After Action Report - Otter Tail County

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO)
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Otter Tail County Human Services
Tornado Table Top Exercise
Management Team
February 6, 2012
And subsequent unit meetings
Executive Summary
Issued June 1, 2012
For Official Use Only (FOUO)

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO)
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this report is to analyze exercise results, identify strengths to be maintained and
built upon, identify potential opportunities for improvement, and support development of
corrective actions.
The purpose of this exercise was to exercise the agency’s Continuing Operations Plan (COOP)
and to give the management team and individual units the opportunity to discuss a realistic
tornado scenario with injects that addressed worker safety and availability, high risk clients,
mass care and behavioral health needs of the community and the ability to establish and incident
command structure with in the agency and back up John Dinsmore, Director’s responsibilities in
the EOC if needed.
Scenario: The scenario was a tornado that touched down in the city of Fergus Falls causing
significant damage to assisted living facilities, the Kennedy School, Children’s corner, Cardinal
Homes low income housing the Lakeview Estates Mobile Home Park and many private
residents. Facilities needed to be evacuated. Multiple injuries and some deaths.
The following objectives were established for the table top exercise:
Objective 1: Assess the safety of our staff: Who is available to work and who has been
personally affected by the tornado?
Objective 2: Test the agency’s ability to set up an Incident Command Structure
Objective 3: Determine roles for New York Mills staff and also the New York Mills facility if
needed.
Objective 4: Determine if there are high risk clients in the affected area and how the human
service response should proceed.
Objective 5: Determine what Human Services’ role would be with Kennedy School and
Children’s Corner.
Objective 6: Determine if there are facilities licensed by the County in the affected area and
what would be the agency response.
Objective 7: Assess the agency’s ability to establish and staff a shelter at M State until ARC is
available to manage this function.
Objective 8: Assess how we would address the behavioral health needs of our clients, staff and
the community at large.
Objective 9: Assess the agency’s ability to provide back up for John at the EOC.
Executive Summary For Official Use Only (FOUO) Otter Tail County Human Services
3

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO)
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Exercise Contact Person:
Kay Brown,
Otter Tail County Dept. of Human Services
530 W Fir Avenue
Fergus Falls MN 56537
Phone: 218-998-8187
Email: kbrown@co.otter-tail.mn.us
Major Strengths
The major strengths identified during this exercise are as follows:
� The exercise gave participants an opportunity to review the COOP plan and apply it
to realistic scenarios in a non-threatening environment.
� All staff had opportunities to participate
� Incident command structure and emergency operations functions were reviewed
and would be established for the initial hours.
� Teams currently already work together and have knowledge of high risk
individuals.
� Records can be accessed off site if needed.
� Resources for requesting waivers for public assistance clients and MH client’s
access to medications are in place.
� MOU’s in place with ARC for sheltering and behavioral health with in 72 hour time
period. MOU with Lakeland Mental Health Center as needed and designated funds
in contract.
� All agencies that agency contracts with have requirements for their own COOP so
they can continue to meet client’s needs.
� New York Mills Staff and Building were available to provide back up and work
space.
Primary Areas for Improvement:
� Currently there is no plan in place to check on which staff is currently in the
building, prior to them leaving to check on safety of their families or homes.
� Not all supervisors have employee’s cell phones in their phones.
� Case managers need to discuss and implement EOP plans with high risk clients.
� Staff needs training on shelter setup and how to assess resources needed to set up a
shelter.
� There is not a clear understanding about staff being assigned to meet additional
human services functions during a disaster. How does weather related policies and
leave policies apply. Is it voluntary participation or management assigned duties?
� Licensed facilities are not yet mapped by GIS
� Communications between management and staff, EOC and staff and staff and
partners may be affected if phone and internet services interrupted.
� All incident command staff needs to establish 3 deep back up.
For Official Use Only (FOUO)

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO)
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Recommendations:
� After an incident where staff shelter in the building or leave the building and the all
clear signal is given the COOP should be updated that all staff report to their work
station until their supervisor has verified their safety and approved their leaving the
building.
� Management Staff should get employee’s cell and home contact information in their
cell phone and have hard copies accessible at home.
� Designated staff should attend the ARC shelter training and develop the skills to
establish a shelter.
� Establish procedures for identifying high risk clients and developing EOP plans
with those clients or their caregivers.
� The management team, county administrator and union representatives should
clarify policies and work contracts that may be affected by a disaster.
� Follow up with GIS department on having licensed facilities mapped and how the
maps will be updated.
� To improve communication follow up with Emergency Management and MIS to
have all staff on MR3 and also explore the option of Human Services having at least
one 800MGH radio for communication with EOC and other emergency responders.
� All Incident command staff should explore, assign and train staff for 3 deep back up
to provide coverage for an extended event.
These recommendations will be implemented, trained and exercised throughout the
remainder of 2012. They will be periodically reviewed as necessary.
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FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO)
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Persons Attending:
Management Staff:
John Dinsmore Becky Lee Pat Vanderlinden
Cheryl Ranum Leon Anderson Brooks Andersen
Tamra Jokela Deb Sjostrom Jody Lien
Children’s Services & Licensing:
Kim Kambel Seifert Craig Eder Gabrielle Roers
Krista Fix Sarah Hill Sage Huseth
Tamra Jokela Marlys Lemke Heather Rosenthal
Mari Stanislawski Nicole Lee Jody Dahlin
David Johnson Therese Melmer Stephanie Olson
Adult Mental Health/CD
Kathy Armstrong Julie Stein Brad Erickson
Kelsey Shirkey Gary Holen
Developmental Disabilities
Barb Madole Carol Brause Laurie Sanders
Lisa Spangler Marcia Newborg Margaret Williams
Long Term Care:
Julie Clouse Jody Lien Peggy Ellingson
Michelle Ehlert Cheryl Wiskow Shelly Bartels
Cindy Eull Lori Jaros
Income Maintainence:
Mary Beth Ehrenberg Carrol Massey Carol Bertram
Bonnie Eide Mary Ann Anderson Karin Mysvik
LeeAnn Sudbeck Steph Pausch Stacy Shebeck
Steph Swenson Leslie Hauge Shantel Thorson
Candice Oseien Deb Lundby Karen Murphy
Accounting:
Diane Aschnewitz Jane Meyer Bonita Floden
Barbara Erickson Leon Anderson
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FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO)
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Office Support:
Janice Amundson Nikki Wensauer Shawn Schneeberger
Renee Jorud Traci Finseth Marge Anderson
Cheryl Hanstad Karan Johnson Pat Vanderlinden
Support and Collections:
Connie Nordlund Barbara Jongeling Kim Heintzelman
Kathleen Boll Darla Wedll Dawn Birch
Bonnie Novacek Jody Hutchins Brooks Andersen
New York Mills Staff:
Pam Sondag Debbie Linderkamp Jan Cordes
Cindy Dilly Sandi Gundberg Cheryl Ranum
Rebekah Zahrbock-Haag Lisa Honer
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