Situation Manual – School
Time Allotted
149 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
1
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Exercise Play
During the Operation Sudden School Storm Tabletop Exercise it will be important to remember and comply with the
following statements:
 THIS EXERCISE IS DESIGNED AS A TORNADO PROTECTIVE ACTION / RESPONSE EXERCISE.
 DO NOT JUMP AHEAD IN THE EXERCISE SCENARIO.
 NEVER MAKE ASSUMPTIONS THAT CERTAIN ACTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE.
 THOROUGHLY REVIEW ALL SCENARIOS AND INJECTS AS THEY ARE PRESENTED DURING THE
EXERCISE.
 IDENTIFY ONE INDIVIDUAL TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INPUTTING RESPONSES TO EXERCISE INJECTS.
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
2
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 001
Image of NOAA Weather Radio
Does your school have an operational NOAA Weather Radio on the premises?
Yes
No
If the above answer is yes. – Identify the individual by name and title that is responsible for maintaining the radio to ensure
that it is operational.
Where is the radio located?
If the above answer is no. – Explain why there is not a radio on the premises.
If your school has a radio activate it at this time to ensure that it is operational.
Is your school’s NOAA Weather Radio operational?
Yes
No
If the above answer is no. – Explain why the radio is not working.
Identify three other sources that your school uses for monitoring weather conditions and other potential threats.
Source # 1:
Source # 2:
Source # 3:
Time Allotted
9 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
3
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 002
No Image
It is early February and the severe weather associated with a cold front moving through the area prompts the Tallahassee
Forecast Office of the National Weather Service to issue a Tornado Watch for North Florida, South Georgia and
Southeastern Alabama.
Tornado Watch - 3:55AM – Narrative
Tornado Watch - 3:55AM – Image
Time Allotted
4 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
4
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 003
Image of Crisis Response Team
As members of your school’s Crisis Response Team begin to arrive for work are there any
actions that will need be taken by team members due to the fact that the region is under a
Tornado Watch.
Yes
No
If the above answer is yes. – Describe any actions or activities would be undertaken.
Time Allotted
7 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
5
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 004
No Image
As students, teachers, staff and / or visitors begin to arrive at your school they are met with heavy rains and winds
normally associated with a cold front moving through the area.
Soon the heavy rain turns into a severe hail storm.
Operation SSS – Video # 1 – Severe Hail
CLICK ON VIDEO TO PLAY
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
6
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 005
No Image
At 10:11AM, meteorologists at the National Weather Service notice what appears to be the formation of a tornado on their
doppler weather radar. They immediately issue a Tornado Warning.
Tornado Warning notification systems have been activated.
Operation SSS – Video # 2 – Tornado Warning Siren
CLICK ON VIDEO TO PLAY
The tornado is moving on a tract from the southwest to the northeast.
Tornado Warning Area – 10:11AM – Image
Time Allotted
5 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
7
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 006
Tornado
Over the next 30 to 40 minutes the Tallahassee Forecast Office of the National Weather Service issues one Tornado
Warning after another as the advancing cold front spawns numerous tornadoes threatening neighborhoods throughout the
region.
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
8
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 007
Image of School Notification
Suddenly the severe weather monitoring system at your school alerts you that a tornado has formed to the southwest of
your location. Your school is in the probable path of the tornado.
Describe in detail how students, teachers, staff and / or visitors will be alerted to the fact that your school is in the
probable path of a tornado.
Identify the primary, secondary and tertiary individuals by name and title that are responsible for alerting students,
teachers, staff and / or visitors that your school is in the Tornado Warning area.
Primary Individual:
Secondary Individual:
Tertiary Individual:
Time Allotted
6 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
9
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 008
Image of Protective Action
As notification of the Tornado Warning is disseminated to students, teachers, staff and / or visitors what Protective Action
instructions will they be given?
Prepare a prioritized list of Protective Actions that should be initiated by teachers and / or staff upon notification that your
school is within the area for which a Tornado Warning has been issued.
Protective Action # 1:
Identify and thoroughly describe how this Protective Action will be implemented / accomplished and identify the individual /
individuals by name and title that will be responsible for it implementation.
Protective Action # 2:
Identify and thoroughly describe how this Protective Action will be implemented / accomplished and identify the individual /
individuals by name and title that will be responsible for it implementation.
Protective Action # 3:
Identify and thoroughly describe how this Protective Action will be implemented / accomplished and identify the individual /
individuals by name and title that will be responsible for it implementation.
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
10
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Protective Action # 4:
Identify and thoroughly describe how this Protective Action will be implemented / accomplished and identify the individual /
individuals by name and title that will be responsible for it implementation.
Protective Action # 5:
Identify and thoroughly describe how this Protective Action will be implemented / accomplished and identify the individual /
individuals by name and title that will be responsible for it implementation.
Time Allotted
15 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
11
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 009
Image of Communications
At this point in the tornado response, would you make contact with the District Security
Center?
Yes
No
If the above answer is yes. – Describe how contact will be made.
If the above answer is no. – At what point would the District Security Center be contacted.
If contact with the District Security Center is to be made via phone list the primary, secondary and tertiary phone numbers
for contacting the center.
Primary Phone Number:
Secondary Phone Number:
Tertiary Phone Number:
If you are unable to establish contact via phone list two other means of establishing communications with the District
Security Center.
Alternate Communications Capability # 1:
Alternate Communications Capability # 2:
Time Allotted
9 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
12
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 010
No Image
An important Protective Action decision that was made was to have everyone move to your school’s designated Severe
Weather Shelter locations.
Operation SSS – Video # 4 – Protective Action
CLICK ON VIDEO TO PLAY
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
13
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 011
Image of Severe Weather Shelter Sign
Prepare a list of the various Severe Weather Shelter locations at your school.
Location # 1:
Location # 2:
Location # 3:
Location # 4:
Location # 5:
Location # 6:
Location # 7:
Location # 8:
Location # 9:
Location # 10:
Time Allotted
5 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
14
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 012
Image of Portable Class Room
Based on previous tornado drills, how long should it take for everyone to move to a designated Severe Weather Shelter
location?
Describe how the Crisis Response Team will know when everyone has completed their move to one of the designated
Severe Weather Shelter locations.
If your school has portable classrooms, describe how students and teachers will move from those locations during severe
weather conditions such as high wind, heavy rain and / or hail.
If your school has students with disabilities, describe the arrangements that have been made to assist them in moving to a
designated Severe Weather Shelter location.
Time Allotted
7 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
15
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 013
No Image
As the process of moving everyone at your school to a designated Severe Weather Shelter is completed, the winds
associated with the approaching tornado begin to howl.
Operation SSS – Video # 5 – Security Camera
CLICK ON VIDEO TO PLAY
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
16
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 014
No Image
With the minimum destructive power of an estimated F-1 tornado the storm brushes by your school.
The path of the tornado is indicated by the grey line.
Download a copy of the tornadoes track – Image
Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale
F-1
Time Allotted
Wind Speed
73-112 MPH
Destruction Power




Can peel the roof off
Can push mobile homes off of foundation or overturn them
Moving cars can be pushed off the road
Trees are up-rooted.
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
17
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 015
Image of Command
Briefly describe the management / incident command structure for your school Crisis Response Team. In other words who
is in charge at your school, who is second in command, who reports to who.
Identify the various roles / responsibilities assigned to members of your Crisis Response Team. (List the role /
responsibility and the name / title of the individual responsible for fulfilling that role / responsibility.)
Role / Responsibility # 1:
Role / Responsibility # 2:
Role / Responsibility # 3:
Role / Responsibility # 4:
Role / Responsibility # 5
Role / Responsibility # 6:
Role / Responsibility # 7:
Role / Responsibility # 8:
Role / Responsibility # 9:
Role / Responsibility # 10:
Time Allotted
15 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
18
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 016
Image of Minor Damage
As the tornado tracked past your school it caused the following damage:







A number of were trees blown onto your building.
A portion of your building’s roof has been blown off.
Windows all along the side of the building facing the storm have been shattered by wind and flying debris.
Up-Rooted trees litter the grounds around your building.
Utility poles and power lines are down and your building does not have electrical power.
Downed trees have up-rooted the water main and telephone cable leading to your building leaving you without
phone service and access to the internet.
Downed trees are blocking the roadway to your building.
A copy of your school’s floor plan is found below. The floor plan could assist with your tornado response planning.
Insert School Floor Plan
Download a copy of the floor plan – Image
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
19
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 017
Image of Priority
Prepare a prioritized list of actions that will need to take place within several hours after the tornado has struck.
Thoroughly describe each prioritized action and identify the individual / individuals by name and title that are responsible
for implementing the identified action.
Action # 1:
Action # 2:
Action # 3:
Action # 4:
Action # 5:
Action # 6:
Action # 7:
Action # 8:
Time Allotted
15 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
20
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Scenario – # 018
Image of Minor Injuries
While everyone took refuge in designated Severe Weather Shelter locations there were a number of individuals injured.
Injuries include:




Two individuals with broken arms.
One individual with a broken leg.
19 individuals with multiple lacerations.
Two individuals with head injuries.
Time Allotted
3 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
21
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 019
Image of Fire Department / Police / EMS
The fire department, police department and EMS have all arrived on scene.
Identify the individual by name and title from your school that will be responsible for interfacing with emergency response
personnel.
What information will be provided to the various emergency responders by your Crisis Response Team?
Once emergency responders arrive on scene does the school Crisis Response Team remain
in charge of overall response activities?
Yes
No
If the above answer is yes. – Describe why the Crisis Response Team would remain in overall command of response
activities.
If the above answer is no. – Outline the role of the Crisis Response Team as part of a unified response team.
Time Allotted
9 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
22
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 020
Image of Media
The local media has arrived and is asking for a statement regarding your tornado response activities. The local television
station’s mobile studio truck will be arriving within the next 15 minutes and their reporter wants to go live from the scene of
the tornado and interview students and / or teachers.
Identify the individual by name and title that will be responsible for interfacing with the media.
Will the media be allowed to interview students?
Yes
No
Will the media be allowed to interview teachers?
Yes
No
What information will be provided to the media and how will you limit their access to your school.
Time Allotted
7 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
23
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com
Operation SSS – Inject – # 021
Image of Parents
The parents of students have been calling and arriving at your school. They want to know the condition of their children
and have numerous questions regarding the tornado response.
What will parents who have called be told?
Are their procedures that will need to be followed before parents can pick up their children
from school?
Yes
No
Are their procedures that will need to be followed before students with vehicles will are allowed
to leave school?
Yes
No
If either of the above answer is yes. – Briefly describe these procedures.
Time Allotted
8 Minutes
Situation Manual – Tabletop Exercise
24
Disaster Resistant Communities Group – www.drc-group.com