Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 1

Rio Grande Valley SectorCBP within FEMA Region VIOffice of Incident ManagementOperations Officer Juan A. Garces

Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Oscar Silva Jr.

Border Patrol Agent Ricardo Cantu

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 2

CBP within FEMA Region VI: Mission

To contribute toward the effectiveness of the Customs & Border Protection mission and preparedness efforts through the coordination of multi-component and inter/intra-agency operational activities including technical standards, contingency planning and training through exercises and readiness assessments.

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 3

• CBP components in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana make up Region VI

• Chief Patrol Agent Rosendo Hinojosa is currently the CBP Lead Field Coordinator (LFC) within FEMA Region VI

• The LFC and the Deputy Field Coordinators have a clear area of responsibility to coordinate a CBP regional response during an emergency

CBP within FEMA Region VI Regional Incident Management Construct

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 4

CBP within FEMA Region VI All Threats Preparedness

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 5

Background

• Master Exercise Practitioner, certified by FEMA. • Have done Emergency Management for the U.S. Border Patrol for five years (collateral duty).

• Served as the Hurricane Isaac Task Force Commander for Region VI.

• Serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve: Intelligence, Operations, Training, Logistics and Emergency Response (Support Civil Authorities).

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 6

Why have exercises?

• Enables entities to identify strengths and incorporate them within best practices to sustain and enhance existing capabilities. • Provide objective assessments of gaps and shortfalls within plans, policies and procedures to address areas of improvement.

• Help clarify roles and responsibilities.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 7

Why have exercises?

• Virginia Tech shooting; Apr 16, 2007, 7:15 a.m., 32 deaths. • Sandy Hook Elementary shooting; Dec 14, 2012, 9:30 a.m., 27 deaths.

• Boston Marathon Bombings; Apr 15, 2013, 2:19 p.m., 3 deaths, 282 injured.

• Cummings Middle School (Brownsville, TX); 1 death

• Alton school bus accident (Alton, TX); 21deaths, 49 injured

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 8

Types of Exercise (Three Types)

1. Tabletop (TTX): simulates an emergency situation in an informal, stress-free environment.

• Participants are usually at the decision making level.

• Gather around a table to discuss general problems and procedures of an emergency scenario.

• Focus is on training and familiarization w/ roles, procedures or responsibilities.

* Purpose: solve problems as a group

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 9

Types of Exercise (Three Types)2. Functional (FX): simulates an emergency situation in the most realistic manner possible, short of moving real people and equipment.

• Interactive, designed to challenge the entire emergency management system.

• Takes place in an Emergency Operations Center.

• Players practice their response to an emergency by responding in a realistic manner.

• Decisions and actions occur in real time (imitate reality)

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 10

Types of Exercise (Three Types)3. Full-Scale (FSX): is close to the real thing as possible. It’s a lengthy exercise which takes place on location using the equipment and personnel that would be called upon in a real event.

• Interactive, designed to challenge the entire emergency management system in a highly realistic and stressful environment.

• Players represent all levels of personnel.

• Achieves realism thru: on-scene actions/decisions, simulated victims, search & rescue, communications, equipment deployment and actual resource & personnel allocation.

• Requires significant investment of time and effort and resources.

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 11

NIMS

• Establishes flexible incident management protocols and procedures that all responders —federal, state, and local utilize to conduct and coordinate response actions.

• Sets forth a core set of concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes to enable effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management at all levels of government.

National Incident Management System

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 12

RGV Sector - Office of Incident ManagementAligned to respond and support any Incident

of National Significance:

• Terrorism: IED Chemical Biological

• Border Violence• Natural Disasters:

Hurricanes Floods Tornadoes Earthquakes

• Pandemics: Avian flu H1N1

• Mass Migration• Extreme Weather Conditions:

Extreme Heat Winter Freeze

Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 13

Local and Federal Partnership

• Lower RGV & Coastal Bend Council of Government (COG) Integration

• Homeland Security Advisory Committee (HSAC)

• Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) – Ad Hoc Panel Member

• Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) – (McAllen/Weslaco)

• Cameron County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

• Nueces, Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo, Starr & Webb County Emergency Management Coordinators

• Rio Grande Regional Response Association (RGRRA)

• Regional Communication Interoperability System Committee

Questions?

Comments/Concerns

Operations OfficerJuan A. Garces

office 956-289-5621juan.garces@dhs.gov