Strategies and Priorities for Organizing First Responder Exercises  

A.     Coordinate between agencies and jurisdictions to expand from single area/single discipline exercise to full-scale regional exercises on a recurring basis.  

B.      Align training opportunities with practical exercises.  

C.      Develop and foster ongoing periodic exercises.  

D.     Enhance and build on locally developed exercise plans and actual exercises, encouraging regional participation.  

Special Issues Related to Exercises 

A.      Funding of exercise activity.  

B.      Coordinating between jurisdictions and disciplines.  

C.      Incorporating private industry in planning and participation in exercising.  

D.      Outreaching to communities with diverse cultures, bringing these populations into exercise activities.  

The existing framework needs to be analyzed to determine the best practice for dedicated funding to be put in place to support a dedicated position for coordinating the region response for homeland security.  

Interlocking Plans with Surrounding Regions  

Four Council of Governments regions border the GCRPC region:  H-GAC, Capitol Area Planning Council (CAPCO), Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), and Coastal Bend Council of Governments (CBCOG). Because catastrophic incidents observe no boundaries, coordination between GCRPC and these bordering regions is necessary.  There are no Mutual Aid Agreements between regions. Our goal is to develop Cooperative Working Agreements with bordering regions. 

 Pg 11

        Pages 1   2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12