Exercise Overview

The Holmes County Health Department undertook an effort to develop, facilitate and evaluate a disaster exercise entitled "Infirmary Incineration - A COOP Tabletop Exercise".

This exercise served as an opportunity for the employees of the department to assess their ability to remain operational in the aftermath of a commercial fire severely damaging their facility. The primary purpose of the exercise was to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the department's Continuity of Operations Plan.

The Infirmary Incineration Tabletop Exercise was facilitated via an internet based application entitled ON-Line eXercise (ONX) System.

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

Exercise Scenario

At 10:37PM on Sunday a motorist driving past the county health department 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 the 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 Conclusion

The Infirmary Incineration Tabletop Exercise was held on the morning of August 19 2010 at the Holmes County Health Department in Bonifay Florida.

This exercise is an example of the kind of exercises that comprise the nationwide Caduceus Shield Exercise Initiative. This initiative provides meaningful exercise opportunities for America's health system.