test preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency in their own countries; to introduce a standard emergency response exercise prepared by the IAEA; and to give the participants the know-how to be able to customize the standard exercise package, and to organize and conduct this customized standard exercise in their own country. 2. AUDIENCE The course lectures have been designed for emergency preparedness coordinator who will have a key senior role in the organization of exercises to test preparedness for a nuclear or radiological emergency, as well as for technical and scientific support personnel who will lead the development of exercise scenarios and simulated radiological data. Participants do not need to have previous experience in the conduct and evaluation of emergency response exercises. 3. LESSON PLAN The course is divided in lectures and drills of 50 minutes or more. A lecture/drill can be: a presentation by a designated lecturer; a discussion between the participants and a facilitator; a work session, in which the participants have to perform a given task; or a drill or exercise. The lectures and drills for this course are described below. page 1
Lecture L-050 Opening exercise course overview Objectives Welcome the participants Content Welcome statement by course organizer. Introduction of lecturers. Administrative details. Schedule Duration [min] 15 References None Equipment needs None Instructor notes Lecture L-051 General concepts of exercises Objectives Understand that emergency response exercises are an important part of an emergency preparedness program. Become familiar with exercise types and terminology. Understand the real value of exercises. Content Overall emergency preparedness program (plans, procedures, training, drills and exercises). Evaluation methods. Exercise types. Purpose of an exercise. Training material Course manual References Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Instructor notes page 2
Lecture L-052 Preparation process and exercise manual Objectives Understand the process for preparing an exercise. Understand the importance of the exercise manual. Know the information required in the exercise manual. Content Description of the tasks leading to the exercise. Exercise manual: purpose, contents, distribution, timing.. Training material Course manual References Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Instructor notes This lecture will constitute the template for the rest of the course. It is very important that the participants keep referring to it. The course then follows chronologically the key tasks and manual contents described in this lecture. Lecture L-053 Exercise objectives Objectives Understand the importance of defining clear exercise objectives before significant efforts can be invested in the exercise preparation. Be familiar with planning and response objectives Understand the concept of exercise objectives and how they relate to response objectives Understand the concept of exercise program Know how to select exercise objectives Know how to develop exercise evaluation criteria Content What are response objectives? What are exercise objectives? Standard objectives What are evaluation criteria? Exercise program Selecting objectives for an exercise Training material Course manual References Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Instructor notes The emphasis must be on performance evaluations. page 3
Lecture L-054 Scenario, injects and data Objectives Know the overall process for the development of an exercise scenario. Understand the need and the method for validating an exercise scenario. Understand the difference between exercises inject and exercise data. Know what data are required to run an exercise. Understand the need for scenario security. Content Review of exercise specifications and constraints Basic scenario Key event sequences Master events list Injects Data required Training material Course manual References Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Lecture L-055 Radiological data for exercises Objectives Know what radiological data is needed. Know how radiological data can be generated and the tools that can be used. Know the limitation of those tools. Understand the pros and cons of using real weather during an exercise. Content Data needed How to generate radiological data How to present the data during the exercise Limitations and pitfalls Real vs simulated weather Training material Course manual References EPR-METHOD 2003 Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency page 4
Work Session Self study of the standard scenario Objectives Become familiar with the standard scenario prepared by the IAEA Content Study of the Scenario from Radiological Emergency Response Exercise and work session Duration [min] 2 50 References Radiological Emergency Response Exercise. Exercise Manual. Instructor notes Introduce the main purpose of the exercise for which this manual was developed and present a bit of the history. Present an overview of the manual. Describe the overall objectives, the exercise structure and the basic scenario. Ask the participants to read the manual, focusing on the scenario, organization, master events list, radiological data and medical data. The injects do not need to be reviewed in detail at this point. Lecture L-056 Exercise evaluation Objectives Understand the importance of evaluation for the success of the exercise Understand performance-based evaluation Know the role of evaluators and their procedures Be able to develop evaluation criteria Know how to grade and report evaluations Content Performance-based evaluation Exercise evaluation organization Role and responsibilities of the lead evaluator Role and responsibilities of the evaluators Evaluation criteria Evaluation techniques Evaluators instructions. Training material Course manual References Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Instructor notes page 5
Lecture L-057 Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergency Arising from Malicious Acts - General Objectives Know the main definitions related to malicious acts and exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts Understand the main differences in terms of preparation, objectives and conduct of exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts Understand the general challenges involved in running a exercise for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts Content definitions, general nature of malicious acts, purpose of exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts (for nuclear and radiological exercises), types of exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts, process, safety, specifications, injects and data, simulation and public affairs aspects of exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts References Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Equipment needs Lecture L-058 None Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts Exercise Scenarios Objectives Know the categories of malicious acts used in the references. Know some key examples of exercise scenarios for each category Content Categories of malicious acts Scenarios for each category References Equipment needs Instructor notes Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or None page 6
Drill WS-012 Development of simulation exercise Objectives Develop an exercise scenario Prepare an exercise Develop an exercise manual Prepare a briefing for participants Content Guidelines Arrangements Evaluation Schedules Evaluation Objectives Evaluation criteria Duration [mins] 4x50 References None Equipment needs None Instructor notes This course assumes that you will have a large class. In that case, the participants will be divided into two groups. Each group will prepare an exercise for the other group, complete with exercise scenario, manual and evaluation. One group will be in exercise in the morning of the following day, the other in the afternoon. Drill WS-013 Exercise organization Objectives Get ready for the exercise briefing in work session WS-014 Standard exercise briefing Content Objectives Tasks selection and appointment References Radiological Emergency Response Exercise. Exercise Manual. Equipment needs None Instructor notes page 7
Drill WS-014 Standard exercise briefing Objectives Make the participants thoroughly familiar with the IAEA radiological exercise manual, so that they are able to run the exercise Provide the participants with some practical experience on how to prepare and conduct a pre-exercise briefing Content Detailed description of the scenario Line-by-line walk through the exercise events, injects and data Duration [min] 2 50 References Radiological Emergency Response Exercise. Exercise Manual. Equipment needs None Instructor notes Conduct this drill as if it were a real pre-exercise briefing of an actual exercise team. Explain to the participants that you act as the exercise director or chief controller and that you are conducting this briefing as it should be done by them when they organize their own exercise. Drill WS-015 Exercise preparation Objectives Select the exercise team for the field exercise Start the set up for the field exercise: identify needs and resources; plan the simulated emergency scene Review the exercise team roles and tasks Provide practical experience on how to prepare an exercise Content Exercise team selection Review of role Task identification Logistics Plan for the field exercise Duration [min] 2 50 References Radiological Emergency Response Exercise. Exercise Manual. Equipment needs Sources Detection equipment Radiation protection equipment Two vehicles Cardboard boxes Emergency scene Simulated hospital setup with beds and/or chairs First aid equipment Radios Video camera Instructor notes The exercise will consist of phases 1 and 2 of the IAEA standard exercise. page 8
Drill WS-016 Exercise Objectives Become familiar with the practical aspects of the conduct of the IAEA standard radiological exercise Content None Duration [min] 3 50 References Radiological Emergency Response Exercise. Exercise Manual. Equipment needs None Instructor notes Drill WS-017 Exercise evaluation Objectives Become familiar with the practical aspects of the evaluation of the IAEA standard radiological exercise Provide participants with some practical experience on how to evaluate an exercise Content Walk-through each evaluation objective Review the grading system. References Radiological Emergency Response Exercise. Exercise Manual. Instructor notes The instructor will act as the chief evaluator. Go through each evaluation objective and review the grading system. Ask the evaluators to provide their grading. It is very important to ask them to substantiate their opinion with facts recorded during the exercise. If there is no hard fact to back up the opinion, then ensure the opinion is not retained. If there is a disagreement on the grading, guide the evaluators on how to reach a compromise. If there is no compromise, demonstrate the authority of the chief evaluator by making a decision. Be concise, as there are only 50 minutes to complete this work session. Focus on priority. You will probably not have time to complete the full evaluation. page 9
BASIC PROGRAMME 1 Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 09:00-09:50 0845-0900: Opening L-050: Specific Aspects of Terrorism Exercises - General Exercise organization Exercise General concepts of exercises L-051 10:00-10:50 Preparation process and exercise manual L-057: Specific Aspects of Terrorism Exercises Exercise Scenarios WS-013: Standard exercise briefing L-052: 11:00-11:50 Exercise objectives L-058: Exercise evaluation L-053: 12:00-13:00 Lunch 13:00-13:50 Scenario, injects and data L-054: 14:00-14:50 Radiological data for exercises L-056: Development of simulation exercise WS-014: Exercise preparation WS-016: Exercise evaluation WS-017: Course evaluation L-055: WS-015: 15:00-15:50 Self study of the standard Closing scenario 16:00-16:50 WS-012: 1 Additional country/region specific presentations and/or work sessions can be added to the Basic programme.