| Lightning Bolt Exercise November 28 2007 |
On Wednesday November 28, the American Red Cross chapter's of the Canopy Oaks Region, took the opportunity to facilitate an unannounced disaster exercise designed to test the regions's ability to recruit as many of its Disaster Services volunteers and the paid and volunteer staff from partner organizations and churches.
Only two (2) individuals knew that the exercise was being developed and when it would be facilitated. By keeping the exercise theme and scheduled date very confidential, allowed the exercise to proceed as though it was a real world event with a high sense of urgency in completing the exercises goals.
What follows is the web based tool used to recruit volunteers using the internet.
As the exercise unfolded, an hourly count of recruited volunteers was posted to this web site. When the exercise was completed at 7:00PM a total of 494 individuals had gone to the On-Line - Disaster Relief Operation - Availability Registration system and posted their availability.
In conclusion, the exercise was deemed as being a very successful test of the regions's ability to recruit large numbers of volunteers to support the needs of the four (4) American Red Cross chapters who make up the Canopy Oaks Region.
| Exercise Mission |
The mission of the Lightning Bolt Exercise was to test the four (4) American Red Cross chapters within the Canopy Oaks Region and their partner organizations and churches ability to respond to a series of severe tornadoes striking North Florida and Southwest Georgia.
Between 11:00AM and 7:00PM on Wednesday November 28 all of the Disaster Services Volunteers from the four (4) American Red Cross chapters within the Canopy Oaks Region, and the staff and volunteers from the various partner organizations and churches were requested to register their availability on-line as part of the community's response team. The path of the various TORNADOES can be found at the following web site:
| Document | Format | |
| Lightning Bolt Tornado | JPG | |
Information on the four (4) American Red Cross chapter's that comprise the Canopy Oaks Region can be found at the following web site:
| Document | Format | |
| Canopy Oaks Region | HTML | |
| Exercise Availability |
All American Red Cross Disaster Services Volunteers, the staff and volunteers of various partner organizations and churches were asked to complete the On-Line - Disaster Relief Operation - Availability Registration found at the following web site.
| Document | Format |
| On-Line Availability Registration | HTML |
| Exercise Registrants |
The following graph lists the number of staff and volunteers from the various organizations, churches and government agencies who registered their availability to assist as part of the community's response team due to the TORNADO:
Exercise start time was 11:00AM November 28 2007
Number registered as of 1:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 14 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 71 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 27 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 8 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 8 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
Church Of Christ | 5 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 40 |
| Division Of Public Health | 10 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 183 |
Number registered as of 2:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 20 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 121 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 31 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 10 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 8 |
| Big Bend 211 | 1 |
| Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team | 2 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Church Of Christ | 5 |
| Methodist Church | 1 |
| Mormon Church | 1 |
| Temple Israel | 1 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 59 |
| Division Of Public Health | 27 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 287 |
Number registered as of 3:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 24 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 143 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 32 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 13 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 8 |
| Big Bend 211 | 2 |
| Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team | 2 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Church Of Christ | 5 |
| Methodist Church | 1 |
| Temple Israel | 1 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 68 |
| Division Of Public Health | 27 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 327 |
Number registered as of 4:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 26 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 167 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 35 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 15 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 9 |
| Big Bend 211 | 3 |
| Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team | 3 |
| Chamber Of Commerce | 1 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Baptist Church | 1 |
| Church Of Christ | 5 |
| Lutheran Church | 1 |
| Methodist Church | 2 |
| Mormon Church | 1 |
| Temple Israel | 1 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 78 |
| Division Of Public Health | 50 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 398 |
Number registered as of 5:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 26 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 188 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 50 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 24 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 10 |
| Big Bend 211 | 3 |
| Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team | 3 |
| Chamber Of Commerce | 1 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Baptist Church | 1 |
| Church Of Christ | 5 |
| Lutheran Church | 2 |
| Methodist Church | 3 |
| Mormon Church | 1 |
| Temple Israel | 1 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 84 |
| Division Of Public Health | 55 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 460 |
Number registered as of 6:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 26 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 199 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 51 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 25 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 10 |
| Big Bend 211 | 3 |
| Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team | 3 |
| Chamber Of Commerce | 1 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Baptist Church | 1 |
| Church Of Christ | 5 |
| Lutheran Church | 2 |
| Methodist Church | 3 |
| Mormon Church | 1 |
| Temple Israel | 1 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 89 |
| Division Of Public Health | 55 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 478 |
Number registered as of 7:00PM November 28 2007
| Community Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Amateur Radio | 26 |
| American Red Cross - Capital Area Chapter | 214 |
| American Red Cross - Colquit County Chapter | 51 |
| American Red Cross - Georgia Wiregrass Chapter | 25 |
| American Red Cross - Valdosta Chapter | 10 |
| Big Bend 211 | 3 |
| Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team | 3 |
| Chamber Of Commerce | 1 |
| Faith Based Organization | Number Registered |
| Baptist Church | 1 |
| Church Of Christ | 6 |
| Lutheran Church | 2 |
| Methodist Church | 3 |
| Mormon Church | 1 |
| Temple Israel | 1 |
| Georgia Government | Number Registered |
| Division Of Family And Children Services | 89 |
| Division Of Public Health | 56 |
| Total Registration | Number Registered |
| All Organizations | 494 |
| Exercise Photos Gallery |
 |
The Capital Area Chapter opened its Emergency Operations Center. Disaster Services volunteers and paid staff working in the Capital Area Chapter's Emergency Operations Center called numerous trained Disaster Services volunteers asking them to register their availability to respond the the Lightning Bolt Exercise. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Last Update: