By: Anthony Kimery
The Department of Interior’s (DOI) May 27, 2011 After Action Report (AAR)
on its participation in National Level Exercise 2011 (NLE 2011) that
simulated the catastrophic results of a major earthquake in the central
United States region of the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) -- the
first-ever National Level Exercise to imitate a natural hazard --
determined there’s a “need to do more outreach, awareness and education
on preparedness and response to earthquakes” and “the declaration of a
national emergency (not the Stafford Act) to activate reserve military
units and individuals.”
The 23-page DOI NLE 2011 After Action Report was
released last month pursuant to a federal Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) request and highlights some of the same issues that were
identified in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) “For
Official Use Only” National Level Exercise 2011 Functional Exercise Final After Action Report that was issued last October.
NLE 2011 was conducted May 16-20, 2011 “to prepare
and coordinate a multiple-jurisdictional integrated response to a
national catastrophic event,” which in this exercise was the simulation
of a magnitude 7.7 earthquake along the southern segment of the New
Madrid Fault, “closely followed by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in the
Wabash Valley Seismic Zone (WVSZ)."
According to the recently released Interior
Department AAR, “The NMSZ is one of the most seismically active areas
east of the Rockies,” and “another series of earthquakes with the
magnitude of the 1811-1812 earthquake series would prove catastrophic to
the region. ... Since the 1811 earthquakes, the area around the NMSZ
has experienced explosive growth in both population and infrastructure.”
The federal government's National Level Exercises
(formerly known as Top Officials exercises, or TOPOFF) are conducted in
accordance with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Exercise Program (NEP),
which serves as the nation's overarching exercise program for planning,
organizing, conducting and evaluating national level exercises. The NEP
was established to provide the US government, at all levels, exercise
opportunities to prepare for catastrophic crises ranging from terrorism
to natural disasters.
The Interior Department's AAR found there is “the
need to establish four interagency working groups who will think
strategically (long-term) about: economic issues, interagency
operations, congressional affairs and restoration of critical services."
“The establishment of a disaster relief fund and
better coordination between departments and agencies and emergency
support functions (ESFs)” were also identified, as was the need “to
identify who [in the international community] can make valuable
contributions to the US response efforts.”
The draft May 27, 2011 AAR also determined that
“qualified and trained engineers and architects need to be put into the
Resource Ordering and Status System (ROSS) and positions need to be
developed for the Incident Qualifications and Certification System
(IQCS),” an information system that tracks training and certifications
for wildland firefighters.
The Interior Department also “needs to develop a DOl
emergency/disaster business practices book similar to the fire
community Red Book; build awareness for the US Geological Survey’s
[USGS] role in major earthquake response; foster a greater understanding
of the impact a catastrophic earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone
would have on DOl personnel and critical assets;” and “review DOI’s
Emergency Support Function roles in response to a NMSZ earthquake.”
FEMA’s final AAR stated that “the exercise
highlighted opportunities for improving emergency management
nationwide,” especially when it comes to dealing with resource gaps.
"The lack of key resources and/or the inability to
deliver them in a timely fashion challenged activities in almost every
capability” of the exercise, FEMA’s final AAR said. Examples of gaps
identified in the exercise analysis include:
- Hazardous Material (HAZMAT), Search and Rescue (SAR), and other key teams
- Generators and fuel resupplies
- Trained sheltering personnel to support the mass-care mission
- Patient-movement support
- Medical-surge personnel and supplies
- Qualified personnel to conduct road, bridge and building inspections, and
- Availability of enough rotary-wing assets to deliver resources in a timely fashion to areas where the ground and water main supply routes were obstructed.
According to DOI’s after action review, the
department’s Office of Continuity Programs “indicated that this event
would not seriously affect continuity programs” and thus “would not
prompt a Continuity of Government Condition (COGCON) level change,
however, it would affect how quickly they could respond.” The DOI AAR
added that “the Office of Continuity Programs would maintain situational
awareness and provide assistance as necessary.”
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