​The Center for Regional Disaster Resilience (CRDR) worked with key private sector organizations and the Puget Sound Regional Catastrophic Planning Team (RCPT) to implement a series of stakeholder identified strategies to improve regional supply chain resilience. The goal of the project was to develop a supply chain resilience working group made up of public/private stakeholders to provide input and advise the region on issues related to supply chain resilience. Read the Final Report here. 

Through this process, the working group developed a mutual aid memorandum of understanding for Puget Sound ports to share resources during a catastrophic event; develop a regional strategy for supplying Community Points of Distribution for needed post-disaster government provided commodities; and create a strategy for coordinating between the government led recovery efforts and the private sector to more rapidly restore commerce and the economy.

Executive Summary
Washington State is one of the most trade dependent states in the United States, with an estimated one in three jobs being dependent on trade. It is projected that the supply chain network in the region and the state would be severely disrupted following a major earthquake on any of a number of the Northwest’s major faults. Additionally, a terrorist attack against a single point target or multiple targets of critical infrastructure could cripple the region’s ability to conduct commerce. Lessons learned from past events, such as the Kobe and Christchurch earthquake, reinforced the importance of recovery planning for the region.

The Regional Catastrophic Planning Team identified Supply Chain resilience as a priority issue for the region. As part of the work to build a more resilience Regional Supply Chain it was recommended to exam several of the past lessons learn from regional exercises and real world events. This report will highlight initial priorities that the Supply Chain Work Group identified as well as provide recommendations for regional coordination for supply chain resilience. The initial priorities the work group focused on include: designation of points of distribution, identification of alternate means of delivery, and disaster recovery transition planning between the government and private sector.

​It is important to note that this work group is committed to meeting beyond the end of the Regional Catastrophic Planning Grant Program. This project will be sustained through ongoing recovery planning activities in further developing comprehensive recovery plans. The PNWER Center for Regional Disaster Resilience in Partnership with the Washington State Homeland Security Region 6 Critical Infrastructure Work Group will manage any follow-on efforts after the time of the grant.

Scope
The main objectives of the project were to develop a supply chain resilience working group consisting of transportation and supply chain stakeholders across the 8 county RCPGP. A series of workshops conducted by the working group researched the designation of community points of distribution (CPODs), identification of alternate means of delivery, and transition plan from government to private sector.

Final Products/Deliverables

• Task 1. Create a working group to focus on supply chain resilience. This group will include key transportation and supply chain stakeholders, and additional state and local agencies, infrastructures, industry, businesses, and community organizations essential to sustaining the regional economy.
• Task 2. Develop a memorandum of understanding for Puget Sound ports for post-disaster mutual aid to assist in keeping maritime business in the region.
• Task 3. Identify best practices and develop a transportation strategy for community points of distribution for government provided commodities post disaster, track supply chain routes and alternate means of delivery.
• Task 4. Develop a strategy for coordination between government and the private sector after the government’s role in disaster response and short-term recovery are reduced and to more rapidly restore commerce and the economy.
• Task 5. Develop a Critical Infrastructure Protection Action Strategy in response to the transportation impacts identified during the Evergreen Earthquake, Blue Cascades, Maritime Projects, and other CIP related exercises.
• Task 6. Develop tools and pre-messages for sharing important transportation information between jurisdictions and transportation stakeholders, including promotion of the FirstToSee social media management system to the eight counties and all cities over 50,000 in the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program planning area

The Region 6 Critical Infrastructure Protection Workgroup recognized the need for an informative workshop that allowed private, public, and non-profit sector members to receive briefings on supply chain issues and information sharing. The Workshop agenda was designed by regional stakeholders and addressed issues that have surfaced during previous events. A number of prior workshops and exercises have pointed to the need to identify and share best practices between public and private sector organizations. The workshop focused on the importance of supply chain resilience to manufacturing and the broader business community.  Business leaders discussed supply chain and related continuity challenges and needs regarding business impacts, restoration decision-making, and potential areas of improvement. Read the Final Report here. 

Executive Summary
The workshop provided stakeholders from all infrastructure sectors an opportunity to learn about regional initiatives in critical infrastructure protection and resiliency. Topics included coordination of Regional Critical Manufacturing and Supply Chain Resilience; Private Sector Resilience; and Emergency Communications and Information Sharing. The Washington State Homeland Security Region 6 Critical Infrastructure Protection Workgroup composed the planning team for the Workshop. The purpose of this After Action Report (AAR) is to provide a summary of the proceedings from the Workshop. Organizations should use this document as an information tool for understanding topics highlighted during the Workshop. The AAR meets the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) guidelines and is meant as a reference guide to the issues covered during the Workshop. The participant feedback forms provided a majority of the information on attendees’ overall impression of the Workshop.

Major Strengths
The major strengths identified during this Workshop are as follows:

• The region has a developed relationship between the public and private sectors
• The workshop highlighted several interdependencies between the public and private sectors regarding supply chain and business continuity
• The organizations shared best practices for business continuity in the public sector

In 2008, the Blue Cascades V exercise focused specifically on how the region will restore and continue to provide food, fuel and water after a catastrophic earthquake. Both the public and private sector were included in this exercise because a majority of critical infrastructure owned and operated by the private sector. To ensure the region can continue to provide these services it is necessary for the public and private stakeholders to work together. The exercise examined supply chain recovery after the initial event moving out of the life safety issues and transitioning from the response to recovery phase. Read the Final Report here. 

Executive Summary
State and local governments and key stakeholder organizations convened on December 11, 2008 to hold a regional infrastructure interdependencies exercise focused on assuring critical supply chains in a major disaster. Blue Cascades V, the most recent exercise in the Blue Cascades exercise series, centered on providing food, fuel in a M. 6.7 Seattle Fault Earthquake scenario. The goal of the exercise was to explore impacts that would cause significant, extended disruptions in these critical supply chains; test disaster response plans and procedures; and identify gaps and mitigation and other measures that could expedite their restoration. Specific issue areas addressed in the exercise included interdependencies, coordination, roles and responsibilities, response, critical resource logistics and distribution, information sharing, economic/community recovery, public information, and training and education. The scenario, which was developed by an Exercise Planning Team with assistance from a regional stakeholder Scenario Advisory Group, also addressed infrastructure interdependencies that crossed state and national boundaries. The exercise used an interactive format of facilitated discussion among participants on scenario events using issues questions to focus discussion. An exercise evaluation team provided a hotwash presentation of lessons learned at the end of the exercise followed by participant discussion on exercise outcomes. The exercise concluded with a Next Steps session that outlined an After Action Report followed by development of an Action Strategy to address preparedness gaps and contribute to disaster supply chain planning and resilience.

Selected Findings