The first ever nation-wide crisis management and business continuity tabletop exercise for the private sector in the Dominican Republic was launched, and it was a success! This tabletop exercise for the private sector was an integrated part of the bigger regional disaster management exercise CENTAM Guardian 2023 that was executed by US Southern Command, Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE), and the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic. TEDCAP was tasked to develop and execute a tabletop exercise with a core focus on crisis management and business continuity.
Using real life like impact scenario developed by seismology and meteorology experts in the Dominican Republic as a base when putting this exercise together. It was challenging sessions for the companies that was simulating preparation and response to the impact and consequences of a category 1 Hurricane that caused significant damage, thus activating hurricane preparedness plans and emergency management plans, seeking to prioritize their response efforts in a challenging environment with limited resources and communication breakdowns. The situation rapidly escalated when, moments after the hurricane passed, a severe Earthquake of 7.5 on the Richter scale struck in the center of the Dominican Republic, causing widespread damage and turning an already difficult situation into a national disaster. For this reason, the participants had to adapt quickly and activate their Crisis Management and Business Continuity plans to guarantee the survival of their business. The objectives of the table exercise were multifaceted, and they sought that the companies achieve to: Gain a better understanding of real impacts and consequences of natural disasters.
