Tabletop Exercise Nov 14 2006

1
Tabletop ExerciseNov 14 2006

• An Exercise prepared for
• THE CITY OF MEXICALI, B.C.
• THE CITY OF CALEXICO, CA.
• THE COUNTY OF IMPERIAL, CA.
• DIRECCION ESTATAL DE PROTECCION CIVIL, B.C.
• PROFEPA, MEXICO
• US EPA, REGION 9
• U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

2
Opening Remarks

• Imperial Valley FD, EPA and Bajas Civil
  Protection Agency

3
Introduction, Process and Exercise Rules

• Exercise Director
• David de la Peza
• Assistant Director
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security

4
Introduction of Exercise Participants

• PlayersObservers

5
Exercise Development, Management and Control Team
Structure
Exercise Design Team

• Daniel Perez Bastidas
• Alba Perea
• Instituto Municipal de Investigación y Planeación
  Urbana
• Barbara Maco
• EPA
• Jesus Jimenes Payan
• PROFEPA
• Alfredo Estrada
• Imperial County Fire Department
• Raymundo Noriega
• Dirección de Protección Civil
• David de la Peza
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• Tetra Tech NUS, Inc
• SAIC

6
BORDER ENVIRONMENT COOPERATION COMMISSIONBORDER
2012 PROJECTBinational Emergency Preparedness
Exercise Program
Introduction

• A Binational exercise for responding to simulated
  chemical spills situations in the Imperial
  Valley, Ca. / Mexicali, B.C, border area. This
  exercise is sponsored by the United States
  Environmental Protection Agency as part of the
• BORDER 2012 PROJECT.
• BORDER SHIELD 2006 is the latest in a series of
  annual exercises conducted jointly by Mexico and
  the United States under the BORDER 2012 PROJECT,
  is designed to assist the Mexicali/Imperial
  Valley Task Force in understanding the unique
  requirements under which their Binational
  Imperial County-Mexicali Emergency Prevention and
  Response Plan is implemented.

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Exercise Objectives

• Familiarize participants with agency roles and
  responsibilities related to the Binational
  Imperial County-Mexicali Emergency Prevention and
  Response Plan.
• Review plans and procedures associated with
  cross-border collaboration and communication
  between fire departments and other agencies in
  response to a chemical emergency in the border
  region.
• Identify critical information needed for a
  competent joint cross-border response to a
  chemical emergency.

Some objectives will be observed both on the day
of the exercise and also in one or more
interviews and or demonstrations out of sequence
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Exercise Rules

• Participants from each city will be required to
  function as individual groups within a unified
  incident command system.
• Exercise participants will meet in groups that
  correspond to those formed in a real emergency
  for each city EOC and Incident Command Posts
  (Mexicali, Calexico and the Imperial Valley).
• The groups sequentially will review the scenario,
  answer questions and log their likely actions in
  response to incident events.
• During this exercise participants will need to
  rely on their own resources to manage the
  incident.

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Exercise Rules (cont)

• Make your best decision based on the information
  that is presented.
• Respond according to your knowledge of the plan,
  procedures and resources. It is ok not to
  know.
• There may be no pat answer.
• It is OK to disagree. Identify the key issues
  contributing to the disagreement and agree to
  find solutions in the future.

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Exercise Rules (cont)

• You are playing yourself (but you may need to
  think outside your usual role).
• Assume that the information you are given is
  accurate.
• Each group will designate one person to perform
  the following roles
• Emergency Operations Manager,
• Incident Commander,
• Liaison Officer,
• Note Taker, to keep a chronological list of
  response activities,
• Representatives of responding organizations
  (fire, police, health, etc.)
• Observers may not interact with the players.

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TodaysAgenda
Time Exercise Activity
08300900 30 Participant registration.
09000915 15 Opening Remarks (Imperial Valley FD, EPA and Bajas Civil Protection Agency).
09150935 20 Introduction of Exercise Participants (Players, Evaluators and Observers).
09350945 10 Introduction and Exercise Rules (Exercise Director).
09450955 10 Overview of exercise objectives (Controllers).
09551000 5 Scenario 1 (Initial Situation Briefing).
10001005 5 Caucus Period (each virtual EOC and for all participants).
10051035 30 Facilitated Discussion.
10351040 5 Inject 1 (Situation Update).
10401045 5 Caucus Period (each virtual EOC and for all players).
10451115 30 Facilitated Discussion.
11151125 10 Break.
11251130 5 Scenario 2 (Initial Situation Briefing).
11301135 5 Caucus Period (each virtual EOC and for all players).
11351205 30 Facilitated Discussion
12051210 5 Inject 1.
12101215 5 Caucus Period (each virtual EOC and for all players).
12151235 20 Facilitated Discussion.
12351240 5 Inject 2.
12401245 5 Caucus Period (each virtual EOC and for all players).
12451305 20 Facilitated Discussion.
13051330 25 Exercise Evaluation and Final Discussion (Exercise Director and all participants).
13301340 10 Final Remarks and closure comments (Imperial Valley FD, EPA and Bajas Civil Protection Agency).
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Questions before we begin?
13
Begin Exercise
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Tabletop Exercise Instructions

• Exercise Controllers

Raymundo Noriega Coordinator Dirección de
Protección Civil Gobierno del Estado de Baja
California
Alfredo Estrada Assistant Fire Chief Imperial
County Fire Department
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Instructions

• Two totally different scenarios and situational
  statements will be used to generate discussion of
  probable EOC, ICP or joint response actions and
  activities.
• Participants will provide situational responses
  based on established and actual procedures, plans
  and resources.
• All ideas and input are welcome.
• Open dialogue strongly encouraged.
• Only one person speaks at a time.

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• EXERCISE SCENARIO A
• AMMONIA LEAK FROM TRAIN CAR

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SCENARIO A Scenario Background
At approximately 0955 a.m., today, Ferrocarriles
Nacionales train was being prepared for departure
in the Calexicos West Port Of Entry, on its way
to the northeast to deliver its cargo. As part of
this process, it was traveling at about 2.9 miles
per hour when an emergency brake application
occurred and the train movement stopped. Five
loaded tank cars had suffered a derailment, one
of them containing anhydrous ammonia and 4 of
them liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), just between
both the U.S. and Mexicos port of entry
facilities. Two of the derailed tank cars were
overturned and the anhydrous ammonia rail car
suffered a fissure in one of the control device
elements. This leak resulted in the immediate
evacuation of the employees and users of both
customs facilities. There are still some
personnel inside the installations and some of
the persons are still in their cars on their way
to cross the border, citizens are reporting
strange odors and other related health problems
by the anhydrous ammonia vapors from 1 block from
the derailment, reports are being received by the
Calexicos 911 dispatch center from businesses
near the Port of Entry, and by C4 dispatch center
in Mexicali, from civilians near the scenario.
The train has already crossed into US territory,
and the ammonia tank car is located just between
the border boundaries. The crew consisted of an
engineer and a conductor both were employees of
Ferrocarriles Nacionales. The crew survived the
collision, receiving relatively minor crash
injuries. They exited their locomotive as the
escaping anhydrous ammonia from the breached tank
car was filling the derailment area with the
poisonous anhydrous ammonia gas.
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SCENARIO A Scenario Background

• The train includes 5 tank cars and 2 box cars
• 4 tank cars of LPG (UN 1075, Class 2.1),
• 1 tank car of anhydrous ammonia (UN 1005, Class
  2.4), has a capacity of 33,500 gallons.
• 2 box cars.
• Current weather conditions
• Temperature 73.9 F / 23.3 C
• Light winds 3.5 mph / 5.6 km/h
• Wind direction NNW
• Humidity 38

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Exercise A Initial Scenario Setting
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Exercise A Initial Scenario Setting
21
Caucus Period
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INITIAL SCENARIO A QUESTIONS

• Mexicali and Calexico (EOC and ICP)
• Which agency will assume Incident Command in your
  jurisdiction?
• What are the incidents command priorities?
• Are responding units equipped with appropriate
  personal protective equipment to handle the
  situation?
• What physical resources do you expect to have on
  scene from local resources?
• Will these resources come through normal in place
  run card or preplans or do you need a special
  call?
• How many personnel will you expect to respond
  initially, how many personnel do you expect to
  actually need where will they come from if not
  available from normal sources?
• What existing local plans or procedures are
  available to assist you with this response?
• What additional response resources should be
  requested?
• What needs to be done about the bystanders
  people staying in their cars in and around the
  incident? And how this will be done?
• What should be done about the residents and
  bystanders downwind of the chemical plume?

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INITIAL SCENARIO A QUESTIONS

• Imperial Valley EOC
• At what point the county will be notified about
  this incident?
• It will respond to the scene? Why? When?
• Mexicali and Calexicos Dispatch Centers
• How does dispatch ensures that appropriate
  administrative personnel and city officials are
  notified of the incident, according to the
  Binational Plan and local protocols?
• The preparation of the dispatch personnel
  includes appropriate referrals to the Binational
  Plan or other current response protocols?
• Are the dispatch centers prepared to handle calls
  from people that speak other language?
• All players
• Your jurisdiction has a railroad emergency
  response plan?
• The communication protocol included in the
  Binational Plan is appropriate for this incident?
• What pertinent data needs to be collected to
  facilitate the response from the other country
  counterparts agencies?
• Describe how communications are maintained
  between the various response elements (police,
  fire, EMS, etc.) in a local emergency and how
  will be maintained in a binational emergency.
• The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) procedures
  are consistent with plans, procedures, and
  protocols? Are local or mutual plans sufficient
  for response to a complex chemical incident?

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INITIAL SCENARIO A QUESTIONS

• All players
• Does the Emergency Manager from your jurisdiction
  have authority to use necessary resources to
  mitigate the emergency and coordinate additional
  elements? How will the EOC manager perform these
  duties?
• How will the Incident Commander (IC) coordinate
  with the local EOC, to analyze information and
  available data to formulate mitigation and
  protective actions? How will the local
  information be shared with the counterpart
  authorities?
• The first response agencies (Fire, EMS, Police,
  etc.) have protocols for responding to chemical
  emergencies? Is yes, are both communities
  protocols provide to the establishment of a
  Unified Command Post or Joint Response
  Operations?
• The EOC personnel maintain an account of incident
  events? How was this done?
• The representatives from the participating
  agencies considered in the Binational Plan, have
  decision-making authority for their respective
  agencies? If not, who has this authority?

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EXERCISE SCENARIO A, INJECT No. 1
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SCENARIO A INJECT No. 1
20 minutes have pass from the first arrival of
the responders, an emergency responder from the
Calexico Fire Department has discovered a frost
ring on the bottom center of tank car, which
contains 140,377 pounds (29,054 gallons) of a LPG
Gas and. The leak from the ammonia continues at
the same magnitude. Many additional resources
have been required to handle the situation by
both communities emergency management agencies.
The businesses located near the spill are
concerned about the economic impact of this
incident. The hospitals and clinics are receiving
many calls and visits from patients complaining
of throat irritation, shortness of breath and
chest pain, no injuries or fatalities have been
reported as a result of the failure of the
ammonia tank car. The media is trying to obtain
information on this incident and are approaching
the scene. Various government and private
organizations involved in the response are
freelancing and putting out conflicting
information. Many people are showing up at the
scene and want to know about loved ones that they
speculate were in the area at the time of the
accident. The direction of the wind has changed
to WNW and the speed has increased to 13.8 mph /
22.2 km/h. A Mexicali police officer reports to
the C4 center that some of the vegetation on the
new river is getting brownish and found some dead
birds near the river. People outside of the
immediate evacuation area are now calling the C4
center to report a gas breathing related
problems. Response personnel from EPA, National
Transportation Safety Board, United States
Department of Transportation, and Federal
Railroad Administration will be arriving at the
scene around 6 p.m. and each one wants to speak
with the Incident Commander in charge of the
accident. The leak is proving to be a real
challenge and projections are that it is going to
take several hours before there is significant
change in the scene. It will take about 3 hours
for the railroad company response team to
arrive. Hospitals are reporting that they cannot
take any more patients. Calexico and Mexicali
officials want to know if it is time to request a
Disaster Declaration.
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Caucus Period
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SCENARIO A INJECT No. 1 QUESTIONS

• Mexicali and Calexico (EOC and ICP)
• What are response priorities at this time?
• Would the IC activate his jurisdiction EOC, if
  not what would it take to make you want to
  activate the EOC?
• Which agency will have the Incident Command and
  the overall Emergency management of the incident?
• Your jurisdiction has an operational EOC? Whit
  fully communications and notification
  capabilities?
• Can the leak be blocked with local resources?
• How much time do you estimate that leak can be
  contained?
• What is being done about the accident and when do
  you expect the problem to be resolved?
• Your jurisdiction has rail car leak containment
  equipment? The surrounding jurisdictions?
• Your response personnel have rail car hazardous
  materials response training?
• What other health and public safety issues do you
  have at this time?
• At this time a County or State of Emergency will
  be summon?
• How would you notify Binational emergency
  management agencies of this developing situation?

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SCENARIO A INJECT No. 1 QUESTIONS

• Imperial Valley EOC
• What will be the expected status of response of
  the County at this time?
• If requested by the Mexicali officials, the
  hazmat unit will respond in Mexicali?
• What will be the constraints of working another
  jurisdiction hazmat team or with the Mexicali
  Hazmat Team?
• All players
• Who is responsible for the overall incident
  command and control?
• How can a shared understanding of what each of
  the response efforts can be accomplish?
• Who will decide the common goal of a joint
  response?
• In what other areas and projects do we be to
  start to collaborate?
• How can our respective local and state
  responsibilities and authorities be used to
  improve communications interoperability?
• What are the limitations of our respective local
  and regional authorities to respond to a complex
  chemical emergency?
• Is there a possibility for unintentional
  consequences of responding to a Binational
  chemical emergency without coordinating?
• What benefits will make coordination valuable to
  our respective agencies?

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SCENARIO A INJECT No. 1 QUESTIONS

• All players
• How will we justify the effort and resources
  expended on coordination between our agencies?
• What resources do we have available to share and
  maximize their use?
• What resources do each of us need, but do not
  have readily available?
• How will a joint protective action decision be
  made in a timely manner, based on the risks posed
  and the area to be impacted?
• Can the geographic extent of the incident be
  determined?
• Should an evacuation be ordered?
• If so, how will the order be disseminated and
  carried out? Can it be a joint decision to
  evacuate? How can in be done?
• Where evacuees from other jurisdictions will be
  sent?
• Who will be in charge of solving the problem
  caused by the derailment?
• Does your Hazmat team has appropriate level of
  PPE and are properly trained to use the
  equipment, for the scenario emergency?
• Does your Hazmat team is equipped with
  appropriate monitoring devices to handle the
  situation?
• What resources might be necessary to carry out
  these functions? People, equipment, training?

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Break
32

• EXERCISE SCENARIO B
• MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH SPILL

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SCENARIO B Scenario Background
It is 1125 a.m. today, the temperature is 84
degrees, and the humidity is 85 percent. The
weather forecast calls for thunderstorms
developing from the west. Several trucks are
traveling from both sides at the East Border
Crossing Facilities. A tractor trailer has just
exited the Commercial East Port of Entry on his
way south to Mexicali the truck is carrying 30
(55 gallon) closed head steel drums of liquid
acetone. The driver of the vehicle hears what
appears to be a tire blow out that result on a
tire fire at the rear of the vehicle the truck
veers to the right and slams into the bridge
abutment just in the middle of the bridge over
the American Canal. The driver of another tractor
trailer traveling behind, transporting 25 (200
liter) drums of corrosive liquids, took evasive
action and tried to avoid the truck, the drums
brushed against each other and the vehicle taking
evasive action ended crashing the trailer from
behind, resulting in 8 of the drums falling from
the vehicle, seven of the plastic drums developed
a leak as a result of the impact and corrosive
liquid started to spill out on the road. After
attempts to extinguish the fire failed the driver
abandoned the vehicle, a passing truck took him
to the U.S. Customs Authorities, from where the
911 dispatch center were alerted to the problem.
The driver of the second vehicle and his
companion remain in the truck and both appear to
be unconscious.
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SCENARIO B Scenario Background

• The first tractor trailer is carrying
• 30 (55-gallon) closed head steel drums of liquid
  acetone.
• No initial spill, fire in the cargo area.
• The second tractor trailer involved is
  carrying
• 25 (200 liter) drums of corrosive liquids.
• Eight of the drums fall down from the vehicle
  seven of the plastic drums developed a leak.
• Current weather conditions
• Temperature 82.9 F / 28.3 C
• Light winds 3.5 mph / 5.6 km/h
• Wind direction N
• Humidity 19

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Exercise B Initial Scenario Setting
36
Exercise B Initial Scenario Setting
37
Caucus Period
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INITIAL SCENARIO B QUESTIONS

• Mexicali and Calexico (EOC and ICP)
• What agency will be in command of the reported
  incident (Fire, Police, EMS, Customs, etc)?
• What are the incidents command priorities?
• Is there a resource you think you might need
  which is not available locally? How will you
  access these resources?
• What plans or procedures are available to assist
  you with this response?
• Would you activate the town EOC, if not what
  would it take to make you want to activate the
  EOC?
• What safety concerns do you have based on this
  scenario?
• How long can you personnel work without a break?
  What factors will drive your decision to have
  personnel relieved?
• Are there any issues not addressed by the
  questions provided if so list them and discuss.
• Imperial Valley EOC
• What will be the status of response of the
  county? When will be notified and by whom? Can
  the U.S. Customs Authorities can ask for
  assistance, what kind of assistance can be
  provided if the officials from Mexicali ask for
  support?
• Can the Imperial Valley Hazmat Response Team work
  in a similar scenario?

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INITIAL SCENARIO B QUESTIONS

• All players
• What involvement with this incident would each of
  your institutions expect to have at this time?
• How might your institution become aware of this
  incident?
• What preparations might you make once you became
  aware of the situation?
• Is there any resource you might need that you
  dont currently possess?
• Who would you call in the counterpart
  jurisdiction to discuss the incident with?
• What procedure or policies do you follow in
  situations such as this?
• What if any complications to your ongoing
  response does the latest problem present?
• Are there any issues not addressed by the
  questions provided if so list them and discuss
• Is there any critical infrastructure (hospitals,
  port of entry facility, airport, etc.) response
  plan or protocols in your jurisdiction? Where can
  you find a copy of the plans?

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EXERCISE SCENARIO B, INJECT No. 1
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SCENARIO B INJECT No. 1
20 minutes have pass from the first arrival of
the responders, both communities response units
have arrived and initiated the recognition of the
incident, the Calexico Fire Department arrived at
scene and a unified incident command was
established with the U.S. Customs authorities and
other response agencies. Mutual aid was requested
from the county and the I.C., requires for a
representative from the Mexicali authorities to
be at the command post to make combined
operational decisions. The cargo area of the
truck that was transporting the liquid acetone
has caught fire. The 911 dispatch center receives
a call is from an off duty police officer
traveling in a private vehicle westbound near the
American Canal about 500 meters down stream from
the accident scene, the police officer reports
that a oil spot can be seen over the water. The
officer will call back with updated information.
The weather is changing drastically it has
started to rain and winds increased to 20 mph,
the wind direction shifted to the SW.
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Caucus Period
43
SCENARIO B INJECT No. 1 QUESTIONS

• Mexicali and Calexico (EOC and ICP)
• Based on the current scenario would you expect
  the EOC to be activated?
• Is there a need for the Emergency Operations
  Center to be activated or will a unified Incident
  Command Structure be sufficient? Why or why not?
• What information do you need from outside the
  EOC? If not received how you will obtain it? What
  type of limitations do you find as an EOC manager
  to interact with the ICP?
• How will each community EOC interact? Does your
  Emergency Management Agency have provisions for
  this? When was the last time when your EOC was
  activated and why? Do you keep records of EOC
  activities?
• Has record information shared with the
  counterpart Emergency Management Agency to find
  the limitations and address solution issues such
  as procedures and activation processes?
• How will you warn the public to stay away from
  the crash site?
• How will you obtain the heavy equipment to assist
  with the clearing of roadway debris and rescue
  operations?
• How will the victims be treated and transported
  to hospitals?
• If the driver and his companion are dead, where
  will the corps be taken?
• Who and what agencies will disseminate official
  information to the public?

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SCENARIO B INJECT No. 1 QUESTIONS

• All players
• What are the priorities at this phase of the
  response?
• What additional response resources should be
  requested?
• What information would be given to the public
  about the contamination of the canal?
• When should other environmental health agencies
  be notified?
• As the scenario unfolds, how would the news
  releases change?
• Explain how to conduct a survey of a suspected
  contamination of the canal?
• Which local, county, state and federal agencies
  would be notified of the survey results?
• What specific information would be reported?
• How will emergency information concerning the
  storm and response actions be disseminated? And
  to whom?
• Identify other tactical considerations.
• Identify four incident command issues.

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EXERCISE SCENARIO B, INJECT No. 2
46
SCENARIO B INJECT No. 2
Responders extinguished both vehicle fires, the
IC command wants to know if the chemicals that
spilled on the canal represent a danger for the
community and who will be responsible for the
clean up at the accident scene. The accident
blocked the commercial truck crossing on both
ways, at least 100 vehicles are in line to cross
from the U.S. to Mexico and 150 in the other
direction and vehicles are still arriving,
CANACINTRA and private sector representatives
want to know where the traffic will be re-routed
or what instructions to give to the truck drivers
because most of the cargo have to arrive in time
to their destination or it will derivate in a
significant economical loss for a lot of
companies or maybe in other accidents. A reporter
from the local television station is asking
questions regarding the condition of the victims
and driver. The reporter wants to know who is at
fault and who will be in charge of the cleanup
operations.
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Caucus Period
48
SCENARIO B INJECT No. 2 QUESTIONS

• All players
• What actions should have taken early in order to
  reduce the number of tractor trailers becoming
  stuck?
• When planning purchases of response equipment and
  PPE, have you worked with other local and
  binational agencies to ensure your equipment is
  interoperable?
• Is there a forum where information about plans or
  interoperability planning questions can be posted
  and collaboratively discussed? Can the
  Mexicali/Imperial Valley Task Force provide for
  this discussion?
• Is there a current inventory of the interoperable
  capabilities shared both communities?
• Who will be in charge of the cleanup operations
  and expenses?
• Are there regular meetings to discuss the use of
  communications, emergency response resources and
  capabilities in public safety operations from day
  to day activities to catastrophic events?

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SCENARIO B INJECT No. 2 QUESTIONS

• All players
• Have representatives from the local Emergency
  Management Agency developed incident response
  plans that include procedures for the use of
  interoperable communications resources and
  capabilities?
• What improvements, that havent been discussed
  before, can be made to the Binational Plan
  concerning alert, notification, dispatch and
  operational tasks, conducted in accordance with
  established procedures?
• Were the current protocols for emergency response
  adequate for the emergencies used on both of the
  scenarios?
• Were Emergency Operations Center (EOC) operations
  consistent with a Binational emergency response?
• Were the actions taken during this exercise based
  on existing plans and operating procedures?
• Does your jurisdiction have a current Hazard
  Assessment and Mitigation Plan for chemical
  substances?

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Congratulations !!!!

• No one actually died.
• No environmental damage occurred.
• Everyone survived.

51
Prepare for Wrap Up
52
Wrap UpGroup Discussion

• All Players, Each Virtual EOC/ICP
• Discussion.
• Key concerns.
• Areas that worked well during the exercise as
  well as those that require attention by way of
  revision to the Binational Imperial
  County-Mexicali Emergency Prevention and Response
  Plan, jurisdiction policies or operational
  procedures potential training needs, etc.

53
Wrap UpGroup Discussion

• Observers
• Describe elements in the BORDER SHIELD 2006
  Tabletop Exercise that worked well and the ones
  that need improvement.
• Identify areas of improvement to the Binational
  Imperial County-Mexicali Emergency Prevention and
  Response Plan or local operational response
  procedures.

54
Wrap UpGroup Discussion

• Evaluators and Controllers
• Whether the exercise objectives were met.
• Inter-Agency Planning and Coordination
• Resource Coordination
• Threat/Hazard-related Issues

55
Final Remarks and Closure Comments

• Imperial Valley FD, EPA and Bajas Civil
  Protection Agency

56
Tabletop Exercise
Thanks for your time