The Oregon Federal Executive Board (Oregon FEB) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region 10 invite you to take part in our fourth annual functional continuity exercise for local federal agencies, “Rose Guardian 2012.” The exercise will be held Wednesday, March 21, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Subtitled “March Madness,” this year’s exercise will feature a hazardous materials spill scenario on a major transportation corridor in the region. This is a very realistic incident that can result in evacuation and/or shelter in place, infrastructure and environmental damage, and transportation gridlock. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality both plan and prepare for such incidents locally. These agencies are also involved in our exercise planning process.

You will be encouraged to operate from a location other than your primary duty station on the day of the exercise, whether from your alternate work site or in a telework arrangement. Telework plans and procedures will be emphasized during the exercise, but not required in order to participate.

This scenario will create a variety of performance challenges, testing your ability to maintain essential services as the community rapidly works to clear the spill’s impact and return to normal. The exercise objectives are to:

• Test and evaluate your agency’s continuity plan.
• Validate alert notification procedures.
• Validate continuity communications, internally and interagency.
• Validate access to vital records from continuity site.
• Validate ability to perform essential functions from continuity site.
• Test telework policies and procedures.

To participate, please go to our registration page to confirm and submit the name and contact information of your exercise Point of Contact (POC). We would appreciate confirmation by January 16, 2012. Your POC will receive more details as the exercise approaches.

In addition, a planning conference will be held Thursday, January 26, 2012 in Portland. Vital information that will contribute to your agency’s exercise success will be shared there. Registration for the conference can be conducted on the registration page as well.

For further questions, contact Jeff Sargent, Oregon FEB, at jsargent@oregonfeb.us or 503-326-3030.