Blue Cascades Series & Interdependencies Exercises
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Regional Critical Infrastructure Interdependencies Forums
WA Homeland Security Region 6 (King County) and PNWER have partnered to develop an annual Critical Infrastructure Interdependencies Forum. This event has focused on a number of topics important to the Puget Sound region such as supply chain resilience, information sharing, flooding, pandemic planning and cyber security. For more information about past events, please see the links below. 2010 Interdependencies Forum - Focus on Supply Chain Resilience 2009 Interdependencies Forum - Green River Flooding 2008 Interdependencies Forum - Focus on earthquake impacts on food, water and fuel (Blue Cascades V) 2007 Interdependencies Forum 2006 Interdependencies Forum |
Since 2001 the Center for Regional Disaster Resilience (CRDR) has participated, developed and held regional forums devoted to infrastructure interdependencies. Through the CRDR, Infrastructure owners and operators from all sectors meet and build partnerships to understand interdependencies for a more resilient region. CRDR continues to lead the region in fostering and developing meaningful relationship for identify interdependencies to build resilience.
Upcoming Event Interdependencies Workshop: Long-term Power Outage Region 6, EMAC, Critical Infrastructure Working Group When: May 2019 Where: Seattle/ Puget Sound Area Time: TBA More information can be found here or by contacting Eric Holdeman at eric.holdeman@pnwer.org or Steve Myers at steve@pnwer.org. Past Events Blue Cascades Recovery Exercise When: March 21, 2018 Where: Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center 17620 International Blvd, Seattle, Washington, 98188-4001 Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm The Blue Cascades Earthquake Recovery Tabletop Exercise will examine recovery after a major earthquake. This Tabletop exercise will use the June 2016 Cascadia Rising Exercise Scenario but will focus only on the disaster recovery and critical infrastructure interdependencies. The critical infrastructure workshop facilitated by the Northeast University Global Resilience Institute in September 2017 set the stage for this event. The Blue Cascades Recovery Exercise focuses on the recovery of critical infrastructure in the Central Puget Sound region by collecting leaders in the public and private sectors to discuss recovery activities, allocation of resources, and coordination between the two sectors. By strengthening these relationships and organizations, the security and resilience of the Puget Sound can evolve to meet the increasing challenges facing our dynamic region. The event will also work to understand the interdependencies between government and private organizations that are associated with owning and operating critical infrastructure. More Information View the Situation Manual here. In the News: Preparing for the 'big one': Planning long-term earthquake recovery, K5 News here. Please contact Steve Myers at steve@pnwer.org with any questions. Click here for the Regional Integrated Action Plan Blue Cascades Interdependencies Exercise Series, PNWER, 2002-2017 The Blue Cascades tabletop exercises are scenario-based discussion events developed by and for key stakeholder organizations that have roles and responsibilities or significant interests in assuring the security and resilience of the Puget Sound Region and the critical infrastructures and essential service organizations that underpin citizens’ health, safety and economic well-being. Developed and facilitated by the stakeholders themselves, the Blue Cascades exercises focus on all-hazards. The chief goal of these tabletop exercises is not to test plans and procedures, but rather to raise awareness of infrastructure interdependencies and associated vulnerabilities, impacts, and preparedness gaps, identifying potential solutions to make needed improvements. The After Action Reports of the Blue Cascades Exercises are used to develop Action Plans of stakeholder recommended and prioritized activities. These activities may be short-term (one year or less), medium term (eighteen months to two years) or long-term (multi-year). All require cross-sector, multi-jurisdiction, and, in most cases, multi-discipline collaboration and expertise to implement. Participants in the Blue Cascades exercises represent all levels of government, utilities, businesses, and other private sector organizations, non-profits, academic and community institutions. Blue Cascades I (2002) focused on a physical attack scenario Blue Cascades I Report Blue Cascades II (2004) on cyber attacks and disruptions - Click here for AAR, Click Here for Action Plan Blue Cascades III (2006) on a major subduction zone earthquake - Click here for AAR, Click Here for Action Plan Blue Cascades IV (2007) on pandemic preparedness - Click here for AAR, Click Here for Action Plan Blue Cascades V (2008) on disaster logistics and supply chains (food, water and fuel) - Click here for AAR, Click Here for Action Plan Blue Cascades VI (2010) focused on a major flood combined with an H1N1 pandemic. - Click here for AAR, Click Here for Action Plan Blue Cascades VII (2018) recovery from a major subduction zone earthquake 2010 Dam Sector Exercise Series – Green River Valley, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and public and private stakeholders from the Green River Valley in the State of Washington collaborated in conducting the 2010 Dams Sector Exercise Series – Green River Valley (DSES-10) as a means to address regional disaster resilience issues. The DSES-10 effort focused on the analysis of short- and long-term regional impacts resulting from a flood scenario affecting the King County communities of Auburn, Kent, Renton, and Tukwila. This flood scenario served as the triggering event to analyze impacts and interdependencies. Click here for more information 2009 Dams Sector Exercise Series - Columbia River Basin (DSES-09) The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER), US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Pacific Northwest region stakeholders are conducting a series of exercises along the Columbia River Basin in 2009. The 2009 Dams Sector Exercise Series – Columbia River Basin (DSES-09) is assisting in the development of an Integrated Regional Strategy to improve disaster resilience and preparedness initially for the Tri-Cities area of Washington State (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland), and ultimately for the broader Columbia River basin. This multi-jurisdictional effort builds upon a previous initiative (“Pacific Northwest Pilot Project”) led by PNWER and sponsored by DHS. The main goal of DSES-09 is to develop a regional disaster resilience and preparedness strategy for the Tri-Cities area that can be utilized for the broader Columbia River Basin region. This effort consists of pre-exercise training seminars, a series of tabletop exercises (TTX), and follow-up after action/strategy workshops. DSES-09 utilizes DHS’ Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program processes for all exercise components. This framework is helping facilitate the development of an Integrated Regional Strategy to improve disaster resilience and preparedness across multiple sectors and jurisdictions. Click here for overview Critical Manufacturing Sector Coordination The January 2011 PNWER was tasked by DHS Infrastructure Protection (IP) to bring together a cooperative public-private partnership among critical manufacturing companies based in the Pacific Northwest region and appropriate federal, state, and local government agencies. The partnerships enabled participating organizations to build relationships with key government agencies and gain information on and access to approaches, tools, and technologies to advance their overall physical security, cybersecurity, operations and business continuity, and resiliency. Through enhancing the security and resilience of regional manufacturers, participating organizations will work together to cultivate and support infrastructure protection activities. 2009 Montana Infrastructure Protection Forum In May of 2009 PNWER with Stakeholders from the State of Montana and the region provided input, received briefings and exchanged information on best practices for disaster resilience. Several critical infrastructure sectors were represented and gave brief presentations of their organizations and their interdependencies. The event attracted nearly 70 participants from the public, private and non-profit sectors focusing on interdependencies among infrastructures. The workshop was supported by the Montana Office of Criminal Investigation and participants from the State Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Health, regional energy companies, and the Montana Wood Products Association. |
