After Action Report Improvement Plan Operation Fortified Response Tabletop Exercise Hurricane April 11, 2013 DMINISTRATIVE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS Pinellas County Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program 1 Page
ADMINISTRATIVE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS 1. The title of this document is The "Operation Fortified Response - A Hurricane Tabletop Exercise Series" After Action Report. 2. The information gathered in this AAR/IP is classified as For Official Use Only (FOUO) and should be handled as sensitive information not to be disclosed. This document should be safeguarded, handled, transmitted, and stored in accordance with appropriate security directives. 3. At a minimum, the attached materials will be disseminated only on a need-to-know basis and when unattended, will be stored in a locked container or area offering sufficient protection against theft, compromise, inadvertent access, and unauthorized disclosure. 4. Points of Contact: County Health Department: Mark Jean Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (Office) 727-538-7277 # 1153 (E-Mail) marc_jean@doh.state.fl.us Exercise Director: Chris Floyd Disaster Resistant Communities Group LLC (Office) 850-241-3565 (E-Mail) chrisfloyd@drc-group.com 2 Page
CONTENTS ADMINISTRATIVE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS... 2 CONTENTS... 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 4 SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW... 5 Exercise Details... 5 Participant Information... 5 SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY... 6 Exercise Purpose and Design... 6 Exercise Objectives, Capabilities and Activities... 6 Scenario Summary... 6 SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF CAPABILITIES... 7 SECTION 4: CONCLUSION... 12 APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN... 13 APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK (3 THUMBS UP 3 THUMBS DOWN).. 14 APPENDIX C: ACRONYMS... 15 3 Page
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Operation Fortified Response - A Hurricane Tabletop Exercise Series was designed and facilitated to assess the knowledge and capabilities of the members of the Neighborhood Emergency Prepared Program in Pinellas County. During the exercise participants: Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Preparedness Activities Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Response Activities The purpose of this report is to analyze exercise results, identify strengths to be maintained and built upon, identify potential areas for further improvement, and support development of corrective actions. Incorporated in Section 3: Analysis of Capabilities of this After Action Report is a comprehensive listing of each Target Capability with its associated Major Strengths, Primary Areas for Improvement and Improvement Recommendations 4 Page
Exercise Details SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW Exercise Name: Type of Exercise: Operation Fortified Response - A Hurricane Tabletop Exercise Series Tabletop Exercise Start Date: April 11, 2013 Duration: Location: Sponsor: Two Hours The Villages Florida Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County Program: Part of an ongoing effort to measure effectiveness of Pinellas County s Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program to plan and prepare for, respond to and recover from a hurricane affecting the community. Purpose: To assess the knowledge and capabilities of the members of the Pinellas County Neighborhood Emergency Prepared Program. Mission: To gain a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Pinellas County s Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program. Scenario Type: Hurricane Participant Information Participant Location Number of Participants 10 Pinellas County NEPP 5 Page
SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY Exercise Purpose and Design The purpose of the exercise was to assess the knowledge and capabilities of the members of the Pinellas County Neighborhood Emergency Prepared Program. Exercise Objectives, Capabilities and Activities Capabilities-based planning allows for the exercise planning team to develop exercise objectives and observe exercise outcomes through a framework of specific action items that were derived from the Target Capabilities List (TCL). The capabilities listed below form the foundation for the organization of all objectives and observations in this exercise. Additionally, each capability is linked to several corresponding activities and tasks to provide additional detail. Based upon the identified exercise objectives below, the exercise planning team decided to demonstrate the following capabilities during this exercise: Neighborhood Preparedness and Disaster Operations Activity Target Capability # 1 Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Preparedness Activities # 2 Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Response Activities Scenario Summary It is late July and local citizens have been complacent in their hurricane preparedness activities because this year s hurricane season has not even seen its first tropical storm. Families are making their last minute plans for their summer vacations while local business owners and government agencies are thinking that the hurricane season could be very inconsequential. However weather forecasters are predicting a major change in the atmosphere that could see a sharp increase in the number and severity of hurricanes within the next few weeks. By early August community / neighborhood residents, business owners and government officials begin to follow the projected path of the season s first tropical storm. 6 Page
SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF CAPABILITIES Neighborhood Preparedness and Disaster Operations Performance Adequate Target Capability Activity # 1: Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Preparedness Activities Associated Critical Tasks Task # 1.1: Initiative and / or coordinate preparedness activities to ensure the safety of individuals and families residing in the neighborhood / community. Weak Evaluator # 1 Observations The groups that participated in this exercise did not adequately indicate that they are initiating and / or coordinating activities to ensure the safety of individuals and families residing in the neighborhood / community. These organizations indicated that they were building internal capacity and external / community awareness of preparation activities need to mitigate the effects of a hurricane, which is reasonable given the mix of volunteer human resources, funding and materials that are available to these organizations. In other words, their limited capacity is not a direction function of their lack of motivation or passion to help the community. Their additional demonstration of activities during and after a hurricane, their integration into the first responder system, and their zeal to act in a boot strap capacity clearly indicates their motivation and passion. Albeit in the design philosophies of these organizations, their scope of practice in the first responder system, or the resources that are available, these organizations are more focused on response to a disaster and not necessarily on preparedness activities. It is a gap that must be filled and it is a wonderful opportunity for these NEPP volunteer organizations to take the lead. Recommendations Initiatives that increase face-to-face engagement in the community is needed to build trust, access and knowledge about the needs of the community that are not address through statewide initiatives, such as the special need shelter system. Some ideas are listed in that spirit. # 1: Start pilot programs that yield results that measure how many neighbors have a disaster readiness plan, go kits, and 7 Page
their knowledge level about disasters. These organizations can provide customized plans and provide guidance and execute activities that protect property and lives. These can be implemented through door-to-door campaigns, and community outreach events at public areas that have an equidistant area between fire districts. # 2: Implement these same activities in a medical shelter / POD during school holidays. # 3: Coordinate with the school to integrate into to the student curriculum for technical, trade, skill and college bound students; it is an opportunity to teach disaster response coordination at a younger age. Task # 1.2: Initiative and / or coordinate preparedness activities to ensure the preservation of property within the neighborhood / community. Adequate Evaluator # 1 Observations Medical player stated that this was beyond the scope of their practice. The non-medical players in exercise had knowledge of these actions at an individual level and illustrate their proficiency through their stated activities (i.e. board up their windows and secure loose items). With respect to their neighborhood / community, they have knowledge in its application to the wider population but they did not clearly illustrate actions in the community. It was implied in the discussion about disaster preparedness awareness activities. One organization indicated the execution of assembling barriers (sandbags). Recommendations Medical organizations should play a deeper role in the preservation of property via the evaluation of structure through the lens of sanitation and other code enforcement points as a threat to the health of the citizen. Non-medical teams and organizations can assess and evaluate the physical structure. The two can work together to improve structures in the community to make them stronger and both can advocate to business owners and stakeholders with physical and financial resources with common terminology (through grants, etc.) that will revitalize neighborhoods with respect to their resiliency to hurricanes. More explicit activities to barricade structures from the thrashing impacts of hurricanes need to be explored. For instance, 8 Page
workshops to install structural hurricane protection measures, in coordination with general stores, like Lowes and Home Depot, can be spearheaded by these organizations. Performance Adequate Target Capability Activity # 2: Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Response Activities Associated Critical Tasks Task # 2.1: Implement and utilize a communications system to enlist, coordinate and direct neighborhood / community volunteers to meet disaster caused needs. Strong Evaluator # 1 Observations Recommendations All organizations demonstrated communication capacities and redundant systems to activities mobilize and coordinate volunteers and execute disaster-related operations and activities. They included modern technologies, such as texting, call-down web-based applications, and more simpler methods, such as runners. When thinking in a contingency frame of mind, employing runners under technologically calamitous events can be challenging. Exercises and policy changes to improve that method communication can be a real asset in those types of scenarios. More investigation into the best practices of using runners as a contingency to these excellent communication systems should be considered by all organization involved in this exercise as well as being disseminated in operationalized at the same level as using radio communication. Task # 2.2: Establish the command structure to manage activities and meet objectives. Strong Evaluator # 1 Observations All organizations demonstrated their knowledge of ICS and capacity to utilize it in expanding incidences, although their scope of practice in the ICE structure varied. For example, medical organizations were strictly under operations in ICS. Variation occurred between non-medical organizations. Some 9 Page
were mobilized strictly under the operations section under the direction of the IC; other demonstrate autonomy in selfmobilization and demonstrated the need to show proficiency in transferring command and becoming integrated into the expanding ICS as communications are restored in the moments after the storm. Recommendations More discussion is needed on conflicting obligations experienced by staff members, particularly when it comes to those who work in the medical field who are apart of nonmedical organizations. Duties to the employer may come into conflict with the needs of the organization. These should be discussed and policies should be disseminated or created to address them. Another odd issue stirred discussion: curfew. More autonomous organizations demonstrated some internal disagreement on this. It was later teased out that it was a function of the IC but it indicated a need for more education on ICS and safety with exercises if possible. Task # 2.3: Develop and implement a prioritized Incident Action Plan designed to maximize local human and material resources to meet the needs of neighborhood / community residents. Adequate Evaluator # 1 Observations Recommendations All organizations demonstrated their knowledge of making and using an IAP. Again, all organizations were strictly under the limitations of ICS. Variation occurred between these organizations based on their operational focus. On the other hand, participants were recalling from memory and did not indicate a systematic method of tracking their resources. Confidence in knowing this information can be improve through using computer based tracking systems that be as simple as using Microsoft Excel or coordinating with freeware software or government-sanctioned software. Task # 2.4: Understand the role of various community disaster response agencies and organizations. Strong Evaluator # 1 Observations All organizations demonstrated knowledge of the various 10 Page
community disaster response agencies and organizations and their role. For instance, they listed organizations like 2-1-1, United Way, faith-based organizations and the American Red Cross. Most participants were very knowledgeable about their mission and activities. Recommendations Duplication of service was not clearly addressed as well as administrative issues or barriers were not discussed. For instance, how are specific resources ordered or procured from organizations like the American Red Cross and their capacity to provide mass feedings. How will these organizations share information and interact at the ground level, not just at the command structure. These stakeholder need to meet and discuss these situations to prevent silos from being formed, causing the citizens suffer from unintentional consequences. 11 Page
SECTION 4: CONCLUSION Exercises such as this one allow personnel to validate training and practice strategic and tactical prevention, protection, response and recovery capabilities in a risk-reduced environment. Exercises are the primary tool for assessing preparedness and identifying areas for improvement, while demonstrating community resolve to prepare for major incidents. Exercises aim to help entities within the community gain objective assessments of their capabilities so that gaps, deficiencies, and vulnerabilities are addressed prior to a real incident. Exercises are the most effective (and safer) means to: Assess and validate policies, plans, procedures, training, equipment, assumptions, and interagency agreements; Clarify roles and responsibilities; Improve interagency coordination and communications; Identify gaps in resources; Measure performance; and Identify opportunities for improvement. This exercise succeeded in addressing all of the above as it provided examples of good to excellent participant knowledge, teamwork, communication and use of plans and procedures while pointing out areas in need of improvement and clarification. Listed below is a summary of the level of performance the Target Capabilities and Tasks evaluated during the exercise. This summary outlines the areas in which Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program is strong as well as identifying areas that the departments should invest future planning, training and exercise funds on. Neighborhood Preparedness and Disaster Operations Activity Target Capability Performance # 1 Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Preparedness Activities Adequate # 2 Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Response Activities Adequate 12 Page
APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN This Improvement Plan has been developed specifically for the Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program based on the results of Operation Fortified Response - A Hurricane Tabletop Exercise Series conducted on April 11, 2013. These recommendations draw on both the After Action Report and the After Action Conference. Capability Observation Recommendation Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Preparedness Activities Implement / Coordinate Neighborhood Response Activities Responsible Agency Completion Date 13 Page
APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK (3 THUMBS UP 3 THUMBS DOWN) Very good facilitator, communications plan. Knowledge of our groups plan. Core group of leadership volunteers. Excellent format and setting. Excellent exercise leader / facilitator. Great participant input. Emergency communications capabilities. Knowledge of plans. Thumbs Up Core group of dedicated, knowledgeable volunteers. Neighborhood awareness. Thumbs Down What programs are available shared with public. Special strike teams that can handle specific tasks in an incident. More information needs to be fleshed out about demobilization. Demobilization plans. Neighborhood awareness. Volunteer mindset... be more active in training. 14 Page
APPENDIX C: ACRONYMS Acronym Meaning COMM CONOPS EOC ESF IAP IC ICS IMT JIC LOFR MOA MOU NEPP NIMS OPS PIO SERT SitRep SOG SOP UC Communications Concept of Operations Emergency Operations Center Emergency Support Function Incident Action Plan Incident Command Incident Command System Incident Management Team Joint Information Center Liaison Officer Memorandum of Agreement Memorandum of Understanding Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program National Incident Management System Operations Public Information Officer State Emergency Response Team Situation Report Standard Operating Guideline Standard Operating Procedure Unified Command 15 Page