Thunderbolt Exercise February 1 2007

On Thursday February 1, the Capital Area Chapter took the opportunity to facilitate an unannounced disaster exercise designed to test the chapter's ability to recruit as many of its Disaster Services volunteers and the paid and volunteer staff from the chapter's partner organizations.

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 254 individuals had gone to the chapter's On-Line - Disaster Relief Operation - Availability Registration system and posted their availability.

In conclusion the exercise was deemed as being very successful test of the chapter's ability to recruit large numbers of volunteers to support the chapter's residents when they are struck by a disaster.

The mission of the Thunderbolt Exercise was to test the Capital Area Chapter and its partner organizations and churches ability to respond to a severe tornado striking Tallahassee.

Between 11:00AM and 7:00PM on Thursday February 1 all of the chapter's Disaster Services Volunteers, the staff and volunteers from its 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 TORNADO that had struck Tallahassee can be found at the following web site:

Document	Format
Thunderbolt Tornado	JPG	PDF

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

The following graph lists the number of staff and volunteers from the various organizations and churches who registered their availability to assist as part of the community's response team due to the TORNADO:

Exercise start time was 11:00AM February 1 2007

Number registered as of 1:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	9
Amateur Radio	11
American Red Cross	43
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	12
Volunteer Leon	2
Other	0
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	0
Baptist Church	0
Catholic Church	1
Methodist Church	0
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	78

Number registered as of 2:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	17
Amateur Radio	16
American Red Cross	59
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	17
Volunteer Leon	3
Other	1
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	0
Baptist Church	2
Catholic Church	1
Methodist Church	2
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	118

Number registered as of 3:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	17
Amateur Radio	19
American Red Cross	95
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	20
Volunteer Leon	4
Other	1
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	0
Baptist Church	4
Catholic Church	2
Methodist Church	2
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	164

Number registered as of 4:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	17
Amateur Radio	20
American Red Cross	117
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	21
Volunteer Leon	9
Other	2
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	0
Baptist Church	4
Catholic Church	2
Methodist Church	4
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	196

Number registered as of 5:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	17
Amateur Radio	20
American Red Cross	117
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	21
Volunteer Leon	9
Other	2
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	0
Baptist Church	4
Catholic Church	2
Methodist Church	4
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	196

Number registered as of 6:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	17
Amateur Radio	23
American Red Cross	126
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	21
Volunteer Leon	12
Other	4
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	1
Baptist Church	4
Catholic Church	2
Methodist Church	5
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	245

Number registered as of 7:00PM February 1 2007

Community Based Organization	Number    Registered
Big Bend 211	17
Amateur Radio	23
American Red Cross	133
Big Bend Disaster Animal Response Team	21
Volunteer Leon	12
Other	4
Faith Based Organization	Number    Registered
AME Church	1
Baptist Church	5
Catholic Church	2
Methodist Church	6
Total Registration	Number    Registered
All Organizations	254

	The simulated track of the tornado though the Tallahassee was displayed in the Capital Area Chapter's Emergency Operations Center for staff go judge the magnitude of the event.
	Chris Floyd, the chapter's Emergency Services Director monitors the activity in the chapter's Emergency Operations Center from his office overlooking the EOC.
	Working out of the chapter's Emergency Operations Center, Disaster Services volunteer and paid staff begin the process of contacting all of the chapter's Disaster Services volunteers VIA phone and e-mail.
	Posted on one of the Emergency Operations Center's wipe boards is the scripted message that Disaster Services paid and volunteer staff used when contacting Disaster Services volunteers VIA the telephones.

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