Exercise Situation Manual (SitMan)
Purpose
The Hurricane Access – A FNSS Shelter Tabletop Exercise will serve
as an opportunity for agencies and organizations assigned functional
and special needs sheltering lead and support roles to work as a team
to assess their ability to open, manage and close emergency shelters.
The primary purpose of this exercise is to identify strengths and areas needing improvement
regarding local FNSS sheltering plans and procedures via a series of informational scenarios
and injects.
Core Capabilities
Capabilities-based planning focuses on planning under uncertainty because the next danger or
disaster can never be forecast with complete accuracy. Therefore, capabilities-based planning
takes an all-hazards approach to planning and preparation that builds capabilities that can be
applied to a wide variety of incidents. The Core Capability selected for this exercise is:
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Functional / Special Needs Shelter Operations
This capability provides the foundation for development of the exercise design objectives and
scenario. The purpose of this exercise is to measure and validate performance of this
capability and its associated critical tasks.
Exercise Objectives
The exercise will focus on the following design objectives to guide exercise play:
1. Evaluate the ability to effectively manage the numerous actions associated with opening,
operating and closing an emergency shelter.
Participants
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Players respond to the situation presented based on expert knowledge of response
procedures, current plans and procedures, and insights derived from training.
Facilitators provide situation updates and moderate discussions. They also provide
additional information or resolve questions as required. Facilitators are responsible for
keeping discussion on track and ensuring all responses are submitted within the ONX
System.
Evaluators observe and record player discussions and actions. Evaluators complete
Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) to provide substantive assessment for inclusion in the
After Action Report.
Hurricane Access Exercise
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Exercise Structure
This will be a multimedia, facilitated functional exercise conducted through the ONX System.
As scenario information and injects are presented within the ONX System, exercise
participants are expected to discuss and formulate action steps as a team. Participants will
examine the current situation and engage in a group discussion of appropriate response
issues based on their plans and procedures while identifying areas for improvement. All
discussions and decisions should be input into the ONX System for inclusion in exercise
reports. Discussion questions and scenario information may be presented in the form of
multiple choice question, short answer response, multimedia message and / or map.
Exercise Guidelines
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This is an open, low-stress, no-fault environment. Varying viewpoints, even disagreements,
are expected.
Respond based on your knowledge of current plans and capabilities (i.e., you may request
the use of existing assets) and insights derived from training.
Decisions are not precedent setting and may not reflect the organization’s final position on
a given issue. This is an opportunity to discuss and present multiple options and possible
solutions.
Issue identification is not as valuable as suggestions and recommended actions that could
improve response and preparedness efforts. Problem-solving efforts should be the focus.
Assumptions and Artificialities
In any exercise a number of assumptions and artificialities may be necessary to complete play
in the time allotted. During this exercise, the following apply:
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The scenario is plausible, and events occur as they are presented.
There is no “hidden agenda”, nor any trick questions.
All players receive information at the same time.
Scenario
It is late August and local residents have been complacent in their hurricane preparedness
activities because this year’s hurricane season has only produced several tropical storms and
a few minor hurricanes, none of which have made landfall. Families are preparing their
children for the start of a new school year while local business owners and government
agencies are thinking that the hurricane season could be very inconsequential. However
weather forecasters are predicting a major change in the atmosphere that could see a sharp
increase in the severity of hurricanes within the next few weeks.
By early September area residents, business owners and government officials begin to follow
the projected path of another tropical storm.
The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Tropical Depression # 1 to Tropical Storm
Hanna. The storm continues its forward movement and is expected to become a hurricane in
the next 12 to 24 hours.
Hurricane Access Exercise
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