**Tabletop Roles and Responsibilities**

**Moderator**

Role of moderator is to:

-   Administer the tabletop

-   Control the timeline

-   Briefs players

-   Inject contingency messages

-   Ensure objectives are addressed

-   Provide feedback to players

-   Lead discussion

**Controller/Recorder**

Role of controller/recorder is to:

-   Assist moderator and facilitate discussion among participants

-   Record results of the tabletop (i.e., followup training, procedure
    revisions, successes or problems in meeting tabletop objectives

**Role Players**

Roleplayers will:

-   Inject questions from news media, public, congress and employees

-   Provide feedback from news media, public, congress and employees

**EOC Simulator**

The EOC similator will:

-   Serve as EOC management and technical advisor roles

**Players**

The players will:

-   State response actions

-   Observe other players' response actions

-   Discuss response actions with moderator/other players

**Player Participants**

DOE/NNSA Headquarters PIOs

DOE Headquarters Congressional Liaison

EOC EPI Manager

News release writer

JIC Manager

Deputy JIC Manager

Contractor Spokesperson

DOE/NNSA Spokesperson

News Manager

Community Relations Manager

Employee Communications Manager

Media Monitor

Administrative Support

Telephone Inquiry Staff Coordinator

City Public Information Officer

State Public Information Officer

Site Office PAO

Site Office Spokesperson

### Tabletop Drill Objectives

1.  Familiarize participants with use of Tabletop to support EPI
    training.

```{=html}
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1.  Describe individual roles and responsibilities in support of
    emergency public information.

2.  Given an operational emergency, make decisions for activation and
    staffing an initial news center and the JIC.

3.  Establish contact with the EOC to communicate current emergency
    conditions and initial communication priorities and strategies based
    on the nature of the event.

4.  Prepare accurate and timely initial and ongoing emergency
    information for the public, news media and employees.

5.  Coordinate the review and approval process for emergency information
    release.

6.  Communicate and coordinate with DOE/NNSA Headquarters PIOs and
    Congressional Affairs.

7.  Coordinate the flow of information contractor, site office, City,
    State public information officers.

8.  Given an operational JIC, describe the process and responsibilities
    for conduct of press briefings and information to be presented in
    the briefing based on scenario information provided.

9.  Detect and describe how rumors are controlled.

10. Given an operational emergency, describe how a heavy onslaught of
    media and public phone calls will be dealt with by phone responders.

**EPI Tabletop Drill Scenario**

**Scenario:**

## Pre-existing Conditions:

It is afternoon of May 1, 2006. The Oak Ridge Plant (ORP), located in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is in normal operation. Normal safety and security
conditions exist.

### Event Scene -- Solid Uranium Facility (SUF); Chemical Processing (CPF)

The SUF and CPF is in normal operations. Both facilities have a full
day-shift staff on duty. All safety, technical and administrative
procedures are in effect. Both facilities are operating normally.
Operations in the SUF include movement of uranium storage containers and
instrumentation checks. The CPF is operating and has a scheduled
delivery of four 55-gallon drums of Acetonitrile (ACN). The SUF and CPF
are located within 100 feet of each other situated in the eastern
portion of the Plant.

## Initiating Event:

At 1:15 PM, a criticality alarm was sounded from the SUF. The Plant
Control Center (24-hour duty office) received the criticality detection
and alarm. All personnel within a 300 foot radius evacuated to their
assigned rally points as outlined in their emergency operating
procedures.

The Plant Control Officer reviewed the SUF Emergency Action Levels
(EALs) and categorized and classified the event as a Site Area Emergency
and began activating the ORP Emergency Plan, which includes activating
the Emergency Response Organization and Joint Information Center (per
agreement with the City of Oak ridge and the State of Tennessee). Onsite
protective actions were directed by the Plant Control Officer which
included evacuating a 300 foot radius and sheltering in place the rest
of the plant. Offsite protective action recommendations were provided to
the State.

At 1:20 PM, as employees were evacuating the CPF, a drum of ACN was
knocked over spilling its entire comtents on the floor of the receiving
dock. The Supervisor activated the emergency SCRAM alarm and continued
the evacuation of the facility. The Plant Control Center received the
scram alarm followed by a Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) alarm from the
CPF's receiving dock.

The Plant Control Officer reviewed the CPF EALs and categorized and
classified the event as a Site Area Emergency. Updated notifications
were sent to HQ and the State. Onsite protective actions were directed
by the Plant Control Officer which included evacuating a 500 foot radius
and sheltering in place the rest of the plant. Offsite protective action
recommendations were provided to the State.

At 1:30 PM, the Plant Control Center confirmed no additional criticality
detections have been noted from the SUF.

At 1:45 PM, personnel at the Incident Command Post heard a muffled
explosion from the CPF. Witnesses reported seeing a huge fireball
followed by large amounts of black smoke coming from the CPF. The Plant
Control Officer reviewed the CPF Emergency Action Levels (EALs) and
categorized and classified the event as a General Area Emergency. Note:
The hazard from burning ACN is hydrogen cyanide. Updated notifications
were sent to HQ and the State. Onsite protective actions were directed
by the Plant Control Officer which included evacuating a 500 foot radius
and sheltering in place the rest of the plant. Offsite protective action
recommendations were provided to the State.

At 2 PM, the Emergency Operations Center was declared operational.
Communications was established with DOE HQ EOC which was activated by
the DOE HQ Watch Office. The ORP JIC was also activated.

**Tabletop Timeline/Master Scenario Event List**

+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | **MESSAGE/INJECT**            | **ANTICIPATED RESPONSE**       |
| TI |                               |                                |
| ME |                               |                                |
| ** |                               |                                |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | ERO and JIC receive           | -   ERO and JIC respond to     |
| 1: | activation message (PA and    |     their emergency duty       |
| 20 | pager).                       |     stations.                  |
| ** |                               |                                |
|    | Who makes decision to         | -   ORP sends initial          |
|    | activate JIC?                 |     notification to the media  |
|    |                               |     of the emergency at the    |
|    | Who sends the initial         |     ORP and that the JIC is    |
|    | notification to the Media?    |     being activated.           |
|    |                               |                                |
|    | What info in notification?    | ```{=html}                     |
|    |                               | <!-- -->                       |
|    | Concerned Employee calls are  | ```                            |
|    | received.                     | -   Fed or contractor?         |
|    |                               |                                |
|    | What are methods of employee  | -   An emergency event has     |
|    | communications in emergency?  |     occurred. Location of JIC. |
|    |                               |     Phone numbers for          |
|    |                               |     inquiries.                 |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | -   Discuss methods of         |
|    |                               |     communication to employees |
|    |                               |     and response to callers.   |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | Oak Ridge Police have         | -   Checklists/plans are used  |
| 1: | established security.         |     to set up the JIC.         |
| 30 |                               |                                |
| ** | Contractor, federal, City,    | -   Contact is made with EOC.  |
|    | County, and State             |                                |
|    | representatives begin         | ```{=html}                     |
|    | arriving at the JIC.          | <!-- -->                       |
|    |                               | ```                            |
|    | What are some of the main     | -   Media center, media        |
|    | areas/functions of the JIC?   |     monitoring, Spokesperson   |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | prep room, etc.                |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | Local Media begin arriving at | -   Register media.            |
| 1: | JIC.                          |                                |
| 50 |                               | -   Provide information kits   |
| ** | What qualifications are       |     to media.                  |
|    | needed for the Technical      |                                |
|    | Advisor to be selected?       | -   Pass on only information   |
|    |                               |     authorized by EOC.         |
|    | Media starts asking specific  |                                |
|    | questions!                    | -   Place Media in Media       |
|    |                               |     center (keep them away     |
|    | What EPI communications are   |                                |
|    | occuring between site and     | from the rest of the JIC       |
|    | Headquarters at this time and | areas.                         |
|    | who is involved?              |                                |
|    |                               | -   Write down questions and   |
|    |                               |     provide to EOC for the     |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | answers to be included in      |
|    |                               | first informational press      |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | release.                       |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | JIC is operational.           | -   Schedule press conference. |
| 2: |                               |                                |
| 10 | Calls from media begin        | -   Push EOC for more          |
| ** | pouring into Telephone        |     information and press      |
|    | response team.                |     release.                   |
|    |                               |                                |
|    | What resources are needed to  | ```{=html}                     |
|    | respond to large number of    | <!-- -->                       |
|    | calls?                        | ```                            |
|    |                               | -   Discuss resources that can |
|    | What information should be on |     be called upon to          |
|    | the first informational press |                                |
|    | release?                      | support telephone response to  |
|    |                               | onslaught of media             |
|    | How should the hazards        |                                |
|    | involved be categorized and   | and public calls.              |
|    | explained?                    |                                |
|    |                               | -   Event information, initial |
|    | What approvals/coordinations  |     response actions, onsite   |
|    | are required for the press    |                                |
|    | release?                      | protective actions, offsite    |
|    |                               | protective actions             |
|    | What are Headuarters          |                                |
|    | expectations for information  | directed by state and local    |
|    | review before release?        | agencies, hazard (or           |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | lack of) to the public.        |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | -   Reviewed by DC/UCNI RO,    |
|    |                               |     approved by                |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | Emergency Director (normally a |
|    |                               | fed),                          |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | coordinated with state and HQ  |
|    |                               | **PRIOR** to release           |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | to JIC.                        |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | Media Monitoring reports      | -   Monitoring reports         |
| 2: | local TV station reports      |     inacurrate info to JIC     |
| 15 | large explosion at ORP,       |     staff.                     |
| ** | possibly from a terrorist     |                                |
|    | bomb. Radioactive materials   | -   JIC staff drafts response, |
|    | are possibly being spread     |     gets EOC approval,         |
|    | over Oak Ridge.               |                                |
|    |                               | and corrects information with  |
|    | Who is involved in caucus?    | Media.                         |
|    | What is discussed?            |                                |
|    |                               | -   Preparations and caucus    |
|    |                               |     for first press briefing.  |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | -   Discuss information that   |
|    |                               |     will be presented by       |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | conntractor, DOE/NNSA, State,  |
|    |                               | Local                          |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | spokespersons and how this     |
|    |                               | will be coordinated.           |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | Calls received by DOE         | -   Congressional liaison      |
| 2: | Congressional liaison from    |     discusses information      |
| 20 | office of congressman and     |     needs, sources, and        |
| ** | senator for ORP area.         |     responsibilities.          |
|    |                               |                                |
|    | Media Monitoring views        | ```{=html}                     |
|    | another media report\--CNN.   | <!-- -->                       |
|    |                               | ```                            |
|    |                               | -   Media report is passed on  |
|    |                               |     to News Manager who        |
|    |                               |     initiates action to        |
|    |                               |     correct misinformation.    |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| ** | **First press briefing at JIC | -   Players to discuss         |
| 2: | occurs.**                     |     messages to be             |
| 25 |                               |     disseminated.              |
| ** | Who will moderate press       |                                |
|    | briefing?                     | ```{=html}                     |
|    |                               | <!-- -->                       |
|    | In what order will            | ```                            |
|    | spokespersons present?        | -   Mock media to discuss      |
|    |                               |     media concerns,            |
|    | What are the messages to be   |     impressions of information |
|    | presented?                    |     presented at first press   |
|    |                               |     briefing.                  |
|    |                               |                                |
|    |                               | ```{=html}                     |
|    |                               | <!-- -->                       |
|    |                               | ```                            |
|    |                               | -   Questions for followup     |
|    |                               |     response are noted.        |
+----+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+

**Message for Media Monitor**

1.  Local TV station reports large explosion at ORP:

> "We do not have details yet about the source of the explosion, however
> the Oak Ridge Plant is considered a potential terrorist target, and
> the possibly of radioactive materials being spread over Oak Ridge is a
> fear that local citizens live with each day."

2.  CNN Report:

> "A nuclear chemical accident occurred just this hour at the Oak Ridge
> Plant near Knoxville, Tennessee.
>
> This is a serious emergency that is reportedly requiring the
> evacuation of over 500 plant workers as well as some citizens of the
> town of 8,000.
>
> Reports from the area are that a reaction at the Department of Energy
> facility went out of control resulting in a chemical explosion that
> also sent radioactive contamination into the air.
>
> Residents are being told to shelter in their homes, but reportedly
> many are leaving the area in the belief that it is better to be safe
> than sorry.
>
> CNN should have a crew on the scene shortly and we'll provide more
> details very soon.
>
> Stay tuned."