Fire Safety Director’s Association of Greater NY

1. Testing Emergency Operation Centers to Help Facilitate Community Collaboration By: Robert Burton and Tom Chiginsky Blue Water Partners Global, LLC Fire Safety Director’s Association of Greater NY

2. TTX (Table Top Exercise) – Traditional Method • Often delivered via power point. • Participants respond on paper or type into a Word • document on a laptop. • Exercise rooms can get over crowded. • Regulators, external stakeholders and others may • have to travel. • We all have to be on the same schedule. • The AAR can take weeks or even months to be • delivered. • It’s only a learning experience for the group that is in • the room. • We often squeeze what would be a long emergency • situation into a one to two hour TTX. • Simulated scenarios are compressed which can lead to • some areas of a plan being ignored. • However, the face to face interaction is invaluable.

3. High-rise Groups and Key Personnel Crisis Management Team Incident Command Team Other Key Personnel

4. Preparing for an emergency management exercise • Gather the team to discuss options • Send out emails • Make phone calls • Receive emails • Have several if not multiple meetings • Invite external agencies and vendors • Invite other stakeholders and observers • Schedule the event • Re-schedule as senior management can’t attend that day • More emails…… • Map out a scenario • Send out the invite, again • Finalize the scenario and don’t forget the tea and pastries • And this is just preparation time • The cost?

5. An organization with a problem • The first LNG facility in Canada (one hour North • of the Maine boarder.) • The organization has local, regional and global • stakeholders. • Required an operating license prior to the first • LNG ship arriving. • Had six weeks to conduct an exercise program • Wanted dispersed on site personnel, multiple • agencies, stakeholders and other observers to • be involved. • The EOC holds 25 (at least 90 wanted to attend • each exercise.) • We asked the facility and the regulators if they • would like to see the scenarios unfold online to • help facilitate the large numbers that wanted to • participate and observe? They said yes. • GlobalTop was developed.

6. A New Virtual Evaluation Method – GlobalTop • Delivered securely online to anywhere in the world. • Rich media such as streaming news simulations for • all to see. • All participants respond in to a central and • controlled environment. • An unlimited amount of people can observe an • exercise. • It eliminates travel expense and operational • interruptions. • Regulators and observers can get a quick overview • at a glance. • The AAR is ready as soon as someone says End Ex. • It’s a learning experience for an unlimited amount • of people. • Scenarios can start at any time, days or even weeks • prior. • The power of video conferencing still allows for the • face to face communication.

7. Allows organization's the ability to conduct an exercise at any time, from any location and involve any number of participants • From an EOC as a • team. • From a hotel • room as an individual. • From your desk • top, while on the • road or from • anywhere your • connected.

8. Having the ability to invite our local, regional and global partners and community • One building or • location. • Multiple buildings • or locations in • the same city or • region. • Global locations.

9. GlobalTop - Overview • Secure web • browser log in. • Common looking and • functioning web site. • Fully customizable. • Can be modified during • an exercise.

10. Situational Awareness • Provides everyone with • situational awareness • and a common operating • exercise picture. • An exercise progress • bar and exercise timers • provide a quick • overview. • Current scenario • information.

11. Current Scenario, Injects and Responding • A scenario is launched • and teams collaborate. • Scenario responses are • placed into a response • form. • Moves/Injects are • introduced. • Additional responses • are placed in.

12. Responses and Results • Team or individual • responses are posted. • Responses can be seen • by all or by authorized • groups or users. • Results can be • displayed almost • immediately. • Any scoring criteria can • be used.

13. Recordkeeping • Images sent from • phones or cameras. • Videos sent from • phones or a $150 Flip. • VOIP audio. • All posted text. • Acts as an audit trail.

14. The After Action Report • IAAR – Immediate • After Action Report. • All data including • images, audio and • video are collated in • one document. • Allows organization to • display compliance and • state of readiness.

15. Communicating • Video conferencing allows the • face to face interaction for up to • six different locations. • Live IM chat allows participants to • text backwards and forwards. • Telephone conferencing. • VOIP calls to and from a • simulation cell can be recorded • for injects and exercise reporting • and shared through GlobalTop.

16. GlobalTop – Additional Features and Options • Simulated video news • that can be pre-filmed • or launched during an • exercise. • VOIP calls can be • recorded. • GIS mapping and full • Google Earth • functionality to each • group or user.

17. Tech slide - Tom

18. Questions? rob.burton@bwpglobal.com 212-812-4466 Ext 714 Contact: Thank you for listening.