The First Strike: Planning and Evaluation

Background:  The Gotham Shield (GS) functional exercise, occurring in April 2017, will explore how government agencies, private sector organizations, and the public should work together to respond to and plan initial recovery from an improvised nuclear device (IND) detonation in a large U.S. city. Government entities include tribal, local, and state entities, and federal departments and agencies. Private sector organizations include international partners, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. As part of the exercise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Joint Information Center (JIC)—the primary point of coordination for communication during large-scale public health emergencies—partnered with CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, including the Radiation Studies Branch, to participate in communication activities that would likely need to be carried out following the detonation of an IND. 

Program background:  During the planning phase for GS, CDC communicators identified two core objectives: 1) enhance collaboration across communication units within CDC and with external partners that would likely be part of a response to an IND detonation; and 2) test the implementation of a First Strike Communication Plan and assess whether it could be adapted for responses to a wide array of crises. The “First Strike” approach is based on an easy-to-use, flexible template that helps communication leaders identify critical information needs and audiences within the first 72 hours of an event and streamlines the process of developing longer-range communication plans as the event unfolds. The presentation will build on the other presentations in the panel by exploring the communication objectives of GS and how well they were met during the exercise.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  The evaluation plan is based on the two communication objectives of GS: collaboration and the First Strike Communication Plan. During GS, evaluators will gather observational data on frequency and appropriateness of outreach to federal partners, noting collaborations that enhanced messaging; and track inputs to the First Strike Communication Plan, assessing the ease of conversion from a 72-hour view to a longer term communication strategy and utility of the strategic plan. Email conversations and other documentation produced will also be examined. Upon completion of the exercise, participants will engage in facilitated discussions to assess their impressions of what worked and what did not. Data will be analyzed and reported back to leaders and participants.

Conclusions:  This exercise will familiarize public health responders with critical communication tools and planning for the immediate days following a large-scale, nuclear and radiological emergency. Final results and conclusions will be available post-Gotham Shield in April 2017.

Implications for research and/or practice:  Exercises provide organizations with opportunities to practice important response functions and test new approaches under no-risk conditions. The specific scenario provided by GS, an IND detonation, would be extremely novel for practicing a coordinated response to a devastating public health event. CDC and other governmental and non-governmental organizations will be called upon to ensure the wellbeing of the public in the immediate aftermath. Findings from the exercise evaluation will be used to inform response practices and provide lessons learned for improving collaboration and communication planning for large-scale, potentially catastrophic health events.