Exercise Overview

The Florida Department of Health  undertook an effort to develop, facilitate and evaluate a disaster exercise entitled "Clinic Conflagration - A Health Center Tabletop Exercise".

This exercise served as an opportunity for each of the state's community health centers and other independent outpatient health care providers to asses their ability to remain operational in the aftermath of a commercial fire severely damaging their principal facility. The primary purpose of the exercise was be to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each center's Continuity of Operations Plan.

The Clinic Conflagration Tabletop Exercise was facilitated via an internet based application entitled ON-Line eXercise (ONX) System which will allow each facility to participate in the exercise from their office.

Information on the ONX System can be found at ONXSystem.com.

Exercise Scenario

At 10:37PM on Sunday a motorist driving past your health center's primary location notices smoke coming from a vent on the top of the building. Using his cell phone the motorist calls 9-1-1 to report a fire.

Within several minutes of notification the fire department has arrived. Upon sizing up the scene and establishing an Incident Command firefighters begin to battle the conflagration that is consuming your building.

Because the fire is proving more difficult to extinguish than originally thought, the Incident Commander asked for additional resources. A second alarm is sounded and the supplementary firefighters and equipment arrive. It takes another 21 minutes before the fire is extinguished.

At 7:49AM on Monday the first arriving staff members are shocked to see that their workplace has been severely damaged. They stand in the parking lot waiting for someone to give them direction as to what they should do.

Exercise Participation

For organizations, agencies, departments and / or businesses planning to participate in the exercise it is recommended that a minimum of three individuals from a location participate in the exercise working together as part of a disaster planning / response team. By working together as team you will be able to strengthen the disaster readiness and enhance the knowledge of additional staff members on the roles they are responsible for during a disaster.

All individuals that will be participating in the exercise will need to register as important situational awareness materials will be e-mailed to them prior to the beginning of the exercise.

Exercise Conclusion

The Clinic Conflagration Tabletop Exercise was facilitated on the morning of June 22 with healthcare providers participating from throughout Florida.