Solar Eclipse
The total solar eclipse brought thousands of people from around the country to the Northern part of the state on April 8.
HSEM initiated planning for the eclipse over a year prior, collecting information from our local, state and federal partners as well as other states that had previous total solar eclipses. Impacts and lessons from previous eclipses were extracted from reports and data, including items that ranged from lodging occupancy to potential weather conditions.
HSEM started hosting monthly calls with local communities and other stakeholders at the state and federal level in September 2023. Regular meetings were held leading up the eclipse, working groups held separate meetings, and a Joint Information Center (JIC) was activated on February 29.
HSEM worked with all the stakeholders to put together a comprehensive event action plan that included information about traffic management, safety, responsibilities of all agencies and locations of parking and viewing areas.
On Friday, April 5, a solar eclipse press conference was held at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. It highlighted the importance of safety, “packing patience,” arriving early and staying late and the tourism opportunities for the state. Speakers at the press conference included Governor Chris Sununu; Tim Stevens, the town manager for Colebrook; Jeanne Gerulskis, executive director of the Discovery Center; Lori Harnois, director of the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism; and William Cass, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.
On the day of the eclipse, the State’s Emergency Operations Center activated at 8 a.m. and returned to Steady State at 8 p.m. The crew in the SEOC monitored traffic and kept communication flowing among all stakeholders. Unified command stood up at State Police Troop F in Twin Mountain. Communities outside of the totality area assisted with mutual aid, and members of Community Emergency Response Teams and the Medical Reserve Corps assisted with traffic and the first aid stations.
Left: WMUR conducts an interview with Community Outreach Coordinator Vanessa Palange on the day of the eclipse. Center: A group photo of HSEM staff members that worked in the SEOC on April 7. Right: State employees view the solar eclipse.
EMD 101
Radiological Emergency Preparedness Assistant Chief Elizabeth Gilboy conducts an EMD 101 training. Gilboy along with Operations Assistant Chief Neil Cantin, worked with local communities to create the course.
“Foundations of Emergency Management: New Hampshire EMD Essentials” is a comprehensive training course designed specifically for Emergency Management Directors (EMDs) in the state of New Hampshire. Developed in response to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of EMDs, as well as recent events like COVID-19, this course aims to establish a standardized knowledge baseline for all EMDs. Through collaboration with subject matter experts and input from a working group of volunteer EMDs representing all 10 counties of New Hampshire, the curriculum addresses the specific needs and concerns of EMDs. Upcoming classes can be found on the HSEM Resource Center.
REP Exercise Cycle
On April 3, HSEM successfully concluded the Seabrook Station plume exposure pathway graded exercise. This exercise consisted of more than 500 participants and 63 evaluators in over 33 locations. This exercise is the biggest nuclear power station graded exercise in the country in terms of offsite response organizations (ORO), and we are thankful for all our local, state, and federal stakeholders for this successful event.
Over this quarter, the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) team conducted several meetings with stakeholders to include Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and General Dynamic Electric Boat. They also held a Seabrook Summit with the communities in the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) at the Hampton fire station. In addition to these meetings, the REP team participated in an emergency off-site facility (EOF) exercise with Seabrook Station to demonstrate the ORO ability to perform while being evaluated by Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and World Association of Nuclear Operators representatives.
The REP team is currently working through the remaining out-of-sequence events for this calendar year, which include the setup of each of the three reception centers, a Medical Services 1 exercise with Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, and FEMA out-of-sequence interviews with special facilities located in the EPZ. The City of Manchester conducted their Reception Center Setup on May 18, and it was an overall success. The remaining reception centers (Dover and Rochester) will be setup this fall. The Medical Services 1 exercise will be held on September 25 and the out-of-sequence interviews will be conducted in October.
SEOC Activations
The SEOC was Activated April 4 through 8 and June 22.
A nor’easter on April 4 brought snow and strong winds that led to power outages right before the solar eclipse. The activation was unusual in that it overlapped with an activation for the April 8 solar eclipse (see lead article for more information).
On June 23, the SEOC had its annual activation for the NASCAR race in Loudon. Thunderstorms were on the radar, and midway through the day, the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, issued a Tornado Watch.
In between briefings, updates and other communications, Training, Exercise and Development Chief Bob Christensen ran discussion-based exercises. Launching into multiple scenarios, Christensen led staff members and Emergency Support Function (ESF) partners through emergency evacuations at the track, what the SEOC would do if a tornado touched down, and other scenarios to review on what they (and the other ESFs) would do in those incidents.
The SEOC kept watch as the storm moved closer to Loudon, resulting in the grandstands being evacuated. The race restarted after the weather passed through and the SEOC returned to Steady State at 8:30 p.m.
Disaster Updates
On April 22, President Joe Biden granted a request for a disaster declaration for Rockingham and Grafton counties for storms on January 10 and 13 that caused significant flooding and damage. The statewide cost for response efforts related to this event totaled $3,004,838.
The declaration grants access to FEMA’s Public Assistance program to communities that incurred damages in those counties.
In addition, declaration also makes federal support available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
On June 10, Governor Chris Sununu requested that a disaster be declared for the April 3-5 nor’easter that produced heavy, wet snow and strong winds and resulted in significant power outages across the state.
Concord Hospital Franklin Campus Drill
On May 1, HSEM assisted Concord Hospital with an active assailant drill at their Franklin campus. The day started with a briefing on safety, what was expected, and who was being made aware of the goings-on and how. The hospital passed out “This is a drill” summary cards to everyone both in the building and entering as a patient to make everyone aware of the event.
As part of the drill, a hostile takeover of an ambulance was staged, and while a faux victim was passed through for the hospital staff to practice, the outside event was for the police to train. Police practiced real negotiating techniques with a false assailant keeping an EMT at knifepoint. HSEM team members monitored the exercise at various points of the building, as well as taking pictures, and communicating with local news about the goings-on.
Left: An “armed assailant” holds an EMT hostage as part of the drill. Right: Hospital staff members observe the drill.
Community Services Updates
Summer is off to a busy start in Community Services. Stakeholder liaisons have been coordinating with their designated communities, taking advantage of school vacations to complete school safety assessments and tabletop exercises. Additionally, the liaison team was prepped and ready to assist with the NASCAR race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 23.
Some were stationed in Loudon with the Fire Department, others were on site at the track, and some were located in the State Emergency Operations Center.
The School Readiness Program within Community Services has been busy as well. During the second quarter, Assistant Chief Katherine Partington flew to Washington, D.C., to convene with the National Governors Association and other state leaders (including our partners at the New Hampshire Department of Education) to discuss collaborative efforts to support students and their well-being.
In addition, the School Readiness Program has conducted seven school security assessments, one power outage-based tabletop exercise, and two active threat-based tabletop exercises in 2024.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Tour and PIO Training
On April 17, a group of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard staff members toured the Incident Planning and Operations Center (IPOC) and then shared a presentation on how the shipyard’s Joint Information Center operates.
The presentation led to conversation on struggles, triumphs and ideas for technology that’s currently in place and also upcoming.
There were talks about lessons learned, including training EMS and fire personnel for responding to calls to places where they normally never go, such as a submarine fire that happened at the shipyard in 2012. That fire had difficulty being handled, since the firefighters had never been in a submarine before. They were fighting fires in a closed container with an unknown interior, and after that incident, firefighters were given tours of the submersibles to get better acquainted.
CERT Tours
On April 17, a group of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members toured the IPOC. On April 30, the teen CERT classes from the Huot Technical Center in Laconia toured the IPOC and Fire Academy training grounds.
These groups learned all about HSEM and the SEOC as well as the Transportation Management Center (TMC), and the 911 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
To schedule a group tour of the IPOC, email hsempio@dos.nh.gov.
Easter Egg Hunt
A snowstorm surprise at the Governor’s Easter Egg Hunt! On Saturday, March 30, the Community Outreach Office and Ready the Prepared Puppy joined Smokey Bear, the Investi-Gator, the Easter Bunny, and the Choose Love Duck for the Governor’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the State House. Thanks to the snowstorm the night before, it was pretty easy for the kids to find the eggs!
Each child received a backpack filled with an activity book, flashlight, sticker, and preparedness information for their parents. It was a day to remember for all the hearty New Hampshire egg hunters.
Discover Wild
Discover Wild was wildly fun! The April 20 event featured bustling crowds, excited children, and dozens of vendors and agencies from across the state. There were lots of people who were eager and willing to learn about preparing for emergencies! Kids spun a wheel with questions about being prepared and learned safety tips, happily clinging to parents with their brand new Ready bags.
Ready the Prepared Puppy entertained the children, while his handler informed parents about being prepared for emergencies.
Faith-Based and Community Organizations
On Saturday, May 11, Training, Exercise, and Development (T.E.D) and Community Liaison staff members, along with federal resources (Cybersecurity Information Security Agency, or CISA) held a successful in-person Emergency Preparedness for Faith-Based and Community Organizations (FBCO) at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Manchester. Presenters included people from CISA and from HSEM (covering whole community emergency preparedness, building an emergency operations plan, or EOP, for FBCOs, and active threat response). Participants included one of the most diverse groups ever for us, including 19 separate organizations, which included 38 attendees.
Over the past seven years, HSEM has hosted more than 1,000 attendees at FBCO events! That attendee list has helped build a database that our agency uses to get emergency preparedness messages out to FBCOS across all of NH including the Non-Profit Security Grant program that has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into hardening New Hampshire faith based and community organizations’ facilities. See the 2024 notice of funding opportunity for more information.
HSEM recently held a three-hour FBCO tabletop exercise at Trinity Baptist in Concord that had Concord first responders participate, including Concord Fire Chief John Chisholm. The next scheduled FBCO Emergency Preparedness Seminar is September 18 in North Conway.
Training
Foundations of Emergency Management: New Hampshire EMD Essentials (EMD 101)
Franklin, NH, July 16, 0900-1100
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1571
This comprehensive training course is designed specifically for Emergency Management Directors (EMDs) in the state of New Hampshire. Developed in response to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of EMDs, as well as recent events like COVID-19, this course aims to establish a standardized knowledge baseline for all directors. Through collaboration with subject matter experts and input from a working group of volunteer EMDs representing all ten counties of NH, we’ve crafted a curriculum that addresses the specific needs and concerns of EMDs. Join us to gain essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage emergency situations in your municipality.
AWR-343 Hurricane Awareness
Rochester, NH July 17 2024, 0800-1700
https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/training/delivery/3699/
This eight-hour awareness-level course provides emergency managers, first responders, and community members across all sectors with a basic understanding of the latest knowledge in hurricane science, forecasting, warning, and preparedness. This course enhances the ability of state/local decision-makers to identify and describe the hazards associated with hurricanes and to better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of high winds, heavy rain, and storm surge. This course is presented as an awareness-level course, which means that a successful participant in the course shall be able to identify and recognize the hazards associated with hurricanes and take necessary steps to prepare.
AWR-326 Tornado Awareness
Rochester, NH July 18 2024, 0800-1700
https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/training/delivery/3700/
Tornadoes can strike anywhere in the United States with little or no warning and can cause significant loss of life and billions of dollars in damages. It is important that every community be prepared by understanding tornadoes and the associated dangers. This course will prepare participants to understand the basics of tornado science, the weather forecasting process, the tornado warning process, and the fundamentals of tornado safety and preparedness. Multiple core capabilities will be addressed, with particular emphasis on “public information and warning” and “threats and hazard identification. Participants will be better able to implement safety measures for themselves, their families, and their organizations in preparation for tornado season.
AWR-290 Railroad Safety Awareness
Newton, NH, July 24, 0800-1700
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1568
This course outlines the skills necessary to recognize the severity of incidents involving rolling stock used in rail surface transportation, contact the proper personnel with the railroads, and work seamlessly with the private sector employees and contractors that may be dispatched. These skills will be generated via education on railroad personnel, proper safety procedures for working on and around railroad property, an overview of the different types of rolling stock and the risks associated with them, the various markings and reference materials necessary to ascertain the contents of a rail car, and general overview of the different types of damage commonly incurred during a derailment. The comprehension of these subjects will allow the participant to rapidly analyze the severity of an incident and notify the appropriate people so that any specialized equipment can be dispatched as quickly as possible.
MGT 905 Advanced Incident Command System for Complex Incidents ICS-400
Concord, NH, July 30-31, 0800-1700
https://my.teex.org/TeexPortal/Default.aspx?MO=mCourseCatalog&D=FP&C=MGT905&S=571
ICS-400 is intended for an audience of experienced responders and other senior emergency management personnel or those who may perform in a management capacity for major or complex incidents. Although this is an advanced ICS course and includes creation of Area Command, it is not intended to develop mastery of area command. This course aims to expose students to the concepts of utilizing area command in major and complex incidents.
L0105 Public Information Basics
Portsmouth, NH, August 6-8, 0800-1700
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1549
This three-day class will equip the participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/ emergency response. This is the replacement for the old G290 and G291.
Prerequisite: IS-29 Public Information Officer Awareness.
Foundations of Emergency Management: New Hampshire EMD Essentials (EMD 101)
Chester, NH, August 7, 0900-1100
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1578
This comprehensive training course is designed specifically for Emergency Management Directors (EMDs) in the state of New Hampshire. Developed in response to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of EMDs, as well as recent events like COVID-19, this course aims to establish a standardized knowledge baseline for all directors. Through collaboration with subject matter experts and input from a working group of volunteer EMDs representing all ten counties of NH, we’ve crafted a curriculum that addresses the specific needs and concerns of EMDs. Join us to gain essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage emergency situations in your municipality.
L0105 Public Information Basics
Concord, NH, August 12-14, 0800-1700
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1542
This three-day class will equip the participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/ emergency response. This is the replacement for the old G290 and G291.
Prerequisite: IS-29 Public Information Officer Awareness.
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Concord, NH, September 3-4, 0800-1700
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1565
Exercises are a key component of national preparedness — they provide the whole community with the opportunity to shape planning, assess and validate capabilities, and address areas for improvement. HSEEP provides a set of guiding principles for exercise and evaluation programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. By using HSEEP, the whole community can develop, execute, and evaluate exercises that address the preparedness priorities. These priorities are informed by risk and capability assessments, findings, corrective actions from previous events, and external requirements. These priorities guide the overall direction of an exercise program and the design and development of individual exercises. These priorities guide planners as they identify exercise objectives and align them to capabilities for evaluation during the exercise. Exercise evaluation assesses the ability to meet exercise objectives and capabilities by documenting strengths, areas for improvement, capability performance, and corrective actions in an After-Action Report/Improvement Plan (AAR/IP). Through improvement planning, organizations take the corrective actions needed to improve plans, build and sustain capabilities, and maintain readiness.
Houses of Worship & Faith Communities Emergency Preparedness Seminar
North Conway, NH, September 18, 0900-1200
https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=561&ee=1547
This Faith Based Community Organizations (FBCOs) can be a safe, inviting place for people to attend, worship, and fulfill meaningful parts of their and the community’s lives. With a FBCO, there can be dangers to both mitigate and respond to, like any other place where people assemble in the community. FBCOs can also be a tremendous resource for communities when properly included in local emergency preparedness plans. Emergency and Safety Planning Fundamentals: This session presents the basics of creating an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) wherein, with training and practice, FBCOs can create safe places to gather and ensure effective response procedures and resources during times of emergencies and/or disaster. Active Threat Preparation and Response: FBCOs are considered “soft targets” in today’s sometimes violent world. Preparing for and responding to active threats (hate crimes, weapons, disruptive people) involves teaching, planning, and exercising. This session will help participants maintain and use situational awareness and effective response to their fullest, helping to potentially save lives and reduce injury.
To view the full list of upcoming training sessions and to register, please visit https://prd.blogs.nh.gov/dos/hsem/?page_id=1055.
Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to secure your spot as soon as possible!
