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Over the past two years, Los Angeles County emergency responders have been quietly preparing for a massively bad scenario: explosion of a 10-kiloton "improvised nuclear device" in the San Fernando Valley. The preparations culminated in a series of meetings and simulation exercises this past summer under the banner of Operation Golden Phoenix. The results are in. A lot was learned, and they are now more ready than before the training. From the latest Government Technology magazine:
A major benefit of exercises like the OGP is that they help identify people’s roles during an emergency and “expected surprises,” said John Fernandes, administrator of the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management. “There are a lot of unexpected and expected surprises in a lot of ways, because that’s what emergencies are,” he said. “Emergencies are going to give you expected surprises with respect to a certain number of casualties, a certain number of problems with reaching people who have problems getting water in the aftermath or shelter if they need immediate shelter.”
One thing they learned is that the initial terrorist attack turns quickly into a long-term public health crisis. By the way, the whole operation was conducted under this bold-face disclaimer:
NOTE: Although an IND is a recognized threat for potential terrorist operations, OGP-10 is not based on any actual intelligence or a known threat to the Los Angeles County Operational Area or the United States.