Exercise Overview

This exercise served as an opportunity for owners and managers of businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies along with their employees to learn how to become better prepared for the next HURRICANE or other natural or man-made disaster. Functioning collectively within their workplace environment, business owners, managers and employees planed and prepared for, responded to and recovered from a category two hurricane striking the the Big Bend Region of Florida.

The following organizations undertook the coordination of this very unique disaster learning opportunity.

• Big Bend Community Organizations Active in Disaster
• Capital Medical Society
• City of Tallahassee
• Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce
• Leon County
• Leon County Sheriff's Office - Division of Emergency Management
• United Partners for Human Service

Exercise Scenario

It is mid July and local citizens have been complacent in their hurricane preparedness activities because this year's hurricane season has not even seen its first Tropical Storm. Families are making their last minute plans for their summer vacations while local business owners are thinking that the hurricane season could be very inconsequential. However weather forecasters are predicting a major change in the atmosphere that could see a sharp increase in the number and severity of hurricanes within the next few weeks.

By late July local residents and business owners begin to follow the projected path of the season's first Tropical Storm. Soon the storm strengthens into Hurricane Biz as it continues its forward movement. The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor the storm via satellite and Hurricane Hunter planes as it continues to intensify.

Hurricane Biz has stayed true to the course that has been predicted by the National Hurricane Center and has grown into a mid-sized category two storm.

During the previous 24 hours the forward movement of Hurricane Biz has increased and the National Hurricane Center has now posted a Hurricane Watch along the coastline indicating that the storm should be making landfall within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Exercise Recommendation

Prior to the Hurricane Biz Tabletop Exercise participants should take the opportunity to review the materials found on the Florida Workplace Disaster Survival Kit web site.

Exercise Testimonials

The following testimonials are from businesses and organizations that have participated in previous Hurricane Biz Tabletop Exercises.

Notary Public Underwriters Inc

EXCELLENT! We will take what we learned here and spend weeks implementing it.

Big Bend Hospice Inc

On behalf of Big Bend Hospice I want to !! THANK YOU !! for coordinating yesterday's Hurricane Biz Exercise. Not only was the exercise thought provoking and instructional, but what we were able to take away with us is invaluable. I came back raving about it to everyone and we will be discussing it in greater depth at our management meeting on Monday. I think everyone participating yesterday would definitely recommend the experience to other agencies in the community. In fact, if there were another one scheduled, I would not only send more staff from Big Bend Hospice, but I would strongly urge our vendors and at least one of our contracted ALFs and nursing homes to send representatives as well. I hope this will become an annual event (actually, i'd like to see this offered at least quarterly).

Exercise Materials

Exercise Conclusion

The Hurricane Biz Tabletop Exercise was held on the morning of July 29 2009 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Tallahassee.

Exercise Photos