TOPOFF 3 (Top Official 3)

TOPOFF 3 (Top Official) OVERVIEW

• Congressionally mandated terrorism response exercise

• Participants from International, Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Private Sector

• TOPOFF 3 involved:– Biological Attack in NJ

– Chemical Attack in CT

– Cyber Attack

– International Partners – Canada, United Kingdom

TOPOFF 3 – NJ Overview

• Simulated plague attack in NJ– During the week of April 4-8, 2005

• NJ first ever state wide exercise involving :– All 21 counties, > 12 municipalities,

academic institutions, & private sector

– 84 Hospitals

– State, local law enforcement & first responders

• Primary focus in Middlesex and Union Counties

TOPOFF 3 – NJ Overview (cont)

• Exercise designed to test:– State’s ability to coordinate inter-agency

response to a biological incident

– Epidemiological & criminal investigations

– Ability to supply and distribute medications statewide

– Ability to deploy assets statewideThe Strategic National

Stockpile contains medical supplies, drugs, and

equipment that can be delivered anywhere in the country within 12 hours.

TOPOFF 3 - RU Overview

• Serve as the POD (Point Of Distribution) for Middlesex County

• Primary POD for entire exercise– Dignitary review (Chertoff, Codey, Harvey,

congressman, & state/local officials)

– Media event (national, local)

• Approximately 200 employees/students from over 20 departments/groups participated

• Greater than 130 Faculty/Staff/Students volunteered

TOPOFF 3- Background

• The University is a pharmaceutical distribution (POD) site for Middlesex County– In the case of a communicable disease outbreak

(similar to the measles outbreak at the University in the early 90’s) or terrorist attack, would open and staff a distribution site on campus to:

• Provide prophylaxis to students, faculty, staff and the community (if requested);

• Respond to the needs of our students that reside on campus; and

• Maintain critical operations at the University.

TOPOFF 3 - Goals of the Exercise

• Full functional exercise to test:– POD Plan– Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)– Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

• Coordinate activities– Between University departments and personnel– Between University and local, county, state, federal

agencies• Provide reliable medical/health information to RU

community• Evaluate response and change/update plans, as necessary

TOPOFF 3 - Challenges

• Planning for the exercise– Dignitaries, media, meetings, education, training

• Security of the site– Physical (building, materials, pharmaceuticals)– People (participants, volunteers, dignitaries, media)

• Minimizing impact to operations– Traffic, classes, functions, operations at the RAC

• Commitment– Resources (monetary and personnel time)– Departments and personnel– Volunteers

TOPOFF 3 - Challenges (cont)

• Required background checks for volunteers

• Parking & Transportation– Dignitaries, media, POD staffing, visitors

– Busing of off-site volunteers

• Requests from Homeland Security– Security, staging, media access, comfort facilities

• Coordination with Local/State/Federal Agencies

TOPOFF 3 - How the Challenges Were Met

• Established a Planning Committee to:– Coordinate, plan for the exercise

– Liaison with Federal, State and Local officials

• Developed operational plans (security, media, POD, health & safety, etc.)

• Identified departments, personnel required and obtained their participation

• Conducted informational and training session for participants

• Partnered with Middlesex County Health Department

TOPOFF 3 – Planning Committee

The TOPOFF 3 Committee was comprised of 12 committee members from 7 university departments and a

county representative;

Rutgers University Health ServicesRutgers University Health Services

Occupational Health ServicesOccupational Health Services

Office of Media RelationsOffice of Media Relations

REHS RUPD

RUESAthletics

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TOPOFF 3- Participating Departments

Approximately 200 Rutgers’ faculty, staff, & students participated in TOPOFF 3 including the following departments or groups:

–Athletics Department–Dining and Conference Services–Rutgers Environmental Health & Safety–Rutgers University Health Services –Occupational Health–Facilities Operations and Services–University Relations–The College of Nursing –The Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy–Department of Spanish and Portuguese–Physician Assistants Program

–Division of Public Safety–Police Department (RUPD)–Emergency Services (RUES)–Emergency Medical Services (RUEMS)–Campus Security–Housing Division’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)–Community Service Officers (CSO)–Parking and Transportation–Religious Groups on Campus–Disability Services Office

TOPOFF 3 - Participants

TOPOFF 3 (Top Officials 3) was coordinated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and assisted by:– NJ Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force;

– NJ State Police;

– NJ Department of Health and Senior Services;

– Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management;

– Middlesex County Public Health Department; and

– Hundreds of other Federal, State & County agencies.

TOPOFF 3 - Venue

Rutgers’ Louis Brown Athletic Center (RAC) on the Livingston campus in Piscataway served as a triage center for volunteer “victims” exposed to “pneumonic plague” as well as a distribution point for educational materials and “pharmaceuticals” by the Middlesex County Public Health Department on Wednesday, April 6.

The POD layout was design to comply with the New Jersey POD plan. The POD Plan called for two tracks, a RED line for patients with restrictions and a GREEN (fast-track) line for patients without restrictions. Each track consisted of different stations to facilitate in the pharmaceutical distribution of prophylaxis.

Patients were transported via bus and escort into the RAC. Once they entered the RAC they were evaluated to determine if they would be sent down the RED or GREEN line. After the patients received their prophylaxis, they exited the RAC and were transport via bus to their Pre-POD location.

TOPOFF 3 (Top Official 3)

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TOPOFF 3 – Press Briefing

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