Any summertime outdoor event holds the real possibility of a severe storm passing through. The Bouckville show sponsors and the first responders who plan for such possibilities need to be prepared. It is for that reason that the Madison County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) held a tabletop exercise Wednesday in the Madison Fire Station.
According to OEM Director Ted Halpin, the objectives of the exercise were to:
- Identify methods for improving and standardizing Situational Awareness (SA) and developing a Common Operating Picture (COP) during an event
- Assess the capability of the Incident Command Post (ICP) to provide effective Command & Control during a complex event
- Assess the ability of the ICP to establish and maintain multi-disciplinary, multi- jurisdictional communications during complex event
- Assess the ability to monitor severe weather and to provide effective mass warning messaging to event participants
The scope of the exercise focused on the decision-making and coordination between the first responders, show sponsors, 911, and the National Weather Service. The exercise exposed the processes and the flow of information among these agencies.
Participants in the tabletop exercise included Madison Village Fire and EMS, NYS Police, NYS Department of Transportation, NYS Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Madison County Sheriff, Madison County 911, the National Weather Service, and the show sponsors. Observing were representatives from Brookfield Fire, Oneida City Fire, and Southern Madison EMS.
The tabletop exercise scenario included discussing the preparation, mitigation, and response to the following situations: an excessive heat situation, severe thunderstorms, a lost child, and a motor vehicle accident during the event.
“The exercise was direct and eye-opening. It exposed us to a lot of issues that needed to be discussed”, according to Mike Sudol, EM Planner for Madison County OEM.
Halpin stated that “the goal of this type of training is to make all participants going to the show safe so they can have an enjoyable experience”.
People interested in receiving emergency alerts can go to https://users.nyalert.gov/. People can follow Madison County Emergency Management on twitter at https://twitter.com/MadisonCoNY_EM.