Building from the overarching Pan-Canadian Framework for Action which encompasses activities across the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery continuum. The purpose of the RFP is to develop and deliver regionally two tabletop exercises and to report nationally on lessons learned. Exercises will assist with enabling a coordinated Canadian response to an African Swine Fever incursion in Canada.
1. ASF Tabletop Exercise Template
Using best practices, design and build a template for ASF tabletop exercises [exercise in a box]. To include producers, swine industry groups, provincial pork boards, provincial and federal governments. This exercise template would include, but not be limited to:
- A facilitator handbook
- Exercise materials
- A structured agenda
- A set of defined “will says” and interjections that would be part of the exercise.
2. ASF Tabletop Exercises
Exercise #1: Depopulation and disposal tabletop exercise with the ASF EMB FPTI Exercise Working Group
A regional/provincial tabletop exercise that will involve selection of a real swine operation and will focus on the ability to plan for depopulation and disposal efforts that will be needed in the case of ASF being detected on the selected farm. Participants can be determined by each region or province, but the involvement of the farm owner/producer is a pre-requisite. Other participation that should be considered includes; provincial pork organizations, provincial and federal government partners, local/ district CFIA staff. Participants will be asked to outline and document their plan on the following:
- How would they depopulate the animals on this farm.
- What equipment would be needed for both depopulation and disposal efforts
- The roles and responsibilities of all partners
- Communications that will occur and indicate by whom
- How they would dispose of the carcasses from this farm
This tabletop exercise should be designed in a way that it can be delivered and conducted at a provincial/ regional level including in the Maritimes, Ontario, and in two western provinces and so that it is repeatable. This exercise should build off of any lessons learned from the FPTI Depopulation and Disposal exercises. The successful contractor will be asked to develop this exercise, ensure its delivery as well as document lessons learned regionally into a national lessons learned report.
Exercise #2
The second tabletop exercise will be developed from a list of priority topics determined by the ASF FPTI Exercise working group. The successful contractor will work with this group to develop, roll out and document lessons learned from this national exercise. Contractor to work with this working group and its chairs to develop, plan, run and document lessons learned from the tabletop exercise in one area of agreed upon priorities (i.e., permitting, traceability, ASF EMB Incident Command System [ICS] response drill, etc.).
3. Lessons Learned/ After Actions Report
Through the ASF tabletop exercise process, the contractor should conduct a “hot wash” with all participants and further be able to document this discussion in the form of a written report, identify gaps and, in collaboration with the national ASF Coordinator and the FPTI Exercise working group, identify solutions or recommendations for the identified gaps. These potential gaps may include but are not limited to:
- Communication issues
- Operational issues
- Policy gaps
- Clarity and understanding in roles and responsibilities
