Tabletop Exercises The EPA Perspective and Experience

1. Tabletop Exercises The EPA Perspective and Experience Patti Kay Wisniewski wisniewski.patti-kay@epa.gov Drinking Water Security Coordinator US EPA Region 3

2. Tabletop Exercises • What is a tabletop exercise? • Effective tool to simulate emergency event and practice ERP procedures • Involve developing scenarios that describe potential problems and provide limited information (injects) necessary to address problem • Goals • Present state or utility staff and ER personnel with a fabricated event, verbally respond, evaluate responses compared to ERP • Identify “lessons learned” to enhance future staff response and recovery • update ERP

3. Tabletop Exercises • Importance • Communication • Coordination • Build partnerships and relationships • ERP practice and refinement

4. Tabletop Exercises • Who can conduct Exercises? • State, regional group of water systems, interconnected systems, individual systems • Who needs to participate in Exercises? • State—DW program and emergency responders • Local—police, fire, ER, health department • Local officials • Utility personnel (DW, WW, haz-mat) • Federal—EPA (DW, OSC, CID, press office), FEMA, FBI, CDC, National Guard • Folks to play roles of those not present

5. Tabletop Exercises • Documentation • Before: scenario details, maps, injects • During: record of communication • After: lessons learned, unanswered questions, areas for refinement for future exercises or ERP

6. EPA’s “Possible” Exercise Role • Regional Drinking Water staff can assist by: • Aiding in the development of scenarios • Serving as observers or facilitators • Playing active role in person or by phone • Contacting EPA or other Federal Agency personnel for their participation • Providing short training session • Explaining EPA’s Response Role • Other role as needed

7. Relationship to RPTB • EPA’s Response Protocol Toolbox (RPTB) is not an emergency response plan, but a planning tool • Tabletop exercises could make use of RPTB, particularly forms • RPTB is not just for utilities, so exercise may be first introduction to others • EPA to conduct ERP and RPTB training with tabletop exercises this summer

8. Lessons Learned about Exercises • Preplanning must include role for all groups • Allow time for scenario to develop and play out • Plan for someone to handle role of those not present (e.g. Governor, Press) • Have sufficient facilitators on hand to control and monitor progress of the exercise • Be realistic

9. Lessons Learned about Exercises • Stop and assess as needed • Stress groundrules at the start, make participants aware of confusion which may exist (during exercise and in real event) • Allow sufficient time for “Hot Wash” • Do not worry if you do not have all the answers • Expand exercises to field drills; include media role played by public information officer (PIO)

10. Lessons Learned about Responses • Use as opportunity to practice utility specific ERP • Be realistic (natural disaster scenario, spills, terrorism, blackout) • Be realistic for those who cannot be on-site • Document all unanswered questions, don’t let this slow the exercise down (make some assumptions and move on) • Seek and share answers later

11. Lessons Learned about Responses • Keep dialog going • Practice, Practice, Practice • Build on each tabletop exercise to reach field exercise or full scale drill • Don’t forget--dealing with public, media, how to provide alternate sources of drinking water

12. Resources to Assist • EPA to conduct ERP and RPTB training with table top exercises this summer • EPA state security grants • State primacy agencies and emergency responders • Other utilities • Partnering with LEPCs • Other industry groups

13. QUESTIONS?