Months of preparation paid off on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, as Marion County, Oregon, successfully conducted its highly-anticipated Continuity of Operations (COOP) Tabletop Exercise (TTX). And, what a great exercise it was! More than 80 people from various county departments, including the Board of Commissioners, took part in the day’s activities; as did members of the healthcare community and the private sector. Also in attendance (as observers) were folks from several State of Oregon agencies, and other public and private sector organizations in and around the Salem area.
The TTX was facilitated by Tennessee-based BOLDplanning, which provides powerful online software and expert consulting services for the development, maintenance and testing of COOP plans (as well as Emergency Operations Plans and Hazard Mitigation Plans). Cathleen Atchison, MEP, PCP, and Matt Eyer, PMP, CHS-V, CBCP, jointly led the exercise, guiding everyone through a real-world scenario. In the end, the TTX not only challenged the strengths of every sub-plan represented in the COOP (and the room), but also helped plan participants identify areas for improvement.
“It’s always exciting, and so very rewarding, to see all the hard work and dedication of BOLDplanning clients pay off with a successful COOP exercise,” said Atchison. “Both Matt and I were so impressed with Marion County’s level of commitment to the project, and we were truly honored to be involved in the planning process. All the best to you as you continue to foster a culture of preparedness across your beautiful county.”
On behalf of everyone at BOLDplanning, thank you to Marion County Emergency Management for hosting the TTX, and congratulations on your latest achievement! Next, we’ll all turn our attention to the development of the County’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) using the BOLDplanning.com platform. The goal is to complete it by November 11, 2019.
