2004

We designed and conducted several large-scale emergency response exercises for various state Offices of Public Health and Emergency Preparedness (Bio-terrorism and WMD), as well as for our corporate clients. In the State of Louisiana, we successfully completed the State’s Strategic National Stockpile Training, Education and Demonstration Package (TED) Exercise that involved a multiple day drill with participation from federal, state and local agencies and hundreds of participants and volunteers. The successful completion of this three day drill lead to the state of Louisiana receiving a “green” rating for biopreparedness from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Green is the highest rating allotted and indicates the state is fully prepared to distribute medical supplies in a bioterrorist event or large-scale health emergency.

The O'BRIEN'S Group contracted by the State of South Carolina to develop a statewide Strategic National Stockpile Training, Education and Demonstration Package (TED) Exercise. This exercise program consisted of three tabletop exercises increasing in complexity and culminated in statewide full-scale exercise with more than 1100 participants and volunteers. This exercise was successfully completed in October 2004 and is currently waiting CDC rating.

In June 2004, The O'BRIEN'S Group contracted by the City of Houston’s Department of Health and Human Services to efficiently and effectively develop a bioterrorism tabletop and functional exercise by the end of August 2004. With our experience, we were able to develop a tabletop and functional exercise that incorporated players from Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Houston Office of Emergency Management, Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department, Houston Independent School District, Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, Harris County Medical Examiner, Harris County Hospital District, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Office of Emergency Management, Veteran’s Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Texas Department of Health, and Kingwood Medical Center. Both exercises were considered successful by the client and further prepared the city in accordance with the Houston City Ready Initiative.

In addition to Louisiana, South Carolina and Houston, we have been involved with more than sixteen WMD/CBRNE exercises in nine counties of western and upstate New York. The exercises in New York have been a combination of tabletop and full-scale deployments of mass vaccination and prophylaxis clinics in both urban and rural populations. In addition, we are the Exercise Coordinator for Pima County, Arizona, which we provide consulting services in the design and facilitation of a wide range of exercises such as WMD, bioterrorism, hostage crisis, fire, and many other contingencies.

We were contracted by Shell Oil Company to design and conduct the second joint Mexico and United States oil spill emergency response full-scale exercise (MEXUS Gulf 2004). Since there were two nations involved with separate response systems, it was a unique and challenging experience. This exercise was completed in May of this year and was rated a success by all participants.