LEPC EXERCISING

1. LEPC EXERCISING Scotty E. Hancock Rome/Floyd LEPC

2. LEPC Partnership The LEPC is the regulated community and the regulators, the first responders and the health care providers, government agencies and the general public, all working toward a common goal of hazardous chemical planning and safe response.

3. LEPC Partnership The Public Sector Governmental Entities Business and Industry

4. LEPC Exercising • Table-top • Functional • Full scale • Must conduct at least one a year!

5. Common Problems • Tendency to start with full scale exercises • Tendency to exercise without an existing or up-to-date plan • Tendency to try to do everything • Typically held during DAY TIME

6. Exercise Basic Needs • Start with the Plan • Is it current? • Do players know it’s contents? • Exercising is intended to tell you if it is relevant • Review real world response summaries • Periodical articles • Individuals who have “been there” • Contact industry

7. Exercise Players • Management personnel for community • Larger cities - typically field supervisors • Lieutenants, battalion chiefs, etc • Smaller communities - typically “Chiefs” • Facility Emergency Coordinators and backups • Interfacing State agencies • State Police, GEMA • Specialty resources--hazmat team

8. LEPC Exercising • Plan • Awareness • Scenario • “Learn to walk before trying running”

9. Table Top Exercise • Easy to conduct • “like a college seminar” with moderator • Typically no cost to conduct • Generally last a couple of hours • Focus on management-supervisory issues • Command

10. Table Top Exercise • Great for improving awareness of plan • Good for learning who’s who • Putting faces to names and departments • Good for learning of community resources • Good for learning gaps and overlaps in plan • Little stress and typically informal • Great to get to know industries plans

11. Functional Exercise • What most people call table tops • Stress is introduced • Events-actions dictate exercise play • “ready or not” • Exercise design should be as realistic as possible • Avoid “blind leading blind”

12. Functional Exercise • Requires typically a group to conduct the exercise • controllers • simulators • evaluators • Works best when players “play” their real roles • Also good for cross training

13. Functional Exercise • Typically lasts 2-3 hours • Includes : • introduction to play • exercise play • critique • Can be conducted in either “test” or “educational” modes • one should assess group being exercised in deciding which mode

14. Functional Exercise • Can be extremely pressurized • Information overload or absence • Must know details • Must go through a simulation or it didn’t happen

15. Functional Exercise • Works best for strategic and tactical decisions • Does not get into hands-on action • No equipment is moved • Works best with management and supervisory personnel playing their own roles in command post environment--ICS and/or EOC

16. Functional Exercise • Controllers & Simulators must know community resources and capabilities • Players like to CHEAT! • Allows “props” only when they exist in reality • maps, photos, computer software • If not brought, they don’t count • Next time they will remember

17. Functional Exercise • Typically this exercise will provide skills needed to “manage” a response • It can be enhanced by exercise props • Video news updates • Call in center • Video of facility walk-ins • Multiple locations • EOC vs ICS • Multiple towns & groups

18. Full Sale Exercise • Show Time! • Expensive to conduct • Prop costs • Smoke • Consumables • Personnel time • Equipment

19. Full Scale Exercise • It takes more exercise staff to conduct: • Safety • Controllers--outside world • Simulators • Smoke production • Liquid flows • Evaluators • Command • Scene

20. Full Scale Exercise • Should be last type of exercise to conduct • Players should have learned their roles in table top and functional programs • Allows system to see if it worked in “simulated” reality • Command • Logistics • Communications

21. Full Scale Exercise • Can be conducted in either test surprise or known time mode • Surprise mode can be dangerous if response included • Hazmat full scale exercises typically become a plug and patch exercise • Wait for hazmat team • Watch hazmat team • Thank hazmat team

22. Full Scale Exercise • Typically run in real time • Presents problems with time controlled resources • Hazmat team • Typically total run by real “simulated” effects • Smoke plume • Liquid flow • Victims

23. Full Scale Exercise • Simulated effects may not cooperate with game plan • Smoke did go where it was suppose to • Responder indicates their not trained to conduct what needed and refuse to continue • It rained or snowed • It was fifty below zero or 100 F

24. Full Scale Exercise • Not enough resources available to respond to problem • This is classic exercise design problem • cheating is often allowed to finish the missions • must be back in service by “X” time • Exercise must be aware of resource limitations • 100 patients vs 2 ambulances • 10 ambulances vs 2 patients

25. Full Scale Exercise • Victims can be most difficult part to obtain • Like to be fed • Don’t like to get up early • Like to go home early • Will cancel out if a better offer arises • Moulage allows for realism and better training if EMS is a focus • Victims should not “help” players

26. Summary • KEEP IT SIMPLE!

27. Summary • You can teach the wrong way as easily as teaching the right way! • Think of exercises as another tool in the overall program-- • Plans • Training • Equipment • Exercises