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<br />Introduction <br /> <br />This manual describes an interactive training exercise on flood mitigation and recovery. <br />The exercise simulates selected aspects of physical recovery from flood damage. The <br />stage is a single local government jurisdiction and the players are its key staff members. <br />Players are guided in creating their own scenario of flood damage and then led through <br />a series of tasks related to planning for repairs and rebuilding. <br /> <br />Why an Exercise? <br /> <br />Local police and fire departments know the value of exercises to help them prepare for <br />potential disasters. Through such exercises, they develop techniques to handle <br />extraordinary circumstances, make decisions under extreme pressure, and contain the <br />impacts of a disaster to the extent possible. Experience demonstrates that preparing in <br />advance improves performance when disaster strikes. <br /> <br />Weeks after a damaging flood, circumstances are still extraordinary, decisions are made <br />under extreme pressure, and the impacts continue rippling through the community. As <br />the need for emergency responders decreases, a new group of local staff people- <br />managers, planners, building officials, finance officers, and engineers-face mounting <br />responsibilities. Shouldn't there be an exercise for them, too? <br /> <br />This exercise is primarily for this "second wave" of responders whose actions will play <br />an important role in shaping the rebuilt community. It is designed to provide them <br />with a preview of the issues and problems they will face in the hopes that, like the <br />emergency responders, they will be better prepared to serve their community <br />effectively after a flood. <br /> <br />How Does the Exercise Relate to Real Time? <br /> <br />The exercise takes 8 hours. During that time, players will complete tasks covering a <br />time period extending from a flood warning received 3-5 days before the flood to one or <br />two years after the flood. The tasks are arranged in approximate time sequence starting <br />with those that normally must be dealt with first. This linear time sequence of tasks <br />oversimplifies a complex, real situation in which tasks often must be addressed <br />simultaneously. The amount of time allocated to each task will seem too short. This <br />simulates, to some degree, the pressure after a flood to do an incredible amount of work <br />very quickly. <br />