REVISED 10/1/96
EXPLAN 10/96:
Plan Summary:
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this training and exercise is to 1) provide training and education to the OH1, OH5, OH6, MI1 and MAT members 2) provide training and education to members of the Boy Scouts of America, Toledo Area Council, 3) to test the ability of a number of DMATs and the Cincinnati Medical Assistance Team to triage, treat and arrange for disposition of disaster victims during a simulated disaster utilizing the Boy Scouts as victims, and 4) provide an opportunity for the aforementioned DMATs and MAT members to work together in the field setting and share their knowledge and experience with each other. This "Allied" method of deployment, where teams are co-located at a disaster site appears to be the deployment method NDMS is moving toward.
KEY ASSUMPTIONS:
This exercise will be conducted regardless of inclement weather. Field conditions will be employed for the duration of the exercise. Final planning and operation of this exercise will be the responsibility of the TADMAT Drill Planning Committee under the direction of the Exercise Director. Medical Commander: Paul Rega, MD Executive Officer: Churton Budd, RN, EMTP Exercise Director: James Fenn, RN, EMTA Training/Education Coordinator: Kelly Burkholder-Allen, RN Maintenance/Supply Coordinator: Dennis Bradley Communications Coordinator: Albert Geha Safety/Security Coordinator: Paul Johnson Public Relations / PIO Officer: Barb Billow Agency/Participant Liaison: Jackie Hogan, RN Landing Zone Coordinator: Jim Fenn, RN
COMMAND RELATIONSHIPS:
The TADMAT Medical Commander will have overall responsibility for the exercise. The Executive Officer will facilitate utilization of resources and handle paperwork necessary for the preparation and completion of the exercise. The Exercise Director will coordinate all exercise activities including but not limited to the planning phase, pre-deployment of equipment and supplies, employment of the exercise, and redeployment of equipment and supplies. Each exercise coordinator will have operational control over their areas of responsibility. The PR/PIO officer will function as liaison to the press. The Agency/Participant Liaison will coordinate and see to the needs of participants and other agencies (ie: Boy Scouts) involved in the exercise. Any deviation from established procedures will be coordinated with the Medical Commander and Exercise Director before action is taken.
I. SITUATION:
This plan contains the basic information and guidance for participating agencies in support of and to participate in the TADMAT fall field exercises of 1996. This exercise is designed for training and practice of the Disaster Team members and the Boy Scouts of America Toledo Area Council to gain insight and knowledge of field living conditions, providing austere medical care, and following the Incident command system during a simulated mass casualty incident. This exercise will: a) Satisfy some of the field training requirements for DMAT personnel. b) Continue the TADMATs commitment to provide education in disaster planning/mitigation to the local community by assisting the Toledo Area Council BSA in meeting some of the objectives of their Disaster Preparedness merit badge. c) Provide an opportunity for each participating team to display and share their abilities in a field setting. e) Provide all participants the opportunity to exercise with some of the field equipment and DMAT hard assets. f) Provide the most realistic possible scenario in a field/austere environment for all participants. The exercise will not be terminated, suspended, or delayed due to night-time or weather except for safety reasons. g) If possible , establish HF communications with another DMATs in a remote location. Allow an opportunity for visiting DMATs to test their communications deployability and if desired, make contact with their home location
II. EXECUTION:
1) The following will give a basic outline of the principal events that comprise the exercise. The time line that follows may be modified as mission requirements dictate. Deviations from this plan may be made at the discretion of the exercise director or designee. In the event of rain, the lectures will be held in the MCO Health Education Building, Rm 110.
Master Sequence of Events List (MSEL):
October 12th, 1996 (Saturday):
1000 Meet on site. Setup tents: Presentation on compound setup, tentage, putting up cots, stringing lights, generator operations, etc. (Denny Bradley, TADMAT Supply Officer et al) 1130 Camp safety, perimeter set-up, Buddy system, problems that have occurred and have been known to occur during a deployment. (Paul Johnson, TADMAT Security Officer) 1200 Lunch: [ MRE's will be provided for those who wish to try them]LZ Set-up, flight/airhead safety (fixed & rotary), flight medicine. (Jim Fenn, TADMAT Personnel Officer) 1300 HAZMAT (Toledo Fire / Rescue HAZMAT team) 1400 ICS (Mike George, Toledo Express Airport Fire / Rescue) 1400 Lifeflight Arrival for Boy Scouts 1500 Field living/prior deployments, survival skills, gear packing methods (TADMAT demonstration & group discussion) 1600 Radio communications and radio etiquette (Bob Solon, TADMAT Communications) 1630 Lifting, hauling, Litter Obstacle course 1730 Free Time / Break 1800 Dinner: CISM: stressors experienced before, during, and after a deployment. Incorporate some of the personal experiences via group discussion (AL Swingle, TADMAT CISM Officer) 1930 Water purification, environmental issues, smiling death syndrome, mass gathering medicine (Paul Rega, TADMAT Medical Commander) 2100 Chemical / Bio / Nuclear terrorism & its effects / interventions (Churton Budd & Kelly Burkholder-Allen) 2200 Injury patterns, indirect public health affects of a disaster (Kelly Burholder-Allen, TADMAT Supervisory Nurse Specialist) 2300 Lights out October 13, 1996 (Sunday): 0730 Breakfast 0800 Drill walk through / assignemets (Paul Rega) 0830 Review of Start Triage (Paul Rega, MD) 0900 Drill commences. ?Noon Lunch: Drill Critique 1300 Strike camp / Cleanup / Return equipment / visiting DMATs return to home station. TADMAT supplies returned to the Douglas Bldg. TADMAT taken off simulated alert/activation status by Executive Officer.
** This schedule is flexible and subject to change without notice **
General: The exercise will be conducted as to provide maximum realism consistent with safe operational commitments. Specific scenarios will be developed for this exercise. Participating agencies will establish support requirements for this exercise and report these to the TADMAT Executive Officer no later than October 7th, 1996. [Churton Budd (419) 381-1959]
A) FOOD: Food will be provided by the team for TADMAT, OH5, OH6 MI1 DMAT and Cincinnati MAT personnel only. The following meals will be provided to the DMAT personnel, all other meals will be the responsibility of the participants: 10/12 - Lunch, 10/12 - Dinner, 10/13 - Breakfast, 10/13 - Lunch To be provided by each individual: 10/12 - Breakfast (before arrival on site) The Boy Scouts have made arrangements to provide their own lunch on 10/12 and a snack during the time they will be present for the drill on 10/13. All participants should bring at least one canteen full of water. Snacks and other incidentals are the responsibility of the individual. NOTE: No Alcoholic beverages will be permitted during the drill. As team members are federally activated under voluntary status, the consumption of alcohol and/or use of drugs voids all liability and responsibility for the federal government. We will be on State of Ohio property.
B) Clothing / Personal Equipment for this exercise: All participating personnel should wear appropriate clothes for the weather. A rain suit and light jacket should be included with personal supplies. DMAT personnel should wear their team uniforms for the duration of the exercise. Participating members should bring work gloves, eye protection and any other safety gear they feel is necessary. Those staying overnight should pack their gear in a small duffel bag or ruck-sack. Sunscreen and insect repellent is highly suggested. The latest weather forecast will be available on the TADMAT information hotline [(419)381-5163] starting 10/11 to assist team in planning their personal gear. Each person must supply their own mess kit & silverware. Personnel staying overnight should consider a light jacket or sweater. A sleeping bag will be needed for those spending the night. There will be no facilities for personal items that require electricity. Some electrical outlets will be available in the evening for recharging two-way radio and video batteries. TADMAT personnel are reminded that the TADMAT will remain available to the local, state and federal community in the event of a disaster. Arrangements should be made by each team member to remain prepared to deploy in case of the event of a situation that requires the services of the TADMAT for a real time disaster.
C) Shelter: The TADMAT will be providing shelter in the form of GP-Medium tents. Cots will be provided both for the drill and for those team members spending the night. In the event of rain, lectures will take place in the Health Education Building at the Medical College Campus. The Boy Scouts will not be staying overnight. Boy Scouts training will be taking place in Room 100 of the MCH Health Education Bldg. Restroom facilities will be provided in the form of two portable toilets. These will be located as shown on the site map (appendix A). These toilets will be cleaned at some point on the morning of 10/13
D) Public Information / Press: The Public Information Officer will send a press release to appropriate agencies on 10/07 and 10/11. This release will invite the press to visit the field site and interview DMAT personnel and the Boy Scouts under the assistance and direction of the PIO. The PIO or designate will escort all media desiring to observe and cover the exercise. If interviews are requested, the Exercise Director will answer all questions about this exercise. The Medical Commander or Executive Officer will answer questions related to the TADMAT. Each participating DMAT and the MAT should designate one spokesperson to provide information to the press regarding their particular team.
E) Communications All communications needs will be coordinated through the Communications Coordinator. Team two-way radios will be issued by the Communications Coordinator. A record will be written as radios are issued and returned. Radio call signs/designators will be issued to those with radios by the Communications Coordinator. In the event of an emergency, the Communications Officer will be notified and will announce the situation over the TADMAT radio frequencies (463.700MHz and 463.9125MHz). The Communications Coordinator will announce "Real Time, Real Time, Real Time", and then provide details as to the nature of the emergency with specific instructions to follow. All non-emergent communications will cease and the radio will be cleared for emergency communications only. The Comm Coordinator will only announce a "Real Time" emergency when instructed to do so by the Medical Commander, Executive Officer, Exercise Director, or Safety Coordinator. The frequencies the TADMAT will be utilizing will be: TADMAT 01 = 463.700 out / 468.700 input PL100 TADMAT 02 = 436.9125 simplex Both frequencies are licensed and are designated for use by the TADMAT and others. Any participating agency is authorized and invited to utilize these frequencies for the duration of this exercise. For assistance in finding the drill site on 10/12/96, please contact "TADMAT Communications" for directions beginning at 0900 on 10/12/96 on the TADMAT 01 frequency. During the exercise, the Comm Officer may attempt contact with other DMATs who may be awaiting contact at their home station. Visiting DMATs may wish to utilize the TADMAT radio equipment or assemble their own equipment to test their ability to contact a site at their home base. A radio log will be maintained by the Communications Officer for all external contacts. This log will be turned in to the Exercise Director at the end of the field exercises. A cellular phone will be available at the drill for all participants for emergency use only. In the event someone at the exercise needs to be contacted. The TADMAT Executive Officer should be paged at (419) 252-1775. The Executive Officer will call back and will pass the message on to the necessary party.
F) Security: The Safety/Security Coordinator will have ultimate say on issues that affect personnel safety and security during the exercise. All participants in the exercise will comply with the following security operations and procedures: 1) Communications will be maintained with the MCO Campus police who will coordinate dispatch of MCO police officers, local EMS and/or Fire in the event of a "Real Time" emergency. The Safety/Security Coordinator will make arrangements for communications between the TADMAT and the MCO Police Dispatcher. 2) The Safety/Security Coordinator will arrange for fire extinguishers. A perimeter/fire watch will be maintained during the exercise and will be coordinated by the Safety/Security Coordinator. 3) There will be no special arrangements made for personal vehicles and property during the exercise. Valuables should be carefully controlled by each individual and the TADMAT will not assume responsibility for loss, damage or theft. 4) The Safety/Security Coordinator will confer with the Exercise Director and the exercises will be canceled at any time that the Safety/Security Coordinator feels an unsafe condition has occurred or is imminent. 5) A perimeter around the exercise site will be marked. Unauthorized persons within this perimeter will be challenged by security personnel and asked to vacate the premises until the exercise has completed.
G) Helicopter Landing Zone (LZ): The Landing Zone Coordinator will choose and prepare an appropriate (LZ) for the landing of aircraft near the TADMAT site. The LZ will be chosen as if a real mass casualty incident was occurring. The LZ Coordinator will have authority over all operations dealing with aircraft landing at the site. In the event of a "Real Time" incident that requires the extraction of a victim by helicopter, the LZ Coordinator will have authority over the landing and lifting of the aircraft and ground operations around the aircraft.
H) Medical Operations: Patient triage, stabilization and transport from the Casualty Clearing Point are the primary exercise objectives. Simulated patients, provided by the BSA Toledo Area Council, will be moved through all processes to get them to a simulated transport vehicle. The simulated patients may be moulaged prior to movement through the system. Moulage will be provided for the Boy Scouts by the Boy Scouts. All simulated patients will be tagged with a patient scenario tag. This tag will explain injuries and provide simulated vital signs as appropriate. In the event of a lack of supply of "real" victims., backboards with the patient scenario tags will be used in their place. "Real Time" medical support for all exercise participants will be provided by the TADMAT Executive Officer and Unit Medical Commander. Emergency BLS and limited ALS equipment will be available on site for use in the event of an injury or illness of a participant. At the discretion of the Unit Medical Commander, the severity of the injury or illness may warrant the suspension of the exercise until the emergency has been resolved. The Communications Coordinator will be notified to announce the "Real Time" emergency and close the radio frequency to emergent traffic only. The Safety/Security Coordinator will be notified to contact the MCO Campus Police for request of EMS/Fire assets from the Toledo Area. At the Medical Commanders discretion, an injured or ill participant may be transported by private vehicle to a local hospital for treatment. The Medical Commander will assume direction of the treatment strike team composed of the Executive Officer and his designates. All other team members are requested to maintain an appropriate distance from the injured/ill party to assure prompt and efficient treatment. The Executive Officer will see to notification of the injured persons family or emergency contact person. If the injured/ill party is one of the Boy Scouts, the scouts Scoutmaster will be notified to assume the responsibility of notifying the scouts parent or guardian.
IV. EXERCISE COMPLETION:
Upon completion of the exercise, team members will assist in strike down of the team assets and loading of said assets into the truck. The site will be surveyed for refuse. The site will be left as it was when the team arrived. Team members will be released from the exercise by the Exercise Director when all duties have been determined completed.
An after action report will be completed by each of the Exercise Coordinators and present to the Exercise Director within one month of the exercise. The Exercise Director will compile these reports in the a post exercise synopsis and present this information to the TADMAT Executive Committee at the November TADMAT meeting. Visiting DMATs are encouraged to provide a detailed account of their evaluation of the exercise, its effectiveness in training team members and any additional comments or constructive criticism as they feel necessary.
TADMAT 2170 Aberdeen, Toledo, OH 43614 (419) 381-1959