Effective Tabletop Exercises for Emergency Management Preparedness
Tabletop exercises play a crucial role in enhancing emergency management preparedness by simulating hypothetical scenarios to validate plans, rehearse responses, and identify areas for improvement. This comprehensive guide covers the importance of tabletop exercises, their structure, roles and responsibilities of participants, and the benefits they bring in assessing and strengthening emergency response systems.
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LABHAZMATINCIDENT TABLETOPEXERCISE
LAB HAZMAT INCIDENT TABLETOP EXERCISE Welcome & Introductions SLIDE 2
ADMINISTRATION 1. Registration 2. Exits and Restrooms 3. Emergency Evacuation 4. Cell Phones 5. Questions SLIDE 3
INTRODUCTION 1. Who are you? 2. What agency are you from? 3. What is your role today? SLIDE 4
SCHEDULE 2:00 Registration 2:15 Welcome and Introductions 2:30 Purpose and Objectives 2:45* Scenario 3:15 After Action Report 3:30 Questions to Consider 3:45 What did you Discover? 4:00 End of Exercise * 10 minute break included at the end of the Scenario The entire process is designed to be completed in 2 hours SLIDE 5
TABLETOP EXERCISE The most basic emergency management test is a tabletop exercise. Typically, this exercise happens in an informal setting. The intent is to discuss various issues regarding a hypothetical, simulated emergency. SLIDE 6
TABLETOP EXERCISE Tabletop exercises Enhance general awareness Validate plans and procedures Rehearse potential situations SLIDE 7
TABLETOP EXERCISE Tabletop exercises additionally Assess the systems your school needs to prevent, mitigate, respond and recover during a defined incident. Tabletop exercises facilitate conceptual understanding, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and/or achieve changes in attitudes. SLIDE 8
ROLESAND RESPONSIBILITIES Players Represent your agency & discuss your planned response to the scenario Facilitators Moderate the flow of discussion. Keep the tabletop exercise moving and on-track Evaluators Record strengths, note areas of improvement, and capture lessons learned Observers Gain insight from the exercise. Refrain from interjecting during the exercise & be respectful SLIDE 9
THE PURPOSE 1. Increase awareness and develop an if-then mindset for school staff, and administrators. 2. Determine if current policy, procedure and practice is adequate for the exercise incident. 3. Facilitate updating the school policy and procedure for incidents that might happen. SLIDE 10
OBJECTIVES Review the Emergency Operation Plan for your school during the exercise for areas for improvement. Review your hazmat policy during the exercise for areas for improvement. Review your closed school policy during the exercise for areas for improvement. Review your rapid assessment policy during the exercise for areas for improvement. SLIDE 11
SCENARIO: HAZMAT INCIDENT It is a Monday afternoon at 2:45 PM on a 23 degree winter day at an Ohio School. The weather is forecasted to remain overcast with light snow. SLIDE 12
SCENARIO CONTINUES You are nearing the end of the day. The dismissal bell will ring in 4 minutes. A student reports to you that a teacher, engaged in a science experiment, has dropped a glass beaker containing mercury. The beaker has broken and an unknown quantity of the mercury has spilled into the carped floor of the classroom. What steps do you take? Who would you notify? SLIDE 13
SCENARIO CONTINUES Who would you contact? How? What would you do to keep the students and staff safe? What other considerations are needed? SLIDE 14
AFTER ACTION REPORT A review of your response to the incident should be completed as a part of the process. This is called an "after-action report". Answer the questions below. Is your response adequate for the scope of the incident? Does the response fall within your current policy and procedure? If the answer is no should the policy/procedure be updated? If a change is needed, who will facilitate the change? What is the timeline to update the policy/procedure? SLIDE 15
CONTINUED QUESTIONSTO CONSIDER Is your response reasonable? Is it realistic; can it be carried out operationally? Are all those involved in the response aware of their roles? Are they trained and available? Do you have a current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or do you need to update it? (Law Enforcement, EMS, Mental Health, Grief Counselors, etc.) Was communication adequate during the response? Were the appropriate people notified? SLIDE 16
CONTINUED QUESTIONSTO CONSIDER Are there Public Relations concerns in the scenario? Are they adequately addressed in your response? Can an operational change be made to mitigate or prevent a future occurrence of this type of incident? Be aware that your answers to these questions will drive the improvement process for your Emergency Operations Plans. SLIDE 17
WHAT DID YOU DISCOVER? What did you discover during your After-Action Review? Does any part of your emergency plan need to be updated based on what you ve learned? Do any systems, equipment or practices need to be updated? Is additional training warranted to facilitate the proper execution of this response? Are additional resources needed to complete the response successfully? If any of the answers to the above questions are, "yes", identify who will be responsible and what is the timeline to make the changes identified. SLIDE 18
THANK YOU! Please remember that schools must complete a functional, full-scale, and tabletop exercise during the three-year period between resubmission of an annual emergency operation plan, and each type of test can only be used once. SLIDE 19
THANK YOU! Sample tabletop exercise tool kits are available on the Ohio School Safety Center Website. Please engage your school safety team when planning your test. After completion, don't forget to document the test and after-action report in OH|ID. Step-by-step instructions for submitting your after- action report can be found here. SLIDE 20
