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Blue Cascades
Infrastructure Interdependencies Exercise
Overview
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) held Blue Cascades, an infrastructure interdependencies-focused tabletop exercise co-sponsored by the US Navy Critical Infrastructure Protection Office, FEMA Region 10, and the Canadian Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness on June 12, 2002 immediately following the PNWER Annual Meeting in Welches, Oregon (45 minute drive from Portland). This exercise was the second in a series of activities that are elements of a unique initiative - the Partnership for Regional Infrastructure Security - launched by PNWER in late 2001. The first activity was the Partnership kick-off meeting on Nov. 30, 2001 in Spokane, Washington, attended by over 120 private and pubic sector organizations from the five states and three provinces that comprise PNWER
Exercise Focus
The tabletop exercise was both multi-jurisdictional and cross-border in scope. Blue Cascades focused on the linkages between and among infrastructures that could make a region vulnerable to cascading impacts in the event of an attack or disruption, and which could complicate expeditious response and recovery. Critical infrastructures include energy (electric power, oil, natural gas); telecommunications; transportation; water supply systems; banking and finance; emergency services; and government services. Blue Cascades was intended to help the PNWER jurisdictions assess the current state of stakeholders' understanding and preparedness, particularly from the perspective of infrastructure interdependencies. It was also designed to provide a baseline for identifying their needs, priorities, and resource requirements. This information, along with the lessons learned from the exercise, helps sensitize public and private-sector decision makers to infrastructure security issues and provide the impetus to prioritize and implement activities that will ensure the reliability and security of critical infrastructures in the post-September 11 world.
Purpose
The purpose of Blue Cascades was to identify what needs to be done to develop a "disaster resistant" region and to provide a model for holding interdependencies exercises in other locations within the PNWER region, contributing to, and validating implementation of a comprehensive preparedness approach for the eight PNWER member jurisdictions.
Objectives
Exercise objectives:
- Raise awareness of infrastructure interdependency issues.
- Identify ways to make infrastructure providers aware of the extent and duration of disruptions.
- Identify and focus attention on the most important vulnerabilities that result from infrastructure interdependencies.
- Promote a mutual understanding of infrastructure service restoration priorities, challenges, and time lines, given the nature and scope of the region's infrastructure interdependencies.
- Identify and highlight roles, responsibilities, and authorities (local, county, state, federal) for responding to and recovering from infrastructure disruptions.
- Determine ways to foster a more effective interface and information sharing among public and private-sector service providers and local, county, state/province, and federal officials in developing and implementing infrastructure protection, mitigation, response, and recovery options.
- Identify preparedness shortfalls.
- Identify cross-border challenges to U.S. and Canadian abilities to cooperatively prepare for and deal with attacks and disruptions that impact the Pacific Northwest.
Intent
Blue Cascades allowed participants (players) to discuss the impacts of attacks and disruptions on the infrastructures that they represent. It also provided a setting to become more informed about other infrastructures and to learn about the potential for cascading effects that could result from interdependencies.
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