After Action Report / Improvement Plan Hurricane ADA Tabletop Exercise
Hurricane ADA – An Operation Full Access Tabletop Exercise
September 20, 2010
AFTER ACTION REPORT / IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Jackson County Emergency Management Department
ADMINISTRATIVE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS
1. The title of this document is The "Hurricane ADA - An Operation Full Access Tabletop Exercise " 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 Emergency Management:
Rodney Andresen
Jackson County Emergency Management Department
(Office) 850-718-0007
(E-Mail)
Exercise Director:
Chris Floyd
Disaster Resistant Communities Group LLC
(Office) 850-241-3565
(E-Mail)
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 8
Exercise Purpose and Design 8
Scenario Summary 8
SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF CAPABILITIES 9
SECTION 4: CONCLUSION 12
APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN 13
APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK (3 THUMBS UP – 3 THUMBS DOWN) 14
APPENDIX C: ACRONYMS 16
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Hurricane ADA - An Operation Full Access Tabletop Exercise was designed and facilitated to assess the current capabilities oforganizations and agencies charged with providing assistanceto the county's disabled, transportation disadvantaged, senior citizens and limited or non-English speaking residents.
In addition, the Hurricane ADA Tabletop Exercise assisted in measuring the overall disaster readiness level of the county's most disaster vulnerable citizens.
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
SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW
Exercise Details
Exercise Name: / Hurricane ADA - An Operation Full Access Tabletop ExerciseType of Exercise: / Tabletop
Exercise Start Date: / September 20, 2010
Duration: / Two Hours
Location: / Via the ONX System
Sponsor: / Jackson County Emergency Management Department
Program: Jackson County’s Operation Full Access – A Disability Disaster Planning Initiative.
Purpose: To assess the current capabilities oforganizations and agencies charged with providing assistanceto the county's disabled, transportation disadvantaged, senior citizens and limited or non-English speaking residents.
Mission: Review the disaster readiness of the county’s organizations and agencies charged with providing assistance to the county's most disaster vulnerable citizens.
Scenario Type: Hurricane
Participant Information
Participant / LocationBill Vogel / Social Services Organization
Benjamin Rix Brooks / Health Care Organizations
Bryan Vaughan / Disability Organization
Bonnie Williams / Disability Organization
Garfield Richards / Disability Organization
Chad Knowlton / Social Services Organization
Charlene Thomas / Social Services Organization
Charles Isabella / Disability Organization
Chris Littlewood / Disability Organization
Danny Skipper / Transportation Disadvantaged Organization
Donnie Hall / Disability Organization
Jeff Egelston / Disability Organization
Sara Blumenthal / Health Care Organizations
Joan Helmes / Health Care Organizations
Gordon Lightfoot / Disability Organization
Heather Hilliard / Health Care Organizations
Heriberto Martinez / Faith Based Organization
David Yates / Health Care Organizations
Jason Dotson / Health Care Organizations
Sandy Martin / Health Care Organizations
Renee Scurlock / Disability Organization
Jessie Chambers / Health Care Organizations
Joyce Ford / Disability Organization
Julie McKinney / Health Care Organizations
Beatriz Macia / Health Care Organizations
Kristen Ray / Disability Organization
Erika Sellars / Disability Organization
Kimberly Rudd / Disability Organization
Marcelle Penn Mathis / Health Care Organizations
Marsha Furr / Disability Organization
Martin Baxter / Health Care Organizations
Vicki McCrary / Disability Organization
Mike Pierce / Disability Organization
Nikki Falk / Disability Organization
Holly Ness / Social Services Organization
Vicki Tew / Health Care Organizations
Trish Wood / Health Care Organizations
Pamela Zachritz / Disability Organization
Pat Phillips / Social Services Organization
Reed Stephan / Health Care Organizations
Alicia Reyes-Perez / Health Care Organizations
Robert Cox / Disability Organization
Rodney Andreasen / Disability Organization
Stuart Betheil / Social Services Organization
Scott Charles / Disability Organization
Susan George / Disability Organization
Veronica Scott / Disability Organization
Sherri Myers / Disability Organization
Spring Southwell / Social Services Organization
Susan Coleman / Disability Organization
Tracy Curran / Disability Organization
Frances Kiperman / Disability Organization
Valerie Stafford-Mallis / Disability Organization
Terry White / Social Services Organization
Keith Lavery-Barclay / Senior Citizen Organization
Susan Wolf-Fordham / Disability Organization
Number of Participants / 57
SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY
Exercise Purpose and Design
To assess the current capabilities oforganizations and agencies charged with providing assistanceto the county's disabled, transportation disadvantaged, senior citizens and limited or non-English speaking residents.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:
Vulnerable Population Protective Actions / Response ActivitiesActivity / Target Capability
# 1 / Implement / Coordinate Preparedness Activities
# 2 / Coordinate / Manage Response Operations
Scenario Summary
It is late August and local citizens have been following the approach of Hurricane ADA as it moves through the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico. Projections from the National Hurricane Center indicate that the storm will make a left turn and head towards Texas.
The turn to the west never comes and in the early morning hours the storm slams into the coastline south of Jackson County with strong category two winds and a storm surge on top of a high tide.
As the storm moves out of the area and emergency response teams begin to assist area residents, the various faith and community based organizations along with governmental agencies work to maintain operations so they can continue to support the needs of the county's disabled, transportation disadvantaged, senior citizens and limited or non-English speaking residents.
SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF CAPABILITIES
Vulnerable Population Protective Actions / Response Activities
Performance / Target CapabilityWeak /
Activity # 1: Implement / Coordinate Preparedness Activities
Associated Critical TasksTask # 1.1: Provisions and procedures for assisting all organization / agency staff in individual and family preparedness have been implemented.
Weak / Evaluator # 1
Observations / · Many of the organizations / agencies indicated that additional training needed to be made available to their staff in regards to individual and family disaster readiness.
Recommendations / · Offer disaster readiness outreach activities to organizations / agencies designed to assist their staff members in developing individual and family disaster plans.
· Organizations / agencies should advise all employees to review their family plan with family members and to check and update their kits where needed at least twice a year.
Task # 1.2: Activate and coordinate organization / agency disaster / continuity of operations plans and procedures.
Adequate / Evaluator # 1
Observations / · About 60% of the participating organizations / agencies had a written Disaster Response or Continuity of Operations Plan.
· The remaining 40% had a basic understanding of what actions needed to be taken as the hurricane approached the region and what actions needed to take place after the storm moved through the area.
Recommendations / · Each agency should strive to have a written Continuity of Operations Plan.
· Train employees in the use of the plan, exercise the plan and adjust / enhance the plan when needed.
Task # 1.3: Individual / family vulnerable population readiness.
Weak / Evaluator # 1
Observations / · Less than 40% of the individuals / families representing the county’s most vulnerable population were ready for the approaching storm.
Recommendations / · Provide additional disaster preparedness outreach activities designed to assist county residents who are disabled, who are transportation disadvantaged, who are senior citizens or who speak limited or no English to become better prepared for future disasters.
· Provide additional disaster preparedness outreach activities designed to assist the county’s various disability, transportation disadvantaged, senior citizen and limited English speaking stakeholder organizations and agencies with preparing their clients for the next emergency or disaster.
Performance / Target Capability
Adequate /
Activity # 2: Coordinate / Manage Response Operations
Associated Critical TasksTask # 2.1: Establish a management structure and Incident Action Plan designed to maintain the ability to provide identified essential services.
Weak / Evaluator # 1
Observations / · Less than 50% of organizations / agencies have a defined management structure or were able to prepare a prioritized response / recovery plan.
· Many of the organizations / agencies lacked any defined disaster management structure.
Recommendations / · Provide additional training in disaster response and recovery management and planning to the county’s various stakeholder organizations / agencies.
Task # 2.2: Stakeholder organization / agency coordination / collaboration.
Adequate / Evaluator # 1
Observations / · 60% of the organizations / agencies were familiar with one another and the services the offered in time of a disaster.
· During the exercise additional organizations / agencies were identified who have not been a part of the county’s disaster planning process.
Recommendations / · Additional countywide team building efforts need to be undertaken to identify all the various organizations / agencies providing services to county residents who are disabled, who are transportation disadvantaged, who are senior citizens or who speak limited or no English.
· A system of coordinating response and recovery activities among the various organizations / agencies needs to be identified and implemented.
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 Jackson County’s various disability, senior citizen, social service, faith based and transportation stakeholders are strong as well as identifying areas that the departments should invest future planning, training and exercise funds on.
Vulnerable Population Protective Actions / Response ActivitiesActivity / Target Capability / Performance
# 1 / Implement / Coordinate Preparedness Activities / Weak
# 2 / Coordinate / Manage Response Operations / Adequate
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After Action Report / Improvement Plan Hurricane ADA Tabletop Exercise
APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN
This Improvement Plan has been developed specifically for Jackson County based on the results of Hurricane ADA - An Operation Full Access Tabletop Exercise conducted on September 20, 2010. These recommendations draw on both the After Action Report and the After Action Conference.
Capability / Observation / Recommendation / Responsible Agency / Completion DateThe various recommendations regarding improvement in disaster planning / preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation for the county’s most vulnerable population is being incorporated in the Jackson County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
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After Action Report / Improvement Plan Hurricane ADA Tabletop Exercise
APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK(3 THUMBS UP – 3 THUMBS DOWN)
Thumbs UpThis exercise brought up some interesting operations as they manifested themselves with operation during curfew operations.
Use of technology to facilitate a tabletop exercise.
Recognition of current preparedness and disaster planning within the agency and the State Emergency Response Team.
Clear communication trail through our organization and outlying area offices and facilities.
Refresher information.
Tracking of the storm.
Working relationship with other agencies through county Emergency Operations Center.
Interesting - The exercise held my attention.
Weather bulletins added to interest level.
Injects easy to understand.
As a group, we are well prepared for a disaster.
We have good strategies in place for setting up and breaking down the Special Needs Shelter.
We have rosters in place already, to manage shelter needs when the time comes.
Number of participates.
Variety of knowledge, skills and abilities brought together.
We have a disaster plan in place that we have utilized in the past.
We were able to review of disaster plan.
All the questions were very easy to answer.
Online tabletop exercise worked well!!!
Great to emphasize both personal as well as organizational readiness.
Good Questions.
Preparing our team.
Preparing our clients.
The exercise heightened our awareness of the vital steps we need to take to prepare for a potential hurricane.
Validated many of the protocols already established in the Sunland Disaster Manual.
Sensitized us to the plight of community based organizations.
Dealing with the aftermath.
Thumbs Down
Development of better tracking protocol for people with special needs.
Staff disaster preparedness.
Employee preparedness.
Our employees need to be better prepared for a disaster personally.
We need to improve education for employees as well as clients during times when there is no disaster looming.
We need to review and exercise our plans more frequently with more staff participation.
The exercise did cause us to realize that we do not have a current disaster plan kit.
We need to find the location of the Special Needs shelter.
Need questions ahead of time for the five days worth of preparation and response activities. These aren't in a plan because the objectives would be decided every 12 or 24 hours. Need more than 15 minutes to come up with all these details.
This causes us to re-look at our training module.
Look at a specialized "prep" training with other congregate settings (i.e., developmental centers, correctional facilities)
Connectivity issues need to be addressed and improved.
Making certain that our clients understand the importance of being prepared.
Update some of our own emergency contact information.
Make personal preparedness a priority.
APPENDIX C: ACRONYMS
Acronym / MeaningCOMM / Communications
CONOPS / Concept of Operations
EOC / Emergency Operations Center
ESF / Emergency Support Function
IAP / Incident Action Plan
IC / Incident Command
ICS / Incident Command System
IMT / Incident Management Team
JIC / Joint Information Center
LOFR / Liaison Officer
MOA / Memorandum of Agreement
MOU / Memorandum of Understanding
NIMS / National Incident Management System
OPS / Operations
PIO / Public Information Officer
SERT / State Emergency Response Team
SitRep / Situation Report
SOG / Standard Operating Guideline
SOP / Standard Operating Procedure
UC / Unified Command
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