Exercise Checklist for
Town Emergency Operations Centers
Introduction
[ ] Make sure you have the necessary materials for the exercise.
[ ] Go around the group for introductions
[ ] Set the stage for the event by reading the Earthquake Event Description
Earthquake Event Description
A 7.6 earthquake has struck the area you live in. It’s the wee hours of the morning and still dark outside.
You were suddenly awakened by a sharp jolt, almost strong enough to knock you out of bed.
Violent shaking continued for another 30 seconds or so.
You have already checked your own home. Things are a mess at your house, but the situation is stable.
Most of your neighbors have come out of their houses and are beginning to check up on one another,
and to assess the overall situation that the neighborhood faces.
Those of you that have disaster responserolls outside of the neighborhood level have made your way to your various operations centers and are beginningto assess the overall situation and to respond, as your organization is able.
Review Family Preparedness Exercise
[ ] Comments from the group on what they found in their own homes
[ ] Discuss the results from the Preparedness ChecklistDiscuss any questions that may come up.
Establish a Net Control Operator on your Town’sCERPP Radio Net
[ ]Refer to the CERPP FOG for details on the radio communications plan.
[ ] Assign a dedicated radio operator to the CERPP Net Radio.
[ ] Divisions will be checking in to inform you that they are activated and participating in the exercise
[ ]Accept Message Traffic in Priority Sequence
Flash
Causing death or serious injury
Imminent threat of death or serious injury
High
Potential threat of death or serious injury
Damaging or destroying property
Damaging or destroying the environment
Imminent damage to property
Imminent damage to the environment
Medium
Potential damage to property
Potential damage to the environment
Low
Routine situations that do not meet any of the above
[ ] Write down the message.
CERPP will be using the Incident Status form for reporting incidents.
Other messages can be written on a self adhesive Phone Message Book or a pad of paper.
[ ] The Radio Operator should pass incoming messages to Operations
[ ] Continue to send and receiving messages for incidents needing outside assistance as radio traffic and priority allow.
[ ]Accept Summary Situation Status Reports from Divisions, using the Summary Situation Status Report form
[ ]Divisions will report when they have completed the exercise.
Damage Assessment
[ ] Enter addresses of town buildings on the Damage Assessment Form.
[ ] For each address or building, roll the die three times…
First Roll – Damage Severity
Second Roll – A 6 indicates there is a fire
Third Roll – A 5 indicates a small gas leak, a 6 is a large gas leak.
[ ] Skip the section on utilities. Neighborhoods and Divisions will be reporting utility status to you.
[ ] Identify major bridges and overpasses that provide access to your town and enter then in the Streets & Roads section of
the Damage Assessment Form
[ ] Roll the die to determine if your access is blocked and what the cause of the blockage is.
1,2,3 – Access is open
4 – Structure is damaged, may be unsafe
5,6 – Structure has collapsed and is impassable
[ ] Indicate the blocked access on your map.
[ ] Communicate these blockages to any of your divisions that will be impacted.
Formally open the Town’s Emergency Operations Center
[ ] Review the procedures for opening the EOC
Who’s job is it to open the EOC?
Who can open the EOC?
Who needs to be notified?
What are the afterhours access procedures?
Is there a written procedure? Where is it stored?
Where are the EOC supplies located?
[ ] Notify County OES that you have opened your Town’s EOC.
Declare a Local Emergency
[ ] Prepare the Local Emergency Declaration Documents
This is a legal document that starts the disaster relief process.
Are there written procedures for doing this? Where are they?
Do you have a sample declaration prepared and ready to go?
Who can declare a local disaster?
If there are not at the EOC, how can they be reached?
Who do you send this declaration to? How?
Who needs to be notified when a local disaster is declared?
Dispatch local resources to respond to incidents
[ ] Discuss what local resources are available.
Who are they?
What are their responsibilities and capabilities?
How will you communicate with them in the field?
Will they be able to respond to an “after hours” incident?
[ ] Track the status of your local resources
You will likely be simulating local resources for this exercise.
Who are they?
Where are they?
What are they doing?
Request outside resources from the Operational Area EOC as needed
[ ] Transmit the resource requests to the Operational Area EOC
For the exercise please use the RIMS system to enter requests on a MRT form.
Be sure and use the training portion of the RIMS system!
[ ] Discuss issues related to using RIMS.
What equipment will you be using?
Who is trained in using RIMS?
What are the alternate methods of communicating with the Op Area EOC?
[ ] Send a request via at least one alternate communications channel.
[ ] When possible send reply messages to the requesting division, with information on
resource availability for specific requests.
Prepare a preliminary Summary Situation Status Report
[ ] Prepare a preliminary Summary Situation Status Report
Information may be limited. Leave things blank if you don’tknow.
[ ] Send the Situation Status Report To the Op Area EOC using RIMS.
[ ] As more information becomes available, update your Situation Status Report on the RIMS system.
Inform Divisions of Regional Resources
[ ] Inform them of medical care facilities that have been established.
You get to make them up at the town level.
[ ] Inform them of shelter/feeding facilities that have been established. Again you get to make them up.
[ ] Inform them of other resources you expect to be available.
[ ] Inform them of resources that are in short supply and are not likely to be available.
Accept Situation Status Reports from Divisions
[] Record information on the Summary Situation Status Report form.
[ ] Using the information from the CERPP Divisions prepare an updated Situation Status Report for the Town.
[ ] Enter this updated report into the RIMS system.
Wrap up the Exercise
[ ] Spend about 10 minutes debriefing with your staff. Please take notes.
Are there things that could be done to improve your preparedness level?
Is there specific training you feel that is needed?
Are there things that need to be done to improve communications?
Are there improvements that you would make to this exercise?
[ ] There will be two debriefing meetings in the week following the exercise. A daytime meeting will be held for County,
Fire District, Town Staff, and interested Division Leaders to discuss the exercise. An evening meeting will be held for
community members that participated in the exercise. Please be sure to pass on the dates and times for these meetings.
Thank you for participating in this years CERPP earthquake disaster exercise.