Scenario Village

Scenario Village is a 13,400 square foot indoor "mock town" owned and operated by the Portland Police Bureau. The Village layout includes six buildings (commercial and residential), streets, alleyways, and an observation deck.

It is one of the most high quality training opportunities available to NET volunteers.

NET volunteers use the Village several times a year for comprehensive response exercises. In a typical single exercise, NETs conduct search and rescue, triage, medical treatment, radio communications, SUV management, and leadership/delegation to respond to moulaged "survivors". A single exercise at Scenario Village can include distinct neighborhood teams or members from many teams working together. Most exercises last an hour, and teams may have the option of: doing an initial run-through, pausing and assessing successes/deficiencies, and then resetting and exercising again to instill motor memory to successful response routines and practices.

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Exercise Information

This section only describes a typical Scenario Village plot: NETs are responding in their neighborhood in the aftermath of a megathrust earthquake and mass casualty situation (MCI) on an afternoon with clear weather. The Village is versatile enough that an exercise designer could consider any number of alternative training scenarios, or add/take away/change any of the exercise elements described below.

Exercise Objectives and Core Capabilities

The following exercise objectives in the table below describe the expected outcomes for the exercise. The objectives are linked to core capabilities, which are distinct critical elements necessary to achieve the specific mission area(s).

Exercise Objectives	Core Capabilities
Organize a command post	Leadership/delegation, operations planning, radio communications, organizing/distributing/using documents.
Conduct search for survivors	Size-up, marking buildings, search patterns.
Triage survivors	Injury triage, limited medical treatment, establishing medical triage area.
Survivor recovery	Cribbing, patient packaging, patient transport to triage area.
Team support radio communications	Proper use of FRS/GMRS radios, frequencies, and tactical communication.
Report to the ECC	Proper use of the DAMM.

Exercise Assumptions and Artificialities

In any Scenario Village exercise, assumptions and artificialities may be necessary to complete play in the time allotted and/or account for logistical limitations. Scenario Village participants should accept that assumptions and artificialities, and not allow these considerations to negatively impact their participation.

• Cell service is "down"; players cannot use cell phones to communicate with each other. However, participants may use the DAMM.
• Because of security rules of the Village, players cannot carry cutting instruments/sharp instruments into the exercise area.
• "Survivors" will wear triage cards around their necks with information about their condition such as heart rate, etc. Many "survivors" will also wear moulage to simulate injuries.
• Players are NOT permitted to mark up the buildings in the Village (to convey casualties inside, etc). Large sticky note pads will be provided to write on and place on the outer walls of buildings.

Variable Exercise Elements

The following exercise factors can be adjusted, added, or removed by exercise proctors to make the exercise more or less challenging.

Element	Settings
Background noise	Proctors can set up a sound system in the Village with white noise, or play stressful noises such as loud traffic, explosions, chainsaws, people screaming in distress, and more. Background noise will also cloud up use of tactical radios.
Downed electrical wires	Proctors may set up downed wires that present a hazard and must be worked around.
Fallen debris	Fallen debris in the form of wood blocks might cover a survivor.
Gas meter	A gas meter attached to a building may be leaking (sound simulated by a SCBA tank).
Hazardous Materials NFPA 704 diamond	Participants might see an NFPA 704 diamond sign warning of hazardous materials in a building.
Lighting	Proctors can use the artificial light and the large access doors in the Village to control visibility and simulate time of day, up to and including pitch dark. Individual buildings also have their own exterior and interior lighting.
Smoke machine	To simulate high dust (NOT smoke from a fire), proctors may set up a smoke machine to reduce visibility for participants.
Strobe	Sometimes a strobe light will be installed in an area to increase the stress and confusion level.
Survivors (injured)	Possibly the most important element is the number and condition of injured survivors (played by volunteer actors).
Survivors (uninjured)	Uninjured survivors (played by volunteer actors) may be helpful SUVs, unhelpful SUVs, someone providing information, someone trapped, or someone causing trouble.