Dec. 17-18, 2003 — OEM, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), hosted Operation Recovery, a tabletop exercise designed to examine human services recovery issues.

Marking New York City's largest human services tabletop exercise, Operation Recovery challenged participants to evaluate current concepts, plans, and capabilities for recovery from a terrorist attack using weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

In a tabletop exercise, participants work through a simulated emergency event to develop solutions to problems posed as part of that scenario. The exercise was held at the NYC College of Technology in Brooklyn.

Grouped according to function, Operation Recovery participants
test the City's recovery plans in a mock terrorist attack scenario.

The scenario: The City has experienced three near-simultaneous explosions in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens, including the release of a potentially hazardous material. Thousands have voluntarily and forceably evacuated their homes, and many seek public shelter.

The exercise: Drawing participants from more than 80 agencies and organizations, Operation Recovery focused primarily on human services aspects of an emergency, from providing adequate shelter for evacuees to effectively managing volunteers.

Once presented the scenario, participants worked in pre-designated functional groups to test existing plans and coordinate recovery efforts with other groups. On the first day of the exercise, participants dealt with recovery issues arising 24-48 hours post-incident, while the second day focused on refining recovery plans for 30-60 days following the incident.

FUNCTIONAL GROUPS INCLUDED:

• Animal issues
• Casework and Service Centers
• Communications
• Faith-based Initiatives
• Food Services
• Immigrant Affairs and Language Issues
• Mental Health
• Missing Persons
• Shelter/Housing
• Special Needs/Senior Citizens
• Unsolicited Donations
• Volunteers
  

  Each functional group worked through a unique set of issues
relevant to their area of expertise.

KEY ISSUES ADDRESSED:

Animal Issues - Locating temporary shelter for animals belonging to people displaced by the disaster, reunifying pets with their owners, and dealing with abandoned animals or animals whose owners have died in the incident.

Casework and Service Centers - Making decisions regarding when and where to open Family Assistance and Disaster Assistance Service Centers, and how long they will remain open.

Communications - Establishing a 24-hour joint information and media center, and crafting major messages to be communicated to the public.

Faith-based Initiatives - Identifying roles for individual houses of worship and religious communities during response and recovery, and determining how faith-based social service agencies can best collaborate with the broader network of service providers.

Participants consider potential locations of assistance centers
and shelters in the simulation.

Food Services - Coordinating the multi-agency efforts required for the preparation and distribution of food to sheltered victims Citywide, in accordance with all applicable health and hygiene codes.

Immigrant Affairs and Language Issues - Identifying the unique needs of the City's immigrant and non-English speaking populations, developing an integrated outreach strategy to publicize available services, and staffing assistance centers with sufficient language capabilities.

Mental Health - Determining the need for mental health services in the wake of a terrorist incident and the weeks and months following, including counseling and hotlines for victims and families, first responders and other members of the community.

Missing Persons - Coordinating staffing and tools necessary to permit members of the public to report and receive information on missing persons, and developing protocols for the release of information on any identified victims.

Shelter/Housing - Dealing with issues involving the immediate sheltering of displaced families and the long-term housing implications they may face.

Special Needs/Senior Citizens - Examining issues faced by the elderly and individuals with special needs; and identified agency roles and capabilities.

Unsolicited Donations - Developing a system for unsolicited donations, including drop-off locations, storage, and distribution of goods.

Volunteers - Examining the logistics involved with volunteer management including placement, communication, and transportation.