Contamination Warning System Emergency Response Exercises

Transcription

1 Contamination Warning System Emergency Response Exercises Brian Pickard, P.E., EPA/Water Security Division Jeff Fencil, EPA/Water Security Division W-SMART 2010 International Workshop Washington, DC; March 23,

2 Presentation Outline 1. Overview of the Water Security initiative (WSi) & Contamination Warning Systems (CWS) 2. Greater Cincinnati Water Works Exercises 3. Opportunities for Involvement: WSi Pilot Exercises 4. Summary 2

3 1. Overview of WSi and CWS 3

4 WSi Approach 4

5 CWS Detection Strategies A CWS provides utilities with a systematic and comprehensive approach for monitoring and surveillance of the distribution system. It uses enhanced monitoring and surveillance components to collect, integrate, analyze, and communicate information. 5

6 CWS Architecture 6

7 2. Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) Exercises 7

8 Training Strategy The training strategy used at GCWW included a series of exercises modeled after the DHS Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). HSEEP describes two types of exercises; 1) Discussion-Based exercises, which include seminars, workshops, and tabletops to introduce and teach new concepts, followed by; 2) Operations-Based exercises including drills, functional exercises and full-scale exercises to test and evaluate program effectiveness 8

9 Training Strategy-Cont. 9

10 Operations-Based Training Training Title Description # GCWW Conducted Component Drills Test the trigger verification procedures for each CWS component including WQM, ESM, CCS, and PHS. WQM: 3 drills ESM: 4 drills CCS: 4 drills PHS: 1 drills Consequence Management Drills Field response personnel/response partners practice implementation of Site Characterization (SC) and triggered Sampling & Analysis (S&A) procedures/ equipment. SC: 4 drills S&A: 3 drills Functional Exercises Utility staff/response partners exercise roles, test plans and procedures, and identify improvements to utility CWS documents. July 2007 September 2007 Full Scale Exercises Utility staff/response partners exercise roles in a field environment, test plans and procedures, and identify improvements to utility CWS documents. October 2008 October

11 Full Scale Exercises Exercise Component FSE #1 FSE #2 & 3 CWS Component Evaluated Design Simulated CWS Alarms Management Operations Field Operations Consequence Management Plan (CMP) only (2) real-time response exercises conducted simultaneously (8 hrs) WQM, CCS GCWW ICS with response partner agencies (OEPA, ODH, CHD, OEMA) GCWW SCT with response partner agencies (CFD/ HazMat) Concept of Operations (Con Ops) and CMP (1) real-time response exercises (12 hrs) WQM (#2 only), CCS, PHS GCWW ICS (restructured)/ simulated City EOC with response partner agencies GCWW SCT with response partner agencies (CFD/HazMat, CPD, FBI) 11

12 Comparative Analysis-Cont. Exercise Component Threat Level Determinations FSE #1 FSE #2 & 3 Relatively long period before Credible determination, but quickly goes to Determined Confirmed with analytical results Multiple alarms result in quick Possible and Credible determinations; Assumed Confirmed comes after health effects, but before analytical results Crisis Communications Metrics Public notifications, message mapping Modifications to CMP (including ICS structure); limited timeline/response time data collected Public notifications, message mapping, mock press conference Modifications to Con Ops, CMP, and CCP; comprehensive timeline/ response time data collected 12

13 FSE Lessons Learned GCWW personnel were able to effectively detect component alarms and follow the Monitoring and Surveillance SOPs for trigger verification procedures. Obtained better understanding of communication pathways between GCWW and response partners (e.g., police, fire, public health) and procedures were updated as a result. GCWW Incident Command System worked well during the exercises and improvements were made to the structure based on the results. Operational responses (e.g., isolation) were very proactive and improved. 13

14 FSE Lessons Learned (cont.) Crisis/Risk Communication Plan was successfully used and improvements were made based on the results of the exercises (e.g., Public Information Officer roles/responsibilities). Were able to obtain a better understanding of response times: obtained timelines for initial trigger validation 14

15 3. Opportunities for Involvement: WSi Pilot Exercises 15

16 WSi Pilot Exercises San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Table-top exercise: February, 2009 Functional Exercise: April 2010 Full Scale Exercise: 2011 New York Dept. of Environmental Protection Seminars and workshops: 2010 Functional and Full Scale Exercises: 2011/2012 Philadelphia Water Department Seminars and workshops: 2010 Functional and Full Scale Exercises: 2011/2012 Dallas Water Utilities Seminars and workshops: Functional and Full Scale Exercises:

17 4. Summary 17

18 Drills & Exercises: Summary Training exercises are a good tool for evaluating the operation and performance of a CWS including: Routine Operation (e.g., CWS monitoring and surveillance components) Consequence management processes (e.g., credible, confirmed, remediation & recovery) Response actions Response times Overall effectiveness 18

19 Resources U.S. EPA: Interim Guidance on Developing Consequence Management Plans for Drinking Water Utilities: safewater/watersecurity/pubs/guide_interim_cmp_wsi.pdf U.S. EPA Emergency Response Tabletop Exercised for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems watersecurity/tools/trainingcd/ DHS Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems (EPA 817- R ), December watersecurity/home.cfm?program_id=8 19

20 Brian Pickard-Team Leader U.S. EPA Water Security Division Jeff Fencil U.S. EPA Water Security Division