How to use the School District Emergency … Sections _ 2010.doc · Web viewEEG Homeland Security...

Table of Contents

Acronyms ……………………………………………………………..…………iii

Program Summary ………………………………………………………….….1

Section 1: The K-PREP Enhanced Program……………..………….…………...5

Section 2: Emergency Preparedness Staff Training.………….………………....15

Section 3: Building and Designing Exercises …………………………….…….19

Section 4: The Exercise Planning Process………………………………………27

Section 5: Exercise Control and Evaluation………………………………..……41

Section 6: Exercise Implementation……………………………………….…….47

Section 7: After Action Reviews and Documentation …………………….……..53

Section 8: Tool Kit.………………………………………………………………57

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………A-1

Appendix B……………………………………………………….…………..… B-1 Appendix B-1…………………………………………….…….B-1-1 Appendix B-2……………………………………………… … B-2-1 Appendix B-3………………………………………………..…B-3-1 Appendix B-4…………………………………………..………B-4-1

Appendix C…………………………………………………………….……..…C-1

Appendix D…………………………………………………….……………..…D-1

Appendix E…………………………………………………………..…………E-1

KCDEM October 2009

School District Emergency Preparedness iTraining and Exercise Program

KCDEM October 2009

School District Emergency Preparedness iiTraining and Exercise Program

Acronym List

AAR After Action Review or Report

DEM Department of Emergency Management

EEG Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Guides

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

HLS Department of Homeland Security

HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive

ICS Incident Command System

IP Improvement Plan

KPREP Kitsap Practices Responsible Emergency Preparedness

OSPI Office of the Superintendent Public Schools

NIMS National Incident Management System

RCW Revised Code of Washington

TCL Homeland Security Target Capabilities List

TTX Tabletop Exercise

WAC Washington Administrative Code

KCDEM October 2009

School District Emergency Preparedness iiiTraining and Exercise Program

KCDEM October 2009

School District Emergency Preparedness ivTraining and Exercise Program

Program Summary

Introduction

K-PREP (Kitsap Practices Responsible Emergency Preparedness) has been the foundational training program for County school districts since the early 1990’s. The emphasis was and is all-hazard planning with an earthquake being the primary disaster scenario. With the introduction of terrorism planning by the Department of Homeland Security in the nation after the 9-11 disaster and the additional Office of the Superintendent of Public Schools (OSPI) mandates that have been put in place recently, the schools are being asked to plan and participate in scenario specific exercises which need to include local emergency management and first responders.

One of the new mandates is adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), a consistent and effective approach to emergency response and recovery. It requires the collaboration of jurisdictions and agencies to train and exercise together and improves response coordination, communications, and command. NIMS compliance requires school districts to develop comprehensive training and exercise programs in school preparedness.

As part of the KPREP Program, The Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM) has developed the School District Emergency Preparedness Training and Exercise Program to provide guidance and procedures to help school districts schedule, plan and exercise their emergency response plans and teams. The intent is to minimize the time and financial burden to the district, emergency responders, and KCDEM, work collaboratively, ensure all requirements are met, and keep within the K-PREP structure.

Program Goals

The goals of the School District Emergency Preparedness Training and Exercise Program are to:

● Establish a standardized exercise design methodology● To establish a county wide exercise calendar which meets annual and four year plan

requirements so that all county school districts can meet the mandates without excessive burden on limited county and school resources.

● Create a committee which represents members from all school districts, emergency management, law enforcement and fire departments to develop a planning cycle.

● Provide guidance, forms, checklists and templates that can be easily used or modified for use during any exercise or real world event.

● To create an environment geared toward planning for, conducting and evaluating

KCDEM October 2009

School District Emergency Preparedness - 1 - Training and Exercise Program

exercise events

Program Summary

Needs of the School District

Creating and sustaining an exercise and training team that meets regularly. A program easily designed to be implemented in a 4-year cycle without the need for

institutional knowledge (stand alone). The ability to coordinate with the different emergency responders for certain exercises

(i.e. rapid responder bomb squad, law enforcement). Templates for tabletop, functional, and full scale exercises adaptable to different

schools and scenarios. An internal evaluation/after action process with form. Standard documentation to be submitted to OSPI with successful accomplishment.

Proposal

KCDEM can provide the following assistance to the districts to assist them in meeting their obligations, ensure OSPI requirements are met, and stay within the K-PREP philosophy that schools in Kitsap County have practiced for two decades.

Be the point of contact for coordination between school districts and local response agencies.

Design an in house (among KCDEM staff) schedule to meet all district needs. This schedule would support each district with one or two items, each year, based on district requests/time constraints/commitment:

o One full day K-PREP trainingo Coordination of a rapid responder exerciseo Coordination support for a full scale exerciseo Evaluation of a school or district-wide exerciseo Review and or guidance in exercise design and implementation

Create a stand alone (does not require training) exercise and training packet to enable the districts to plan their 4 year cycle.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Program Summary

Meet with each district on an annual basis to review obligations for each year of their 4-year cycle and determine additional commitments in the community.

Offer a K-PREP school certification (good for 4 years) when district has met exercise and training requirements of OSPI and KCDEM.

This document provides information on emergency preparedness training and the complete exercise design and execution cycle. It is essential to the overall success of school emergency preparedness and to insure your program meets the federal mandates established by the Secretary of Homeland Security and OSPI for Washington State.

School districts should utilize OSPI’s direction to integrate these requirements into their staff and individual school training and exercise programs.

KCDEM October 2009


Left Intentionally Blank

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1

The Enhanced K-PREP Program

The Kitsap Practices Responsible Emergency Preparedness (KPREP) Program has been the foundational training program for county school districts. Using an all-hazards planning approach, the program focuses on an earthquake disaster to prepare schools for a worst case scenario. The Columbine school event and other emergencies associated with school violence or terrorism have forced us to look beyond natural disasters. Homeland Security Presidential Directives and guidance from OSPI now requires schools to prepare their staffs for such emergencies. These requirements are broad and somewhat confusing. As such, the KPREP Program has been enhanced to include a county wide approach to disaster exercise scheduling, planning, and implementation.

A County-wide Approach to School Preparedness

A County wide approach to emergency preparedness can eliminate scheduling conflicts, meets the needs of all, reinforce relationships, provide cross-talk and lessons learned among districts, and improve the effectiveness of an ongoing planning cycle of events.

A County Wide Approach includes the following:

Training and Exercise Committee to develop an all inclusive training and exercise calendar

A method for determining the training needs of County jurisdictions and agencies The integration of KPREP, Incident Command System, and mandated school exercise

requirements into one program A progressive approach to exercising

The School Training and Exercise Planning Committee is made up of district representatives, emergency management and local first responders. Together they develop and manage training and exercise plans. These plans ensure all schools continue to receive information on emergency preparedness, provide input into a four year exercise cycle, and manage their program at the school district level. Additional information below outlines the roles and responsibilities and makeup of the School Training and Exercise Planning Committee.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


KPREP and a Progressive Exercise Approach

The KPREP Program has been a successful program for school preparedness. In the past years, it has integrated the Incident Command System (ICS) into the program, but still retains the “Circle of 9” approach to school emergencies. The new guidelines for emergency exercises by OSPI provide the structure for the essential training and exercise of these teams. As such, this program integrates these two programs. For example, DEM will provide “Circle of 9” training along with National Incident Management System/ICS training annually.

The 9 teams are as follows:

Incident Command Damage Assessment Parent Student Reunion Disaster First Aid Search and Rescue Student Staff Supervision Support and Security Counseling Support Fire and Utilities

In order to do it successfully, school exercise programs should be progressive, providing a stepping stone to success.

beginning with training and seminars to prepare or refresh your staff on emergency response;

followed by drills and tabletop exercises to teach and evaluate knowledge and skills; and,

finishing with functional and full scale exercises to evaluate coordination, communications, command and control, and integration of other agencies.

A building block approach ensures all staff members receive the minimum skills and knowledge to respond to an event and to learn by experience, through exercises, the importance of teamwork and integration of numerous responding agencies.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


County-wide School Training and Exercise Planning Committee

Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM) will facilitate training and exercise design planning by leading a School Training and Exercise Planning (STEP) Committee.

The purpose of the committee is to:

● Develop a 4 year exercise planning cycle based on the needs and desires of the school districts.

● Determine the need for annual formal and informal school staff training to include ICS classes and KPREP training.

● Act as a conduit between Kitsap County DEM and the school districts in all matters of school emergency preparedness.

● Assess the emergency preparedness of school districts and make recommendations to school leadership. Ensure that the district is meeting the mandates imposed by OSPI.

● Maintain school emergency preparedness training and exercise records if not already being done.

The committee will meet as determined by the committee members, but at least once annually, generally in September. The minimum goal of the committee is to produce an exercise calendar to meet everyone’s needs and maximize participation, and to determine the training needs for school districts.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


The committee will have the following representation:

● Kitsap County DEM (Host and committee lead)● A minimum of one member from each school district● One fire and law enforcement member representing all agencies in the county

KCDEM October 2009


South Kitsap School District

Law Enforcement Agency or

SWAT

Fire Agency Central Kitsap School District

Bremerton School District

Bainbridge Island School

District

North Kitsap School District

KCDEM Facilitator

Section 1


Exercise Design Teams

It is strongly encouraged that each school district, and if possible each school, establish an exercise design team. This exercise design team will facilitate planning, scheduling and oversight of local drills as well as collaborate with other schools within their home district, and the school district administrative offices. A school exercise design team may be as small as two staff members. They are responsible for setting the school exercise schedule, developing the exercise, evaluation and control, and exercise documentation.

This document can provide the structure for a do-it yourself successful ongoing emergency training and exercise program or if needed, formal training is available. You may already have an effective means of planning and executing your drill and exercise program. Members of the exercise design team will also provide input for improvement in policies, procedures and response.

Planning the Four Year Exercise Cycle

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 requires that all Counties have a five year training and exercise program. OSPI encourages a 4 year planning cycle for school districts to meet the exercise criteria established in the Washington Administrative Code. In order to meet these requirements and de-conflict district and agency calendars, a 4 year planning cycle is appropriate.

At a minimum, the planning cycle calendar will include the following:

● All School and DEM/Homeland Security functional and full scale exercises● Any other exercise or event involving multiple agencies● County wide formal/informal NIMS/ICS or KPREP Training

The cycle will be agreed upon by the School Training and Exercise Planning Committee, developed using the format provided in this plan and shared with all participating agencies. DEM will post the plan on the DEM website along with other scheduled DEM/first responder training.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


An example of a 4 year training cycle is provided in this section of the plan. Planning templates can be found in Section 8: Exercise Tool Kit.

The planning cycle is imperative for organizations to plan for and manage the exercise design process and continue to improve the capabilities of all county agencies to respond effectively to a school emergency or disaster.

One example of a planning cycle includes these aspects. The requirements need not be this detailed but can include what works best for each district.

Full scale exercises

Functional exercises

Drills

Games

Tabletops

Workshops

Seminars

CAPABILITYCAPABILITY

PLANNING/TRAININGPLANNING/TRAINING

Low Level

High Level

Low Level

High Level

DiscussionsDiscussions

Actual operationsActual operations

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


OSPI Training and Exercise Requirements

Based on HSPD-5, Washington State through OSPI, have established training and exercise guidelines. Training guidelines are provided in Section 2 to this plan. The following is the exercise requirements:

● Each school district is required by RCW 28A.320.125 to conduct one table top exercise, one functional exercise and two full scale exercises within a four year period.

● Each school shall conduct no less than one safety related training drill each month that school is in session to include:

o No less than six fire evacuation drillso No less than one drill using school mapping programo No less than one lockdowno No less than one shelter in place

● Schools shall conduct no less than one drill using the school mapping information system, one drill for lockdowns, one drill for shelter in place, and six drills for fire evacuation in accordance with the state fire code.

● Schools should consider drills for earthquake, tsunamis or other high risk local events.

● Schools shall document the date and time of such drills.

Schools may incorporate safety drill requirements into other exercises. Additionally, participation in KCDEM bi-annual (April and September) Drop, Cover, and Hold drill can satisfy the requirements for a school earthquake safety drill. Also note that the requirements are different for schools vis-à-vis school districts.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


School Training and Exercise Partners Roles and Responsibilities

The following defines the roles and responsibilities of those agencies participating in this training and exercise program:

Department of Emergency Management

● Manage the KPREP program including the promulgation of this plan and the training and exercise calendars

● Host and lead the School Training and Exercise Planning (STEP) Committee ● Provide Exercise Design formal and informal training● Provide NIMS/ICS and “Circle of 9” training● Assist schools and school districts with exercise design and execution● Participate in School exercises as requested

School Districts

● Meet the training and exercise requirements of OSPI● Participate in the School Training and Exercise Planning Committee● Plan and execute safety drills and exercises as required● Ensure schools in your care provide on-going emergency preparedness skills and

knowledge training to all staff● Document emergency preparedness training and exercises

Supporting Agencies

● Participate in the School Training and Exercise Planning Committee● Participate in school exercises if requested.● Provide training if requested by school staff.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1


The following example illustrates a progressive approach toward a full scale earthquake exercise for Bremerton High School but also how that exercise fits into the County Wide Calendar. Similar schedules can be developed at different levels of the school district to manage an ongoing emergency preparedness exercise program.

In the example, a local school Exercise and Training Team develops their annual exercise schedule. The school district determines from these schedules, which ones are doing functional and full scale exercises, and ensures district exercise requirements are planned. From these district schedules, the County STEP Committee develops the annual full scale schedule and updates the 4 year plan.

Exhibit 1.1 (Example) County/School District/School

County Full Scale Exercise 4 Year Plan

Organization 2010 2011 2012 2013DEM/HLS Terrorism Earthquake Windstorm Terrorism

Bremerton Earthquake School Shooting

Bainbridge Island School Shooting

Central Kitsap Earthquake School Shooting

North Kitsap

South Kitsap Explosion Earthquake

KCDEM October 2009


Section 1

The Enhanced K-PREP ProgramExample

Bremerton School District Exercise Schedule (2010)

School Month Exercise Event Comments

Bremerton High April Full Scale Earthquake

Bremerton High September TTX Earthquake With Mapping

Mountain View Middle

April TTX Earthquake

Armin Jahr Elem April Functional Earthquake With Mapping

Crownhill Elem October Seminar School bomb

Kitsap Lake Elem October Mapping With Drill

View Ridge Elem November Seminar Shooting

West Hills Elem December Mapping With Drill

Bremerton High School Exercise Schedule 2010

Type Exercise

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Comments

Full Scale 2011 XXX Earthquake

Functional

Tabletop XXX Earthquake

Safety Fire Fire Fire SIP Fire LD SIP Fire Fire

Mapping X

Seminars XXX Earthquake

KCDEM October 2009


Section 2

Emergency Preparedness Staff Training

The purpose of this section is to discuss the school emergency preparedness training available for members of your staff and to meet Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) training compliance. In this section, we will discuss the KPREP “Circle of 9” training and the NIMS requirements and ICS training.

Kitsap Practices Responsible Emergency Preparedness (KPREP) for Schools

The KPREP for Schools Program has been around for many years in Kitsap County. The school program is designed to train and exercise the “Circle of 9” response teams assigned within each school. In the past, KCDEM would work with a specific school district annually to conduct a day of refresher training for all 9 of the school response teams. This option is still available, but starting in 2010 DEM will be developing a training schedule that will include Response Team Train-Trainer Courses for “Circle of 9” school trainers. KCDEM will host a training day bi-annually to conduct certification training for District/School Training and Exercise Teams. This training will provide certification for school members to return to their schools and conduct ongoing “Circle of 9” training to school staff. This training will be conducted in October and March of each year.

NIMS/ICS for Schools

The Department of Homeland Security’s ICS training depends on the function and level of supervision a responder is tasked to do during an emergency. OSPI has adopted the federal guidelines noted below for K-12 schools. Exhibit 2.1 outlines that training guidance. For NIMS compliance, the school principal must be certified in the completion of the ICS 100 or ICS 100SC Introduction to the Incident Command System. Other courses are noted as optional for certain members of the school staff who provide emergency response. Districts should refer to the OSPI Washington School Safety Planning Manual for additional information on training and exercise requirements.

Kitsap County DEM is responsible for making ICS training available to all emergency responders in the County. Yearly, KCDEM publishes their Training and Exercise Calendar which includes opportunities for basic and advance ICS training.

Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides ICS self-study online training for completion and certification. A resource list is provided in this section. KCDEM

October 2009School District Emergency Preparedness - 17 - Training and Exercise Program

Section 2

Emergency Preparedness Staff Training Exhibit 2.1. FEMA Related Training Guidance for K-12

FEMA-RELATED TRAINING GUIDANCE FOR K-12 SCHOOLS: COMPLIANCE WITH RCW 28.A.320.125

COMPREHENSIVE SAFE SCHOOLS PLANS

K-12 Public school district personnel are not required to be trained at the same level as professional emergency responders. It has been recommended for several years that school district personnel complete the basic Incident Command System (ICS) course (ICS-100) and the basic National Incident Management System (NIMS) course (NIMS-700). SSB 5097, as of July 22, 2007, now requires all school principals to have completed the basic ICS course, which has been expanded to include both ICS-100 and ISC-100SC. This can be done without cost on the internet at: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/emischool/, or via a free 3.5 hour class offered by OSPI and the Association of Washington State Principals (AWSP); registration can be done at: http://www.awsp.org/Content/awsp/ProfessionalDevelopment/Workshops/default.htm.

Only those districts that have received federal preparedness funds, or intend to receive these funds, are required by federal regulations to be NIMS compliant. Federal guidance is available on the Department of Education’s Readiness grant website: http://rems.ed.gov/index.cfm. A large portion of NIMS compliance is the completion of training and drills that support the multi-hazard school safety plan. In general terms, the recommended training for NIMS compliance for school personnel is:

Course Content School Officials Who Should Complete the Course

IS 700 Overview of NIMS and the Incident Command System

All school administrators who are responsible for student welfare, safety, or emergency response at both the district and building levels

IS 800 Overview of the National Response Plan, federal ESF’s, & how federal and local governments interact in disasters

All "personnel whose primary responsibility is emergency management" or safety/security; school districts should have at least one administrator trained at this level.

ICS 100 or ICS 100SC

Overview of the Incident Command System, including roles & responsibilities of different responders

Personnel who are involved in the Incident Command structure, coordinating with emergency responders during an incident; this typically includes principals, assistant principals, security officers, custodians, office managers, school nurses, safety committee members and similar district officials

ICS 200 ICS as applied to complex incidents Same as ICS 800

IS 120.A An introduction to exercises Anyone who, after completion of ICS 100 or 100SC and NIMS 700, wishes to conduct exercise or drill training for schools and their partners.

ICS 362 Addresses how school can infuse ICS into their safety plans.

Senior administrators and school safety and security planners

KCDEM October 2009


http://rems.ed.gov/index.cfm

http://www.awsp.org/Content/awsp/ProfessionalDevelopment/Workshops/default.htm

http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/emischool/

KCDEM October 2009


Section 2

Emergency Preparedness Staff Training

School District Disaster Ready Certification

As part of an ongoing program to maintain schools ready, school districts will be awarded the designation as “Disaster Ready” by completing the following minimum requirements:

● Meet the NIMS/OPSI training requirements

● Have at least one person from the district certified to teach each of the Circle of 9 Team training

● Meet the intent of the Exercise program by completing one cycle of exercises to include one tabletop exercise, one functional exercise, and one full scale exercise

● Conduct two drop, cover and hold exercises district wide

● Complete the School Mapping Program (Rapid Responder) for each school in the district

● Meet the minimum standards for disaster supplies at each district school as set forth by KCDEM

Emergency Preparedness Training and Exercise Resources

Exhibit 2.2 provides a list of resources available to you for emergency preparedness training and to enhance your exercise program. This list is not all inclusive and there are certainly numerous websites for finding school exercise programs, templates and tools. This document as well as the templates, scenarios, and Power Point Slideshows can be found on the KCDEM website.

KCDEM October 2009


Exhibit 2.2: Emergency Preparedness Training and Exercise Resources

Need Resource Location

NIMS/ICS Training

Kitsap County DEM NIMS/ICS Classroom training

http://www.kitsapdem.org/default.asp?ID=180 IS-100 or IS-100sc Introduction to ICS IS-200 ICS for Single Resource IS-700 Introduction to NIMS IS-800 National Response Framework IS-360 Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools

FEMA online NIMS/ICS Training

http://training.fema.gov/IS/ Click on NIMS Courses

IMS/ICS Resources

FEMA’s National Integration Center

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/

NIMS Compliance

NIMS Annual Report Due Sept 30

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/opinio//s?s=4253

OSPI K-12 FEMA compliance

http://www.k12.wa.us/SafetyCenter/Planning/default.aspx

KPREP Program KPREP School Manuals http://www.kitsapdem.org/default.asp?ID=75

KPREP Program and this manual

http://www.kitsapdem.org/default.asp?ID=75

District/DEM Exercise

Exercise Schedule http://www.kitsapdem.org/

Exercise Design Training

Wa Emergency Management classroom training

http://www.emd.wa.gov/training/training_index.shtml

FEMA Online Exercise Course

http://training.fema.gov/IS/ IS-120 Introduction to Exercises IS-130 Exercise Evaluation and Improvement IS-139 Exercise Design

Exercise Information for Schools

Wa Emergency Management School Exercise Information

http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_schools_emergencyplan_response_drills.shtmll

Exercise Scenarios, templates, forms


KCDEM October 2009



http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_schools_emergencyplan_response_drills.shtml

http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_schools_emergencyplan_response_drills.shtml

http://training.fema.gov/IS/

http://www.emd.wa.gov/training/training_index.shtml

http://www.kitsapdem.org/



http://www.k12.wa.us/SafetyCenter/Planning/default.aspx

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/opinio//s?s=4253

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/

http://training.fema.gov/IS/


Section 3

Building and Designing Exercises


The purpose of this section is to discuss the five types of exercises available, their planning differences, methods of implementation, and what results to expect. You can use this section to develop your desired exercise. This section discusses exercise design while Section 4 will discuss the planning process and logistical support you will need to execute the event.

Types of Exercises

Before we begin a discussion on exercise design, it is first important to define the different types of exercises. Each type of exercise is used for specific outcomes, requires different levels of planning, and involves typically, a greater audience of involvement. In this section, we will discuss the five types of exercises: orientation seminars, drills, tabletop, functional, and full scale. The following shows the ascending complexity as you move from a seminar to a full scale exercise. As we discuss each type, we will point out the factors noted in Exhibit 3.1.

Orientation Seminar

An Orientation Seminar is an overview or introduction to familiarize participants with emergency roles and responsibilities, plans, procedures, and/or equipment. It can also be used to resolve questions on coordination and assignment of responsibilities. For a school setting, seminars can be used for “Circle of 9” refresher training, to discuss exercise deficiencies, or to discuss any specific topic related to emergency response in a school environment. Seminars are normally led by a facilitator, may have a variety of audience sizes, and generally last for 1-3 hours. They are fairly easy to prepare for and can use guest lecturers from outside agencies.

Drills

A drill is a coordinated, supervised exercise activity, normally used to test a single specific operation or function. With a drill, there is no attempt to coordinate numerous organizations or fully activate all “Circle of 9” teams. Its role is to practice and perfect one small part of the response plan, or to improve a previously noted deficiency. They prepare staff for more extensive exercises. Your safety drills (fire or shelter in place) are examples of a drill that tests one specific item. Drills can also be used to train or evaluate a specific “Circle of 9” team.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 3


Another example would be to set up a drill on testing parent/student reunions. A drill may be used to re-test deficient areas after training instead of running another full scale exercise. Normally drills involve actual hands-on activities and can be led by a principal or “Circle of 9” certified trainer/team lead. It may involve only one team or school and take approximately a half hour to 2 hours to complete. There are three steps in executing a drill: prepare for the drill, set the stage, and monitor the action.

Tabletop Exercises

A tabletop exercise is a facilitated analysis of an emergency situation in an informal, stress-free environment. It is designed to elicit discussion as participants examine and resolve problems based on existing plans and response procedures. A tabletop exercise is an excellent way to prepare your school or district staff for a functional or full scale exercise. Tabletop exercises provide the opportunity to validate existing emergency plans, and allow staffers to work as teams in solving complex problems on paper without the need for field work or exercise simulations. Tabletop exercises can target specific hazardous events, specific school groups, or a variety of agencies. For example, a tabletop exercise can be used to evaluate communications, coordination, and command issues among district leadership. A tabletop exercise may be used to evaluate teams responding to a winter storm event. Annually, KCDEM uses a tabletop to prepare numerous county agencies prior to the winter storm season and resolve any pending issues. Tabletop exercises generally take 2-4 hours and require more intentional planning.

Functional Exercise

A functional exercise is a fully simulated interactive exercise that tests the capabilities of an organization to respond to a simulated event. The exercise tests multiple functions of the organization’s emergency response plan. This coordinated response to a situation is a time-pressured and realistic simulation. The focus of a functional exercise is to focus on communications, coordination, and organizational policies, procedures, and roles. In order to delineate the difference between a functional and full scale exercise for schools, a functional exercise is defined as an exercise involving only one school with no outside agency play. For example, Bremerton High School is conducting an earthquake exercise with the evacuation of students and activation of their “Circle of 9” teams. All other agencies (school district, Fire, KCDEM, etc.) are simulated. Functional exercises can take anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on the size and complexity of the exercise.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 3


Full Scale Exercise

A full scale exercise simulates a real event as closely as possible. It is an exercise designed to evaluate the operational capability of the emergency response system in a stressful and time sensitive environment using actual response conditions. A full scale exercise normally involves several agencies with numerous coordinated activities being performed to resolve the situation. Full scale exercises involve on-scene actions and decisions, the activation of operation centers, simulated victims, and equipment deployment. For schools, a full scale exercise is defined as an exercise that includes one or more schools, the school district, and/or county response agencies like fire or law enforcement. For example, Kingston High School conducts an earthquake exercise involving coordination with the North Kitsap School district command center and the response of North Kitsap Fire and Rescue and Kitsap County Sherriff’s Office.

Full scale exercises take time to prepare for and normally require several meetings. They also require exercise controllers and simulators to implement the exercise and an extensive scenario to actively involve all teams and response agencies into the event. A full scale exercise can be accomplished in generally 3-6 hours.

Exercise Progression

A school or district would build to a full scale exercise by performing any number of seminars, drills, and tabletop exercises before the main event. Exercise progression is an opportunity to take small steps, train and evaluate key groups, and ensure all are prepared. A districts’ 4 year planning cycle and school focused exercise plans can help to layout this progression.

Progressive exercise programs require many facets, including, analysis of capabilities, costs, scheduling, and long term goal setting. An established district and/or school training and exercise team can help to develop this long term exercise plan to ensure all your needs are met and there are stepping stones for improvement and success.

Exercise Design Steps

There are numerous steps in designing exercises. For schools the most important steps are as follows:

1. Determine the current capabilities of your response teams2. Determine the scope and purpose of the exercise

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 3


3. Develop the exercise using the templates and checklist in this manual4. Implement the exercise 5. Conduct post exercise after action review and follow-up improvement activities

Remember, with the exception of exercise development all other steps should be performed regardless of which type of exercise you wish to use.

1. Determine the Current Capabilities of Your Response Teams

The first item you need to know is what is the current skill level and experience of your Circle of 9 response teams. It does not make sense if your jump into the beginning of the school year with a full scale exercise if you have not conducted a seminar or tabletop to get everyone refreshed in response activities. Next, determine what hazard or risk that must be addressed and trained on by your staff. For example, training and exercising on earthquake and school violence is paramount, but conducting an exercise for a tornado hazard is not practical for schools in the Northwest. Remember that an exercise for any hazard effectively develops response skills for all hazardous events. It develops staff confidence and seasons them for understanding the importance of response procedures, effective communication and coordination, and leadership in a stressful and complex environment.

2. Determine the Purpose and Scope of your Exercise

The purpose of the exercise is a broad statement defining the exercise goal. It helps to govern the selection of objectives, and clarifies the size, type and complexity of the exercise. An example of a statement of purpose may be; the purpose of the Bremerton High tabletop exercise is to validate roles and responsibilities of school and local responding agencies for a school shooting. Based on this statement, I can ascertain that the school will be conducting a tabletop exercise with selected leadership from the school and adjourning fire and law enforcement agencies, and will be discussing a school shooting.

The scope of an exercise is determined by many factors. Here are the basic factors you need to determine:

What type of hazard?What functions will be exercised and/or evaluated?Who are the participants?What is the exercise type?

KCDEM October 2009


Section 3


This particular step provides exercise focus and allows your planning team to move forward with exercise development.

3. Develop the Exercise (using Templates and Checklists)

Based on the size and complexity of the event, you will determine the number of people involved in the exercise, the extent of simulation needed, and the evaluation and control mechanisms necessary to make the exercise successful. For complex exercises like functional and full scale, a planning committee is paramount to the successful development and execution of the event. Additionally, templates and scenarios are already designed to minimize the difficulty of putting on a school exercise.

4. Implementing the Exercise

A seminar or tabletop exercise requires little planning short of soliciting and scheduling the event, developing presentation and lecture materials, and providing effective and challenging encounters through good facilitation. Keeping the group involved and forcing them to think “outside the box” is important to measure the capabilities of your group during a disaster. A seminar or tabletop should involve capturing response plans and equipment deficiencies, and role and responsibility ambiguities by using an after action review and improvement plan.

During functional and full scale exercises, an informal (self-assessment) or formal evaluation will be conducted to evaluate strengths and weaknesses observed. Functional and full scale exercises normally involve more exercise personnel for:

a) Simulating mock-ups, or providing performers (i.e. parents) b) Controlling the exercise to keep it on trackc) Assessing and evaluating the process d) Safety monitors to ensure site and personnel protectione) Escorts for observers

In order to keep the process simple, the tool kit contains scenarios with scripts and simulations to support any exercise.

5. Post Exercise After Action Review and Follow-Up Improvement Activities

The final step in your exercise process is to capture strengths and weaknesses observed during the exercise and develop an After Action Review (AAR) as part of the emergency response improvement plan.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 3


After several exercises you may observe trends or a particular function that has ongoing response issues due to equipment problems, lack of training, or inadequate procedures. The AAR also documents your exercise and can be shared with other schools and districts that can learn from these past lessons. The Columbine High AAR identified tactics used by responding agencies that later required drastic changes when dealing with school intruders. A template for putting together your AAR is provided in the Tool Kit.

Exhibit 3.1. Comparison of Key Activity Characteristics for Exercises

Comparison of Key Exercise Characteristics

Orientation Drill Tabletop Functional Full-Scale

Format Informal discussion in group setting

Various presentation methods

Actual field or facility response

Actual equipment

Narrative presentationProblem statements or simulated messages

Group discussionNo time pressures

Interactive, complexPlayers respond to messages or setting provided by simulators.Realistic but no actual equipment.

Conducted in real time; stressful

Realistic event announcementPersonnel gather at assigned site

Visual narrative (enactment)Actions at scene serve as input to EOC simulation

Leaders Facilitator Principal, district lead or drill designer

Facilitator Controller Controller(s)

Participants School, “Circle of 9 Team”

Personnel for the function being tested

Anyone with a policy, planning, or response role for the type of situation used

Players (policy, coordination, and operations personnel)SimulatorsEvaluators

All levels of personnel (policy, coordination, operations, field)Evaluators

Facilities Conference room, lunch room

School building, field, or EOC

Large conference room

School or other operating center (multiple rooms)

Realistic settingSchool or other operating center

Time 1–2 hours ½–2 hours 1–4 hours or longer

3–8 hours or longer 3-5 hours

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Comparing the Five Activities (Continued)

Comparison of Key Activity Characteristics (Continued)

Orientation Drill Tabletop Exercise

Functional Exercise

Full-Scale Exercise

Preparation Simple preparation, 2 weeks

Easy to design, 1 monthParticipants need orientation

1 month preparationPreceded by orientation and 1 or more drills

Complex, 2 months preparationPreceded by simpler exercisesSignificant allocation of resources

Extensive time, effort, resources5 months developmentIncluding preparatory drills, tabletops, functional exercises

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 4

The Exercise Planning Process

The purpose of this section is to discuss the planning process for an exercise. It will discuss how to put the exercise together and how to use the tool kit provided in this manual.

We will briefly discuss seminars, tabletops and drills but concentrate more on functional and full scale exercises. These types of exercises require a lengthy planning process, logistical support, and funds to support participation. This section assumes you have determined what exercise is appropriate based on your needs assessment and your established goals and objectives. Planning an exercise consists of the following elements:

1. Define and receive commitment for agency and resource support2. Develop a timeline for the exercise to include setup, pre-exercise training,

implementation, and post exercise review3. Determine resource needs to support your exercise (people, equipment, food, etc.)4. Determine costs5. Prepare exercise materials (simulations messages, handouts, props, etc.)6. Brief exercise teams and players

Your district or school may already have a process in place for conducting exercises and if it works, I recommend a review of these processes to see how they can compliment what you already have in place.

Exercise Design Team

If you don’t have one, put an exercise planning/design team in place. An ideal team should include a representative from each participating school and district, who are experienced with the operation of their facility and understand the exercise design process. For a school, four staff members is sufficient for all exercises except a full scale. An example would be a “Circle of 9”team lead, a principal, another teacher and one facilities person. Schools or the district can invite other agency representatives into the planning process, such as law enforcement or fire and rescue. Once the team decides on the complexity of the exercise and the need for additional controllers, simulators, and evaluators, it would also be necessary to invite them into the planning process.

The following is an example of an exercise development checklist. The checklist can be used for any type of exercise. In order to simplify your planning process, each exercise in the tool kit contains a similar planning checklist.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4

The Exercise Planning ProcessExhibit 4.1 Sample Exercise Development Checklist

Sample Exercise Development Checklist

Mission Scenario Needs Assessment Narrative Scope Major/Detailed Events Statement of Purpose Expected Actions Objectives Messages

Logistics Design Team Safety Controller or Facilitator Scheduling Players Rooms/Location Simulators Equipment Evaluators Communications Management Phones

Safety Radio Observers Computers

Enhancements Maps

Directives Charts Media Other: Public Announcements Invitations Evaluation Community Support Methodology Management Support Locations Timeline Requirements Evaluation Forms

Post-exercise Debrief

Training/Briefings After Action Documentation/ Train Simulators, Evaluators, Recommendations

Controllers Evaluation Meeting Players’ Pre-exercise Briefing Evaluation Report

Follow-up Ideas for Next Exercise

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


Seminars

There is very little preparation for a seminar. The quality of a presentation is all about preparation, practice, and delivery. For a seminar, once the school team has determined the topic for the seminar, it can be turned over to the appropriate person for delivery. Good seminars capture the audience and keep them involved in the lecture. Small activities can be used to address areas of concern, create teamwork, and challenge the participants. Power Point presentations and handouts are essential to the seminar.

Seminars, depending on the topic can also include:

● Hands on training● Small group activities● A review of resources such as plans, communications, etc.● Capturing any noted deficiencies in policies, plans or procedures

The tool kit contains a list of topics for seminars as well as a Seminar Plan Development Checklist.

Tabletop Exercises

Planning for a tabletop does require some planning. The actual tabletop can run from 1-3 hours depending on the subject matter and complexity. Depending on how your tabletop is structured will also determine how much time will be devoted to the planning process. A simply designed Power Point presentation with some unknown injects can be sufficient for a tabletop exercise. You may decide to do a tabletop exercise that begins somewhere during the event and leads the audience on a timeline as the emergency progresses; or develop a series of problem statements. You Circle of 9 teams may be given a problem specific for their team and asked to develop alternatives and resolutions. Typically for a school tabletop exercise, the staff is assigned to one of Circle of 9 tables. The exercise provides challenges to each of the response teams who react to the event.

The sample checklist is shown on the next page as Exhibit 4.2.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4

The Exercise Planning ProcessExhibit 4.2. Sample Tabletop Exercise Checklist

Tabletop Exercise Checklist

Design Needs assessment, scope, statement of purpose, and objectives developed Develop the presentation

Power Point Presentation Select facilitator

Event: Confirm location of exercise Room setup. Refreshments, table and chairs, projector, computer, easels Equipment needs. Plans and procedures, radios, maps, etc. Student Exercise Evaluation Form

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

Limited number (e.g., 10-15) Involve everyone Tie 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 reluctant Facilitatedon’t dominate Model positive behaviors (eye contact, positive reinforcement) Aim for in-depth problem solving Strategies for sustaining action After Action Report Post AAR promulgation

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4

The Exercise Planning ProcessNKSD Tabletop Exercise

Each team will address issues, with a facilitator in the front, directing the play step by step. In this instance, each table was a “Circle of 9” team but each member was representing a different school within the district.

Drills

You may already have an effective checklist for conducting a drill at your school. Drills are designed to test skills and require actual response by staff members for a particular incident. Your safety drills are composed of actual response by staff and students to announcements, alarms and so on and require little planning, setup and execution. As mentioned earlier, drills can also be used to test your “Circle of 9” teams individually by defining a scenario, and through simulation, evaluating their response to a particular situation. For example, the Fire and Utilities Team can be tested on using a checklist to operate equipment that shuts down electrical power to the school. Regardless of the drill, there is a development process that must be done in order to ensure a team or school is safe when responding to the event. Exhibit 4.3 is a sample checklist for a drill.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


Exhibit 4.3. Sample Checklist for School Drills

Drill Exercise Checklist

Design Needs assessment, scope, statement of purpose, and objectives developed Determine a time and date for the drill Create the scenario and develop player handouts and safety brief Determine how the drill will be evaluated: self-assessment or formal evaluation Prepare evaluation sheet and assigned evaluators if needed Determine if you need controllers or safety monitors Determine simulation processes and who and what will be needed to cause the simulation Determine any equipment needs, clipboards, fire extinguishers, radios Setup for the drill Execute the drill Debrief exercise with Players After Action Review Distribute AAR

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


Functional Exercises

The functional exercise simulates an emergency in the most realistic manner possible with the goal of testing one or more functions in the context of an emergency event. It normally involves only one agency or organization while all other responses are simulated through controllers or a simulation cell or “simcell.”

Unlike tabletops, a functional exercise tests actual response by staff in one or more of the following areas:

● Alert notification systems● “Circle of 9” team activation ● Communications● Coordination and control● Emergency Public information● Damage Assessment● Mass Care● Student/staff safety● Engineering● Transportation● Resource Management

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


In a school setting, the objective would be to deploy the school response teams and test priority management, communications, and coordination of these teams as they respond to the event. The main characteristics of this exercise are:

● As realistic as possible● Interactive; players respond to simulated problems● Tense, somewhat stressful for some● Formal or informal evaluation● Actual test of coordination and the decision-making process● Planning is involved and requires controllers to ensure simulation works as expected

Transportation problems can be monumental during a major disaster.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


Functional exercise planning and design for schools really depends on how you plan to execute simulation for the exercise. For example, the school district command post could be exercised using a simcell that “pretends” to be member schools sending in their status reports and requests. Decisions are then communicated back to the simcell for resolution and updates. Since an actual school event represents a disaster scene, it requires visual simulation to create response by your staff. As such, the planning team would decide the degree and method of simulation to spark this response by staff members.

The tool kit will provide two methods of simulation techniques; scenario response and visual response simulation. The following describes each method.

Scenario Response

Scenario response is nothing more than providing as part of the briefing and scenario handout, a list of issues or problems for each team to handle. The issues are descriptive enough for the team to decide on the process and coordination required to complete their tasks. The issues, from an execution standpoint, may also require visual cues (a picture of the classroom) that will aid in defining the problems. Team leaders will confront these problems; coordinate with other teams and the Incident Commander on resources, safety, and support. Students and volunteers can provide the means for response based on what is actually observed by response teams.

Visual Response Simulation

Visual response simulation is what you may be already using in your school. It requires a simcell to organize the visual cues (a student with fake blood on them) that may happen in a particular emergency, and then communicate those cues through actors/players. Response teams will respond to what they see, and if they don’t see it, it did not happen. This type of exercise requires additional planning and a timeline for managing the sequence of events. This exercise provides the best realism and reaction by response teams.

Regardless of which method you use, planning is essential. As mentioned earlier, school success in an exercise is based on how well the exercise is run by the controllers. Poor implementation will cause confusion, boredom, and will not meet the goals of the exercise. A generic checklist is provided in Exhibit 4.4 to help guide your school through the design process. The tool kit provides for checklists, templates, and forms to develop a functional exercise for your school.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Exhibit 4.4: Functional Exercise Design Checklist

Functional Exercise Design Checklist

Facilities and Equipment for Exercise Team Sufficient work space for simulators and players Simulation room or control center (if needed) Observer space Communication equipment (telephones, radios, messages) Parking Adequate ventilation and lighting

Displays and Materials Displays easily visible or accessible Maps (local, district, school) Major events log Status boards Simulation plotting board Easels, chart paper Forms; message forms, handouts, name cards

Exercise Start: “No-notice” or scheduled (according to objectives) Actors in place Visual simulation ready

Briefing (short): Objectives Process Time period portrayed Ground rules and procedures Safety

Narrative: Verbal, print, TV, computer, slides, or dramatization Time-skips if needed

Messages: Pre-scripted (if used) Optional pre-scripted for adjusting flow Message delivery: written, phone, face to face, radio, etc…

Actors Brief, provide script Makeup for injuries ready Staged for start of exercise

Strategies for Adjusting Pace: Rescheduling Adding/Deleting messages Misdirecting messages Reassigning messages Manage the timeline

End exercise: when objectives are met, when timeline complete, time is up

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


Full-Scale Exercise

Full-scale Exercises are the most complex in response and design. These exercises are designed to challenge the response and coordination of numerous agencies from all levels of governments and across all lines of emergency functions. Key characteristics include:

● Interactive; designed to challenge the entire emergency response under a stressful environment

● Tests and evaluates most emergency functions in the school district and local response agencies

● Strives to achieves realism; victims, on-scene action; equipment and personnel deployment

● Involves controllers, simulators, evaluators, and actors● Response will come from a variety of real or visual or simulated messages and scripted

actors● The event is in real time● Planning process will depend on size and length of the exercise and number of

agencies playing in the event

Full-scale exercises are designed to test the coordination, collaboration, communication, and decision-making capabilities of the school district. Although response by “Circle of 9” teams is essential for success, full-scale exercises (because your school performs them every two years) must concentrate on those areas not often exercised in safety drills or tabletop exercises. The Department of Homeland Security, through lessons learned from September 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina, has discovered that cooperation and coordination among responders, and thorough and timely decision making by leadership are essential to saving lives and managing long term student security.

Your full-scale exercise may include schools and district play only, which is the least expensive, but requires detailed preparation by the district planning team. Once you pull in outside resources like fire, police, and local government, planning gets more comprehensive and needs to begin at a minimum of a year from the exercise date. For example, a full-scale exercise on explosive device in a school with intruders may involve fire, law, SWAT, Bomb Disposal, local governments, EMS, and other response agencies in order to ensure response is realistic and all teams have an opportunity to exercise.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 4


As the exercise complexity grows, so must exercise control, execution, and safety. Should you be involved in a Kitsap County sponsored full-scale exercise, experienced exercise planners will lead the exercise process and your school or district will meld into the exercise development team.They will bring their experience and expertise to the planning table with the resources needs to successfully execute the exercise.

Exhibit 4.5 provides a checklist for a full-scale exercise. This checklist provides a generic list to ensure your team captures all the needs of your exercise. Your district/school exercise with minor outside response by local responders can be planned within 6 months for an exercise that does not take more than 4-5 hours.

KCDEM October 2009


Exhibit 4.5: Full Scale Exercise ChecklistFull-Scale Exercise Planning Checklist

Participants: Controller(s)sufficient to manage all event sites Simulators (mock victims)different age groups, body types, physical characteristics Players (most functions, all levelspolicy, coordination, operation, field) Evaluators Safety Officer

Site Selection: Adequate space for number of victims, responders, and observers Space for vehicles and equipment As realistic as possible without interfering with normal traffic or safety Credible scenario and location

Scene Management: Logistics (who, what, where, how, when) Believable simulation of emergency Realistic victims Preparation of simulators to portray roles realistically Number of victims consistent with type of emergency, history of past events Types of injuries consistent with type of emergency, history of past events Victim load compatible with local capacity to handle Props and materials to simulate injuries, damage, other effects

Personnel and Resources: Number of participants Number of volunteers for scene setup, victims, etc. Types and numbers of equipment Communications equipment Fuel for vehicles and equipment Materials and supplies Expenses identified (wages, overtime, fuel, materials and supplies)

Response Capability Sufficient personnel kept in reserve to handle routine non-exercise events

Safety Safety addressed through development Each design team member responsible for safety in own discipline Hazards identified and resolved Safety addressed in pre-exercise briefing, simulator and evaluator packets Each field location examined for safety issues Safety officer designated, given authority

Legal Liability Legal questions of liability researched by local attorney

Emergency Call-Off Call-off procedure in place, including code word/phrase Call-off procedure tested

Media Role of media addressed in planning, used as a resource to gain favorable exposure Media and observers considered in logistical planning

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 5

Exercise Control and EvaluationThe need for control on events will depend on the type, size and complexity of the exercise. This is particularly essential to large exercises involving your students. Anytime you conduct an exercise, the safety of everyone in a school is paramount. During complex exercises with numerous responding agencies and tactics, it is particularly important to take time to brief personnel about safety when dealing with simulated events and to post staff in specific locations whose only job is to monitor safety. In exercise design, we refer to these individuals as Exercise Controllers.

This section will also discuss the evaluation of exercises. Exercise evaluation can be simple or complex depending on your need for formal observation. All exercises should be considered training first, a “no fault” event to ensure staff are learning and providing feedback for improvements. In this section, we will discuss two methods of evaluations for schools, self-assessments and formal observations. Evaluation forms are provided in the Tool Kit.

IED Exercise 2009Exercise Control

Exercise control is important to ensure the exercise is going in the right and focused direction. For functional or full scale exercises safety is paramount to the event. As the event gets more complex, more control is required. The exercise planning team generally will become the Exercise Controllers during the event. In this section, we will touch on seminar, tabletop and drill facilitators, but will concentrate on controlling functional and full scale exercises.

Seminar, Tabletop and Drill Control

Seminars and Tabletop Exercises

Seminars and tabletop exercises are normally conducted in a controlled environment and require little handling of the event. The most important piece is good facilitation.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 5

Exercise Control and Evaluation

A strong facilitator with the appropriate expertise can motivate and challenge your staff. This individual can manage the exercise, know where to provide focus, and keep the event on time. In summary, the facilitator will:

● Set the stage● Involve everyone-stimulating discussion and drawing answers and solutions from the

group● Facilitate in-depth problem solving● Control the pace and flow of the exercise

Drills

You already have a plan to control your required safety drills. Drill controllers keep the drill on time and ensure that everyone is safe while conducting the drill. For your drill, as a minimum, the lead controller (or principal) should do the following:

● Brief personnel to include:o Drill timeline including execution and completiono Safety o Simulation activitieso Methods for stopping the drill if a unsafe environment developso Evaluationo Drill inject (i.e. observing an incorrect method and correcting the situation or

inserting an action so that the drill may continue)● Post safety monitors in areas that may cause a hazard during the exercise ● Execute the drill● Conduct a Hot Wash (term used to describe how the drill went, immediately after play,

with evaluators, controllers, and if appropriate players ● Complete after action review

Functional and Full Scale Exercise Control

Functional and full-scale exercises require significant planning for a successful exercise. It is not just about player performance. The control of the exercise involves knowing what actions are expected by players, managing artificialities, keeping the exercise focused and not confusing players.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 5


Again, large and complex exercises will increase the risk of things going wrong. Safety is paramount. For full scale exercises, planners from a variety of agencies will come together to develop the event. These planners generally act as the exercise controllers, providing expertise and knowledge of expected exercise actions to ensure the exercise is under control and safe. A lead controller needs to be selected. For larger exercises you may require a controller command center and handbooks for all controllers. For most of your school exercises your controller will also be the evaluator. This minimizes the number of staff members you have to take out of play for the event.

The main duties of the lead controller are:

● Ensure that the actors and evaluators are properly trained and briefed before the exercise.

● Prepare participants for the exercise by developing the narrative (what is going on) and starting points to the event

● Oversee the sequence of events and supervise any exercise injects ● Adjust the pace of the exercise, if needed● Make final decisions in the event of unanticipated actions or resource requirements.● Maintain order and professionalism throughout the exercise● Direct the exercise team● Ensure safety measures are adhered to during the event

Controllers should wear a hat or badge or vest that identifies them, i.e., a red ball cap or brightly colored vest. They are normally considered invisible to the exercise players and only inject when required by the exercise for simulation or to provide an instruction/teaching point, or if an event becomes unsafe.

In summary, the responsibilities of a functional or full scale exercise controller are similar to a drill controller. For these complex events, coordination and communication among controllers is important as well as everyone understanding the exercise sequence of events and timeline for exercise enhancements and simulations.

Exercise Evaluation

In this section, again, we will focus on functional and full scale evaluation. Seminars, tabletops and drills should also be evaluated. In most cases the evaluation is informal with the group prior to the conclusion of the event and results in action to complete deficiencies in equipment, plans and procedures, or policies. The Tool Kit provides evaluation forms for these exercises.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 5


Evaluation is the process of observing and recording exercise activities, comparing the performance of the participants against the objectives, and identifying strengths and weaknesses. Good evaluations can help the school identify:

● If the exercise achieved its objectives● The exercise was conducted successfully● Needed improvements in school plans, procedures and policies● Needed improvements for the “Circle of 9” responses● Training and staff deficiencies● Insufficient operational or emergency response equipment

For functional and full scale exercises, your staff would most likely play a duel role of controller/evaluator. For larger full scale exercises involving outside agencies and if funding is available, controller and evaluators should be separate functions due to the complexity of the exercise. Regardless, the role of the evaluator is the same and that is to observe, record, and compare results against organizational policies and procedures.

Often, evaluators should be characterized as having the appropriate expertise, ability to see the relationship between the event and objectives, ability to adjust to changing situations, are objective and familiar with exercise design. You may not have this luxury in your school staffs. The most important piece to evaluation is to understand what you are required to evaluate and being objective. Tell it like it is observed and provide genuine feedback to the players. The evaluation form will provide those observations important to the exercise. For schools, there are two types of evaluations: self-assessment and formal evaluation. Additionally, each player should have the opportunity to fill out an exercise assessment form that provides feedback on exercise execution and their personal observation of strengths and weaknesses. A template is provided in the evaluation tool kit.

Self-Assessment Evaluations

Self-assessment allows team leaders to evaluate their own performance. In this case, each “Circle of 9” team leader is given a self-assessment packet containing team evaluation and player assessment forms. The evaluations are completed and returned to the lead controller. This process is simple, and provides valuable feedback on exercise outcomes. The Evaluation Tool Kit contains these evaluation forms.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 5


South Kitsap School District 2008 Exercise

Formal Evaluation

For full scale exercises, you may be conducting a formal evaluation of the exercise. If you are involved in a county exercise, evaluations will be based on national standards in order to identify gaps in local emergency response. These evaluations will be provided to you by the exercise planning team. If not, the evaluation forms provided in the tool kit will provide adequate evaluation of your district/school exercise. During your planning you may recognize additional items to evaluate which are important to the school. These may be items set forth in school plans like a specific time to complete evacuation of a school, the use of formal and informal communications, notification processes, and so on. A template is provided to support additional evaluation objectives.

The evaluation process is not complete until observations are reviewed against plans and policies, and documented in an after action review and report. In section 7, we will discuss exercise debriefing, after action reviews and exercise documentation. It is important for exercise players to understand that evaluations are not meant to punish. It is an opportunity to recognize the strengths in emergency response and student safety and to identify deficiencies with the insight to improve staff performance.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 6

Exercise Implementation

In this section, we will discuss the execution of an exercise to include the simulation process and exercise enhancements. This section will discuss the exercise setup process through completion. It will focus on functional and full scale exercises, but will provide a brief discussion about tabletop exercise implementation.

Tabletop Exercise

Tabletop exercises are simple to conduct depending on how the scenario is presented to the audience. The exercise can be simple by managing the event and challenging the audience with power point slides, or providing scenario handout and using easels for groups to develop responses and solutions. Effectiveness is determined by staff participation and good facilitation. In the tool kit, scenarios are provided. A Power Point slideshow can be found on the DEM website at www.kitsapdem.org

The tool kit also provides a checklist for setup, execution, and completion of the exercise. Carrying out the tabletop exercise can be enhanced by providing student visuals of the events, providing maps of school grounds and school buildings, and injecting messages during the tabletop to force alternative decision making and discussions. A good tabletop exercise employs the use of:

● Good facilitation● Enhancing the scenario with unknowns● Providing props for the exercise (maps, messages, reports, visuals)● Challenging everyone in the group to force coordination● Motivating staff members to be prepared and trained

Generally, the facilitator will include the following during the exercise:

● Brief the audience on exercise rules which may include:o Purpose and objectives of the exerciseo Audience etiquette and expectationso Props and equipment available to them during the evento Documenting any issues noted in existing plans and procedureso Exercise evaluation forms

KCDEM October 2009


http://www.kitsapdem.org/

Section 6


● Set the exercise stage, such as when and where does the exercise begin ● Facilitate the exercise through a series of activities consistent with an expected

sequence of response● Summarize the exercise● Conduct a question and answer session● Review any action items or major deficiencies noted during the event

The following slides are an example of a tabletop exercise briefing (exhibit 6.1)

Exhibit 6.1: Sample briefing slides for a Tabletop Exercise

2

Purpose

Exercise the school’s emergency response teams in response to an

earthquake.

3

Objectives

Train on Response to an Earthquake Evaluate the School’s Response Plan Evaluate the School’s response team roles and

responsibilities Exercise coordination among the School’s response

teams Train on the use of the School’s Mapping Program

KCDEM October 2009


4

Exercise Rules A scenario with situational statements will be

used to generate discussion on response activities

Participants will provide situational responses based on established plans and procedures

All ideas and input are encouraged Capture issues and action items for

improvements

5

Lets Begin…… Set the Stage

October, Tuesday, 9:15 am Weather

Cloudy (rain threatening around noon), 45 degrees, light winds

You begin in your normal school assignment Work within your group role assignment Coordinate your activities and issues with other

teams and the command post

KCDEM October 2009


Section 6


6

Activity An earthquake has just struck. Ground shakes for 45 seconds and you can hearsignificant noise in your classroom/office asequipment, supplies, lights start falling around you.Students are screaming. You announce to the students “Drop, cover, and

hold” You crawled under your desk Power goes out

7

Initial Response

Top 3 actions after you get out from under your desk

Functional and Full Scale Exercise Implementation

As noted in earlier sections, successful execution of functional and full scale exercises will depend on exercise realism, good simulation of the event, and timely execution. When an exercise begins will depend on the objectives of the exercise. Here are some examples:

Objective: Evaluate response to an earthquakeExercise begins: with simulated shaking from an earthquake

Objective: Evaluate actions after the evacuation of a damaged schoolExercise begins: with students and staff outside and response teams activated

Objective: evaluate long-term post earthquake recoveryExercise begins: with damaged buildings evacuated, students are in a safe facility or outside, and half of the student body has gone home

Again, the objective of the exercise will dictate the beginning. The players are given a briefing and maybe a handout so they understand at when in the event they will begin and what has happened to this point.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 6


Some exercise can begin with nothing more than:

Its 1:00 pm, Tuesday, October, school is in session and it is raining outside. Obviously, a lot of good information for players in this statement, but no clue as to when the event will to begin.

A large full scale exercise will have a player’s handbook for everyone participating in the exercise. This may not be necessary for most school exercises unless the full scale exercise involves many agencies in the county. Regardless, for your full scale or functional exercise, you should provide a packet to each player with the following information:

● Safety brief● A description of the props used in the exercise including

○ Visuals like strips of tape representing cracks on the wall to simulate damage.○ Outside agency simulation. For example, the district is not playing so calls will

need to be made from a simulation cell or just notionalized (addressed but not carried out).

○ Pretend use of equipment like fire extinguishers● Communication protocol during the exercise ● Identification of controllers and evaluators● Player exercise self assessment form● Any other information that is an exception to normal response● Where all exercise personnel will be for start of exercise● Start times● Evaluation criteria, responsibilities, player inputs● End times● Hot wash expectations with individual groups● After action review meeting● Final report distribution

For a school functional exercise, this list would be shorter and require less preparation. A full scale exercise hosted by the district with only minor outside agency play will require a few planning meetings, a script, player handouts, and evaluation review and documentation. The exercise tool kit provides all the tools you would need to accomplish a district wide full scale exercise.

KCDEM October 2009


Section 6Exercise Implementation

Functional and Full Scale Exercise Enhancements

Sometimes creativity is the difference between an adequate exercise design and one that really gets the participants excited and involved. You want your staff to walk away from an earthquake exercise with a renewed understanding of the importance of plans, procedures, and coordination in the midst of chaos. A simple school evacuation for a fire can be enhanced by conducting the drill with local fire and simulating smoke at an exit point to complicate an evacuation. County sponsored full scale exercises may involve simulated news broadcasts, make-up and props to simulate injuries, loss of communications and/or normal facility power, etc. The more realism in an exercise, the more likely the players will “get into” the action and get the most out of the exercise. The tool kit provides a series of exercise enhancements for schools. Consider this list as you start putting together your exercise.

Some organizations have developed an exercise simulation kit. Briefing staff members on the kit and what each item means can help staff members recognize a represented hazard as the exercise occurs. For example, the kit may include red Christmas lights. This light, when plugged in and extended, would simulate a fire. Staff members would see the lights and respond as if it was a fire. Blue cloth may simulate water gushing from a pipe or water in a hallway. Just another way to standardize a school’s approach to conducting realistic exercises.

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 7

After Action Review and Documentation

This section discusses the importance of closing out your exercise with an after action review and ensuring your exercise is documented. Let’s begin by discussing after action reviews.

After Action Reviews (AAR)

You should make an attempt to review your exercise (seminars through full scale) with all those who participated in the event. Feedback is essential to improving your staff’s performance and correcting any issue with plans, procedures, policies, processes, and resources. AARs may take several forms depending on the size and complexity of the exercise. Exhibit 7.1 shows recommendations for post exercise briefings vs. the type of exercise. AARs are important to the documentation of your exercise and follow-up actions. Additionally they may reveal significant gaps in district/school response particularly in equipment shortages.

Exhibit 7.1: Recommendations for Post Exercise Briefings, Reports and Improvement Plans Seminar Drill Tabletop Functional Full ScaleReview with audience and identify corrective actions

Immediate hot wash* with players




Fix identified action items

Complete drill AAR form (optional)

Complete Tabletop AAR Form (optional)

Complete Functional AAR Form

Complete Full Scale AAR form or submit results as required

Post on websiteOr brief staff

Post on website or brief staff

Share review with staff

Share review with staff



Complete improvement plan and correct any action items

Complete improvement plan and correct any action items

*Hot Wash is an immediate exercise briefing of major strengths and weaknesses observed during the event. The Lead Controller will determine how the hot wash will be accomplished.

For each exercise, a tailored written after action report should be generated to serve as the basis for planning future exercises and taking corrective action. KCDEM

October 2009School District Emergency Preparedness - 64 - Training and Exercise Program

KCDEM October 2009


Section 7

After Action Review and Documentation

A seminar or tabletop may warrant only a brief summary with action items, while a full scale exercise may result in a formal report with specific and comprehensive points of view. There is no set format for an after action report, but we have included in the tool kit, templates that can be used to complete your findings. Exhibit 7.2 provides a sample report outline.

In the future, AARs can be scrubbed and posted to a centralized website for all schools and districts to review. This provides the best means to improve preparedness throughout all school districts.

Exhibit 7.2: Sample AAR Outline

IntroductionMain purpose of the report, why it is being submitted, preview of main topics, evaluation

Methodology used, and perhaps a general summary of significant issues and recommendations

Statement of the ProblemPurpose of the exercise

Exercise SummaryGoals and ObjectivesPre-exercise ActivitiesParticipants and AgenciesDescription of Exercise Scenario

Accomplishments and ShortfallsEvaluation FindingsSummary of Post-exercise Debriefing

RecommendationsTraining NeedsChanges in the Emergency PlanOther Corrective Actions

KCDEM October 2009


Section 7

After Action Review and DocumentationDocumentation

It is important to document your exercise. Documentation is required to demonstrate you met the safety standards imposed by OSPI and federal NIMS mandates. You must, at a minimum, maintain a log of exercises performed by the school. Exhibit 7.3 provides a list of recommended documentation for your program. The tool kit contains forms necessary to document your exercise, after action reviews, and any follow-up corrective items. We want to keep the process simple and you may already have one in place. But if not, one is provided in the tool kit.

Exhibit 7.3: Recommended Documentation for School ExercisesSeminars Tabletops Drills Functional Full ScaleList of attendees List of attendees List of attendees List of attendees List of attendeesScenario Scenario Scenario Scenario ScenarioAfter Action Review

After Action Review

After Action Review and improvement plan



Emergency Drill Report

Evaluation forms Evaluation forms

Safety drills, such as your fire drills, can also be recorded using this method. You may want to review the OSPI website for drill and exercise document recommendations. The Emergency Drill Reporting Form is located in the School Safety Planning Manual for documentation in support of Fire Code Revisions in WAC 51-54-000..

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Section 8

Exercise Tool Kit

This section provides information for planning and executing your district/school exercise. The Exercise Tool Kit is designed to provide you with the checklist, templates and forms for each type of exercises. It also contains evaluation forms and after-action-review templates.

Appendix A contains information on general exercise planning and other documents to support your exercise program evaluation. Follow the stepping stones to decide which exercise fits the needs of your district or school. That part also provides a chart to help guide you through the full exercise cycle from planning to post exercise improvement plans.

Subsequent appendices are broken down by exercise elements each containing job aids for developing, conducting, and documenting your exercise.

The final appendices contain templates for exercise after-action-reviews, follow-up improvement plans, and exercise documentation. There is no requirement to use any of the scenarios or templates in this section. There are certainly many different creative methods for putting together your exercise program, and any recommendations you may have to improve the process are encouraged.

Exhibit 8.1 provides a chart to guide you through the Appendices below as you determine exercise needs, type, scenario, and recovery options.

Appendix A Exercise Planning ToolsAppendix B Exercises Development 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

Appendix C Exercise EvaluationAppendix D After Action Reviews

After Action Review Briefing After Action Report

Improvement Plan Documentation

Appendix E Exercise Enhancements Functional and Full Scale

KCDEM October 2009


KCDEM October 2009


Exercise Planning Guide

KCDEM October 2009School District Emergency Preparedness - 58 - Training and Exercise Program

Begin Your Exercise Design

Appendix A● Planning Team● Planning Cycle

Determine your Needs and Capabilities

Appendix A● Staff Capabilities ● Emergency Type● Past Deficiencies

Determine Exercise Scope and Objectives

Appendix A● Size/ Complexity● Number of Agencies● Time Restraints● Major Focus● Past Deficiencies

Choose an Exercise Type

Start Exercise Checklist for Exercise TypeSeminar App B-1Tabletop App B-1Drill App B-3Functional App B-3Full Scale App B-3

Select an Exercise Scenario for exercise type:● Earthquake● School Safety Drill● Terrorism● Major Fire

Use the Exercise template based on your Exercise TypeLocated in Appendix B-4 or on the DEM Website

Chose an Exercise Evaluation Form based on exercise type

Appendix C

Enhance your ExerciseAppendix E


Continue the Exercise Checklist

Execute the ExerciseAppendix B

● Players/ exercise team in place● Handouts● Briefings● Stage Set

Conduct Hot Wash and After Action Review

Appendix D● Briefing● Capture observations● Recover from exercise

Complete After Action Report and Improvement Plan

Appendix DBased on type of exercise

Document the ExerciseAppendix D

Determine next exercise in the CycleDistrict/School Planning Schedule

Return to Step 1

How to use the School District Emergency … Sections _ 2010.doc · Web viewEEG Homeland Security...

Documents

Transcript of How to use the School District Emergency … Sections _ 2010.doc · Web viewEEG Homeland Security...