2010 Goals & Objectives

Since 2006, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) has used Urban Shield to test and validate preparedness levels throughout the region.  Urban Shield is a capabilities and performance-based full field tactical training and exercise program.  It incorporates guiding principles from The National Preparedness Guidelines, to assist tactical teams, as well as all first responder entities to prepare for and provide a unified response to disasters and emergencies.  Incorporating many multi-discipline/multi-jurisdictional first responder agencies, it is geared toward developing mechanisms for improved delivery of service and to bolster coordination efforts between local, state and federal entities.

This years’ exercise will focus on five (5) overarching goals that are designed to strengthen preparedness in order to prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.  The goals for Urban Shield 2010 are as follows:

Goal 1 – Test overall communication and management capabilities with a focus on City and County Emergency Operation Centers throughout a five (5) County core area.

Goal 2 – Integrate critical infrastructure and their onsite private security personnel into a collaborative response framework to test public/private sector response plans and unified response.

Goal 3 – Evaluate regional Fire, Search and Rescue, and HAZMAT response with a focus on core competencies.

Goal 4 – Evaluate regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams core competencies and response capabilities.

Goal 5 – Evaluate regional capabilities to effectively identify, integrate and manage volunteers responding to large scale disasters.

Urban Shield 2010 will challenge the skills, knowledge and abilities of all who participate.  It will not only improve regional disaster response capabilities but provide a platform for first responders both nationally and internationally to work efficiently and effectively together. 

Upon conclusion of Urban Shield 2010, an in-depth After Action Report and Gap Analysis will be completed to assist the region.  These documents will be used for future planning purposes as it pertains to increasing levels of preparedness.  Urban Shield continues to supports organizations in achieving objective assessments of their capabilities so that strengths and areas for improvement are identified, corrected, and shared as appropriate prior to a real incident.

It is critical that we continue to expand regional collaboration and preparedness levels for all first responders.  Testing our abilities over a broad spectrum of disciplines and scenarios within the confines of a coordinated training and exercise venue, we will be better prepared to address strategic, operational, technical and tactical change.
Please join us for Urban Shield 2010!