Scenario Village
Scenario Village is both a place and a PBEM program. As a place, Scenario Village is a 13,400 square foot indoor "mock town" owned and operated by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). The Village layout includes six buildings of various shapes and sizes (commercial and residential), streets, alleyways, and an observation deck. A Scenario Village Exercise is among the highest quality training opportunities available to NET volunteers.
NET volunteers use the Village several times a year for comprehensive response exercises. In a typical 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 neighborhoods blending into a team and working together.
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Scenario Village Exercise Overview
All subheadings in this section describe a typical Scenario Village exercise but much listed here is fluid and can change. The Village is versatile enough that the PBEM exercise organizer could consider any number of alternative training scenarios, or add/take away/change any of the exercise elements described below. The PBEM exercise organizer is responsible for appropriately shaping expectations about the exercise if anything described in this section is going to significantly change.
This applies also for the typical exercise scenario for Scenario Village, which is: NET rescuers are responding in their neighborhood in the aftermath of a megathrust earthquake and mass casualty situation (MCI) on an afternoon with clear weather.
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Participant Roles and Responsibilities
The term "participant" encompasses many groups of people, not just those playing in the exercise. Groups of participants involved in the exercise, and their respective roles and responsibilities, are as follows:
| Role | Description | Identified with |
|---|---|---|
| Player | Players are search and rescue personnel with an active participation role in the exercise. Players discuss and act in response to the simulated emergency. They bring their own response gear and "practice as they play". | NET or CERT ID badge. |
| Proctor | Proctors work together to plan and manage exercise play, and set up and operate the exercise site. Proctors direct the pace of the exercise, provide key data to Players, and may prompt some Player actions to ensure exercise continuity. In addition, they monitor the exercise timeline and supervise the safety of all exercise participants. Players and Observers must always follow any directions given by Proctors. | Red lanyard and badge holder. |
| Survivor | "Survivors" are actors in the scenario playing as injured (for Players to render aid to) or uninjured (who may provide resources or disrupt the response effort). Injured Survivors often wear moulage to simulate their injuries. Injured Survivors will also wear a blue lanyard with a card that displays patient information such as breathing rate and other injury descriptions, to act as clues for how Players should triage and treat them. The reverse side of the card in the lanyard reveals whether they are Green, Yellow, Red, or Black. | Blue lanyard and badge holder. |
| Observer | Observers are guests to the exercise and Players should not address or communicate with them during the exercise; they are "invisible". Some Observers attend to document the exercise with photo or video; if that happens, Proctors will let participants know so they can opt out of being photographed. | Yellow lanyard and badge holder. |
| Moulage Technician | Moulage techs apply injury simulation makeup to Survivors. Unless they choose to enter the Village as Observers, Players will not see them. | Yellow lanyard and badge holder. |
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Exercise Location, Rules, and Expectations
Scenario Village takes place at the Portland Police Bureau Training Division facility, 14912 NE Airport Way in Portland. Exercise participants are guests of the Portland Police Bureau. NETs continuing to exercise at Scenario Village depends on following the rules of this highly secure facility. Failure to abide by appropriate conduct can result in a permanent ban from the facility, and removal from the NET program in egregious cases.
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Facility rules
- In all things, follow the NET Code of Conduct.
- THE MAGIC WORDS ARE "REAL WORLD!" If a Player/Survivor/Proctor at any time observes something unsafe, or a situation that is about to become unsafe, they should yell "REAL WORLD". All in earshot will pause while a proctor assesses the situation and will un-pause the exercise when/if appropriate.
- Leave the space better than how you found it. Please clean up your trash and other disposables.
- Follow any and all instructions given to you by PPB officers and employees. Follow any posted rules at the facility.
- Unless given permission and/or escorted by PPB or PBEM staff, you may not enter any area of the building besides the immediate lobby (including restrooms) and the Village.
- Follow all identification protocols you are instructed to. You will likely be provided with a color-coded Tyvek bracelet to identify you as an exercise participant; do not remove it while in the facility.
- Except inside Scenario Village itself, do not leave any facility doors open behind you. NEVER chock a door or leave an outside door open.
- Do not bring guests without clearing them first through PBEM. If they are not a NET volunteer, they may need to undergo a criminal background check.
- Sign in when you arrive. If the scatterbrained PBEM employee running the exercise forgot to bring a sign-in sheet, make one and turn it in to PBEM.
- Do not bring cutting instruments/sharp instruments into the exercise area (bandage shears are an exception). PPB personnel will confiscate them, to be returned to you before you leave. That's right: no small pocketknives or multitools with pocketknives either.
- Do not leave any permanent markings on any walls. If you want to make building markings in the Village, use a sheet of paper (provided by PBEM).
- Wear closed toe and sensible footwear. Heels, mandals and sandals are not permitted in the facility.
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General tips about facility use and expectations
- Make extra planning to arrive on time. Again, this is a secure building. The front door is locked as are all areas of the building; and, nobody staffs the front desk while the exercise commences. If you arrive late, you have to call someone inside (who may not hear their phone because of background noise) and then someone has to be escorted through locked areas to get you and escort you back.
- Exercise the way you would respond. Be ready to put your team's Operations Plan into action if you have one. For equipment, with the exception of sharp/cutting instruments, bring the equipment you would bring in a real deployment. Doing these things will reveal the best and the deficient practices in how you prepare equipment and organize your team.
- The experience of individual Players will vary. For example, a Player who remains at the command post to relay radio traffic will have a significantly different experience from a Player extricating Survivors. PBEM's hope is that individual teams will ultimately have multiple opportunities to participate in these exercises, allowing for Players to try out different roles.
- If you happen to see any moulaged Survivors, avoid looking at them if possible. That's like seeing answers before an exam. Anyway, staring at someone's injuries is just rude.
- You will be frisked and your bags thoroughly checked by a PPB or PBEM employee. So leave the bazooka at home, ok? It gets awkward when you bring that.
- Keep track of which and how much/many disposable supplies you use in the exercise, and report to PBEM by email after the exercise (net@portlandoregon.gov). Disposable supplies include bandages, emergency blankets, masks, caution tape, and so on. PBEM will have replacement supplies shipped to you shortly after the exercise.
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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 treatment area. |
| Team support radio communications | Proper use of FRS/GMRS radios, frequencies, and tactical communication. |
| Report to the ECC | Proper use of the DAMM. |
| Manage SUVs | Disaster psychology, volunteer management. |
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Exercise Assumptions and Artificialities
In any Scenario Village exercise, assumptions and artificialities ensure completing play in the time allotted and/or account for logistical limitations. Scenario Village participants should accept assumptions and artificialities, and not allow these considerations to negatively impact 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). PBEM provides large sticky note pads to write on and place on the outer walls of buildings.
- No patient transports on stairs. Where Players would normally transport a patient down a set of stairs, the actor will stand up and walk slowly with the responding Players. Once they clear the stairs, they may re-commence a patient transport.
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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 |
|---|---|
| Aftershocks | Proctors can whistle for attention and declare an aftershock is taking place. That might change some elements in the exercise such as injury statuses, missing people, or relevant building damage. |
| 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, political stump speeches, angry goats, the theme music from "Conan the Barbarian", and more. Background noise will also interfere with use of tactical radios. |
| Building damage | Some sides of the buildings may have signs with messages such as "The back of the house has partially collapsed". Players should treat the signs as literal during the exercise. |
| Downed electrical wires | Proctors may set up downed wires that present a hazard and must be avoided/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 leak (sound simulated by a SCBA tank). |
| Hazardous Materials NFPA 704 diamond | Participants might see an NFPA 704 diamond-shaped 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 exterior and interior lighting. |
| Persons with Disabilities | One or more Survivors may be using a wheelchair or other assistance device, have a service animal, or have some other condition that bears on how Players choose to respond. |
| Persons who do not speak English | Players may encounter one or more survivors who do not speak English. |
| Smoke machine | To simulate high dust (NOT smoke from a fire, which NET volunteers cannot respond to) 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 exercise element is the number and condition of injured Survivors. |
| Survivors (uninjured) | Uninjured Survivors may be helpful SUVs, unhelpful SUVs, someone providing information, someone trapped, or someone causing trouble. |
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Exercise Timeline
Before you visit the Scenario Village facility, please view the section on how to prepare for the exercise and arrive ready to go.
Unless you receive an email with a different timetable, the timetable for your experience at Scenario Village looks like this:
| AM SHIFT | PM SHIFT | TIME | Personnel | Activities | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | From | To | |||
| 0800 | 0900 | 1230 | 1330 | 60 min. | All non-Player personnel | Set up Village for play, moulage Survivors, set up refreshments in the lobby. |
| 0830 | 0900 | 1300 | 1330 | 30 min. | Players | Players arrive at PPB Training Division and gather in lobby, discuss operations plan, clarify player roles (led by Incident Team Leader). Doors will not open to Players sooner than this time. |
| 0900 | 0910 | 1330 | 1340 | 10 min. | Players, Proctors, and Observers | All-hands safety briefing; a proctor will go over safety rules and exercise expectations. |
| 0910 | 0930 | 1340 | 1400 | 20 min. | Players, Survivors, PPB personnel | All Players, Survivors, Observers, and Proctors bag checked, marked, and cleared for entry into the Village area. As Survivors process in, Proctors will place them, answer questions, and listen to awesome music. Meanwhile, Players gather in the Village ready room and/or outside doors to the Village and discuss operations planning further. |
| 0930 | 1015 | 1400 | 1445 | 45 min. | All Players and Proctors | First run through for Players. Proctors may allocate more or less time during this period depending on whether the Players struggle with the response effort. |
| 1015 | 1030 | 1445 | 1500 | 15 min. | All Players, Survivors, and Proctors | Hotwash and assessments for the first run through. Proctors usually start with most critical observations, and then the ITL is asked for their opinion. Survivors will sometimes make observations as well. |
| 1030 | 1045 | 1500 | 1515 | 15 min. | All Players, Survivors, and Proctors | Players briefly retire to the staging area to plan the next run. Meanwhile, Proctors reset the Village and re-place the Survivors. |
| 1045 | 1130 | 1515 | 1600 | 45 min. | All Players, Survivors, and Proctors | Second run through for Players. |
| 1130 | 1200 | 1600 | 1630 | 30 min. | All Players, Survivors, and Proctors | Final hotwash and discussion; parting reminders. Players/Survivors/Observers go home, Proctors remain to pack up the Village and clean. Please let the Proctors end the exercise at this time so they can go home when they planned to. If Players or others have questions or observations they would like to add, they should email a NET Coordinator. |
Note that delays can and do happen, and the schedule is adjusted accordingly in those situations.
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Preparing for Scenario Village as a Player
General Preparation for Scenario Village
- Have one or two key phone numbers handy. If you are late, or get locked out of an area, be ready to call a fellow NET or PBEM staff in the exercise so someone can let you in.
- If inclined and you have time to, skim through the Basic CERT textbook. Give particular attention to scene sizeup, conducting interior search operations, triage, patient carries, ICS document use, treating life threatening conditions (the "three killers"), head to toe assessment, wound care, and fracture treatment.
- Re-familiarize yourself with your FRS/GMRS radio if you plan to use them.
- If you plan to attend Scenario Village with your team, go over your team's Ops Plan and make sure everyone on the team has agreed who will take which roles (particularly Incident Team Leader).
- Check through your response pack. Make sure you have everything you need where you plan to find it, and remove sharp instruments.
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Preparing Yourself Mentally
- Prepare for some stress. For the exercise to be a meaningful training experience, the exercise designer is going to introduce some level of stress. If you find the exercise easy, the exercise designer did their job poorly. If you find an exercise too stressful, ask your Incident Team Leader or the exercise proctors to turn it down, and/or check out with your Team Leader and take a break on the observation deck.
- The exercise is not a competition between volunteers on a shift. On the contrary, as they would in the real world, PBEM encourages Players to work collaboratively.
- Don't fret about "failure" or "making mistakes". As long as everyone walks away from the exercise uninjured (in the real-world) the only way you can "fail" is by not learning anything. Use the Scenario Village space and time to make mistakes and experiment; that's exactly why we exercise. It is strange the number of volunteers who walk away from Scenario Village feeling unsettled, even dispirited, like they "didn't do a good job". As long as you learn from the exercise, you did a good job. Go get some (locally made) ice cream when it's over, OK? You earned it.
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Scenario Village Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What time should I arrive?
If you are in the AM shift, arrive between 9:00 and 9:30 AM. If you are in the PM shift, arrive between 1:00 and 1:30 PM. Don't be too early, because the doors won't open before your time (you can wait in the parking lot if you are early). And don't be late or you might not get in! Again, address is 14912 NE Airport Way in Portland.
Q: Is Scenario Village indoors or outdoors?
The Village itself is indoors, but there is no climate control in thar. So if it's cold outside, it will be cold in the Village. Players will probably spend a short amount of time (up to 30 minutes) on the other side of the Village's exterior door. Therefore, weather appropriate clothing is, indeed, appropriate.
Q: Are there restrooms at Scenario Village?
Yes; everyone has access to accessible restrooms both in the lobby and inside the Village.
Q: Will you serve food at the exercise?
We provide lunch to Survivors and Proctors, but Players are on their own. Sorry, we need to keep costs down.
Q: Should I bring...
(INSERT: vest, bandages, glaives, pry bar, SKED, ...etc)
The answer to this question is always: we don't know...should you? Remember: you exercise how you respond. Bring what you would carry in a real response. Think you want to haul around that 50-pound wrecking bar? OK, do it, the Proctors can use the laugh. There are, however, four prescriptive rules concerning what to bring or not to bring:
- You must NOT bring sharp stabby objects. No pocketknives, or multi-tools with pocketknives either.
- You must NOT bring anything that is clearly a weapon.
- You must wear your NET or CERT ID badge if you have one (even if expired).
- You must wear closed-toe footwear.
Q: But I can bring bandage shears?
Yes; that is the one exception to the don't bring sharp things to Scenario Village rule.
Q: My NET ID badge expired. Can I still participate?
Yes; wear it anyway. If you let PBEM know ahead of time, someone may be able to bring you an updated badge.
Q: Will PBEM replace disposables I used during the exercise?
Yes, we have a budget for that. While in the exercise, note down what you use. After the exercise, email net@portlandoregon.gov with the list and your mailing address. We will replenish your supplies ASAP. Bandages and other disposable medical supplies, caution tape, grease pencils, you name it.
Q: I left something at Scenario Village. How can I get it back?
Email net@portlandoregon.gov to find out if we picked it up during cleanup. If we did not, you'll want to call PPB Training to see if they have it (503-823-0316). If you had a sharp object that the police confiscated, it will still be at PPB Training and you'll have to arrange pick up with them.
Q: Can I borrow equipment from PBEM for this exercise?
With exception, no. We used to loan equipment (such as SKEDs or radios) but realized it added to the artificiality of the exercise. Try to borrow from your team members if you can. If PBEM receives a compelling reason to make an exception to this rule, we'll make an exception. Because at the end of the day, we're soft-hearted softies, yeah?
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Scenario Village Program History
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