PDX NIMO runs another team through the sim at 520

All the NIMO teams participate in organizing and putting on 520 each year on Tucson, Arizona.  Here are some moments from 2014.

Portland NIMO SIM team

Portland NIMO SIM team

Portland NIMO SIM team

Portland NIMO SIM team

Portland NIMO SIM team

PHX NIMO runs the sim at 520

All four NIMO teams are involved in running the simulations that test 520 students in Tucson Arizona each February.

Above, a mixed group of PHX, BOI and PDX NIMO members work on inputs to the student team in a separate room.

Ironwood Hotshots of Tucson volunteered to be role players and did a great job. Left, Damien plays his role as Ground Support.

Steve and Tom Johnson work the radios as Air Support and Divisions during the sim.

1-10-13 PDX NIMO First Simulation for 2013

Mt Hood and the Portland Watershed

Portland NIMO began 2013 with an exercise and Google Earth simulation in Sandy, Oregon on the Mt. Hood National Forest. About 40 people, including NIMO, attended with a great cross section of the agencies involved in the exercise as well as the Regional Office.

Acting Deputy Regional Fire Director Deb Roy helps set the
scene for the simulation in the Portland Watershed

The scenario, created at the request of the regional office, addressed the possibility of a fire in the Bull Run Watershed which provides water for nearly one million people in the Portland area, one quarter of the population of the state of Oregon. The seriousness of this occurrence becomes apparent when reviewing a mudslide from years ago when about 1000 cubic yards of debris ended up in the water supply and shut the system down for 11 days.

Regional Forester Kent Connaughton (left) and
Forest Supervisor Chris Worth (center) participate in the exercise.

In attendance, representatives from the Portland Water Bureau (8), USFS Regional office (4), Regional Forester Kent Connaughton, local fire districts (6), Oregon Dept. of Forestry (6), Mt Hood Forest Supervisor, firefighters & fire staff (8).   The simulation allowed participants to talk through, and walk through, agency thinking and strategies in a situation that is rarely encountered.  Due to the size of the population, and concern for the single source water supply, good communication between agencies and  speaking with one voice were of paramount concern.

David Summer (back to us,) facilitates the exercise

The sim also included a situation similar to Dollar Lake when the nation was at PL 4 and resources were scarce. The exercise allowed participants to share and understand that the values at risk in the watershed, were competing for attention with the values at risk, like houses, across the nation. There was agreement that there would be intense pressure from elected officials and the public to take aggressive action,  but the sim allowed for discussion about how that pressure must be balanced with what resources were available, people's homes burning and danger to firefighters.

The day ended with a number of agreements about how the agencies can work together and prepare ahead of time to manage public expectations. Specific bin items were agreed to: more tactical simulations in the near future; incorporation of fire potential and information into the public tours of the watershed; communication with public around the state about these efforts to coordinate plans; build relationships ahead of time so all agencies understand specific concerns and interests; and consider the most urgent of these things ahead of the 2013 fire season.

11-12-2012 PHX NIMO report

Work continued on the well-being checks in the Rockaway high rise apartments. Good progress was made on the primary buildings so the Health Department compiled a list of secondary and tertiary apartments for welfare checks. The city extended this mission until Friday, however NIMO will end their involvement at noon Monday. Command of the mission will transfer to an AHIMT that is in the area.

PHX NIMO has their close-out with ESF4 at 1600 Monday. We will demob resources and pack and ship equipment on Tuesday; travel home on Wednesday.

11_8-10_2012 PHX NIMO report

Sorry for the lack of reports but we’ve been running hard for the past few days.

    After having a couple of suggestions for missions turned down, we were advised on Thursday (11-8) to prepare a plan for demobilizing ourselves and all resources brought in through ESF4. Late Thursday evening we were contacted by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. They were looking for someone to organize a mission to conduct well-being checks on residents in high rise apartment buildings in Rockaway and Coney Island. There were about 200 buildings greater than six stories where we were to check on residents’ welfare, prescription refills and other critical medical needs. Available to assist were about 250 National Guard troops, more than 100 FEMA-contracted ambulances with EMTs, about 50 Health Department sanitarians and a DMAT group.

Health Department, PHX NIMO and National Guard during
welfare check briefing.

    NIMO enlisted the help of the Maine IMT to divide the mission load; they organized the Coney Island operation and NIMO took Rockaway. Security of workers was a primary concern as we were advised these were high crime areas. Some key contacts with NYPD secured the necessary police officers to escort the teams as they contacted residents.

National Guard troops prepare for welfare checks

    By noon on Friday, a Unified Command with NIMO, National Guard and the Health Department had been organized, objectives and plan developed, and boots were on the ground shortly thereafter. Some of the challenges we faced were holding the teams until we had organization, accountability and a safety plan in place. Getting everyone to morning briefing on time was also an issue. The Guard troops were an Infantry Division and therefore didn’t come with transportation. They had to take a city bus to get to the ICP (you can’t make this stuff up). Also, as NYPD watch commanders changed, the information about our security needs did not transition from one commander to the next.

    At end of shift on Saturday (11-10), more than 3,000 apartments had been checked and twelve residents transported to hospitals for critical medical needs.

    As of Sunday morning our plan is to demob all EFS4 resources on Tuesday and PHX NIMO will travel home on Wednesday (11-14).

11-11-12 PDX NIMOs Last Day

Portland NIMO is working its final day with the New York City Office of Emergency Management Debris Removal Task Force, under the leadership of TFLD John Scrivani.  The team had dinner with the other task force members on Saturday evening and will leave Brooklyn about 1700 to stay closer to the airport for early departures Monday morning.  Everyone will be back working from home Tuesday morning.

L to R: Kris Eriksen, David Blitzer, John Scrivani, Dana Reid, Bill Hahnenberg, Kevin Clark,
John Prendergast, Mike Warren, Rich Rusk, John giller, Nick Giannettino, Rion Labrutto

L to R: Nick Giannettino, Bill Hahnenberg, Rion LaBrutto, John GIller, John Scrivani,
 John Prendergast,  friend Steve, Kevin Clark, Kris Eriksen, Rich Rusk