CPAC Tabletop Exercise

Exercise Situation Manual (SitMan)

Purpose

The Measles POD – A Point of Dispensing Tabletop Exercise will serve as an opportunity for the management and staff that make up the Florida Department of Health in Flagler County and its Community Partners to work through scenario information and injects dealing with opening, operating and closing a Point of Dispensing (POD) in response to a Measles Outbreak.

Core Capabilities

Capabilities-based planning focuses on planning under uncertainty because the next event or disaster can never be forecast with complete accuracy. Therefore, capabilities-based planning takes an all-hazards approach to planning and preparation that builds capabilities which can be applied to a wide variety of incidents. The capabilities and activities selected from the Core Capabilities list for this exercise are:

·  Mass Prophylaxis

o  Direct Mass Prophylaxis Tactical Operations

o  Activate Mass Prophylaxis

o  Conduct Mass Dispensing

o  Adverse Events Monitoring

o  Demobilize Mass Prophylaxis

These capabilities provide the foundation for development of the exercise design objectives and scenario. The purpose of this exercise is to measure and validate performance of these capabilities and their associated critical tasks.

Exercise Objectives

The exercise will focus on the following design objectives to guide exercise play:

1.  Assess public health’s ability to implement POD procedures in response to an Measles outbreak.

2.  Evaluate public health’s ability to manage a POD.

3.  Evaluate the capability of public health to work with Community Partners throughout the POD process.

4.  Assess public health’s ability to demobilize a POD.

Participants

·  Players respond to the situation presented based on expert knowledge of response procedures, current plans and procedures, and insights derived from training.

·  Facilitators provide situation updates and moderate discussions. They also provide additional information or resolve questions as required. Facilitators are responsible for keeping discussion on track and ensuring all responses are submitted within the ONX System.

·  Evaluators observe and record player discussions and actions. Evaluators complete Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) to provide substantive assessment for inclusion in the After Action Report.

Exercise Structure

This will be a multimedia, facilitated functional exercise conducted through the ONX System. As scenario information and injects are presented within the ONX System, exercise participants are expected to discuss and formulate action steps as a team. Participants will examine the current situation and engage in a group discussion of appropriate response issues based on their plans and procedures while identifying areas for improvement. All discussions and decisions should be input into the ONX System for inclusion in exercise reports. Discussion questions and scenario information may be presented in the form of multiple choice question, short answer response, multimedia message and / or map.

Exercise Guidelines

·  This is an open, low-stress, no-fault environment. Varying viewpoints, even disagreements, are expected.

·  Respond based on your knowledge of current plans and capabilities (i.e., you may request the use of existing assets) and insights derived from training.

·  Decisions are not precedent setting and may not reflect the organization’s final position on a given issue. This is an opportunity to discuss and present multiple options and possible solutions.

·  Issue identification is not as valuable as suggestions and recommended actions that could improve response and preparedness efforts. Problem-solving efforts should be the focus.

Assumptions and Artificialities

In any exercise a number of assumptions and artificialities may be necessary to complete play in the time allotted. During this exercise, the following apply:

·  The scenario is plausible, and events occur as they are presented.

·  There is no “hidden agenda”, nor any trick questions.

·  All players receive information at the same time.

Scenario

During the first full weekend of May churches from across the region come together to host the first annual "Season of Hope Youth Rally" in Palm Coast.

Over the next two days, rally participants will take part in a wide variety of engaging activities.

At the conclusion of the rally everyone gathers for one last time to participate in the rally’s Closing Ceremony.

Following the Closing Ceremony, rally organizers meet to evaluate the two days of fun and fellowship. Organizers are very pleased that 1,347 young people and their parents participated in the two day event.

Over the past five hours numerous individuals have been arriving at area hospitals, urgent care centers and primary care providers with "flu-like" symptoms (high fever, chills, fatigue and persistent coughs).

The majority of these cases, which include otherwise healthy young adults and children, exhibit signs and symptoms more serious than the common “flu”.

Measles POD Exercise 1 www.drc-group.com