insert your agency logo Severe Weather Tabletop Exercise

[insert your agency logo] Severe Weather Tabletop Exercise (TTX) [insert date of exercise] Public Health – Seattle & King County

Agenda Exercise Guidelines Introductions Exercise Overview Exercise Play Debrief

Exercise Guidelines Low-stress, no-fault environment Varying viewpoints are expected Respond to the scenario using your knowledge of current plans and capabilities Decisions are not precedent setting [Optional: Problem-solving efforts should be the focus]

Introductions Participants: [CBO/FBO staff] can be specific for a large organization such as administrators or IT Evaluator: [Insert individual’s name] Optional, you can invite a representative from another location to observe and provide feedback Facilitator: [Insert Individual’s name]

Exercise Overview [Insert Exercise Requirement/The Why] [X minutes/hour] exercise [Insert Name] Response Plan 4 Modules: Personal Preparedness/Readiness Communication Performing Critical Functions Continuity of Business Operations

Business Continuity Critical Functions Personal Preparedness & Communications

Objectives *Staff* Understand your personal level of preparedness at home, vehicle and with your family/friends/pets Understand your role, responsibilities and the organizational chart in a severe weather event Know how you will conduct notifications and the communications procedures in an emergency Identify the primary services and critical functions of your agency in a severe weather emergency Understand the continuity of operations for your agency

Objectives *Executive* Understand your (and your staff’s) personal level of preparedness at home, vehicle and with your family/friends/pets Understand your role (and your staff’s), responsibilities and the organizational chart in a severe weather event Know how you will conduct notifications and the communications procedures in an emergency Identify the primary services and critical functions of your agency in a severe weather emergency Understand the continuity of operations for your

START EXERCISE

Scenario Third day following a snowstorm that left 15” of snow in the Seattle area Daytime temperatures are below freezing, small additional accumulations overnight Weather pattern is expected to continue for 3 more days

Scenario Wind and ice damage trees and power lines which results in power loss to much of downtown [insert your city] has also proclaimed a state of emergency

Scenario All Transit coaches are running on the Emergency Service Network. Light rail is running ice trains but cannot keep up with accumulations at night. Sounder south line service is operating but not on time. Sounder north line is not operating. King County Metro Access vans, Hyde shuttles, taxis, wheelchair transport services, private ambulance services are running on limited availability. Public messaging urging community

Module 1 Personal Preparedness

Module 1 Personal Preparedness *Staff* What are you most concerned about if you are in this emergency right now? Do you have a personal preparedness to-go bag, bucket or container at home? Vehicle? Work? Do you have enough potable water at home for five days?

Module 1 Personal Preparedness *Staff* Do you currently have food available for the first 72 hours? [Reference worksheet] What gaps do you have in your own personal preparedness plan? [Reference worksheet] Are there agency policies, plans and/or engagement activities that support staff personal preparedness?

Module 1 Personal Preparedness *Executive* Are there agency policies, plans and/or engagement activities that support staff personal preparedness? Are you providing food for the staff? Are you dismissing staff early? Is there a decision making process in place? Does your staff have personal preparedness kits at the office?

Module 2 Communications

Module 2 Communications *Staff* Internal Communications Who would you communicate with first? How will you know if your site will be open in an emergency? Do you know how decisions are made in your agency? External Communications Who are your stakeholders? What notifications are made?

Module 2 Communications *Executive* Internal Communications What information and sources are being used to make decisions? Is there a policy and procedure on how staff will be notified? Who is responsible for ensuring this task is completed? What is the process if the staff member can not be reached?

Module 3 Critical Functions

Module 3 Critical Functions *Staff* Do you know your agencies critical services? What is your role in supporting these critical services? Do you know your agencies non-critical services?

Module 3 Critical Functions *Executive* What are your critical services? What are your secondary services? What are your non-critical services? Based on this scenario, do you have the resources to provide all of your critical services? Which will not be provided? How will organizational leadership make these decisions?

Module 3 Critical Functions *Executive* External Communications For the services that are not being continued, are there resources where you can refer clients? What are the elements of the message you are communicating to your clients? Who has final approval of the message? How will you communicate this message out to clients? How will you deliver critical information to the

Optional: Transportation *Executive* Insert Midday storm leaves clients stranded at your agency. … What do you do? Do you have a plan if you have to close operations? What is the process for closing? Has your staff been trained on evacuation procedures?

Module 4 Continuity of Operations

Module 4 Continuity of Operations Business Continuity Plan - documented procedures that guide organizations to respond, recover, resume, and restore critical functions following disruption

Module 4 Continuity of Operations *Staff* Do you have a business continuity plan? Who is the decision maker if the director is not available? Do you have an alternative work location identified?

Module 4 Continuity of Operations *Executive* What does the organizational structure look like in normal operations? How will that change when only critical functions are offered? What are your position specific

Module 4 Continuity of Operations *Executive* What are the triggers for activating the business continuity plan? Who has the authority to activate the plan? What are the triggers for returning to normal operations?

Module 4 Continuity of Operations *Bonus: Staff & Executive* Building Requirements What buildings and facilities are required? What vital records (electronic or physical) are stored within them? What utilities are required for those facilities? What specialized equipment and/or tools are required? What IT systems or communication tools are required?

Module 4 Continuity of Operations *Bonus: Staff & Executive* Staff Concerns Are staff cross trained? Are there prearranged agreements to have contractors? Are functions distributed between multiple sites? What staff are needed to carry out the function? What special skills and expertise do they require?

Optional: [Insert] Local Example How did the Hanukkah Eve Storm of 2006 impact your CBO? Other relevant severe weather events that posed a significant impact to operations?

END EXERCISE

Debrief Questions Lessons Learned Improvement Plan