Appendix B
Exercise Development
This section of the tool kit contains tools for conducting the variety of exercises discussed in this plan. Appendix B is broken down into four parts:B-1: Classroom Exercises: Seminars and Tabletops
B-2: School Safety Drills
B-3: Onsite School Disaster Exercises: Drills, Functional, and Full Scale
B-4: Onsite School Disaster Exercise Examples and Templates
Appendices B-1 through B-3 provides information and a checklist for developing the exercise type. Appendix B-4 provides Templates for a typical earthquake scenario that can be applied to each of the different types of onsite exercises.
In the future, DEM will monitor the plan and provide additional scenarios on its website for all school districts. The website will also be made available to the school districts for downloading Disaster exercise best practices and exercise scenarios they have performed and available to all school districts. This will reduce the burden of developing exercises as more exercises are shared with all school districts.
At this point, you have conducted an assessment of your school emergency preparedness by using some of the templates provided in Appendix A. You are now ready to select the appropriate exercise type and scenario. As such, you have chosen to conduct a classroom seminar or tabletop exercise, a school safety drill, or an onsite disaster drill or exercise to test and evaluate your “Circle of 9” Response Teams. Regardless, each section will provide guidance on developing the exercise. For broader guidance, refer back to the Section 8 Introduction and follow the chart towards completion of your exercise.
Appendix B-1
Classroom Exercises: Seminars and Tabletops
This Section provides information on seminar and tabletop scenarios. It includes the following:● Job Aid B-1.1 Tabletop Exercise Planning checklist
● Job Aid B-1.2 Option 1 Tabletop Exercises ( courtesy of Washington State Emergency Management)
● Job Aid B-1.3 Option 2 Kitsap County DEM Tabletop Exercise Scenarios
Directions:
At this point, your planning team has utilized the tools in Appendix A and has determined that a Seminar or Tabletop Exercise is the appropriate exercise. The exercise planning chart can help guide you through the next sequence of steps or follow the steps listed below:
● Use the Job Aid B-1 Tabletop Planning Checklist to develop your seminar or Tabletop Exercise
● If you are doing a seminar, determine your topic and person to conduct the seminar
● If you are doing a tabletop, select Option 1 or 2
● Review the exercise enhancements discussed in Appendix E
● Select the appropriate means to evaluate your exercise from Appendix C
● Conduct an appropriate after action review of your exercise using the guidance in Appendix D
Appendix B-1
Classroom Exercises: Seminars and Tabletops
Job Aid B-1.Seminar/Tabletop Exercise Checklist
DesignNeeds assessment, scope statement of purpose; and objectives developed
Develop the presentation
Option 1 WA State Tabletop Scenario for Earthquakes
Power Point Presentation (online at www.kitsapdem.org)
Select facilitator
Event:
Confirm location of exercise
Room setup. Refreshments, table and chairs, projector, computer, easels
Equipment needs. Plans and procedures, radios, maps, etc…
Exercise Enhancements (Appendix E)
Student Exercise Evaluation Form (Appendix C)
Expected actions:
May involve identification of appropriate responses, identification of gaps in procedures, reaching group consensus, developing ideas for change, etc.
Write Messages or injects (Optional)
Limited number (e.g., 10-15)
Involve everyone
Tied to objectives
Facilitation
Welcome participants
Briefing:
Purpose and objectives
Ground rules and procedures
Narrative presentation (printed, verbal, TV, radio)
Ice breaker questions directed at high-ranking officers
Messages organized to involve all organizations
Strategies to encourage the reticent
Facilitate¾don’t dominate
Model positive behaviors (eye contact, positive reinforcement)
Aim for in-depth problem solving
Strategies for sustaining action
Conclude Exercise with Hot wash of gaps, action items (Appendix D)
After Action Report (Appendix D)
Post AAR promulgation (Appendix D)
Appendix B-1
Classroom Exercises: Seminars and Tabletops
Job Aid B-2.1Washington State Exercises for Schools
Washington State Emergency Management Division has developed two exercises for schools. These exercises are
● Earthquake Tabletop Exercise
● Terrorism Exercise for Schools
They are provided in this job aid or can be found with other school preparedness information at the following website:
http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_schools_emergencyplan.shtml
Job Aid B-2.2
Kitsap County DEM Tabletop Exercise Scenarios
The Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management has developed three exercises for schools using PowerPoint slides. These exercises are
● Earthquake Tabletop Exercise
● Terrorism Tabletop Exercise
● Earthquake Recovery Tabletop Exercise
These Exercise templates can be found by going online at:
www.kitsapdem.org
Appendix B-1
Classroom Exercises: Seminars and Tabletops
Explanation of the Table Top ExerciseA Table Top exercise is a group discussion guided by a simulated disaster. Emphasis will be placed upon a low stress, yet thorough, group problem solving process. The scenario will be discussed on another page.
All participants will fill their normal day-to-day roles as if they were at their own workplace. A few of the participants may need to role play certain key positions. There will be an attempt to define everyone's roles and responsibilities as if it were a real disaster.
Do not offer solutions that are too easy, unless the reality of the situation would warrant an easy solution. Most questions asked will be answered by the facilitator as:
· "How does that action affect you?"
· "Would you be affected by that decision?"
· "Can you see a different approach to that problem that you might be able to help with?"
· "Do we really want to do that?"
The facilitator's job is to help you come up with the solutions.
Also, if problem statements are brought up prematurely by the participants, work through that problem at that time. Always try to "seize the moment" and discuss any subject the group brings up. The flexibility of the group "brainstorming/problem solving" is always better if left somewhat alone. The facilitator does not have the final say in any matter.
It is important to remember one thing: if only one issue is solved, then the exercise is a success. The goal is quality, not quantity.
Not all of the questions in each of the problem statements will be addressed. They are only an indication of the concepts that we will be discussing. The agenda will not be rigid and will not necessarily follow the outline, but will reflect more of the conversation and discussion generated by the group.
Appendix B-1
Classroom Exercises: Seminars and Tabletops
Incident CommandFor this exercise the Incident Command System will be utilized. There will be a command staff and a general staff. Supporting teams under the general command structure will be implemented as advisable.
Remember: The only people who can talk to the Incident Commander are the Team leaders for each of the “Circle of 9” response teams and other agency leads.
Support personnel under the team leaders will report to their respective lead and he/she will take the information and or questions to the Incident Commander.
Objectives for the Exercise
· Participants will define what their roles and responsibilities are.
· Participants will demonstrate the ability to set priorities and identify major tasks, functions, and operations in response to a disaster.
· Participants will identify and organize procedures for evacuation of the student population - both the school and the school grounds.
· Participants will identify critical information and recording methods to document costs and what happened during the response.
· Participants will identify any problems with the communications system currently in place.
Appendix B-1
Earthquake Table Top Exercise
ScenarioIt is approximately 9:30 am on beautiful fall day in November. The principals have just sat down in their offices to take care of today’s issues within the schools. All classes have settled into their daily routines.
Suddenly, severe ground shaking takes place for approximately 30-45 seconds. As everyone drops under their desk, the light fixture and false ceilings collapse in several of the rooms. Books fall from the bookcases, and you can hear glass breaking. You can hear children crying.
As the shaking stops, you find children hurt; some with minor injuries, others severely. There is a classroom with the door jammed, but everyone inside appears okay.
The following classrooms cannot exit through their classroom doors - all their doors are jammed shut: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 (put in your own room numbers).
The temperature outside is 50 degrees; it is sunny. The wind is from the west at 15 miles per hour.
Appendix B-1
Earthquake Table Top Exercise
Problem Statements1. After evacuating, the following teachers discover that they are missing children:
o ______2 students
o ______1 student
o ______2 students (last seen in the library)
o ______2 students (last seen in the office)
o (Use the names of your staff)
2. It has been discovered that ______class has evacuated, but where is Judy?
3. None of the kitchen staff is outside. Do they know where to evacuate to, or are they missing?
4. ______announces that she is going home to check on her baby.
5. The roads are impassible. Are we going to release the students, or do we find a shelter? Do we accept responsibility for the students?
6. Do we have enough food and water to care for the students?
7. Do we have medical and other supplies to staff for overnight?
8. Question, should we evacuate or not? What if some rooms can’t evacuate?
Appendix B-1
Earthquake Table Top Exercise
Questions to Drive DiscussionThese questions are used to drive the discussion. Do not ask the questions, unless the discussion has stagnated. They are questions to make the employees think about different issues involved with evacuating an entire student population. Did everyone remember to drop, cover, and hold? Did the teachers?
· What did the teachers say to the students to calm them?
· How do we know who has been evacuated or not? Did we take attendance rosters with us, or did we try to do this from memory?
· When we found that some staff and students were missing, how did we find them? How did we get them out? Are there crowbars or something else in the classrooms that can be used to help open doors that are jammed shut?
· Did we set up a First Aid station to treat injuries? Who will be in charge? Who will help? Where do we get the supplies from?
· What did we do to quiet and calm the students once we got them outside? Was someone in charge of singing songs or doing something else with them?
· Who called the Superintendent? Who called the fire and police departments?
· Did everyone remember to line up 500 feet away from the building? Did they remember to evacuate walking as far away from the building as possible?
· How did we contact the parents? Do we have a phone tree in place? Do we have an alternate method of contacting parents? Who calls the radio and TV stations to disseminate the information?
· How did the release of the students go? Did we have traffic jams?
· Did you need to use buses to evacuate the students? Who was responsible for calling bus transportation?
· Did you miss more than a couple of hours of school? Are you going to need to make up the time?
· Where is your secondary site? If the weather is bad, where will you take your students to get them out of the elements?
· Do you have food, water, and other supplies on hand to take care of the 10% of your student population that will not be picked up?
· If you think of other question, feel free to use them
Debriefing the Exercise
It is important to understand this is an exercise and you should find things that need to be improved and changed.
Be sensitive to staff during the debriefing - remember if you aren’t nice they won’t play with you anymore.
Find critical things that will change the way you do business and you have had a great success.
If you make one change or clarify one issue you have accomplished your purpose.
Finally, remember there is no perfect response or exercise because this isn’t a perfect world and we aren’t perfect people.
Good luck!
Appendix B-1
Terrorism Table Top Exercise
ScenarioDuring the course of the school day, an explosion occurs in the cafeteria.
One of the cafeteria staff has advised that there are many injured and/or dead and that they need help
Before emergency responders arrive, it is learned that one teacher, one school staff member, and an unidentified body has been found. Twenty-three additional students and staff have suffered injuries of varying severity.
An unorganized group of students and staff are attempting to care for the injured. Individual students are in hysterics, and others have fled unsupervised from the scene.
As police, fire, and ambulances arrive, you notice that local media representatives are also arriving and attempting to interview students and staff.
Responders ask that a high ranking member of the administration report to the command post. They also want blueprints of the facility.
Appendix B-1
Terrorism Table Top Exercise
Discussion PointsDuring the course of the school day, an explosion occurs in the cafeteria. One of the cafeteria staff has advised that there are many injured and/or dead and that they need help.
1. Who is responsible for calling for emergency assistance, and is the person(s) responsible aware of that duty?
2. What information would be included in the call for help? Who else would be contacted?
3. Would school staff/teachers/administrators respond to the scene of the explosion to offer assistance?
4. Are they trained in First Aid? Are they aware of procedures to be followed concerning the possibilities of a secondary device?
5. Would the school be evacuated? Who makes that decision and how is the decision implemented?
6. Would the fire alarm be activated? If so, by whom? Would this evacuation be conducted just like a fire evacuation?
7. How would students be tracked and order maintained?
Appendix B-1