TOPOFF 2 (T2)

July 2002 - May 2003

Department of Justice, Office of Domestic PreparednessDepartment of State

FOUO

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T2 Program Overview

Objectives: • Test preparedness and practice WMD response

on a nation-wide basis

• Involve every decision making level, from U.S. government top officials to local first responders

• Highlight domestic and international issues related to catastrophic incident

Benefits: • Improve capabilities to respond in a multi-

agency, multi-jurisdictional environment

• Obtain independent validation of each agency’s priorities and needs

FOUO

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TOPOFF 2000 – May 2000

• Top Officials (TOPOFF) 2000 was a single full-scale exercise conducted over ten days in May in three metropolitan areas:

– Denver, CO: Bioterrorism attack (Pneumonic plague).

– Portsmouth, NH: Chemical attack (Sulfur mustard).

– National Capital Region: NCR 2000, concurrent but separate exercise (Radiological dispersal device).

• TOPOFF 2000 involved over 6,000 participants, including U.S. Government cabinet officials

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T2 - Design Overview

• T2 scenario theme:– Terrorist WMD attacks

– Multiple sites in the continental U.S.• Venue 1: Seattle, surrounding counties, and the State of

Washington– Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD) in Seattle, various smaller hazardous materials

incidents, and plague victims from Chicago

• Venue 2: Chicago, surrounding counties, and the State of Illinois– A biological (Pneumonic plague) attack originating from Canada

• National Capitol Region – Reactions by top officials to attacks and threats of additional attacks

– Includes both crisis management & consequence management events

• T2 Concept:– Building block approach

– Flexible, dynamic, and designed to benefit the widest audience

– Venue involvement in each phase of T2 development

FOUO

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T2 - Design Overview

• T2 will employ a cycle of exercise activity that increases in complexity and culminates in a full-scale exercise in May 2003

• Seminars, a large-scale game, and a full-scale exercise will focus on acute response issues; a command post and distributed network exercise will focus on longer term recovery issues

• The full-scale exercise will be a limited notice, rather than a no-notice exercise

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T2 - Cycle of Activity

Seminars

Full-ScaleExercise

Full-ScaleExercise

TopOfficialsSeminar

Large-Scale Game

Address acute response issues

Addresses acute response issues; uses distance

learning methodologies to reach nationwide audience

Addresses intermediate & long-term consequences, remediation & recovery

Performance-based full-scale

exerciseTop Officials

preparation for Full-Scale Exercise

JUL 02 – FEB 03

DEC 02

FEB 03

APR 03

MAY 03

Advanced Distance Learning Exercise (ADLE)

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Opportunities for Participants

• Test and evaluate WMD plans, policies, and procedures

• Improve interagency coordination and communications

• Clarify roles and responsibilities at all levels

• Conduct individual and group crisis and consequence management WMD training

• Identify and validate:– Proposed adjustments to plans, policies, and procedures

– Resource requirements and shortfalls

FOUO

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Seattle Venue

• Detonation of a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) south of downtown core at noon on Monday, May 12th

– Ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO) explosive device with Plutonium 238/239, Cesium 137, and oxidized Americium 241 in a delivery truck

– Field play will continue for first 36 straight hours

• Take-down of terrorist safehouse

• Cases of plague from Chicago

• Attempts by terrorist to flee across international border

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Roles for Federal Responders

- Seattle Venue

• Support to local, state, and other federal responders upon their request

• Provide staffing for FEMA Regional Operations Center (ROC), FBI Joint Operations Center (JOC), state/local Emergency Operations Centers (EOC), Joint Information Centers (JICs), and field sampling teams, as necessary

• Provide accurate information to other responders regarding agency role, responsibilities, and capabilities

• Help educate responders and the public on the risks from radionuclides and appropriate protective action measures

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Role for EPA and RRT 10

- Seattle Venue

• EPA’s initial response will be under the National Contingency Plan

• Field teams will be immediately dispatched to support the local response in identification of source materials and extent of contamination

• Consistent with EPA’s National Approach to Response, EPA will stand up an internal Area Command and begin requesting back-up resources

• EPA will rely on RRT 10 for communications and coordination with traditional response partners

• Following transition to a Federal Response Plan activation, EPA and USCG will Co-Chair ESF 10 (Hazardous Materials) and will use either FRP and/or RRT networks for communication and coordination with response partners

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EPA Resources to be Utilized

- Seattle Venue

• Approximately 20 OSCs

– Including R8 and R9 backup resources

• Regional Health Physicists

• 15 - 20 technical support contractors

• Limited support from EPA’s Radiological Emergency Response Team (RERT)

• EPA’s Environmental Response Team - West

• EPA Region 10 Regional Incident Coordination Team (RICT)