Type of Exercise
Multiple Scenario Functional Exercise
Exercise Name
April 2018 NET Citywide Deployment Exercise
Duration
From 1:45pm to 4:30pm
Exercise Date
April 7th, 2018
Exercise Purpose
- To increase team readiness by practicing key components of our Operations Plans (deployment, documentation, radio communications, chain of command, volunteer management).
- To test cross-team radio communication capabilities.
- To build awareness of the NET program within our neighborhoods by making ourselves visible and sharing information about what we do.
- To build stronger partnerships with neighboring NET teams, fire stations, and the PBEM ECC by collaborating with them before, during, and after the exercise.
Scenario
Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake at Hayhurst Neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. The following separate scenarios were established and following were completed:
Team 1 (Bill and Trish)
1. (Start 3:10) Hayhurst Elementary – SizeUp critical findings – Gas Main Leak requiring NW Natural escalation to ECC
2. Don Pedro Restaurant – Looters in process and triage needed. Due to safety risk, site bypassed
3. (Start 3:50; End 4:00pm) 6116 SW 55th – Tree in road – warning cone used and plastic sheeting laid out
Team 2 (Lynn & Rob)
1. Church @ 5815 Gilcrest – 3 injured by big tree down – building evacuated.
2. (Start 3:56pm) 6339 SW Flower St – sinkhole with SUV (w/ Dr) on scene. “David L.” is overseeing site.
3. 5810 SW Idaho – 1 survivor and gas leak
Managed at Staging Area
1. Women arrives at staging area in wheelchair
Not Investigated
1. Gabriel Park Veterinary
2. Alpenrose & Shattuck Road
3. Fire Hydrant off Shattuck
4. 6050 SW 47th Ave
Location
Vermont Hills United Methodist Church (VHUMC) @ 6053 SW 55th Dr, Portland, OR 97221, Fireside Room – Big Thanks to John Espy, VHUMC Trustee, for aiding us in gaining access to the Fireside Room and general use of the Facility!
Participating Organizations / Attendees Present
Name, Badge ID #, Radio Call Sign, Check-in Time
- Greg Zupan, Hayhurst NET TL, 235861, KG7LIW, 1:10pm
- Rudolf Zupan, SUV, KG7EMM, 1:44pm
- Bill Denney, 880486, 1:44pm
- Rob Luck, 9701945, 1:44pm
- Lynn Levy, 999574, 1:45pm
- Patricia Fryer, 477661, 2:26pm
- Randy Brown, KI7HCW, 1:00pm
Timeline
1:00pm – Greg Zupan checks in with secondary staging area facility
2:40pm – KG7QAD reports problems with ham radio microphone
3:04pm – AA7PB Mike and *7LYD Southwest Hills checked in, and Randy checked in the Hayhurst NET
3:08pm – Hayhurst Team 1 Checked in
3:22pm – Randy KI7HCW reported natural gas leak to ECC
3:34pm – Wilson High School people trapped reported to ECC
3:40pm – Damage to Gabriel Community Center reported to ECC
4:05pm – Downed power-line arcing Hayhurst @ 6116 SW 55th Ave reported to ECC
4:07pm – Exercise concluded
4:20 to 5:00pm – After Action Report
Improvement Plans
“Hot Wash”-Led by Randy-Three Main Questions: Strengths
What went well?
- Good to get practical experience
- Great scenarios
- Radio practice-we learned that we may have some communication issues in certain areas (e.g. Don Pedro’s)
What did you learn?
- Practice is essential in the event of an actual emergency, although opportunities are rare for practice.
- Need to identify homes that can be used to take care of children whose parents are not home or infirmed elderly in need of assistance.
Areas for Improvement
- We need to get people sent out sooner. Assignment of people could be quicker.
- There were issues trying to communicate with “subnet” control.
- Recommendation is to have back up AROs at each staging area
- Suggest we have detailed job descriptions for each of the roles that we quickly review before we are sent out (some of this is covered in the Cert Ops manual)
- Should establish a radio communications protocol but not be afraid to deviate from it as appropriate.
- Per Randy: “Practice, practice, practice is the key.” Should always identify who we are (Team, etc.) to overcome the expected chatter that will be likely during a disaster and non-NET members or other neighborhood teams using walkie talkies, etc.
Exercises Overview
1. Desktop de-brief
a. Reviewed
a.i. “Check in forms” – two separate forms: one for NET trained and SUVs
a.ii. Form 3 “Assignment Tracking Log”-Recommendations for future:
a.ii.1. Form was handed out, but in future we should use a log.
a.ii.2. We should be more careful about when teams leave the staging areas and when they return.
a.ii.3. Need to include all the names of people who were assigned to various teams
a.ii.4. Basically, results written on forms, but after discussion of the fact that rain during an emergency would cause ink to run, four suggestions were made:
a.ii.4.a. Laminated forms
a.ii.4.b. Permanent and/or all-weather ink/forms (Write on Rain)
a.ii.4.c. Smartphone recording
a.ii.4.d. Use guide form to make sure we cover subjects needed for reporting
a.ii.5. Briefing assignment form
a.ii.5.a. Make sure responders have taken care of their own situation/families
a.ii.5.b. We have a brief discussion and focus on areas that are not dangerous to ourselves
a.ii.5.c. Establish a triage (hopefully covered area)
a.ii.6. We used a less formal method to log radio communication, but in the future, we do a have a form we can use.
a.ii.7. There is a “equipment log” to track that should be used to track both incoming and outgoing equipment
a.ii.8. Form 8-record requests and our response to assure we have covered areas needed.
2. Follow-up discussion
a. Question raised re how to we prioritize. We should:
a.i. Assess damage and needs as we get to the staging area
a.ii. Use information from others coming to the staging area
a.iii. Send “scouts” if safe to further assess
b. Should we identify key areas concentrate on?
b.i. Greg notes that we have worked with local businesses who may be able to help. However, we should keep in mind that our primary responsibility to identify and mobilize resources, people, etc. that need our help.
b.ii. In the event that a person who does not want to go or be transported to the staging area. Greg suggests we document name, etc. information to back up ourselves up legally.
c. Greg notes that it is not our responsibility to act as “sheriffs” in the midst of a disaster.
d. “Map Your Neighborhood” was discussed. Although it is not our responsibility to
Example of the board used to track status –
Portland Hayhurst Neighborhood Emergency Team 