[Title]
[Date of Exercise]
Exercise Type
• Tabletop exercise (TTX)
– Discussion based
• Exercise play is not a “simulation”
• Players will discuss their agencies potential response
to the scenario
• Not all issues need to be resolved
– Discussions will inform planning revisions and
future exercises
Participants
• [List Participants]
Agenda
• Introductions
• Goals and Objectives
• Rules for Play
– Assumptions and Artificialities
– Exercise Format
• Exercise [insert breaks where appropriate]
–
–
–
–
–
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Recovery Discussion
• Debrief/Hotwash
Goal
• To increase preparedness for response to
pandemic influenza and other public health
emergencies
Objectives
• [Choose objectives from Objective
Worksheet]
Assumptions
• Participants are aware of their internal
response plans/procedures and are able to
accurately represent them here
• Evaluation is systemic not individual
• Decisions made during the exercise are not
necessarily precedent setting
• The scenario is plausible
Artificialities
• Narrow scope of the exercise
• Many unknowns about how an actual flu
pandemic will present itself
• Artificial timeline
• Incomplete process for decision making
Exercise Format [suggested]
• Information is provided
– Scenario Details
• For more detail ask the facilitator
– Targeted Questions
• 10-15 Minutes to discuss amongst yourselves
– Feel free to move around the room and engage others
• 10-15 Minutes to discuss as a large group
• Debrief at the end of the exercise
Safety
• [Identify emergency exits]
– [identify restrooms]
• Real world events will be identified by the
phrase “Real World”
– Exercise may be terminated for real world
emergencies
Questions?
• Please set phones, pagers, etc to vibrate
Part 1
Major Events 1
• It is January. There have been reports of a severe
influenza-like illness that has caused a number of
deaths in several countries in Asia. There have
also been suspected cases of human-to-human
transmission. The World Health Organization
(WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) have sent teams to
investigate. The national and international press is
giving the story wide coverage.
Local Events 1
• [Insert from Local Events 1 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Questions
• [Insert from Questions 1 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Part 2
Major Events 2
• It is mid-February. WHO has analyzed the virus
and determined that it is a new strain of Influenza.
Some clusters of human-to-human transmission
have been confirmed in Asia. There is a confirmed
cluster of cases in [Choose a domestic location
that is far your jurisdiction], and suspected
clusters are now being reported in 15 other states.
[If not testing antiviral/vaccine distribution,
consider adding “Antivirals do not appear to be
effective and vaccine is not yet available”]
Local Events 2
• [Insert from Local Events 2 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Questions 2
• [Insert from Questions 2 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Part 3
Major Events 3
• It is late March. There are now many suspected
cases of this flu in [your state or jurisdiction].
Nationally there are several areas of widespread
activity and there have been cases reported in all
50 states. The case fatality ratio is estimated
nationally at 2.0% (very serious illness). Some
affected areas have closed schools and cancelled
community events. [If not testing antiviral/vaccine
distribution, consider adding “Antivirals do not
appear to be effective and vaccine is not yet
available”]
Local Events 3
• [Insert from Local Events 3 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Questions 3
• [Insert from Questions 3 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Part 4
Major Events 4
• It is early April. The CDC has declared this to be a
Category 5 pandemic. The flu is widespread
nationally and in [your jurisdiction]. Many local
businesses are reporting up to 40% absenteeism,
with some shutting down completely. It is
estimated that 20% of the local population has
become ill. There is no vaccine or antivirals
available. Federal assets are dispersed and not
available.
Local Events 4
• [Insert from Local Events 4 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Questions 4
• [Insert from Questions 4 column for the
objectives chosen in the Objective
Worksheet]
Recovery Discussion
Two waves of illness have passed. The first was by far the most severe. It is expected that there
will be an additional wave of illness that will be less severe than the first and the second waves,
and will be comparable to a typical flu season.
•
What resources have been mobilized?
–
•
How will government services that have been temporarily suspended be reinstated?
–
•
•
What non-essential services need to be reinstated first?
How will costs be recovered?
What are the long-term/ongoing issues?
–
–
–
–
•
•
How will they be de-mobilized?
Mental Health
Repealing community containment measures (i.e. school closures)
Economic recovery
Etc
What strategies could your jurisdiction consider to initiate economic recovery?
Which local agencies should take the lead on these recovery issues? How could the private sector
contribute to the recovery process?
[This is an optional slide to facilitate a discussion on recovery issues and returning to “normal”.
Questions should be focused on this process after the pandemic has ended.]
Debrief/Hotwash
Thank You!
Acknowledgements: This table-top exercise was created using
NACCHO’s Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercise Template (2007)