Critical Infrastructure
From energy systems that power our homes, to transportation systems that move us around, to facilities that provide us with safe drinking water, critical infrastructure impacts nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Critical infrastructure provides enormous benefits, services, and opportunities on which we rely. The systems and networks that make up the infrastructure of society are often taken for granted, yet a disruption to just one of those systems can have dire consequences across other sectors.
Drinking Water and Wastewater
A water system emergency response tabletop exercise held in Biron, Wisconsin
Improving the security of our nation's drinking water and wastewater infrastructures has become a top priority in our country. Significant actions are underway to assess and reduce vulnerabilities to potential terrorist attacks; to plan for and practice response to emergencies and incidents; and to develop new security technologies to detect and monitor contaminants and prevent security breaches. Water systems and wastewater systems are critical to every community and the protection of these systems must be a high priority to ensure uninterrupted services essential for the protection of public health and safety. These systems are subject to natural contamination, natural disaster, man-made emergencies and could be targets of much more serious attacks. Personnel who would be expected to respond to these emergencies need to be prepared. Understanding roles and responsibilities of agencies before an event will aid in an expedited recovery from an emergency situation.
Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC can develop training and exercise programs to foster cooperation between water and wastewater utilities, emergency response agencies, emergency management, public health and other entities while validating current emergency response plans. In addition, we have created discussion and operations based exercises to look at continuity of operations plans for utilities.
The benefits to the municipalities who have elected to participate in exercise programs have been outstanding. They have had the opportunity to reveal emergency planning weaknesses on the state, local and municipal drinking water system level, identify resource gaps, improve coordination between responding agencies, clarify roles and responsibilities and improve the individual performance of staff.
We have had the pleasure to work with hundreds of municipal water and wastewater systems throughout Wisconsin with the Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Drinking and Groundwater and in Minnesota with the Department of Health Drinking Water Protection Division. We have also assisted Central Brown County Water Authority in emergency plan development and validation.
Here is what some of our water system clients have to say about our training and exercises:
“Very valuable exercise! Time well spent. First time we’ve included non-emergency services,
it made me think about applying proven concepts to emergencies that I hadn’t previously considered.
I would have liked to have spent the entire day on the event.”
“This was an excellent training opportunity and the city needs to do this for other departments.”
“I thought that the exercise was very well put together. The exercise covered enough detail
to generate discussion, but not too much that it focused on the scenario alone. Nice job!”
Electrical, Gas, Steam and Chilled Water Services
Utilities are committed to reliable production and delivery of services to all of their customers. Through an effective and comprehensive program of planning, training and exercising utilities can prepare in the response to and recovery of critical incidents and emergency situations. Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC has provided services to support emergency preparedness for electrical, gas, steam and chilled water providers. Understanding the importance of utilities and the consequences of disruption in these critical areas we can create a customized planning, training and exercise program for your unique functions.
In 2005 Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC started working with We Energies. We have had the opportunity to assist them with planning, training and exercising with many of their operations such as electrical, steam and chilled water. In addition, we have worked with them closely to develop and refine their business continuity plans. We have also had the opportunity to work with several other utility (gas and electric) providers throughout the state of Wisconsin, both on an individual level and also on a joint level with municipal, county and state partners.
This form of planning not only bolsters the vital areas of a preparedness training program, but also fosters the essential operational readiness and ability to unify in the management of a real world emergency. We understand the need to develop and validate not only internal emergency plans but also to identify and plan for how coordination and control will occur with external and partner agencies.
Ground Transportation Services
Mass transit systems are particularly vulnerable to the risks of terrorist incidents. Emergencies arising from terrorist threats highlight the need for transit systems to minimize the vulnerability of passengers, employees and physical assets through incident prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. It is important to strive to reduce the chances that transit vehicles and facilities will be targets or instruments of terrorist attacks and to be prepared to respond and recover from such possibilities. By being prepared to respond to terrorism, transit systems are simultaneously prepared to respond to natural disasters such as floods and tornadoes, as well as events such as hazardous materials spills and other incidents.
Jo Ann Wipperfurth of Pre-Emergency Planning reviews the incident command structure at a Milwaukee County Transit System Tabletop Exercise.
Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC can provide a customized planning, training and exercise program to not only strengthen vital areas of a preparedness, but to also foster the essential operational readiness and ability to unify in the management of a real world emergency.
By displaying a commitment to conduct emergency planning, disaster preparedness training, and exercises mass transit systems can validate and refine their current emergency plans and develop a greater understanding of the capabilities between internal departments and community partners.
Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC has worked extensively with Milwaukee County Transit System in their emergency preparedness. This includes emergency plan development, design and execution of multiple discussion and operational based exercises.
We are confident that we can provide an emergency planning solution that is right for you with an economical and efficient process to make your job easier.
Airport
A full scale training exercise at an international airport.
Millions of people pass through airports every day, presenting a potential target for terrorism and other acts of violence or crime. Although security measures have increased to reduce the chance of violent attacks at airports these facilities area also subject to natural hazards, technological incidents and other man-made disasters that could result in an influx of casualties and fatalities, equipment failure and other consequences that affect airport operations.
Airports have plans designed to comply with Title 14, CFR Part 139, Certification of Airports, to minimize the possibility and extent of personal injury and property damage on the airport in an emergency. These plans provide the framework which enables the airport, community emergency response agencies and other partners to join in an effective, coordinated strategy for response to any type of airport emergency.
By displaying a commitment to conduct emergency exercises, airports can validate and refine their current emergency plans and develop a greater understanding of the capabilities between internal departments and community partners.
Pre-Emergency Planning, LLC has worked with General Mitchell International Airport in their emergency preparedness efforts through the design, development, conduct and evaluation of operational based exercises. To learn more on how we can assist with discussion based or operational exercises please contact us, for a comprehensive, yet cost effective exercise program to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements and enhance your aviation emergency preparedness posture.
Contact us today to see how we can help!