CATEX 2018 Exercise Dates:
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General Player/Participant Overview Webinar:
Date: TBA Time: TBA Location: Conference Call / Webinar Register to Attend: TBA |
CATEX Virtual Exercise:
Date: TBA Time: TBA Location: Virtual, email based |
What is CATEX?
CATEX (Catastrophic Exercise) is a regional, email based multi-year exercise series being conducted by multiple states and private sector organizations that focuses on rapid restoration of power and supply-chain sectors following disasters in the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
Vision:
CATEX enhances public and private communications, coordination and sensitive information sharing for security and disaster response through process and technology improvements.
What are CATEX Benefits?
CATEX creates opportunities for government and industry to create solutions to persistent operational coordination issues via process improvements and expedited sensitive operational information sharing during regional security/disaster incidents.
CATEX (Catastrophic Exercise) is a regional, email based multi-year exercise series being conducted by multiple states and private sector organizations that focuses on rapid restoration of power and supply-chain sectors following disasters in the Eastern U.S. and Canada.
Vision:
CATEX enhances public and private communications, coordination and sensitive information sharing for security and disaster response through process and technology improvements.
What are CATEX Benefits?
CATEX creates opportunities for government and industry to create solutions to persistent operational coordination issues via process improvements and expedited sensitive operational information sharing during regional security/disaster incidents.
CATEX Problem Statement
During large, regional storms, disasters, or disruptions both industry and government operational decision makers need timely, “sometimes sensitive” information from reliable sources in order to make key operational decisions to effectively respond and recover quickly.
Lastly, exercising these processes and tools regularly determines how effective they become during disasters. The CATEX exercise series is designed bring industry and government together to periodically test sensitive operational information sharing procedures, processes, tools, roles and relationships to expose gaps and opportunities to improve information sharing across the enterprise of stakeholders.
During large, regional storms, disasters, or disruptions both industry and government operational decision makers need timely, “sometimes sensitive” information from reliable sources in order to make key operational decisions to effectively respond and recover quickly.
- Getting information from multiple states and sectors at the same time is very difficult during a regional incident. Decision makers need to see the big regional picture (e.g. reliable situational awareness to know “what is going on” and access to a “common operational picture” to know “who is doing what”).
- Government funded and operated information sharing systems are often not completely trusted, utilized or sustainable due to shifting government priorities, budget cuts, elections, and personnel turnover.
- Sharing information with government brings introduces potential risks to industry due to legal, regulatory, FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests, and competition.
- Industry requires control and more stringent legal, policy, process and technology protections in order to risk sharing “sensitive operational information” with government.
Lastly, exercising these processes and tools regularly determines how effective they become during disasters. The CATEX exercise series is designed bring industry and government together to periodically test sensitive operational information sharing procedures, processes, tools, roles and relationships to expose gaps and opportunities to improve information sharing across the enterprise of stakeholders.
CATEX Strategy
CATEX was formed out of FEMA’s Regional Catastrophic Planning Grant Program (RCPGP) in 2013 designed to promote regional planning and enhance public/private communication, coordination and information sharing for future large scale, multi-state disasters and/or security related incidents.
CATEX produces “information sharing” based products (processes, tools, policy, etc..) designed to expedite information flow between multiple states and the life-line sectors (e.g. power, food, fuel, transportation, telecommunications, medical, etc..) in order to help communities, governments and businesses get back to business faster following natural, man-made or accidental disasters.
CATEX focuses on producing information sharing based “exercise modules/drills”, designed by both public and private sector stakeholders that address their "sector specific operational choke points and issues" in their response efforts. These information sharing modules/drills, once tested, can then be integrated into future public and/or private sector exercises around the U.S.
CATEX was formed out of FEMA’s Regional Catastrophic Planning Grant Program (RCPGP) in 2013 designed to promote regional planning and enhance public/private communication, coordination and information sharing for future large scale, multi-state disasters and/or security related incidents.
CATEX produces “information sharing” based products (processes, tools, policy, etc..) designed to expedite information flow between multiple states and the life-line sectors (e.g. power, food, fuel, transportation, telecommunications, medical, etc..) in order to help communities, governments and businesses get back to business faster following natural, man-made or accidental disasters.
CATEX focuses on producing information sharing based “exercise modules/drills”, designed by both public and private sector stakeholders that address their "sector specific operational choke points and issues" in their response efforts. These information sharing modules/drills, once tested, can then be integrated into future public and/or private sector exercises around the U.S.
CATEX OVERVIEW
CATEX SCOPE
The All Hazards Consortium’s public and private sector working groups will conduct a virtual email based 1 day exercise that will focus on awareness and application of jointly developed information sharing based disaster response tools & processes in support of regional electric power restoration efforts across the Eastern United States and Canada.
This exercise will utilize a new innovative approach to virtual email based exercises and be the first of its kind in the United States.
All participants will be players. No observers. No Evaluates.
The process will simulate exactly how the AHC's government and induStry participants respond to regional disasters today.
Players will be sent emails, click links, watch short videos, test 3-4 web-based information sharing based tools/processes and provide feedback all in a virtual environment.
This exercise will be operational, not discussion-based. Participants will attend the exercise virtually. Information sharing will be limited to email exchange and web-based collaboration tools.
This exercise will utilize a new innovative approach to virtual email based exercises and be the first of its kind in the United States.
All participants will be players. No observers. No Evaluates.
The process will simulate exactly how the AHC's government and induStry participants respond to regional disasters today.
Players will be sent emails, click links, watch short videos, test 3-4 web-based information sharing based tools/processes and provide feedback all in a virtual environment.
This exercise will be operational, not discussion-based. Participants will attend the exercise virtually. Information sharing will be limited to email exchange and web-based collaboration tools.
THREAT OF HAZARD
Natural hazard, severe weather similar to a “Derecho” event
SCENARIO
Predicted but isolated severe weather in the mid-west turns into a regional, widespread severe storm with little to no advance notice. The storm is projected to pass over States in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions during a period of excessive heat, high temperatures, and high electrical load periods.
SPONSORS
- All Hazards Consortium Multi-State Fleet Response Working Group & East Coast Corridor Coalition Working Group
- IOU (Investor Owned Utilities) Regional Mutual Assistance Groups in Electric Sector:
- Southeastern Electric Exchange, Great Lakes, North Atlantic, Mid-West
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Infrastructure Protection
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- U.S. Customs & Border Protection
- Edison Electric Institute
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
- American Public Power Association
CATEX OBJECTIVES
- Evaluate participant’s functional knowledge of AHC FRWG processes and tools.
- Stress test some key elements of the FRWG’s Regional Fleet Movement Coordination Initiative process and Sensitive Information Sharing Environment (SISE) information sharing tools to determine gaps.
- Confirm roles and responsibilities across the following entities:
- RMAGs – Regional Mutual Assistance Groups in electric sector
- State & Local Government Agencies
- Federal & Canadian Government Agencies
- Trade Associations
- Participating Sectors (Food/Water, Fuel, Telecom, Finance, Retail and Transportation)
- The Fleet Response Working Group (FRWG) Program Office
- Discuss logistical challenges when initially aligning resource needs between utilities.
- Assess overall communications, operational process efficiency and tool(s) operational effectiveness.
- Identify strengths, areas for improvement and assign corrective actions.
- Education on the FRWG’s Fleet Movement Coordination with State’s process and tools.
CORE CAPABILITIES EXERCISED
Planning
Operational Coordination
Community Resilience
Risk And Disaster Resilience Assessment
Threats And Hazards Identification
- Mission Areas: All
- Description: Conduct a systematic process engaging the whole community as appropriate in the development of executable strategic, operational, and/or tactical-level approaches to meet defined objectives.
- Description: Conduct a systematic process engaging the whole community as appropriate in the development of executable strategic, operational, and/or tactical-level approaches to meet defined objectives.
Operational Coordination
- Mission Areas: All
- Description: Establish and maintain a unified and coordinated operational structure and process that appropriately integrates all critical stakeholders and supports the execution of core capabilities.
- Description: Establish and maintain a unified and coordinated operational structure and process that appropriately integrates all critical stakeholders and supports the execution of core capabilities.
Community Resilience
- Mission Area: Mitigation
- Description: Enable the recognition, understanding, communication of, and planning for risk and empower individuals and communities to make informed risk management decisions necessary to adapt to, withstand, and quickly recover from future incidents.
- Description: Enable the recognition, understanding, communication of, and planning for risk and empower individuals and communities to make informed risk management decisions necessary to adapt to, withstand, and quickly recover from future incidents.
Risk And Disaster Resilience Assessment
- Mission Area: Mitigation
- Description: Assess risk and disaster resilience so that decision makers, responders, and community members can take informed action to reduce their entity's risk and increase their resilience.
- Description: Assess risk and disaster resilience so that decision makers, responders, and community members can take informed action to reduce their entity's risk and increase their resilience.
Threats And Hazards Identification
- Mission Area: Mitigation
- Description: Identify the threats and hazards that occur in the geographic area; determine the frequency and magnitude; and incorporate this into analysis and planning processes so as to clearly understand the needs of a community or entity.
- Description: Identify the threats and hazards that occur in the geographic area; determine the frequency and magnitude; and incorporate this into analysis and planning processes so as to clearly understand the needs of a community or entity.
Critical Transportation
Logistics And Supply Chain Management
Operational Communications
- Mission Area: Response
- Description: Provide transportation (including infrastructure access and accessible transportation services) for response priority objectives, including the evacuation of people and animals, and the delivery of vital response personnel, equipment, and services into the affected areas.
Logistics And Supply Chain Management
- Mission Area: Response
- Description: Deliver essential commodities, equipment, and services in support of impacted communities and survivors, to include emergency power and fuel support, as well as the coordination of access to community staples. Synchronize logistics capabilities and enable the restoration of impacted supply chains.
- Description: Deliver essential commodities, equipment, and services in support of impacted communities and survivors, to include emergency power and fuel support, as well as the coordination of access to community staples. Synchronize logistics capabilities and enable the restoration of impacted supply chains.
Operational Communications
- Mission Area: Response
- Description: Ensure the capacity for timely communications in support of security, situational awareness, and operations by any and all means available, among and between affected communities in the impact area and all response forces.