AlphaTRAC is heading to EMI SIG

AlphaTRAC, Inc. will be hosting a number of sessions on emergency management during the annual EMI SIG Meeting. Read through our staff's presentations below and be sure to register for one of two live action training scenarios, based on our experiences at the Urban Shield Oakland, CA:

Crisis Decision-Making—The Key to Success in Emergencies: A Live-Action Simulated Exercise

Presenters: Reed Hodgin, Meredith O’Brien, and Dr. An Oskarsson
Wednesday, 8:00 am—9:30 am

Perhaps the most critical skill for incident commanders is effective decision-making. This 90-minute workshop will teach participants about crisis decision-making and making rapid “good enough” decisions under stress. It will include a presentation on the underlying principles of effective decision-making during crisis, followed by a live-action exercise involving EMI-SIG participants.

The exercise will involve a variation of the highly rated Urban Shield exercise that used AlphaACT HAZMAT, the NA-41-sponsored crisis decision training solution. It is one of two exercises that will be held over the course of EMI-SIG, with teams competing for the best overall score. This session is limited to 32 participants who will be divided into competing teams of eight. Spots can be reserved and teams created at http://www.alphaact.com/emisigworkshop .

2011 Urban Shield Exercise – Emergency Management Leadership through a “Field” Exercise in Rapid Emergency Decision-Making

Hodgin, Reed, AlphaTRAC, and Rocky Saunders, LBNL
Tuesday, 11:30 pm—1:00 pm

Considered the nation’s premier anti-terrorism exercise, the annual San Francisco Bay Area Urban Shield Exercise involves brief, fast moving, competitive scenarios that challenge SWAT, firefighter, and emergency medical services teams to arrive at successful solutions under pressure. LBNL hosted the Purple Area Command, which included a scenario using AlphaACT HAZMAT, the NA-41-sponsored crisis decision training solution. This 90-minute workshop will include a presentation by Rocky Saunders about the 2011 Urban Shield event, followed by a live-action exercise involving EMI-SIG participants.

The exercise will involve a variation of the highly rated Urban Shield exercise that used AlphaACT HAZMAT. It is one of two exercises that will be held over the course of EMI-SIG, with teams competing for the best overall score. This session is limited to 32 participants who will be divided into competing teams of eight. Spots can be reserved and teams created at http://www.alphaact.com/emisigworkshop .

Earthquake—In the Blink of an Eye

Joiner, Steve, En-Form, and Gregory Horton, INL
Session 3A

A series of Earthquake drills challenged the decision-makers in ways they had never been challenged before. Services and response assets were not immediately available—no Fire Department; no ambulances; and limited communications. What are the correct protective actions for the worker population? Should they reenter the facility or perform a structural analysis? Are they in a safe shutdown condition or not? Who should be sent home; who should stay; and how do we get them there? How do we recover? Is there a cavalry coming, and when will it get here? These are only part of the flood of questions for the decision-makers to deal with in real time. How do you turn chaos into calm? Facility Management and the decision-makers in the Emergency Response Organization must "Cowboy and Cowgirl Up." Leadership is critical in managing this type of event or any other event that is immediate, unanticipated, and potentially catastrophic.

When First Responders Can't

Davis, Richard, AlphaTRAC, and Theresa McCollum, LLNL
Session 3A

When a large-scale or area event occurs, trained first responders will be dispatched to the highest priority event and may not be available to respond to your specific situation in a timely manner. Has your site developed a strategy that formalizes how they will deal with this situation? This presentation will discuss the program that Livermore National Lab developed to deal with this type of event.