• Urban Shield is the largest disaster preparedness/tacticaltraining exercise in the nation. Urban Shield provides amulti-layered training exercise at critical infrastructurelocations throughout five counties in the San FranciscoBay Area to enhance the skills of first responders andthose responsible for managing large scale events.

• Law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel, representingagencies throughout the Bay Area UASI Region,participated in some, or all, of 60 realistic scenarios.

• Their capabilities and equipment were evaluated to providean accurate regional assessment, a Gap Analysis, AfterAction Report (AAR) and Improvement Plan for theRegion.

• Urban Shield operates under the principles of the NationalIncident Management System (NIMS), StandardizedEmergency Management System (SEMS), and the IncidentCommand System (ICS) structure

• Full-Scale Exercises (FSEs) include multipleagencies, jurisdictions, and organizations requiredto validate the many facets of preparedness.

• First Responders are confronted with complex andrealistic problems that require critical thinking,rapid problem solving, and effective responses bytrained personnel.

• Urban Shield 2013 is a response-focused FSE.Regional first responders were mobilized anddeployed to 60 realistic scenarios to accuratelyevaluate the related capabilities.

• The Urban Shield 2013 FSE assessed the overallBay Area UASI Region’s capabilities, assets,plans, policies, and procedures for responding tomultiple emergency situations occurringsimultaneously within the Bay Area.

• RCPGP

• Operational Coordination

• Public and Private Services andResponse

• Public Information and Warning

• Fatality Management Services

• Situational Assessment

• Health and Social Services

• URBAN SHIELD

• Operational Coordination

• Operational Communication

• Interdiction and Disruption

• Mass Search and Rescue

• On-Scene Security and Protection

Exercise Goal:

Test and evaluate the region‘s ability toestablish a fully integrated response systemunder SEMS/NIMS guidelines, and tomaintain effective communications betweenIC/DOC, Area Commands/EOCs, andresponders in the field.

Identified Strengths:

Participants displayed significant competency atoperating within NIMS/ICS guidelines.

New communications technology which allowslinking smart phones with radio communicationswas successfully tested.

Area for Improvement:

The exercise identified a delay betweentransmitting and receiving radio communicationswhen multiple trunk radio systems are linked. Thedelay was exacerbated slightly during the test ofthe VOIP technology.

Recommendation:

Training with an emphasis on the need to mitigatethe delay during initial transmissions isrecommended.

Additional solutions include the use of a secure IPradio pathway over existing LTE networks.

Exercise Goal:

Test and evaluate the Bay Area'sability to successfully implementregional catastrophic response plansfollowing a mass fatality incident.

Identified Strength:

Contra Costa County Emergency Services andCoroner Divisions effectively requested mutual aidresources and coordinated regional response to themass fatality incident through the EmergencyOperations Center in accordance with the RegionalLogistics and Mass Fatality Plans.

Area for Improvement:

The Bay Area currently lacks some of theequipment required to establish a portable fieldmorgue prior to the arrival of federal assets.

Exercise Goal:

Test EMS' ability to provide accurate andtimely pre-hospital triage, treatment andtracking during critical incidents.

Identified Strength:

EMS/Medical first responders did well recognizingvisible medical injuries that needed immediateintervention with no apprehension in approachingindividual patients and applying tourniquets andchest seals independently.

Area for Improvement:

Law Enforcement and EMS/Medical firstresponders had very limited interaction andplanning prior to entry. This gap has been seen inprevious Urban Shield exercises.

Recommendation:

EMS teams should continue to train with otherdisciplines with a focus on conducting briefings andreceive additional training in the area of TacticalEmergency Casualty Care (TECC) or TacticalCombat Casualty Care (TCCC).

Exercise Goal:

Evaluate Regional Bomb Squads' corecompetencies and their ability to renderdevices safe in a hazardous/WMDenvironment utilizing proper PPE anddismounted operations.

Identified Strength:

EOD teams used good tactics addressing the needfor safety and crime scene considerations, usingbasic PPE when possible and quickly transitioningto Level A PPE when encountering a possiblebiological agent laboratory.

Area for Improvement:

EOD teams displayed varying levels of competencysecuring their command post and searching forsecondary devices.

Recommendation:

Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams shouldconsider focusing on fundamental safety andsecurity skills, emphasizing the need to employeffective search techniques when securingcommand posts and evaluating their surroundingsfor additional threats.

Exercise Goal:

Test and evaluate Regional HazMat Teams'ability to respond to hazardous substancereleases during transportation, at fixedfacilities and Weapons of Mass Destructionpost blast.

Identified Strength:

HazMat teams maintained a high degree of safetyby the creation of exclusionary and control zonesdesigned to minimize exposure to radiation andchemical hazards. Teams also made theappropriate selection and use of personalprotective equipment.

Area for Improvement:

HazMat teams displayed deficiencies in respondingto radiological emergencies. Identified deficienciesinclude:

Failing to make timely contact with victims,conducting contamination surveys while still in thehot zone, not taking steps to minimize the spread ofcontaminants, conducting victim surveys too quicklyor not according to established model procedures,failure to search victims for weapons.

Recommendation:

Further training in handling radiation contaminatedvictims and the use of detection and monitoringequipment.

Exercise Goal:

Determine regional USAR capability to searchfor, provide initial medical stabilization andrescue trapped victims utilizing specializedtraining and equipment.

Identified Strength:

USAR teams effectively created, placed, andoperated shoring, as well as raising and loweringrope rescue systems.

Area for Improvement:

Incorporating patient care into USAR operations.Deficiencies include failure to make and maintain earlycontact with the victim until the rescue is complete; noassessment for illness or injury, or provisions forneeded medical care prior to extrication, particularlyfor victims at risk for crush syndrome.

Recommendation:

Additional training in incorporating medical care intoUSAR operations, including the etiology of crushsyndrome. Participation in USAR training scenarioswhere the provision of medical care is a requiredcompetency.

Exercise Goal:

Assess the regional capabilities of lawenforcement to deploy, communicate and usespecialized equipment and training incoordination with other agencies for thesuccessful search and interdiction ofterrorists and the rescue and treatment of anyhostages.

Identified Strength:

Tactical teams did well maintaining situationalawareness and decisive decision making. Teamleaders appropriately redirected their forces asneeded by shifting their plan to deal with new andunexpected events.

Area for Improvement:

Tactical teams had difficulty with IEDs in severalscenarios. Teams continue to have difficulty locatingand inadvertently setting off booby-traps and IEDs theyencountered. Tactical teams also showed differinglevels of proficiency dealing with booby-traps.

Recommendation:

Additional training in locating, identifying andovercoming booby-traps and IEDs during tacticaloperations.

Bay Area Urban AreasSecurity Initiative

U.S. Department ofHomeland Security

CAL Office of EmergencyServices

Alameda CountyFire Department

Central County FireDepartment

Contra Costa Co.Fire ProtectionDepartment

Marin County FireDepartment

MenloPark/Woodside FireProtection Districts

Monterey CountyOperational USARTeam

Napa InteragencyRescue Team

San Francisco FireDepartment

San Jose FireDepartment

Santa Clara CityFire Department

Santa Clara CountyFire Department

South SanFrancisco FireDepartment

St. Paul MinnesotaRegional

Stockton FireDepartment

Lawrence BerkeleyNational Laboratory

Purple Command

Alameda CountySheriff’s Office

White Command

San Francisco PoliceDepartment

Green Command

Alameda CountySheriff’s Office

Gold Command

San Mateo CountySheriff’s Office

Silver Command

Alameda CountySheriff’s Office

Orange Command

Oakland FireDepartment

Red Command

Alameda CountySheriff’s Office

Black Command

Contra Costa CountySheriff’s Office

Yellow Command

Alameda CountySheriff’s Office

Blue Command

• 28 Tactical

• 18 Fire (HAZMAT/USAR/Maritime-Water Rescue)

• 5 EOD

• 4 Medical Checkpoints

• 3 Physical Challenges

• 1 Regional CatastrophicPreparedness Plan Mass FatalityValidation

• 1 Technology Showcase

Sinking Boat with Passengers in WaterScenario F15• Host: Oakland Fire Department• Location: Oakland

Pollution Control ResponseScenario F16• Host: Oakland Fire Department• Location: Oakland• Technology: Protective Industrial Products-Pacific Rescue Wireless Helmet Camera

Shore Based Rescue Boat Handling /Hoist RescueScenario F17

• Host: Oakland Fire Department• Location: Oakland

Assessment of Critical InfrastructureTechnical RescueScenario F18

• Host: Oakland Fire Department• Location: Oakland

Regional Catastrophic PreparednessPlan Mass Fatality ValidationScenario RCPGP

• Host: Contra Costa County and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office• Location: Martinez

The Sandy Hook Elementary School Tragedy: AnEmergency Response Retrospective

Christopher Vanghele, Lieutenant Jeff Silver, OfficerNewtown Police Department

Countering Violent Extremism in the U.S. Through Community PartnershipsIrfan Saeed, Senior Policy AdvisorU.S. Department of Homeland Security

Debriefing of the Boston Marathon Bombing:Joint Preparedness Training

Paul Burke, District Fire Chief Colm Lydon, SuperintendentBoston Fire Department Boston Police Department

• Program included:

• Traditional Bagpipes and Honor Guard

• Keynote Speaker

• Hot Wash

• Presentation of Awards

Wesley Clark, Sr., General, U.S. Army (Retired)