If this past two years has taught us anything, it is that we cannot be prepared for everything. However, with some basic preparation, we can get through anything, especially together.

Kassouf works closely with local organizations, such as the Birmingham InfraGard Members Alliance (IBMA), to foster information sharing between public agencies and the private sector, especially the heatlhcare and public health sectors.

We would like to invite you to participate in an online emergency preparedness exercise, hosted with IBMA and the support of state and local EMAs October 19-20, 2021.

This online emergency preparedness exercise will allow multiple healthcare organizations, or teams from multiple sectors, to experience a series of regional disasters and resulting critical grid failures together.  Participants will learn first-hand how their community and supply chain can be better prepared. Utilizing the Earth-Ex 2021 disaster preparedness engine, we are building a "virtual community" where teams will be able to move between their own workspace and shared areas and engage in one-to-one communications, as they might in a real-world situation.

You can read more and register for the online event here and make sure to indicate you are a guest of Kassouf when registering: https://hopin.com/events/infragard-on-line-community-preparedness-exercise-powered-by-earth-ex-2021/ 

However, if you cannot participate in our online event, we strongly encourage you to check out Earth Ex 2021 and participate in the exercise on your own, with your colleagues, or with your family, any time during the month of October: https://eiscouncil.org/earth-ex/ 

What is this event?
The InfraGard exercise will create a virtual community, with various organizations experiencing two shared disasters that cause widespread and prolonged utility outages and supply chain disruption. The disasters are a local wildfire and regional, devastating floods.

How much does it cost?
There is no cost for either the EIS Council exercise or the InfraGard online event.

How much time is required?
The InfraGard event takes place over two days.  However, a team can commit as little as 3 hours for just one simulation. Day one is for guest speakers, preparatory videos, and a facilitator workshop. Day two is the exercise. You can participate in one or both disasters, and each will require approximately 3 hours.

How much preparation is required?
Earth Ex 2021 is designed to be "come as you are," so you and your team can bring whatever emergency plans you have prepared, or come with nothing at all. The event includes a planning and exercise guide prepared by EIS Council.

Who should attend?
An organization's emergency management and response team, but also executive-level stakeholders and others in critical roles who may not have gone through this type of exercise. This is intended for a team, but an individual can also participate.

What is the experience like?
Earth Ex is a series of well-produced videos and numerous, randomly generated scenarios, designed to create an intense, immersive experience. The result is a realistic event that challenges a team's creative problem solving.

Where is it?
Ideally, you'll want to gather your team together in your "war room" with one video connection to Hopin. However, your team can each have their own Hopin accounts and meet in a virtual room through the platform.