This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000562 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DIR FSINFATC FOR FSI/LMS/CMT 
S/ES-O/CMS, WHA/EX AND DS/IP/WHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR CASC ASEC AFSI KCOM OTRA KESS EC
SUBJECT: LESSONS LEARNED - CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXERCISES - 
U.S. MISSION TO ECUADOR RESPONSE 
 
REF: A. FSINFATC 0905 
 
     ¶B. QUITO 0183 
     ¶C. 04 GUAYAQUIL 1398 
     ¶D. 04 QUITO 1933 
     ¶E. 04 QUITO 0037 
     ¶F. 03 QUITO 3681 
 
 ¶1.  Embassy Quito and Consulate General Guayaquil recently 
participated in FSI sponsored Crisis Management Exercises. 
Embassy Quito participated in the Crisis Management Overview 
training on 02/28/05 and the CME on 03/01/05.  Consulate 
General Guayaquil participated in the Crisis Management 
Overview training on 03/03/05 and the CME on 03/04/05.  The 
U.S. Mission to Ecuador appreciates the hands-on training 
given by FSI instructor Douglas Treat. 
 
As outlined in REFS, the Ambassador has been at the forefront 
in ensuring that Embassy Quito and Consulate General 
Guayaquil are ready for any eventuality.  Under the 
Ambassador's leadership, Post has been proactively planning 
and training for disasters over the past 32-months and will 
incorporate this latest training into our overall emergency 
preparedness plan. 
 
¶2.  Responses are keyed to REFTEL A: 
 
¶A.  Format of the CME: What recommendations would you 
make regarding the form and conduct of the exercise: 
Were four hours sufficient to meet your objectives? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - The form and conduct of the 
exercises were appropriate for these training sessions. 
The exercises were inclusive and touched on the primary 
points in the EAP and emergency preparedness planning. 
Post believes that four hours was sufficient for the 
crisis management exercise. 
 
¶B.  Selection of scenarios:  Please comment on the 
scenarios played during the exercise.  Which scenarios 
were most valuable?  Should some be dropped?  Were 
there additional/other crises you would like presented? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - Since the RSO conducted pre- 
planning meetings with the FSI Instructor prior to the 
exercises, the scenarios reflected the realities facing 
the USG in Ecuador.  They touched on political violence, 
fire and natural disasters -- all events that have already 
affected Post over the past few years.  Post believes that 
all of the scenarios were valuable and should not be 
dropped.  As stated above, these scenarios were built 
around the events that Post has already faced, or could 
face in the future, so additional crisis scenarios were 
not necessary. 
 
¶C.  How appropriate was the kind and amount of 
intervention by the controller in the exercise?  What 
about the controller's observations for post management 
from the exercise? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - The FSI controller gave detailed 
and helpful instructions prior to the start of the 
exercise -- especially to the DCM and the RSO.  These 
instructions helped to establish the tempo of the exercises 
and allowed for maximum participation by the participants. 
The controller's intervention was ideal and his 
observations for post management were on the mark.  Post has 
already incorporated some of the controller's 
observations - to include greater LES participation. 
 
¶D.  What would the post do differently in response to a 
real crisis as a result of this training? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - The training helped to focus 
Post's Disaster Committee's roles and responsibilities. 
This is especially true in dealing with contacts and 
the media.  Committee members have a deeper 
understanding, and appreciation, for their roles in the 
event of a crisis, especially a major natural disaster 
that would seriously damage the infrastructure of the 
city. 
 
¶E.  What lessons did post take from the CME?  What best 
practices for crisis management emerged?  What changes, 
if any, have you made in your EAP procedures as a 
result of the exercise?  Have you formulated an action 
plan to deal with issues that arose during the CME? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - One of the most important lessons 
learned was how Post would deal with a sudden influx of 
TDY personnel sent to Ecuador to respond to a crisis - 
especially if Post was at essential staff.  Because of 
this, the Disaster Committee will meet to discuss drafting 
a checklist for dealing with this potentiality.  This 
would include additional checks of Post's communication 
system, more inclusion of Embassy dependents and 
additional in-house tabletop exercises.  Post is currently 
updating the EAP and will incorporate these lessons 
learned into the new product. 
 
¶F.  What aspects of stand-alone CMT Overview Training 
did post find useful?  How could it be improved?  Would 
post have preferred a lengthier stand-alone session, 
including an exercise more closely resembling the CME 
that was presented for EAC?  Does post plan any follow- 
up to the fundamentals training, for LES or non-EAC 
Americans? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - Post felt that the overview 
training was beneficial in that it outlined crisis 
management training for Embassy employees who do not 
regularly participate in EAC meetings.  Several 
attendees stated that they now have a better under- 
standing of the process and would be better able to 
deal with a crisis in the future.  Post believes 
that the time frame was sufficient, but that the 
scenarios should reflect, to the extent possible, 
the scenarios addressed in the CME.  As indicated above, 
Post will continue to hold training sessions for all 
Mission personnel.  Post will report these SEPTEL. 
 
¶G.  Frequency of CME:  We would appreciate your candid 
comments on the optimal frequency of CMEs.  What would 
be best - maintain current schedule (once every two 
years), offer more frequently (specify, for example, 
once every one and one-half years), or offer less 
frequently (specify).  Secondly, should all posts have 
an equal opportunity to have CMEs with the same 
frequency or should level of threat to post guide us in 
scheduling their frequency? 
 
Embassy Quito Response - The current schedule of once 
every two years is optimal as a base point.  But, threat 
levels should also play a role in the frequency of 
exercises that a Mission holds -- even if done in-house. 
A Post with a threat rating of low for crime would 
have different problems when compared to a Post with 
a criminal threat rating of critical.  This also holds 
true for the other threat levels.  Embassy Quito has 
been proactive in conducting in-house drills and 
exercises that reflect our current threat ratings.  Post 
has tailored the scenarios provided by FSI into Ecuador 
specific exercises.  This has meant that Post is better 
prepared for the myriad of potential problems facing 
Ecuador and the Mission. 
 
¶H.  Any other comments on the CME or Crisis Management 
Training offered at FSI would be appreciated. 
 
Embassy Quito Response - Post recommends that FSI continue 
to develop CME scenarios that can be used by Posts around 
the world.  These would incorporate lessons learned from 
real life incidents and the steps that other Posts took 
to respond to crisis events -- from political violence 
to terrorism to natural disasters. 
KENNEY