The Lauren, A Condominium Dupont Circle Neighborhood NEWS

District Officials to Conduct Functional Incident Command System Exercise
Local Residents Should Not be Alarmed by Responder Activity

(Washington DC) – A functional Incident Command System (ICS) exercise will be conducted on Saturday, June 29, 2013 from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Exercise activities will be held at 1724 South Capitol Street, S.E., Washington, DC, which is located in the area of South Capitol and Potomac Avenue. There will be no street closures related to this event.

The exercise, entitled the June 2013 - District of Columbia Incident Command System Functional Exercise, will occur as a coordinated event with multiple District of Columbia Government command centers including the Office of the Mayor, MPD, FEMS, HSEMA, DOH and other agencies and partners at multiple locations as part of the District’s validation of its incident management procedures.

The District of Columbia Consequence Management Team, headed by Deputy Mayor Paul Quander, will lead the exercise and the District Government’s response in this 6-hour event. Simulation for this exercise will be an explosion in the area of South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue during weekday morning rush hour. Quander will lead the District through its paces, to ensure effective response to fire, explosion, a terrorist event or other disturbance. The emphasis in this exercise involves the use and coordination of ICS and its response procedures across agencies with varying missions but with a single focus of keeping the public safe.

ICS is a key feature in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), developed so responders from different jurisdictions and disciplines can better work together to respond to natural disasters and emergencies, including acts of terrorism. ICS is a widely applicable management system used successfully by all levels of government, designed to enable effective, efficient incident management by integrating a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure.

Agencies and organizations participating in this exercise include:

• The Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM)

• District of Columbia Consequence Management Team (CMT)

• District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA)

• Metropolitan Police (MPD)

• District of Columbia Department Fire and EMS (FEMS)

• District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH)

• District of Columbia Department of Transportation DDOT)

• District Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)

• District of Columbia Department of Public Works (DPW)

• District Office of Unified Communications (OUC)

• District Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME)

• District Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO)

• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

• Select members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)

• Select members of the 33rd Civil Support Team.

Residents and business near the exercise site will see an increased first responder (fire and police) presence and should not be alarmed by this during the exercise time.

NOTE: This exercise is closed to the public and the media.