"Perfect Storm" exercise puts emergency response plans into action
On Wednesday, April 7, metro-area first responders, emergency-management agencies and hospitals will participate in Exercise Perfect Storm, a disaster simulation that will test their plans to manage resources and coordinate public information in a large-scale emergency that affects multiple locations.
The scenario for Perfect Storm involves tornadoes touching down at several locations across the metro during a busy weekday with several large public events. Wyandotte, Platte and Johnson counties will each support two exercise venues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other jurisdictions will participate in support of activities at these locations, with emphasis on multi-agency coordination, command and control.
Coincidentally, jurisdictions will conduct routine tests of severe weather sirens on April 7, but these tests are not part of the exercise.
Most of the Perfect Storm exercise will be functional, not full scale, meaning that officials will test capabilities through simulation, rather than with actual equipment or personnel on the ground. Exercise participants will use technologies such as WebEOC, a specialized web-based software for emergency operations centers; EMSystem, a computer program that helps hospitals and emergency medical-response agencies monitor hospital status and bed availability; and Patient Tracking, an electronic system that helps officials track patients’ status and location during a mass-casualty incident that exceeds the capacity of nearby hospitals.
With funding from a number of federal programs, the Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee oversees training and exercises such as Perfect Storm to enhance the region’s ability to respond to both natural and manmade disasters.
Perfect Storm will test several regional plans, including the Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Mo., Metropolitan Medical Response System plans; the regional Tactical Interoperable Communications and Mass Casualty Incident plans; and the Regional Coordination Guide.
For more details, contact individual exercise site coordinators prior to the day of the exercise:
- Wyandotte County, Kan. — Betty Amos, 913-573-6300, bamos@wycokck.org
- Platte County, Mo. — Mike O’Neal, 816-858-1966 or 816-243-7469 moneal@plattesheriff.org
- Johnson County, Kan. — Adam Crowe, 913-782-3038, acrowe@jocogov.org
- Johnson County, Kan. Sherriff’s Office – Tom Erickson, 913-208-4930, tom.erickson@jocogov.org
- Area Hospitals — Carolyn Wells, 816-792-7248, carolyn.wells@libertyhospital.org, or Steve Williams, 816-404-2661, Steve.Williams@tmcmed.org
PRIMARY MEDIA CONTACT FOR DAY OF EXERCISE: Main Exercise Control Center: 913-895-8310