Tabletop and Full-Scale Emergency Exercises for General Aviation, Non-Hub, and Small Hub Airports (2016)

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9 The literature review targeted readily available and usable materials for the planning, design, execu- tion, and evaluation of emergency exercises as well as systems for applying the lessons learned from such exercises. General, transportation-specific, and airport-specific resources were found, and the most relevant ones are summarized in this chapter. PUBLICATIONS General Publications on Exercise Planning, Execution, and Evaluation In 2013, DHS published Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Pro- gram, a doctrinal document that consists of fundamental principles that frame a common approach to exercises. Supported by training, technology systems, tools, and technical assistance, this doctrine represents national best practices. According to the document, HSEEP “is intended to enhance consistency in exercise conduct and evaluation while ensuring exercises remain a flexible, accessible way to improve . . . national preparedness in all mission areas” (DHS 2013). Further, it states, “A common methodology ensures a consistent and interoperable approach to exercise design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.” The program is extensive, with in-depth explanations and forms, but small airports with staff and budget constraints may find it challenging to navigate the program. Additionally, HSEEP is generic to emergency management scenarios and requires extensive adaptation to be applied to an airport. A second document, which builds on HSEEP, is Exercise Handbook: What Transportation Security Preparedness Leaders Need to Know to Improve Emergency Preparedness (Edwards and Goodrich 2014; Figure 3). This exercise handbook provides a much improved and simplified guide for exercises for the transportation sector, but still it is not airport-centric. It focuses on road and rail transportation exercises. The third major resource reviewed was the EPA Emergency Response Tabletop Exercises for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems (EPA 2005). Although not transportation-related at all, this EPA tabletop resource has a series of modifiable scenarios for local government departments (water and sewer) that have the right scale and complexity to allow an airport to adapt them. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) conducts a monthly series of virtual tabletop exer- cises (VTTX) using a video teleconference platform to provide a forum for disaster training for communities. The VTTX process involves key personnel from the emergency management commu- nity reviewing a prepackaged set of exercise materials and then convening for a four-hour tabletop exercise discussing a simulated disaster scenario. The event allows the connected sites to assess current plans, policies, and procedures while learning from the other sites providing perspective and practices when facing a similar situation (FEMA/EMI 2015a). EMI’s VTTXs are based on HSEEP principles and incorporate NIMS and ICS. Airport-Centric Guidebook The only comprehensive resource for emergency planning and for developing and conducting emer- gency exercises at a GA airport appears to be the AirTap Emergency Guidebook for General Aviation chapter two RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO AIRPORTS “HSEEP uses a common methodology for planning and conducting individual exercises.”—DHS 2013

10 Airports from the Minnesota Airport Technical Assistance Program (AirTap n.d.; Figure 4). The guidebook has chapters on developing an airport emergency plan (AEP), conducting tabletop exercises and line exercises (i.e., full-scale exercises), NIMS, and mutual aid. The guidebook also includes guidance on developing an airport security plan and offers concise solutions that are scalable to larger non-hub and small hub airports. AirTap is the result of a cooperative program among the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies, and the Minnesota Council of Airports. A similar effort is underway in Wisconsin (S. Brummond, personal communication, Sept. 17, 2015). COURSES The principal exercise development course available to emergency management personnel is FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP). MEPP is a series of three courses (E0132, E0133, and E0136) focusing on advanced exercise design, conduct, and evaluation practices—the three phases of HSEEP. MEPP assigns candidates to an exercise plan- ning team, where they are challenged to demonstrate their expertise at all levels of exercise design and conduct through in-class and take-home proficiency demonstrations. Candidates apply best practices and lessons learned from their organizations and experiences, as well as key learning concepts from FIGURE 3 Cover of What Transportation Security and Emergency Preparedness Leaders Need to Know to Improve Emergency Preparedness—Exercise Handbook (Edwards and Goodrich 2014).

11 the MEPP curriculum to their exercise planning team assignments. The three-week residential pro- gram is held three times a year at EMI in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The basic EMI residential five-day course in HSEEP (K0146) is described at http://mil.wa.gov/uploads/pdf/emergency-management/ K146_HSEEP_FFY15.pdf. The major constraint, at least for small airports, is the requirement for a participant to complete 10 prerequisite courses (nine online and one classroom) before enrolling in the MEPP courses (FEMA/EMI 2015b). Detailed information is available at http://www.training. fema.gov/mepp/. EMI provides funding for local government personnel to attend these and other courses at Emmitsburg. Two of the independent study course that are MEPP prerequisites can be useful on their own as a starting point for an airport exercise managers: IS-120, An Introduction to Exercises, and IS-130, Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning, available online at http://www.training.fema. gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-120.a and http://www.training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview. aspx?code=IS-130. Three other training facilities offer free courses that are funded by DHS/FEMA. To apply, a potential student goes to the training organization’s website and completes the application. A hard copy of the application may have to be completed and mailed to the airport’s state emergency management contact. If the state EM representative approves the application, that person will FIGURE 4 Cover of AirTap Emergency Guidebook for General Aviation Airports.

12 forward the application to the appropriate facility. Notification of acceptance and travel pro- cedures goes directly to the student by e-mail (M. Smalley, personal communication, Nov. 16, 2015). The first choice is CTOS—Center for Rad/Nuclear Training at the Nevada Test Site, where the most appropriate course for aviation staff is PER-241. All of these courses are applicable to airport operations staff, communications dispatchers, and emergency managers. CTOS flies students to Las Vegas and covers all applicable costs on site (meals, lodging, etc.). The program includes two nights in Las Vegas and the rest of the course at the Nevada Test Site in Mercury, Nevada. For more information, see http://www.ctosnnsa.org/pages/courses/courses_resident.htm. The second is at New Mexico Tech, where the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center offers two free courses: “Incident Response to Terrorist Bombing Incidents,” and “Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents.” All expenses are paid. For more information, see http:// www.emrtc.nmt.edu/training/irtb.php. The third free training opportunity is offered through the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama. CDP offers many courses at no cost to the participant. Two that are pertinent to airport personnel are “All Hazards Incident Response for CBNRE,” and the “Hands-On Training for CBNRE Incidents.” Students are flown into Atlanta and bused to Anniston. For more information, see https://cdp.dhs.gov. Many community colleges offer emergency management degrees that include courses on exer- cise design, management, and evaluation. Examples are “Exercise Design, Management and Evaluation (EMHS 1906)” at Barton County Community College in Fort Riley, Kansas, and “Emergency Management Exercise Development (EMP 260)” at Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio. Many airports (including Blue Grass in Lexington, Kentucky, and Dallas/Fort Worth) provide aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) training to other airports. The trainers who come to an airport revalidate their ARFF qualifications and then do an exercise. Such courses teach exercise procedures by example, but they are generally given only to fire and rescue personnel, who attend the external training courses. The AAAE ARFF Working Group does not provide any formal training courses but it is in the process of updating the ARFF Working Group website (www.arffwg.org) to add some training components. ARFF Working Group representatives often make presentations at AAAE confer- ences, so ARFF Working Group materials are indirectly available as videos through the AAAE web-based training program. When the ARFF Working Group website is updated, probably in late 2016 or early 2017, the videos will be available there (D. Kann, personal communication, Sept. 22, 2015). The Emergency Management Issues-Special Interest Group (EMI-SIG) is managed by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy. EMI-SIG has three online tutorials: “Developing Exercise Objectives,” “Developing Exer- cise Scenarios,” and “Basic Exercise Controller and Evaluator Tutorial.” The three tutorials are available at http://orise.orau.gov/emi/training-products/. VIDEOS YouTube (www.youtube.com) includes some Part 139 triennial exercises for U.S. airports and has an extensive collection of ICAO Annex 14 biannual emergency exercises at a wide variety of airports outside the United States. Not only can such a video offer an airport new ideas for exercises, but videotaping an airport’s own exercises can also be a valuable aid in hot washes, after action reviews, training, and public relations. Some of the airport exercise videos credit local television stations for providing footage.

13 BLOGS No blog was found that focused explicitly on emergency exercises at airports or in general. However, two blogs were found that sometimes deal with emergency exercises at airports. They are the Airport EM Group at www.LinkedIn.com and the ARFF Working Group at www.arffwg.org. Both blogs are moderated and closed; however, any airport emergency manager or exercise coordinator will be approved for membership. A number of professional organizations and for-profit companies also offer professional develop- ment courses, both online and on site, but there are typically charges for those courses.