What About “HSEEP Compliance”?

Planning Process

If the Initiating Process is executed successfully the Planning Process will remain focused on the mechanics of the exercise. If not, frequent revisiting of the initial issues will occur and undermine your Planning Process. Location, logistical support, tools used to evaluate the exercise, and several other factors will be addressed, created and developed during this phase. Templates for the documentation already exist on the HSEEP Homepage Policy and Guidance document library (no date). The important part of the Planning Process is the finalizing of the objectives and the development of a scenario. Table 3 offers some suggestions for possible objectives for transportation sector agencies. The scenario’s purpose is to provide a context for the various actions taken and/or discussions engaged in by the participants as they use the various plans, policies, procedures, and protocols their respective organizations have developed to respond to such events.

It is recommended that you carefully review the Checklists for provided in the previous section to ensure that you have addressed all of the necessary issues, and that you identify further issues unique to your situation.

Example Exercise Objectives for Transportation Sector Agencies

Objective	Description
Alert Notification	To demonstrate the ability to alert, mobilize, and activate the personnel, facilities, and systems required for emergency response, and for subsequent staffing for the next shift to maintain 24- hour operations.
Communications	To determine the ability to establish and maintain communications essential to support response to an incident/accident and the immediate recovery, including establishing interoperable communications with first responder agencies.
Coordination and Control	To determine the effectiveness of mutual aid plans and the coordination among the transportation sector organizations for a major emergency; evaluate the effectiveness of procedures for requesting resources from a higher level of government; evaluate coordination within the department when responding to a major emergency or disaster; evaluate the functionality and effectiveness of the EOC in communicating with the field and managing strategic challenges; evaluate the level of knowledge of EOC personnel regarding plans, emergency operations, and decision-making; evaluate the adequacy of facilities, equipment, displays, and other materials to support emergency operations; evaluate the ability to use ICS effectively, including multi-disciplinary coordination in the field.
Damage Assessment	To demonstrate the ability to organize and conduct damage assessment, including the collection of information to facilitate response by first responder organizations, support of over- weight permits, and recovery activities.
Emergency Public Information	To determine the capability of the emergency public information system to disseminate timely and accurate emergency response information in languages and methods appropriate to the community; evaluate the ability to work with the media and maintain media monitoring and rumor control; evaluate the adequacy of the electronic signboards, travel information radio, 5-1-1 system, and agency website for maintaining timely travel information to the public.
General Services	To determine the adequacy of procedures for providing to transportation sector field forces such support services as food and refreshments, apparatus and equipment maintenance, sanitary facilities, and medical care.
Health and Medical	To evaluate the training, equipment and plans to protect transportation sector responders from contamination from releases in the field; identify and contain the hazardous material (including radiological) or infectious agents in the field in collaboration with other first responder agencies; facilitate the clean-up of the agent of concern from the roadway or transit facility. Evaluate the availability to transport the expected number of casualties, including systems to support the movement of special needs populations.
Individual/Family Assistance	Determine whether employees have received adequate instruction in personal, home and family preparedness. The goal is to ensure that employees can stay at work or return to work, secure in the knowledge that their families are prepared to manage without them.
Public Safety	To determine the effectiveness of the coordination with first responders to ensure safe routes to the disaster sites for emergency vehicles. Determine the effectiveness of rapid road restoration and debris removal plans, including the adequacy of the equipment and trained employees. Evaluate transportation’s role in controlling traffic flow, and limiting access to hazardous/evacuated areas and key governmental facilities, and in restoring access to formerly closed areas, in collaboration with law enforcement.
Public Works	Evaluate the adequacy of procedures for restoring and repairing essential services and vital facilities (as defined by the organization’s Continuity of Operations Plan) during a major emergency or disaster. Evaluate the capability to organize and provide emergency repair and restoration of highway system assets and assist with emergency protective measures, such as levee repairs, cutting fire breaks, and laying sandbags.
Traffic Management	To determine the adequacy of the evacuation plan for the jurisdiction and the ability of officials to effectively coordinate an evacuation. Demonstrate the capability and procedures to provide access, egress and emergency routing (including contraflow where appropriate) to support mass care for persons displaced by a disaster in another community.

Source: Based on rubrics from Wisconsin Emergency Management, 2004.

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