Cases
INTEGRATED SIMULATION OF THE NATIONAL CONTINGENCY PLAN: NAVY, IBAMA AND ANP
EnvironPact planned and executed the first official integrated simulation of the PNC (National Contingency Plan), established by Decree No. 10,950/2022, a national historic milestone. With the presence of 180 participants, the operation was carried out between August 7 and 9, 2023, in Rio de Janeiro/RJ and included response, support and observer teams.
THIS SIMULATION WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN BRAZIL. TOGETHER, THE STEPS BELOW DESCRIBE A PROCESS OF CREATING AND DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL SIMULATIONS, TAKING THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS) AS THE BASIS FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. THEY ARE:
Planning: This moment consisted of defining and validating the objectives that would guide the activity, as well as the participants who would be involved and the event schedule.
Development: In this phase, the scenario to be worked on was defined, including its premises and evolutions, possible complicating factors and the development of the incident timeline.
Execution: An oil pollution incident scenario was applied in an initial response (reactive phase) and subsequent transition to the proactive phase, with the formation of a Unified Command.
Conclusion: A critical evaluation meeting of the simulation was held, involving the event participants, with an indication of strengths, opportunities for improvement and next steps.
Simulation exercises play a fundamental role in the implementation of an integrated response plan for highly complex emergencies. They are considered the main way to identify opportunities for improving this plan since they are carried out in a controlled environment.
For the official integrated simulation, the JIDO (Oil Spill Incident Game in Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters) was applied, using the ICS (Incident Command System) methodology. ICS is a system established based on a flexible and scalable structure that facilitates integrated incident response, providing a standardized approach to coordination, command and control. It is designed to be applied to a variety of incidents, from local situations to national catastrophes, promoting efficient communication (FEMA, 2017).
The first stage of the simulation occurred during its planning phase, in which its objectives, scope and dynamics were established through meetings between the agencies involved and EnvironPact. Defining the goals of the exercise was a critical stage since these served as a pillar to guide all activities in the planning, execution and evaluation phases of the simulation. One of the objectives established in the Decree concerns the coordinated action of government agencies and public and private entities in expanding the response capacity to oil pollution incidents that may affect waters under national jurisdiction. In this sense, the first challenge of this planning was to converge expectations based on the different actors involved in the exercise and on the fact that it was the first simulation of this nature and magnitude in the country. A general objective was established as a solution and each body had the opportunity to define its specific goals with the Brazilian Navy as Operational Coordinator.
After this, the team involved in the ICS methodology was trained, presenting the responsibilities and duties of each function. Theoretical and customized workshops were held for this purpose.
To design a scenario that encompassed and was as complex as the game, another series of meetings were held between those involved. During the sessions, details, developments of the incident and provocations aimed at the response team were discussed, including topics such as repercussions in the media and coordination with authorities. The biggest challenge at this stage was the creation of a critical scenario of national relevance in which the person responsible for the incident could not act as a leader in the emergency response. Therefore, applying the PNC and the action of the Brazilian Navy and other agencies were necessary.
The scenario defined was the fire on the oil tanker “MOSTAR”, flying the flag of convenience, which was sailing off the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro. On the evening of the same day, the PNC was activated, communicating with the National Authority. From that moment on, the dynamics of the exercise began. This dynamic was established to encourage participants to practice both the reactive phase of the emergency, in which plans, procedures and initial resources already developed are activated and put into practice and the proactive phase, which corresponds to planning and creating the Incident Action Plan. The Simulation Cell (SimCell) controls the scenario and its developments, called the Control Group (GRUCON). This is a methodological strategy used to conduct a simulation rich in variables and, consequently, closer to the complexity of actual events. SimCell is responsible for bringing externalities and scenario updates to participants, providing information on aspects that did not occur and issuing complications for the scenario.
After completion of the exercise, a debriefing will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the activity involving the event participants, indicating strengths, opportunities for improvement and next steps. Additionally, a team of specialist professionals conducted an independent technical assessment of the entire process. The Brazilian Navy stood out as a leader, being a key player in ensuring engagement throughout the planning process in line with the ICS prerogatives. It was also found that the presence of different agencies throughout the three days of activity enriched the debate and opened doors for executing more effective joint actions.
Opportunities for improvement to be discussed included resource sharing, payment of response costs, responsibilities, organization and detailing of actions applicable in actual cases. There are still uncertainties in the Decree that need to be defined.
It was concluded that using the ICS methodology for emergency management considerably favored the agility and effectiveness of the emergency response and that carrying out this type of activity brings confidence to Brazilian society that actors and public entities are committed to increasing the capacity to respond to emergencies.
With the participation of 180 people, the simulated exercise began at 9:00 am on August 7th, through the initial briefing and ended in the late afternoon of August 9, 2023, with the conclusion and signing of the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
The planning of this exercise, as well as its execution according to the methodology presented, ensured that the objectives conceived for the exercise in question were fully achieved. In addition, relevant lessons learned were identified to improve the planning and execution process for a future exercise of this magnitude.