AZA Flooding Exercise

1. AZA FloodingExercise March 23-24, 2016

2. Purpose This exercise will enable participants to discuss and evaluate the response capabilities, communication, resources, data, coordination, and organizational elements involved in an emergency response. Participants will have an opportunity to assess their own preparedness for responding to such a scenario and identify individual needs for information and/or training.

3. Facilitated Exercise • Informal group discussion stimulated by a scripted disaster scenario • Low stress, designed to promote free and open exchange of ideas • Identify issues (e.g., data, coordination, communication, resources, and policy) • Familiarize players with roles, functions, plans, and procedures

4. Objectives of the Exercise • Identify the policy issues that would arise during an emergency response. • Identify and understand measures that can be performed at the local level • Recognize the roles of various facility and public officials • Illustrate the need for teamwork and communication with local officials.

5. Objectives of the Exercise • Identify gaps in local preparedness plans, policies and/or procedures • Build relationships with participants from other key agencies • Identify additional training needs in your institution.

6. House Rules • This is an exercise only. • What happens in this room stays in this room with the exception of the lessons we learn and the relationships we develop. • Above all, courtesy and professionalism prevail.

7. Various Roles • Participants – You • Facilitator – Matt Bryan, Keith Gehrand

8. Participants’ Roles • Play your own role in your facility • Identify strengths and areas needing improvement with regard to the response. • Take note of perceived deficiencies to be discussed during the debriefing

9. Expectations • No organization is fully prepared for this type of emergency. • Open and honest dialog and feedback is encouraged throughout the exercise. • Participants should feel free to ask questions of one another and challenge each other’s assumptions.

10. The Setting The area around your facility has been under a flood watch for the last two days. The stream through your facility is rising, and low areas are beginning to having standing water. Facility administration has advised the staff to watch the water level at the facility and report back with any problems.

11. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALERT NWS has predicted that heavy rains are going to continue in the area. Areas have experienced rain with some locations measuring rain totals in excess of six inches. Your facility is beginning to see an increase of water accumulating in the lower levels. Staff is having growing concerns for the facility.

12. Rain Total Map

13. River Gauge

14. Question ? • What would you and your staff be doing at this time.

15. Question ? • Would you be in contact with any outside agencies, (i.e. local emergency management, local weather, etc.)

16. Question ? • What needs to be done, and by whom?

17. Question ? • Does your facility have communication with the local emergency manager? • Would you get any storm information from the local emergency manager? • Are you a part of the Emergency Operation Center or Local Emergency Planning Committee?

18. The Setting Continues Heavy rains over the past several days have saturated the ground, leaving waterways in the area at dangerously high levels. The forecast calls for continued rainfall during the next 72 hours. The primary roads used to access the facility are flooded. First responders are beginning to reroute traffic in the area. Forecasts estimate that the rivers and streams in the area could reach historic flood levels.

19. The storm continues Flooding is becoming a growing concern for your facility. The local emergency managers have been advised of the situation and have asked the emergency service heads to assemble at the local EOC. Staff was notified by zoo administration that the facility is going to be experiencing extensive flooding.

20. Greenville Flooding

21. Question ? • What would you be doing at this time?

22. Question ? • What are your policies/procedures for the flooding?

23. Question ? • Do you have areas in your facility that you would need to watch for flooding? • What special procedures or equipment would you need to be thinking about at this point?

24. Overview of facility area

29. Question ? • What would you be doing at this time?

30. Question ? • Who is responding to your facility?

31. Question ? • What actions should be taken now?

32. Question ? • If you still have patrons in the facility what are your policies/procedures for patrons getting the patrons out of the facility?

33. Question ? • What Incident Command Structure (ICS) would you have in place?

34. Basic ICS Structure

35. Question ? • What resources are in place at your facility? • What does your Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) call for?

36. Message Due to the extreme flooding to the area the sandbagging operations at the power substation have not gone well. The flood waters have overtopped the sandbags and knocked out the power station. All power is out in the area to include the zoo. The utility company does not have any idea how long it will be to restore power to the area.

37. Question ? • Do you have an auxiliary power source for your facility? • If so, what exhibits will have power?

38. Question ? • If back-up generators are in place have they been tested other than short period tests not under load? • If your generators are in place, how much fuel is kept on site? • Are the generators in an area that will be out of the flood waters?

39. Question ? • If you don’t have generators, how are you going to power exhibits that power is critical for animals? • Do you have contracts for generators that you will have to obtain for outside sources? • Do you know who to contact for the information?

40. Question ? • What is the daily usage rate for electricity, water, and gas? • What safety issues can you identify? • What safety equipment do you have in place? • What resources can you identify that are needed immediately?

41. Question ? • How do you secure the zoo? • What are your procedures for the next 12, 24, 48 hours? Who would handle this for you? • How are you going to interact with outside agencies; fire, police, etc.? • What ICS structure would you have in place under your EOP?

42. THE SCENARIO UNFOLDS

43. Message As the rain continues to fall, areas around the facility are experiencing major flooding, including the parking lots, garages, and main entrance. There are reports from maintenance staff of water in the lower level of the zoo.

44. Message Phone lines are down and cell phones are only receiving busy signals. How are going to contact outside agencies for assistance?

45. Question • What command structure is appropriate at this point, e.g., a formal Incident Command System (ICS), informal ICS, other, or no official structure at this point?

46. THE SCENARIO CONTINUES

47. Message The City Administrator has issued a voluntary evacuation for the area. As a result, many employees and volunteers are asking to return home or are not coming to work at all. Delivery drivers are unable to access your facility and you are not receiving critical shipments.

48. Question • How do you handle the need for additional resources?

49. Questions • How does your EOP answer the questions for the additional need for resources? • Does this change the structure of your initial incident command structure?

50. Question ? • What polices/procedures are in place to determine who does and does not remain on duty • With the amount of flooding although you are closing the zoo, the facility has sustained a lot of damage and emergency staffing will not be adequate. What do you do now?