Exercise Game Day

The goal of the exercise was to have all of Florida's disaster response organizations, agencies, departments and churches to e-mail an exercise message to each of the four Satellite Communication Trailers (SatCom Hubs) during the drill.

Exercise Overview

The primary purpose of the Hurricane John Paul Drill was establish a statewide communications network using the internet and four SatCom Hubs. By establishing such a network Florida's churches, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies demonstrated the ability to remain connected to one another in the aftermath of any disaster.

Three of the SatCom Hubs belong to Florida's Catholic Charities while the fourth is the property of the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management.

All community and faith based organizations along with government agencies with disaster responsibilities in Florida were invited to participate in this unique drill.

It only took a few minutes for individuals to participate in the exercise.

• First: Individuals were required to complete an on-line registration to sign-up as a participant.

• Second: On Game Day participants were instructed to use the Exercise Message Portal found below to send an e-mail to each of the four SatCom Hubs.

It was just that easy for participants to help establish a first of it kind disaster response communications network.

Registered Participants

Agencies, churches, departments and organizations who participated in the drill.

After Action Report / Improvement Plan

The Hurricane John Paul Drill was designed, facilitated and evaluated using the Department of Homeland Securities - Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program guidelines. As part of those guidelines an After Action Report / Improvement Plan was prepared. This report can be found below

STEP # 1 - Exercise Participant Registration

On-Line Registration for the drill is no longer available.

STEP # 2 - Exercise Message Portal

To send a message to one or all four of the SatCom Hubs

Exercise Scenario

It is mid July and Florida’s residents have been following the development of the season’s first Tropical Storm. Within 48 hours the storm becomes Hurricane John Paul and is making landfall in southeast Florida as a category 4 hurricane.

Over the next 36 hours the hurricane moves up the center of the state entering into the Gulf of Mexico just above Tampa still a category 1 storm.

While in the Gulf of Mexico the hurricane strengthens once again into a category 2 storm making landfall for the second time along the coastline of Santa Rosa County.

In the aftermath of such a hurricane the need for faith and community based organizations and their government partners to communicate via the internet is vitally important.

Exercise Materials

Exercise Partners

While Florida's Catholic Charities is hosting this unique hurricane drill, community and faith based organizations along with emergency managers from throughout the state are partnering with Catholic Charities to make the Hurricane John Paul Drill a success.

• American Red Cross
• Amateur Radio - North Florida Digital Group (D-Star)
• Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies
• Big Bend Community Organizations Active in Disaster
• Eagle Wings Foundation Inc
• Farm Worker Association of Florida
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church
• Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM)
• Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA)
• Florida Interfaith Networking in Disaster (FIND)
• Florida Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Network (FLAPDAN)
• Grupo Comunitario de Requesta a Desastres (GCRD)
• Lutheran Disaster Response
• Salvation Army
• Volunteer Florida

Florida's Catholic Charities

• Catholic Charities - Disaster Amateur Radio Network (DARN)
• Catholic Charities of Archdiocese of Miami
• Catholic Charities of Central Florida
• Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida
• Catholic Charities of Palm Beach
• Catholic Charities of St Augustine
• Catholic Charities of St Petersburg
• Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice

Exercise Media Coverage

Exercise Conclusion

The Hurrican John Paul Communications Drills was  facilitated throughout the State of Florida on the morning of July 15 2009.

Exercise Photos