The Exercise Introduction to tabletop exercises Low stress

The Exercise

Introduction to tabletop exercises ● Low stress events ● Designed to allow participants to talk through plans and problems ● NOT designed to measure anyone's performance ● Serve as springboard for further planning and more comprehensive exercises

Ground Rules ● ● ● "Buy-in" to the exercise Limited to real resources Facilitators can answer questions & role play agencies not present at exercise ● In the event that you wish to contact someone outside of this room you must begin and end all telephone conversations "this is a drill". ● Should a real emergency occur during the course of the exercise, the escape word is "LIFESAVER". Saying this word will be a signal to immediately terminate the exercise.

Lessons Learned from Hurricanes ● Response to warning is dependent upon previous experiences ● Warning must be timely, informative, and as accurate as possible given the available data. ● People are reluctant to leave their pets and personal property ● Logistics must be organized in advance. l Ensure that the routes have been thought through l There are safe places for people to go l Be prepared to provide food, water, and medical assistance.

● Vulnerable populations must be considered ● Respect the civil liberties of individuals and anticipate that your actions to control population movement may be met with resistance. ● During any emergency that requires control of population movement, fear will be prevalent. Anticipate this, as well as the impact of fear on people’s abilities to process information and make decisions.

Working Assumptions of Vulnerable Populations in the Town of Wavell ● 52, 000 residents and 22, 000 households ● Haven for retirees l l 20% of the population > 65 years of age 14% of households consist of someone > 65 living alone ● Assisted living center with 350 residents and 2 high-rises for elderly residents ● Public safety officials do not have information on special-needs residents who aren’t in these facilities ● 15% of all residents self-identify as having some form of disability ● About 6% of Wavell households live below the poverty line l 7. 3% of those < age 18, 7. 4% > age 65 ● One low-income housing development and several low-income neighborhoods spread across the town.

Public Safety and Public Health in Wavell ● Six ladder/engine companies ● 120 full-time firefighters of which 61 are also certified as EMTs ● 2 ALS and 2 BLS ambulances ● 100 full-time police officers with 15 vehicles ● Wavell Public Health Department l 7 -person staff ● Medical Reserve Corp l l 300 enrolled volunteers with wide ranging experience and baseline training in ICS Today, 75 volunteers available to respond

Wavell Health Services ● Two extended care facilities, each with bed capacities of 150 ● Wavell Hospital, a 350 bed facility, is the primary acute care site ● Wavell Visiting Nurse Association and Home and Health Resources l Serve approximately 1, 500 individuals ● Tertiary care services 3 hours away in Windent ● Number of smaller community facilities in surrounding towns

Wavell Schools ● 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school ● 10 known daycare centers

Wavell Social Services ● Mental Health of South Wavell ● Substance abuse treatment center; outpatient counseling services ● One homeless shelter ● Estimated 800 homeless people in Wavell

Languages in Wavell ● 10% of residents speak a language other than English ● Second most commonly spoken language is Spanish ● Wide range of Asian and Pacific Island languages ● Small Portuguese-speaking Brazilian community ● - Many members are undocumented ● - Provide seasonal work to area farms

Public Transportation in Wavell ● Wavell County Bus System and two taxi cab companies ● Approximately 8% of the population does not have any vehicle available