readiness in 6/50 states TOPOFF 3 starts today

www.iwar.org.uk...

The TOPOFF 3 Full-Scale Exercise


Most Realistic Test Yet

The TOPOFF Full Scale Exercise (T3 FSE) will take place from April 4-8, 2005, and involve more than 10,000 participants representing more than 200 Federal, State, local, tribal, private sector, and international agencies and organizations and volunteer groups. The FSE offers agencies and jurisdictions a way to exercise a coordinated national and international response to a large-scale, multipoint terrorist attack. It allows participants to test plans and skills in a real-time, realistic environment and gain the in-depth knowledge that only experience can provide.

TOPOFF 3 In Brief:

Full-scale exercise: April 2005.
Five venues: Interagency, Connecticut, New Jersey, United Kingdom, Canada.
New Jersey scenario: Simulated biological attack in Union and Middlesex Counties.
Connecticut scenario: Simulated chemical attack in New London.

Exercise Scenario

The TOPOFF 3 scenario will depict a complex terrorist campaign and drive the exercise play through the homeland security system, beginning in Connecticut and New Jersey, and leading to national and international response.

Over the course of several days fire personnel will conduct search and rescue, hospitals will treat the injured (played by role players), subject-matter experts will analyze the effects of the attack on public health, and top officials will deploy resources and make the difficult decisions needed to save lives.

I wonder- what if there is a real threat- will they still think it is an exercise? Or will the current level 'yellow' change to orange or red? Remember what happened the last time we had a terrorist threat? There were 3 or 4 war 'games' exercises going on then too.

This is an interesting topic, i must look more into it as soon as i return home to my computer.

Marking this now to remind me later