PRIDE Hostage

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH), Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Districts Six and Ten recognize their responsibility to protect the public from, and mitigate the consequences of, the hazards associated with a biological disease outbreak, both in humans and animals; including the necessity for a properly integrated response in the event of such an incident. With this responsibility in mind, IDHS, ISDH, BOAH, Districts Six and Ten have developed policies and procedures to respond to a biological disease outbreak and have determined the need to conduct exercises testing these protocols. In addition, Indiana has worked for several years to strengthen district-level capabilities to respond to all hazards and to be able to provide the capability to move district assets to the aid of another district in the event that local responders become overwhelmed during an incident. Indiana has determined that these capabilities should be exercised, evaluated and plans revised to assure a rapid and efficient response to disasters. The exercise is designed to address two potential biological events that could occur in Indiana; one involving an outbreak of illness in animals and the other, a biological outbreak in humans. While there are elements of response that are similar, the manner in which each type of incident is managed is very different. Planners believe both response modes should be exercised to assure Indiana responders and the state is prepared for any biological outbreak that may occur, whether they are in animals or humans. The first day of the 2-day exercise will focus on managing a biological event in animals while the second day will focus on a biological outbreak in humans. The scope of play for Pandemic Response Indiana Defense Exercise (P.R.I.D.E.) requires the activation of State and Federal agencies and local response agencies from Indiana Department of Homeland Security Districts Six and Ten. These actions include all aspects of emergency management to support local, regional, State, and Federal responders.
Emergency management activities for P.R.I.D.E. FSE will be fed through a series of local and state exercises, and an exercise control simulation cells (SIMCELL).