Table-top exercise
Introduction
· The exercise begins with several unrelated, or perhaps related, events happening in the New Orleans area, beginning on August 3, 2022 and ending August 6, 2022.
· The exercise scenario will entail escalating events spanning several days
· The scenario may necessitate the activation of the New Orleans Emergency Operations Plan (TEOP) and Emergency Operations Center, necessitating communication and coordination between local government, public health, and state and local response partners.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
New Orleans
Exercise Scenario
Section 1.
It is Spring Ahead Weekend in New Orleans, and the relaxation in CoVid-19 travel and tourist restrictions is expected to bring thousands of visitors to the area for the Spring Ahead Celebration , filling streets and stores, with many attending the sporting events, concerts, and cultural celebrations taking place in various sections of the city and its venues.
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly cast a shadow over the city, but the city is emerging from the shadows, and the Chamber of Commerce has produced flyers that stress the increased number of outdoor events available to tourists for this celebration, and hotel accommodations are filled.
However, not everyone is happy to see the influx of out-of-towners, because of the state’s low vaccination rate, and recent increases in the new sub-variant CoVid-19 case numbers. In fact, many view the Chamber’s push for movin’ ahead from the COVID as a colossal waste of already strapped local revenues and resources, including the overtime pay for public safety and public works crews.
However, the last-minute media blitz by the Chamber has quelled the impassioned uproar, by pointing out the economic value of tourists to the entire community, as well as the hotel, motel, restaurant, and retail workers who now must return to work due to the cessation of CoVid-19 benefit payments.
Candidates for the local and state primaries for the fall elections are expected to take advantage of the large crowds, and an area has been set aside for media opportunities and interviews. Demonstrators have been seen posting flyers and leaflets organizing protests for this event, and promoting demonstrations supporting Ukraine. Social media reports have surfaced that demonstrators from out of town will arrive at the bus station on Friday and Saturday to participate in these protests. There are also social media threats of a cyberattack against the city.
With the decision to continue the Spring Ahead Celebration in place, and new events being added to the mix, the agenda for the weekend currently looks something like this:
Wednesday, 03 August 2022:
Opening Ceremonies – St. Louis Cathedral/Jackson Square
Children’s Concert in the Park - Jackson Square Stage
Thursday, 04 August 2022:
Free Trolley Car Rides
Maiden voyage of Carnival’s City of New Orleans.
Concert at Mercedes Benz Superdome followed by the
“Who Dat? Fireworks Extravaganza”
Friday, 05 August 2022:
Candidate media opportunities – Jackson Square Stage
Interfaith Social Justice Gathering – Jackson Square
“Movin’ Ahead from the COVID” Parade featuring floats
Ukraine Solidarity concert at Smoothie King Arena
Saturday, 06 August 2022:
Hurricane Katrina Memorial – St. Louis Cathedral
Return of the City of New Orleans to port.
New Orleans Pelicans play-in game at Smoothie King
Heavy rains this year have raised the water levels in the river. The heavy rain, and recent warmer than usual temperatures have resulted in an increase of mosquitoes and other pests throughout the city.
At the last minute, on the weekend before the event, a newly-on-the-market pest control company, Bugg Off, was contracted by the city to “spray any venue having to do with Spring Ahead activities.” As is the case with other employers in the Covid-19 return to work phase, the company is having difficulty finding enough workers, and is easing its normally stringent vetting procedures, just this once.
Preparedness Phase:
1. From the scenario outlined thus far, and the Spring Ahead Celebration agenda, conduct a brief hazard vulnerability analysis for the festival events. Choose a spokesperson and be prepared to answer the following questions based upon your agency assignment. (Ten minutes)
2. What are the tasks and potential threats that your incident management team has identified?
3. After analyzing these potential threats, who on your team is responsible for each of the identified tasks or threats?
4. Who is in charge?
5. Will you activate an area Emergency Operations Center (EOC)? If so, where will it be located?
6. What mutual aid agreements might you have in place with neighbors?
7. What plans or procedures will you use to guide your potential response?
8. Will you use volunteers to perform certain event-related tasks?
9. Who will be in charge of the volunteers?
10. What equipment resources do you anticipate will be needed during the event?
11. What resources do you anticipate needing to request from surrounding jurisdictions?
12. What additional considerations does the presence of political candidates add to your preparedness activities?
13. How will management team leaders communicate with first responders? With the public?
Response Phase #1:
The opening ceremonies on Wednesday, and Thursday’s concert and fireworks go off without a hitch. There are some minor incidents and injuries, but nothing that is above and beyond those normally associated with gatherings and activities of this kind.
As the City of New Orleans made its way down river in darkness towards the open sea, meteorologists focused their attention on a tropical depression that has been growing both in size and intensity in the Gulf of Mexico. Cruise ship operators are meeting to decide about returning the ship to port.
The only item of note from the police blotter is the death of a Bugg Off employee, who was found near his truck in the warehouse district. Initial reports from EMS indicate that he probably died from natural causes.
It is now Friday morning at 0900. Several children have been seen at the hospital for fever, headaches, and gastrointestinal distress. This, along with a significant number of flu-like illnesses being treated at the hospital, quick care clinics, and private providers in the area has caused a patient surge in the medical community.
Questions for Phase #1:
1.How will local agencies learn about the illnesses?
2. Who will your agency contact to either inform or learn more?
3. What additional information does your agency want to know?
4. How would this surge affect other response agencies?
5. What changes might you make in your incident management team?
6. What could you do to assist with the surge of patients seeking medical care?
7. What investigational activities might be undertaken by public health?
8. What, if any, PPE would be used in a medical practice?
9. If medical practices wanted to send laboratory specimens for testing, where would they send them?
10. How would the COVID-19 response affect the lab testing?
11. Would you recommend contacting the media at this point? If so, what would be your message(s)?
12. What, if any, considerations will you have about the Bugg Off employee?
Response Phase #2:
Crowds of masked and unmasked political supporters, protestors, and interested citizens have gathered in the park and are listening to both candidates and protesters. The number of children experiencing gastrointestinal illness is stabilizing, and some have been released to recover at home, and ease the overcrowded conditions at the hospital. Samples from the sick adults have been sent to the public health lab, and the results are pending.
Throngs of people have lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Mardi Gras floats that will be featured in the “Movin’ Ahead from the COVID Parade.” The crowds’ attention is captured by the sight of the City of New Orleans headed back to the Carnival Cruise Terminal at a surprisingly high rate of speed, and blowing its ship’s horn. Reports from the ship indicate that there are many disgruntled passengers on board, who are neither happy that their cruise has been canceled, nor that the cruise line intends to keep the passengers on board until “the approaching weather makes up its mind”.
There are also rumors on Facebook that a number of passengers tested positive for CoVid-19, and that is the real reason they are being kept on board after docking. Several passengers, perhaps emboldened by the free alcohol provided by the cruise line, have posted that they will not be kept on the ship without a fight.
As the ship disappears behind the row of riverfront buildings, the air is suddenly filled with a cacophony of scraping metal, snapping cables, and blaring car horns. The City of New Orleans, while maneuvering into the dock at the terminal, has run into the Crescent City Connection bridge. The ship’s captain claims to have lost navigational and automatic throttle settings.
Floats, marching bands, and would-be parade watchers disperse in confusion.
Response Phase #2 Questions:
1. How will we know if this is an accident or an act of terrorism?
2. Who will assume command of the response?
3. How will this be communicated to the incident management team?
4. What are the priorities for response objectives?
5. As an incident management team, where do you start?
6. How does the destruction to the infrastructure affect the response?
7. What additional resources will you need to conduct the response?
8. Where might you open shelters and a family reunification center?
9. How will you handle any pets that arrive at the shelter?
10. What morgue capabilities do you have?
11. Who can provide counseling for victims and responders?
Response Phase #3:
The response focus shifts to the bridge site, with the City of New Orleans sustaining cosmetic damage, but unknown structural damage, and sitting in the middle of the river. Due to the large number of people who were on deck, there are serious injuries from flying shrapnel and debris. One span of the bridge is gone, and the other is damaged. There are reports of vehicles submerged in the river.
As first responders go about their work, cellphone and radio alerts begin to go off, and alarms and sirens can be heard at city pumping station and levee locations, and at the Waterford Nuclear Generating Station upriver. The alarms and sirens seem to all go off simultaneously. Early situation reports from the sites indicate no abnormal indications or readings were observed prior to the alarms sounding.
Numerous social media messages have since been posted, claiming responsibility for a cyberattack against the city’s emergency messaging system.
Questions for Phase 3:
1. How does the alarm situation impact response priorities?
2. How can we determine if the alarms were real, or the result of a cyberattack?
3. What resources can we call in to aid us in this determination?
4. What private partners will be called in?
5. How does the impending tropical storm influence our decisions?
6. How do these events affect evacuation plans and resources?
EndEx
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
Hot Wash Procedures
A hot wash will be conducted following completion of the facilitated exercise discussions. The purpose of the hot wash is to establish a structured review process for exercise participants. It is a professional discussion and requires active participation with a focus on the workshop objectives to identify, clarify and harmonize the roles and responsibilities of all participant organizations in the drafting of any updates to current plans or protocols.
The hot wash will examine the achievement of exercise objectives and identify activities to advance them. Comments and issues or actions developed during the hot wash will be captured, compiled and published within the final after action report (AAR), and an Improvement Plan (IP) generated to designate responsibility for achieving opportunities for improvement.
Questions or Comments?
· Wrap Up
· Next Steps