Blackout Table Top Exercise
<Facilitator Name>
<Organization Name>
<Date>
Slide 1
About This Tool
• This tool is the result of a collaboration between the Primary Care
Development Corporation (PCDC) and the National Association of
Community Health Centers (NACHC).
• It is intended to provide primary care centers, including community
health centers, an easy to use tool to test and improve their
business continuity plans.
• For assistance, questions or more information on this and other
business continuity and emergency preparedness tools and
resources, please contact PCDC (www.pcdc.org or 212-437-3900) or
NACHC (www.nachc.org or xxx-xxx-xxxx)
Slide 2
Today’s Agenda
• Review information about table top exercises
• Table Top Exercise
– Scenario injects
– Group decision and discussion
• Facilitator directed questions
• Hotwash
• Next Steps
– After Action Report (AAR)
– Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
Slide 3
What is a Table Top Exercise (TTX)
• A Tabletop Exercise, also known as a TTX, is one type of exercise
held in an informal setting intended to generate discussion of
various issues regarding a hypothetical, simulated emergency
incident.
• TTXs can be used to:
– Enhance general awareness
– Validate plans and procedures
– Assess the types of systems needed to guide prevention of, protection from, response
to, and recovery from a defined incident.
• Goals of TTXs include:
– Facilitating concept understanding
– Identifying strengths & weaknesses
– Achieving changes in attitudes.
Slide 4
Types of Exercises
Slide 5
Why do a TTX?
• Testing the plan, not the people
• Key organizational personnel discuss simulated scenarios in an
informal setting
• Assist in the promotion of understanding related concepts
• Used to assess plans, policies, procedures or the systems employed
by the organization
– Highlight strengths and areas for improvement within current plans, policies and
procedures
Slide 6
Exercise Roles
• Facilitator
– Facilitates the exercise
• Participants (Players)
– Key Staff & Decision Makers
– External Agencies
– Elected / Appointed Officials
• Evaluators
– Observe behavior in relation to plans & procedures
– Record Information without leading Players
– Report observations
• Observers
– Observe exercise; No interaction in exercise play
Slide 7
Hotwash, After Action Report (AAR), & Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
• Hotwash
– A debrief with the exercise planning team, controllers & evaluators held immediately following the
exercise.
– Allows controllers and evaluators to collect observations and thoughts about the conduct of the
exercise which leads to the development of preliminary analyses of exercise observations.
• After Action Report (AAR)
– Chronological narrative of discussion for each capability & associated activities
– Highlight both strengths and areas for improvement
– Identify discussion points relevant to your site’s ability to carry out the activities
– Demonstrate the capabilities being exercised
• Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
– Corrective actions are the concrete, actionable steps outlined in improvement plans that are
intended to resolve preparedness gaps and shortcomings experienced in exercises or real-world
incidents.
Slide 8
TTX Objectives & Capabilities
• For the purposes of this Table Top, our site is focused on testing the
following capabilities:
• Describe 1-3
•
•
capabilities of your
BCP that you are
testing for this
TTX.
Capabilities can
include certain
business processes,
BIA’s, or
disruptive action
policies
Be sure to delete
this box prior to the
TTX
• The objectives of today’s Table Top are:
•
•
•
Slide 9
Describe 1-3
SMART goals for
the exercise.
SMART stands for
Specific,
Measurable,
Achievable,
Realistic and
Timely
Be sure to delete
this box prior to the
TTX
TTX Intent
• This tabletop exercise was specifically developed to identify gaps in
business continuity plans
• The intent of this TTX will be to specifically target the discussion of
business continuity operations and response to an emergency event.
• Processes, discussion and decision-making are more important than
minute details.
Slide 10
BCP Topics to Consider During TTX
•
BIA Report
•
HVA Report
•
Incident Management Plan
•
Communications Plan
– Emergency Notification Plan
– Risk Communications Policy
•
Procedures
– Disruption Actions
– Individual Business Impact Analysis Forms
•
Appendices
–
–
–
Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)
Key Contacts, Vendors & Suppliers
Other Important Documents
Slide 11
TTX Play
• Table Top Exercise
– Scenario injects
– Group discussion and decision
• Facilitator directed questions
• Hotwash
• Next Steps
– After Action Report (AAR)
– Corrective Action Plan (CAP)
Slide 12
Remember…
• Accept the artificialities of the scenario
– “Fight the problem not the scenario”
• Remember you are testing the plan, not the people
– There are no right or wrong answers
• Consider your current plan, facility, capacity & capabilities
• There will be time for group problem-solving, discussion and decision-making
• Even though a TTX is a “discussion-based” exercise, you will need to make actual decisions at the
end of each discussion
• Makes notes on your response
• Please direct all questions to the facilitator/controller
Slide 13
TTX Scenario
• Day 1
• Tuesday in August at 11:00 am
• The weather is hot and sunny and the local government has issued a
heat advisory for the remainder of the week
• The site is experiencing a normal to high patient volume
• The site is running with 80% of normal staff due to employee
vacation. All systems are running smoothly
Slide 14
TTX: Module 1
• Day 1
• Tuesday in August at 11:00 am
• Suddenly the site experiences a loss of power
• The interior of the site is receiving only natural light, where available
• A few people yell out when the power goes out. A few of them remain agitated
after the initial loss of light.
• DISCUSS & DECIDE (5 minutes)
• Discuss how you would response based on the above injects
• Make decisions based on current plans and capabilities
Photo Credit: http://phoenix.fanster.com/2009/10/29/the-sports-retorter-cardinals-fans-and-blackouts-used-to-be-a-normal-occurrence/
Slide 15
TTX: Module 2
• Day 1
• Tuesday in August at 11:00 am
• Preliminary reports are that it is a widespread black out of unknown cause.
• A neighbor informs your staff that they heard the power would be restored in 1-2
hours.
• Patients continue to arrive for regular appointments
• Some of the patients in the building refuse to leave
• Some staff have begun gathering in the reception area wondering what to do
• DISCUSS & DECIDE (5 minutes)
• Discuss how you would response based on the above injects
• Make decisions based on current plans and capabilities
Slide 16
TTX: Module 3
• Day 1
• Tuesday in August at 12:30 pm
• The electric company is estimating power restoration in 1-2 hours
• Scheduled patients continue to show up at the office for appointments
• A non-patient enters the building complaining of being overheated and faint
• Unconfirmed reports of libraries, child care centers, day camps, summer school, etc. are
being closed and children are being sent home
• DISCUSS & DECIDE (5 minutes)
• Discuss how you would response based on the above injects
• Make decisions based on current plans and capabilities
Photo Credit: http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/news/2008/20080922_095736.html/
Slide 17
TTX: Module 4
• Day 1
• Tuesday in August at 2:00 pm
• The electric company is now estimating that power will not be
restored for 24-48 hours
• Fewer scheduled patients show up at the office for appointments
however walk in visits due to heat issues are rising
• DISCUSS & DECIDE (5 minutes)
• Discuss how you would response based on the above injects
• Make decisions based on current plans and capabilities
Photo Credit: http://fulltimerver.com/dont-let-summer-injuries-spoil-your-rving//
Slide 18
TTX: Module 5
• Day 3
• Thursday in August at 11:30 am
• 48 hours since the initial blackout, the electric company restores power to the
entire neighborhood but requests everyone to conserve energy for the remainder
of the week
• Paper files, reports, notes, faxes, etc. are piled up in the office
• No site equipment requiring electricity has been used since the blackout
• DISCUSS & DECIDE (5 minutes)
• Discuss how you would response based on the above injects
• Make decisions based on current plans and capabilities
Photo Credit: http://www.greatcircle.com.au/2007/09/28/clean-desk-clear-head/
Slide 19
Activity: Hotwash
• What did you learn from the TTX today about your site and your
BCP?
– What areas of your BCP are well developed?
– What areas of you BCP need improvement?
– What are your next steps?
Slide 20
Next Steps
• The site will use the information gathered from the hotwash
discussion to complete a draft version of the After Action Report
(AAR), including a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).
• The draft version will be circulated to site staff for feedback. The
feedback will be incorporated into a final draft of the AAR & CAP.
• Staff will meet for an After Action Conference (AAC) where the final
draft will be approved and plans to implement the CAP will be
adopted.
Slide 21
QUESTIONS?
Slide 22
<Site Logo>
Contact:
<Your Name>
<Phone Number>
<E-Mail>
<Site Web Address>
Slide 23