Epidemic Response Tabletop Exercise: Loddon Mallee REMC Case Study

The challenge

H5N1 Preparedness in Regional Victoria, Australia

With the emerging risk of H5N1 avian influenza and its potential impact on communities across the region, the Loddon Mallee Regional Emergency Management Committee (REMC) sought to test the effectiveness of its pandemic preparedness arrangements. Key requirements included validating existing response plans, assessing multi-agency coordination, and identifying areas for improvement to ensure an effective response to a significant public health emergency.

Meeting the requirement

Comprehensive Epidemic Response Tabletop Exercise

We developed and facilitated a tailored H5N1 epidemic response tabletop exercise (TTX) for the Loddon Mallee REMC. The exercise was structured across three progressive sessions that challenged participants with realistic scenario injects specific to regional healthcare response:

Initial case detection, threat assessment and emergency activation
Escalation, stakeholder management, activation of healthcare surge plans, coordination with state health authorities, and community health protection measures
Execution of sustained response, resource management, and healthcare continuity measures

The exercise featured realistic media in the form of news and social media, authentic SITREPS and other interagency communications.

Participants were required to make critical healthcare decisions under pressure while adhering to Victorian pandemic response frameworks and maintaining essential services.

The strategic value

The tabletop exercise successfully:

Tested Victoria States’s pandemic response procedures against a realistic H5N1 outbreak scenario
Identified specific strengths and opportunities for improvement in their epidemic management framework
Enhanced coordination between different emergency response agencies across the State of Victoria
Clarified roles and responsibilities during a public health emergency
Provided practical experience with Victoria’s health emergency management protocols
Delivered actionable recommendations to strengthen the State’s epidemic preparedness