2012-05-12 Mock/Exercise plan

Background
Search and Rescue is available to assist the RCMP, Pincher Creek Emergency Services, or the Pincher Creek Community Emergency Management Agency in providing notifications (door-to-door knocking) to residents in the Pincher Creek area of an emergency. In any such incident, PCSAR will likely not be in the lead role. Instead it will work with many other agencies and may be assigned a portion of a larger area that needs notification.

Through this exercise, we will train to alert the public. At the same time, we will educate people on what they can do to prepare by reading the pamphlets we give them and directing them for further information to the Emergency Preparedness displays at the Co-op mall, and/or the websites. We want to show that we can provide more than missing persons searches.

The exercise is part of local National Emergency Preparedness Week (May 6-12) activities.

http://www.GetPrepared.ca

In our area, activities will be Saturday May 12 from 09:30 to 14:00 (2 pm). At the Pincher Creek Ranchland Co-op Mall there will be displays both outside and inside. The Red Cross will have sample 72 hour kits and displays. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency plans to have give aways, a 72 hour kit, and a "hazard" doll house. Alberta Health Services plans a display on flood clean-up/pandemics/flu shots/immunization. The Peigan Fire Department plans to have a fire truck and a hazard placard spotting exercise. Pincher Creek Emergency Services plans to have a fire truck and a hazardous materials suit demo. The RCMP will have vehicle and member present. A concession with supplies donated by the Co-op will have proceeds go to the Red Cross.

At noon there will be a test of the fire hall sirens in Pincher Creek, Cowley and Lundbreck. A media release will let people know to expect this and will start the education of the public on what to do when they hear the tone (check local radio, http://emergencyalert.alberta.ca, or 1-855-627-5365).

Pincher Creek Search and Rescue (PCSAR) will have their mobile command post (possibly their new one) at the Co-op Mall. They will be running a training exercise where they will do a mock notification of residents close to the Co-op. From PCSAR's point of view, they will be practicing as if they had to be placing people on a one-hour stand-by for evacuation. From the public's point of view, they will be door knocking to deliver information on Emergency Preparedness Week, being prepared, and the new Siren Protocol.

Goals
Mission: Provide a valuable, professional resource to the people of the Pincher Creek area.

Value: Our value in participating in this exercise will be to further demonstrate we do more than “search and rescue” of lost or missing persons.

Purpose: To measure Pincher Creek SAR’s ability to respond in a professional manner to aid in the notification of residences of a natural or other hazard imminent up on them.

Goals:
 * Raise the community awareness of the Search and Rescue organization.
 * Recruit new members.
 * Provide public safety education on general emergency preparedness and the prevention of Search and Rescue incidents.
 * Demonstrate that PCSAR is ready to respond when needed in public-facing Civil Emergency Response roles.
 * Measure the effective rate that PCSAR can do door-to-door notifications in an urban setting. This figure will allow prep-planning for future incidents, such as in a real notifications of evacuation.
 * Help SAR members maintain their basic training through a mock scenario.
 * Increase the experience of overhead team members in managing an incident.

Assessment

 * Did we cover the notification area within the given time?
 * Did we maintain radio communication all the time?
 * Was there a time when we could not get to a team of our own people to remove from a hazard or personal emergency?
 * Were we professional?

Scenario
Note: This scenario is not intended to be communicated to the public through door-to-door knocking; the message presented at the door is one of general Emergency Preparedness. This scenario has been chosen as one that is obviously not happening, should the public hear mention of it.

Events Leading Up
In the scenario, it is Saturday August 25, 2012. Despite the real-world weather of the exercise day (May 12), the mock weather is warm and dry with high winds predicted for the afternoon.

The last few weeks have all been similarly dry and hot, with the result that a large number of fires have been occurring across BC and including portions of Alberta (Waterton Park and the Window Mountain area). Wildland fire fighting resources are spread thin. The forestry has been closed to prevent further fires being triggered.

During Friday evening August 24, a lightening strike has started a fire in Beauvais Park. Fire fighters are actively working the fire. However one concern is that the forest fire may spot into the adjacent grass lands and cause a running grass wildfire. With winds of over 110 km/hr out of the west-southwest predicted for the afternoon, it is felt that should a grass wildfire start, the town of Pincher Creek could be challenged within a few hours.

A decision is made to put the town on a one-hour standby evacuation notification. In other words, if a decision is made to evacuate, people will have one hour to do so. The town is divided up. PCSAR is asked to notify everyone in their section (door-to-door knocking, leaving information at unanswered doors, talking to anyone on the streets or parks of the area.) In reality PCSAR will be doing just these activities (talking to everyone in the section, door knocking and leaving information), but the message will be about Emergency Preparedness, not this mock scenario.

Relevance
During the 2003 Lost Creek fire, PCSAR assisted Pincher Creek Emergency Services and the Pincher Creek Community Emergency Management Agency (then Disaster Services) by notifying residents of Burmis Estates, Lee Lake and Tapay Road that they were on a one-hour standby to evacuate. (In other words they needed to be able to leave within one hour of being contacted again.) Later they assisted with security, making sure no one reentered evacuated areas.

During the 2011 Lethbridge County Fires where one hamlet was evacuated and the fire burned close to the edge of the city, PCSAR assisted the County's Emergency Operations Centre by providing scribes to their overnight overhead team.

Task
In this scenario PCSAR, supported by whatever SAR resources arrive from other teams, is tasked to notify everyone in a specified area.

The initial area is the area west of the Co-op Mall, being all areas feeding into Tumbleweed Avenue.

One of the exercise goals is to help us determine what a typical rate of notification is. The size of the area will grow or shrink depending on how long notification takes, which depends on the number of SAR workers available and the time spent with each residence. If necessary, the exercise controller will expand the notification area to include
 * the area to the east of the Co-op on the North Hill (north of Rigaux Drive and Blairmore Street)
 * and/or the area beneath the North Hill and north of the creek.

In the specified area:
 * approach each residence
 * approach all people in public areas, on the streets, playgrounds etc.
 * do not approach any businesses or institutions, churches, etc. But report on the specific buildings as not notified.

Provide information to every person approached. Do not ignore children, but provide age-appropriate messaging (e.g. "Hi, we're training in search and rescue. Can you give this stuff to your parents when they return?").

For those people of a responsible age that are willing to take the time:
 * let them know who you are and that you're with Search and Rescue
 * provide them with the safety information brochures and hand-outs
 * let them know about the siren test and what they should do if they hear it another day (check local radio stations, www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca, or call 1-855-627-5365).
 * ask if they would be prepared if they had to evacuate or stay in their home without any water or outside supplies for 72 hours; refer them to the brochure, www.GetPrepared.ca, or the displays at the mall
 * ask if they would need any special help if they or their family had to evacuate (e.g. wheelchair, no vehicle)

Where no one is at the residence
 * leave the safety information brochures and hand-outs in a bag on their door

Reporting:
 * Immediately report to the ICP by radio or cell phone any case of a family needing special help for an evacuation. Do not give identifying information over the radio.  The ICP should regularly relay this information to the tasking agency through the exercise controller.
 * Record every residence by address that was approached and whether information was provided to a responsible person, or whether brochures were left.
 * Note any businesses or institutions which were not notified
 * At the end of the exercise the ICP should provide to the tasking agency (exercise controller) a map indicating where a responsible person was notified, where only brochures were left and where no contact was made or other gaps exist. If the map cannot be used to read addresses, a list of addresses should be provided.

Guests
This exercise is part of Emergency Preparedness Week activities being held at the Co-op Mall, the purpose of which is to encourage the public to come out and learn about Emergency Preparedness. Several other agencies will have their own vehicles and displays.

PCSAR is participating at the Co-op Mall to:
 * advance the message of emergency preparedness, especially in areas related to SAR
 * raise the profile of our organization
 * recruit new members
 * illustrate that SAR can be used for more than wilderness events

The public, the media, senior municipal officials and personnel from partner agencies will all be attending the activities and are expected to all have an interest in what is happening inside the ICP during the exercise. To accommodate this interest and allow it to fit with the exercise, all guests will be treated as dignitaries from partner and tasking agencies (e.g. as politicians or senior officials).

It is recommended that the Liaison Officer role be activated and assigned to deal with the public and others that approach the ICP. From the exercise perspective they would be briefing these "dignitaries" about the tasking undertaken by PCSAR and the progress and problems to date. In reality, these guests should be given
 * an overview of who PCSAR is and what we do
 * the types of volunteers needed by SAR (not just wilderness)
 * a description of the exercise currently be undertaken
 * a look inside the Incident Command Post
 * a discussion of the other equipment PCSAR has present or available

As needed, but not more than every 5 minutes, a quiet tour can be brought onto the command post. The Liaison Officer should discuss the equipment on the command post, the people and what roles they are doing. Only if there's a lull, should the overhead team be interrupted to allow the guests to view the map, etc.

Timeline

 * Tuesday May 8
 * briefing information (this document) released to the overhead team


 * Tuesday May 8 - Friday May 11
 * (played as early hours of Saturday August 25)
 * IC and overhead team prepares their plan, duplicates maps, creates assignments


 * Saturday May 12, 08:00-09:30
 * Set up of Emergency Preparedness Week displays, vehicles at Co-op Mall
 * SAR sets up displays
 * Incident Command Post put in place
 * Overhead team arrives and does last minute planning.
 * Assembly of information packages to be delivered to residents.


 * 09:30-10:00
 * exercise clock starts in real time
 * overhead team preps assignments, logistics
 * deal with early resource arrivals
 * respond to public interest in SAR command post


 * 10:00-12:00
 * Teams perform mock evacuation notices
 * respond to public interest in SAR command post, exercise


 * 12:00-12:30
 * firehall siren sounds
 * Teams return to base, debriefing
 * respond to public interest in SAR command post, exercise


 * 12:30-13:00
 * maps and report prepared
 * field SAR members released


 * 13:00-14:00
 * maps and report delivered to "tasking agency" (exercise controller)
 * Displays, command post tours to the public


 * 14:00
 * equipment torn down, readied and returned

Role briefings
This section gives exercise direction and suggestions for specific ICS roles. As is the nature of ICS, if no one is assigned to a specific role, all of those functions are to be carried out by the next senior role with the ICS structure. ICS roles can be combined.

Agency Executive
The Agency Executive ("tasking agency") will be played by the Exercise Controller. The Agency Executive may increase or decrease the area to be notified. A formal briefing of what was accomplished, including any gaps, should be provided to the Agency Executive at the conclusion of the exercise.

As they are identified, people needing special help to evacuate should be immediately relayed to the Agency Executive.

Incident Command
Best practice is for the Incident Commander to not get tied up in the details, but to delegate so as to be able to step back, take a look at the big picture and see if the response effort as whole is meeting its objectives.

Please set an example and wear the vest that clearly identifies you as the IC.

Safety Officer
All participants should be reminded to use the expression "No Duff", if a real safety issue arises (e.g. an injury) during an exercise.

Liaison Officer
The Liaison Officer will be busy dealing with guests ("dignitaries") - the public that wants to see what SAR is doing. See "Guests" above.

Public Information Officer
Media will be at the event and this is a good time to practice the Public Information Officer role which isn't often assigned to a SAR member.

The media will be interested in the exercise. In a real event, some information may be restricted. For this exercise, they should be given an unrestricted briefing, and full access to take pictures, etc.

Key messages to supply to the media:
 * Pincher Creek Search and Rescue trains to do more than just look for lost people (evacuation, disaster support, our H2S protocol with Shell)
 * We work closely with and support the other emergency agencies (RCMP, Emergency Services, Emergency Management - disaster service)
 * All types of skills are needed by SAR (phone work, wilderness, command post, snowmobile, rope rescue, etc.)
 * We are recruiting for new members (interested people invited to our meetings the 7pm the first Tuesday of each month)
 * Emergency preparedness includes planning your trips into the backcountry (be equiped, let people know where you are, when you'll be back, teaching your children)

Planning Section
Will maintain record of what has been notified (maps, lists). List of residences requiring help to evacuate. The details of what reports need to be prepared are given in "Task" above.

Should be developing contingency plans should the nature of the situation evolve (e.g. larger area to be notified, "1-hour stand by" turns into "evacuate now", activities extend into a 2nd operations period).

Also see that we meet the Exercise objectives.

Operations Section
will develop a plan to cover the area we have been assigned. This will be based on the amount of people that attend through the sign up sheet and actually show up. What will need to happen is for a Strike Team of three (one leader and two field personal) to go to an assigned area with the leader in a vehicle following the other members of the team down the road ways. What this does is to provide a good secure and accountable way to the field personal. Be aware that being highly visible is going to pay off for us here. The last thing we need is for us to look like we are blending into the area and appear as thieves or worse. When the notification starts, it is going to be up to the Operations Section Chief to make it efficient.

The details of what needs to be done in the field are given in "Task" above.

Communications unit
You're going to need to have three FRS radios for each team. Because teams are going to be so close together each team should have a different channel. This will cut down on the chatter of everyone trying to see if someone is talking to them or not and also make us more efficient.

Each team will also have a portable VHF (big) radio to keep in touch with the command post, held by the team leader in the vehicle.

Transportation Unit
A back up vehicle will need to be staffed for a possible evacuation of our own field personal. In this you will need to have a person who knows the area, map, VHF radio and a FRS radio with the list of what teams are using what. All communication will go through the Incident Command Post. This is a way of covering our butts and also to replace personal that need to come out for various reasons (bio brake, pizza run).

Supply Unit
High visibility will be needed and identification too. This includes the general staff in the command post or operations section. (In other words, all people on the Incident Command Post should be wearing vests displaying their role.)

Information packages need to be assembled. These will be provided to the Operations Section for distribution in the evacuation notice area. Other copies should be supplied to the Liaison Officer for guests ("dignitaries") that visit the Incident Command Post.

About 100 copies are needed for the original planned area. But the notification area may be enlarged, in which case the supply unit may need to scrounge or do last minute photocopying.

Packages are made up of:
 * shopping bag (Co-op)
 * PCSAR DOC-108 Recruitment Brochure (PCSAR)
 * national SAR Trip Planning brochure (PCSAR)
 * info sheet on fire hall sirens (PCCEMA)
 * building 72-hour kit (PCCEMA/AEMA)
 * other material that may be supplied by other agencies (AEMA, RCMP, AHS, PCES, Peigan FD)

Field personal will need to have a SAR coat and/or a high Visibility vest and ID. No need for a kit on your back as your vehicle can house your 24 hour pack. Water, first aid kit and snacks would be good to carry on you. Clothing for the environment, radio, maps and clip board, etc, will be needed.

Maps will need to be supplied to the field personnel.

Overhead Team will need a command post fully stocked with local maps that are up to date.