U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) Response to
Food Safety Crises
U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS)
For HHS, FDA, ICF International
managed two projects designed to train employees
in organizational response procedures related
to food safety. The first project involved response
planning and exercises for the FDA Office of
Emergency Operations relative to bovine
spongiform encephalopathy, also known as
"mad cow" disease.
The second project involved response planning
for the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition (CFSAN) and required training all
employees on the CFSAN Emergency Response
Plan that was written with support from ICF.
Metropolitan
Medical Response System Training
U.S.
Department
of Homeland Security (DHS)
ICF International is assisting
DHS to develop and deliver a series of integrated
emergency management courses (IEMC) to strengthen
the Metropolitan Medical Response System.
Through preparation and coordination,
personnel from local law enforcement,
fire, hazardous materials, emergency
medical services, hospital, public health,
and other first response disciplines
complete these courses to plan for more
effective response during the first 48
hours of a public health crisis. Functional
areas addressed include policymaking,
decision-making, communications, coordination
of resources, management of personnel,
and implementation of procedures.
Strategic National Stockpile Exercises
for
State and
Local Health Officials
DHS
Office for State and Local Government Coordination
and Preparedness (OSLGCP)
Under the auspices of DHS OSLGCP,
and co-sponsored by U.S. Health and Human Services
(HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), ICF International supported the testing
of state bioterrorism emergency plans and Strategic
National Stockpile (SNS) dispensing plans. These
exercises included receipt, staging,
distribution, and dispensing of CDC training
replicas of the 24-hour "push package,"
and coordination of state emergency operations
and public health command centers, representing
the nation's
first exercises to test the complete
SNS activation chain of request to dispersal.
Agroterrorism
and Agricultural Emergency Exercises
Nebraska
Counties In 2004, ICF International developed
and conducted a tabletop exercise and
a functional exercise to prepare Nebraska
counties to respond to outbreaks of foot
and mouth disease caused by acts of agroterrorism.
The exercises brought together local,
state, federal, and private sector
representatives to address the critical response
time immediately after the disease is identified
and before federal resources arrive.
Public Health and Bioterrorism
Exercise Toolkit
New York Department of Health
For the New York Department of
Health, ICF International is preparing an exercise
toolkit that will enable local public
health agencies to plan, conduct, and
evaluate drills, tabletop exercises,
and functional exercises for five different
scenarios. The toolkit will standardize
the scenarios and provide a rapid means
to conduct short, focused exercises
for public health and medical officials scenarios
that target critical infrastructure.
Health Care Leadership Training
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
DHS, United States Fire Administration
has asked ICF International to assist in
revising training and developing exercises
that prepare hospital and health care
personnel to respond to disasters, including
incidents involving weapons of mass destruction.
The courses will be exercise-based and
delivered for a target audience of emergency
medicine physicians, nurses, hospital
administrators, EMS administrators, and
those health care providers with job responsibilities
related to hospital and community preparedness.
Design, Development, and Conduct
of Logistics Management
Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA)
During a disaster, an emergency
manager must be able to identify
the resources needed at the site—response
team, equipment, and commodities—and
orchestrate the timely
transport and delivery of those resources
at the right place and time. ICF International
has extensive experience in logistics
management. Our staff
has supported the design, development,
and conduct of two federal logistics
management programs employed by FEMA
in response to a disaster—Time-Phased
Force and Deployment
List and Movement Coordination Center
System. These logistics
management tools can be adapted easily
to support organizations as they
respond to many types
of disasters.
State Terrorism Exercises
ICF
International assists state and local agencies
in designing customized single and multi-jurisdictional
table-top, functional, and full-scale exercises.
Recent clients include Colorado, District of
Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska,
and Tennessee. Scenarios include chemical,
biological, and radiological weapons of mass
destruction (WMD), communicable animal disease,
dam failure, and energy infrastructure failure.
For one State client, we piloted a statewide
lessons-learned review and Annual Report.
CBRNE/WMD
Exercises for State and Local Governments
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
ICF
International supported the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Office for State and Local Government
Coordination and Preparedness (OSLGCP) with
the development and delivery of its national
exercise program to prepare state and local governments
for chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) WMD incidents.
We provided technical assistance in designing,
controlling, and evaluating WMD exercises, including
terrorism scenarios that target critical infrastructure.
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program
(HSEEP) Support
DHS Office for State and Local Government Coordination
and Preparedness (OSLGCP)
ICF International served on the
DHS/OSLGCP Exercise and Evaluation Working
Group to develop the HSEEP. ICF led
several elements including: drafting a Homeland
Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Manual Volume
2: Exercise Evaluation and Improvement,
developing critical tasks for chemical and
biological incidents, and piloting new After-Action
Report models and debriefing processes.
Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Since
2000, ICF International has supported the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the evaluation
of off-site REP Program exercises, demonstrations,
and drills at nuclear power generating facilities
across the United States. Key activities include
the deployment of teams with up to 100 evaluators
for at least 30 exercises annually and supporting
the development and review of after-action
reports.
Radiological
Emergency Exercises
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Office
of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA)
In 2004, ICF
International planned, developed, and controlled
a two-day field exercise for EPA's Office
of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) to respond
as the lead federal agency to a major radiological
emergency. The exercise involved four field
teams, an area command, a joint information
center, and emergency operation centers in
two regions and headquarters. ICF also developed
and conducted a tabletop exercise for the District
of Columbia to prepare more than 100 first responders
and emergency operations personnel to respond
to detonation of a "dirty
bomb."
Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning for
Local Government
ICF International is developing
COOP
Plans for a number of local governments
that address critical services including fire/rescue,
law enforcement, emergency management, 911
communications, emergency medical services, and
public works/engineering. In developing COOP
Plans, ICF emphasizes ongoing interaction
with key personnel from the various government
agencies to identify and prioritize critical
county or city functions, ensuring that plans
and procedures are in place to provide for continued,
uninterrupted operations in the event of terrorist
attacks or other emergencies.
Homeland Security
Strategic Planning
King County, Washington, Region
ICF International
is designing a homeland security strategic
plan for the county, city, and tribal governments
located in Region 6 (King County), Washington.
The process includes stakeholder interviews and
feedback, assessment of the applicability of
other plans at different government levels, and
identification of strategic options to enhance
the region’s
preparedness efforts through collaborative
use of current and potential resources.
Development
of Local Terrorism Plans
ICF International is assisting
10 Florida counties to update existing Terrorism
Incident Response Annexes to local Comprehensive
Emergency Management Plans, as the guiding
document for local response to terrorist/WMD
incidents. The revised annexes will address issues
that have surfaced since September 11, 2001,
and will follow guidance provided by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Private Sector
Contingency Planning
For a major world trading
exchange, ICF International conducted a business
interruption risk assessment as the foundation
for the development of contingency planning
guidelines. This effort was an integral part
of the development of a critical system risk
management plan. Our work included the identification,
quantification, and prioritization of risks to
various systems and facilities, the recommendation
of risk reduction measures, the preparation of
guidelines for contingency planning, and the
management of residual risk, including the definition
of key organizational roles and responsibilities.
Specific topical areas addressed included computer
and communications systems, electrical systems,
building support systems (HVAC, domestic water
service, and the sewage ejector system), fire
protection, and physical security.
Developing an Integrated Contingency Plan
Canadian
National Railway/Illinois Central Railroad (CN/IC)
ICF International conducted
a hazard analysis and emergency response
capability assessment that laid the foundation
for developing an integrated contingency
plan for response to oil and HAZMAT releases
along CN/IC's
U.S. railway network.
Emergency
Management Planning
State of Amazonas, Brazil
For the government
of the Amazonas State, Brazil, ICF International
prepared an Emergency Management Plan to organize
the participation of institutions and agencies
in the activities of prevention, planning,
and response, as well as damage recovery. ICF
used a methodology of integrated emergency
management with a High Business Performance (HBP)
tool for plan development to facilitate stakeholder
analysis from the public and private sectors.
Stakeholders were included in the identification
of functions, definition of organization and
resources, and preparation of the final plan,
including recommended legislative actions. This
all-hazards activity was supported especially
by those concerned about oil spills and other
environmental accidents that would endanger the
state's enormous
fresh water reserve, constituting one-fifth
of the planet's entire reserves.
Business and Industry Emergency Preparedness
Training
District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency
For the District of Columbia Emergency
Management Agency, ICF Consulting managed a
"fast-track" project
to educate the private sector on District programs
and on the fundamentals of writing
emergency plans. The project included a Best
Practices survey of municipalities and states,
a needs assessment regarding the District's
private-sector issues after September 11, 2001,
and course materials targeted at both the executive
and operations levels of an organization.
Training Radiological
Emergency Response Teams
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA)
For the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office
of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA), ICF International
developed a series of four training modules and
12 hours of training on EPA's authorities and
procedures for responding to an unplanned
radiological event. ICF subsequently
developed and facilitated four tabletop exercises
using various radiological emergency scenarios
to reinforce the training modules.
|
Exercise
and Evaluation Methodology
Disasters,
from terrorist acts to floods to hazardous material releases,
have significant impacts on your community, government,
and business. Planning for these events through an "all
hazards" approach to homeland security and emergency
preparedness is essential to enhance your ability to respond
to, recover from, and mitigate against the impacts from these
events. ICF International has developed a four-step approach
to support our public- and private-sector clients in developing
homeland security and emergency management plans. 
