Federal agencies planning to test services in disaster drill

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When hundreds of federal workers watch the news today they'll see reports of nuclear threats and rioting in the streets of Kansas City.

Breathe easy, the newscasts are fake. But they are part of an exercise to test the federal government's ability to respond to the very real possibility of a crisis.

"Some agencies are better prepared than others and we plan to pinpoint the deficiencies each one has," said Brad Scott, chairman of the Greater Kansas City Federal Executive Board, which is coordinating the exercise.

All told, representatives of nearly 50 federal agencies -- including the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the postal service and the Department of Health and Human Services -- will take place in today's simulation. It is the largest such exercise to be held outside Washington to test the government's crisis operations.

Agency leaders will set up mock command posts and watch fictional newscasts during simulations of terrorist attacks and other disasters.

The Department of Homeland Security conducted its first Continuity of Operations, or COOP, exercise a year ago in Washington, testing the strength of about 40 agencies in a drill of terrorism scenarios.

Dick Hainje, regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the COOP program, said having a plan in place allows an agency to react to a terrorist attack the same they would a building fire.

COOP plans for government agencies first appeared during the Cold War to prepare the country for the aftermath of a nuclear attack. They again gained popularity with the Y2K scare and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Steve Davis, president of Columbia, Md.-based All Hands Consulting, which has assisted with COOP plans for the White House and the Veterans Administration, said disaster plans have become a requirement for any business or agency.

"This is a key piece of insurance to have," Davis said. "There are lots of communities that are not doing it. But the ones that already have a plan are constantly seeking updates and improvements."