Community Emergency Planning in NYC - A Toolkit for Community Leaders

Practice Your Plan

To be prepared you need to test your plan. Now that you’ve created your network, learned about official emergency operations, and discussed how you’ll activate your response, use the real-life scenarios in this section to practice.

Involve as many network members in these exercises as you can. Note gaps in your network or resource directory as you go, and add any additional strategies/action steps to your plan as needed.

For each scenario print copies of your plan and fill out the related staffing charts and assessment tools as you run through the exercise.

IN THIS SECTION:

Sample emergency scenarios:

• Power outage

• Extreme heat

• Blizzard

SAMPLE SCENARIO: POWER OUTAGE

(This scenario is based on real conditions during the 2003 NYC blackout.)

Print copies of your plan and fill out the related staffing charts and assessment tools as you run through the exercise. Take notes on lessons learned, decisions made, and gaps that exist in your planning. 

DAY 1:

A power surge causes millions of people to lose electricity. The city is gridlocked, cell service is disrupted, but landlines are working.

1. Who do you first communicate within your network? How do you communicate with the rest of the network members?

2. How do you reach your community members and what is your message to them?

3. What are the impacts of the outage and needs of your community? Fill in the needs assessment chart in your plan template.

4. What actions do you take to support people most vulnerable to power outages? Fill in tasks and leads in your staffing chart.

5. Identify community resources that can help meet your community’s needs and plan how you will connect people to them. Fill in your resource assessment and staffing chart. 

DAY 2:

In one day there have been 60 working fires, caused mostly by candles. The FDNY answered over 7,500 calls which resulted in the transmission of over 4,000 alarms. Most high-rise buildings do not have access to water with the power disruption.

1. How can your network notify your community of the dangers of candles? (Also think about how you can you incorporate this message into year-round preparedness education.)

2. What impact will the power outage have on services in your community? How can your network share resources to keep certain activities going?

3. Spontaneous volunteers contact you to help. Who organizes them?

4. Continue to record tasks, leads and community resource assignments on your staffing chart.

DAY 3:

Power is restored to NYC. Most of the deaths in NYC are attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

1. How can you communicate proper precautions for generator use in your year-round preparedness education?

2. Who in your network will update your needs assessment chart and how will they make their new assessment?

3. What resources are still available and can be used for recovery? Update your resource assessment chart and reevaluate your staffing chart for recovery efforts.

SAMPLE SCENARIO: EXTREME HEAT

(This scenario is based on real conditions during the 1995 Chicago heat wave.)

Print copies of your plan, and fill out the related staffing charts and assessment tools as you run through the exercise. Take notes on lessons learned, decisions made, and gaps that exist in your planning. 

DAY 1:

The heat index has exceeded 100 degrees for the third day in a row. Meteorologists predict these conditions to continue for the next four days. The City, in partnership with public facilities, has opened cooling centers across the city.

1. What are your first steps? Who do you first communicate with?

2. What are the impacts of the heat emergency and needs of your community? Fill in the needs assessment chart in your plan template.

3. Which lead team and/or network members will help the community prepare for worsening conditions? Fill in tasks and leads in your staffing chart.

4. Which community resources can help with these tasks? Fill in your resource assessment and staffing chart. 

DAY 2:

The temperature hits 106 degrees, and the heat index soars to 126 degrees. As you learn that there have been 144 fatalities directly related to the heat wave, the power in your neighborhood goes out.

1. What effect does the power outage have on members in your network? How will your communication change?

2. What will service facilities, such as daycare centers and soup kitchens, need during a power outage? How are members of your community affected?

3. Your lead team determines that checking on seniors and people with disabilities is your current priority. Which network members do you contact, and how do you organize them?

DAY 5:

Power outages now grip the entire city. The death toll has climbed above 700. The MTA announces the closure of all subway terminals due to dozens of heat-related deaths in the tunnels. Due to the increased demand for services and gridlocked traffic, ambulance responses are delayed up to two hours.

1. What other services can your network provide to assist community members? Who will update your needs and resource assessments and how?

2. How can your network provide services? How are you coordinating efforts?

3. Continue to update your staffing chart. Have roles changed? Have you recorded new tasks, their assigned leader, resources and contact information?

SAMPLE SCENARIO: BLIZZARD

(This scenario is based on real conditions during the January 2016 NYC blizzard.)

Print copies of your plan and fill out the related staffing charts and assessment tools as you run through the exercise. Take notes on lessons learned, decisions made, and gaps that exist in your planning. 

DAY -4 (PRIOR TO EVENT):

A winter storm, potentially a blizzard, is expected to impact the Northeast Friday through Saturday.

1. What is your message to your community? What strategies do you use to reach everyone? Fill in your communications chart.

2. Which network members do you contact? Who can help prepare your community?

3. What do you do to help prepare elderly residents and individuals with access and functional needs Who in your network can help?

DAY -2 (PRIOR TO EVENT):

The forecast is 10 inches of snow— officially a blizzard. It will arrive Friday threatening the power grid, slowing traffic, and hindering emergency responders.

1. How does your messaging change to your community? How will you prepare for a power outage?

2. What impact will the storm have on services and activities? 

DAY 1 (AFTER EVENT):

The Mayor bans non-emergency travel. MTA services stop. Total snowfall is over 26 inches.

1. What are your community’s needs? Who will conduct a needs assessment and what strategies of communication will they use?

2. Identify community resources that can address those needs. Record tasks, leads and community resource assignments on your staffing chart.

3. Who is checking on homebound, elderly and other vulnerable neighbors? What network members or community resources can help with this?

DAY 2 (AFTER EVENT):

The City reminds residents never to use gas, kerosene, propane space heaters, charcoal, or grills to heat their properties. Media sources announce that multiple people have died from shoveling snow.

1. How will you get these warnings to your community members?

2. What resources can you provide for residents to help them stay safe?