Top Officials (TOPOFF)

TOPOFF is a series of national-level domestic and international exercises designed to strengthen the nation's capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from large-scale terrorist attacks involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). TOPOFF exercises are designed to simulate actual WMD attacks by fictionalized international terrorist organizations and involve live exercise play. In order to make the exercises as authentic as possible, participants are given little forewarning of what scenarios they will face, such as type of WMD involved, or specific location, date, and time of the attacks.

TOPOFF simulations create opportunities for participants to experience the magnitude of the challenge, to consider available options, and to manage responses and consequences. The exercises also provide essential information needed to improve coordination throughout the U.S. Government, and among the U.S. Government and state and local entities. Following each exercise, an after-action report is prepared to identify successes, "lessons learned," and shortcomings to be addressed. Short of an actual attack, TOPOFF simulations are the best possible way to train emergency responders, gauge preparedness, and identify areas for improvement.

The primary goal of all TOPOFF exercises is to promote unity of effort. These exercises improve the capability of government officials and agencies, both within the U.S. and abroad, to provide an effective, coordinated, strategic response to all aspects of a WMD attack.

The first TOPOFF was held in May 2000 in Denver, Colorado and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Denver participants faced a simulated chemical attack, while New Hampshire participants were confronted with a biological attack.

TOPOFF 2, conducted in May 2003, included over 8,000 participants in Seattle, Washington and Chicago, Illinois and involved significant participation by the Canadian Government.

TOPOFF 3, held April 4-8, 2005 and sponsored by DHS's Directorate for Preparedness, was the most comprehensive terrorism response exercise ever conducted in the United States, simulating biological attacks in New Jersey and chemical attacks in Connecticut. It involved over 20,000 participants representing more than 250 federal, state, and local agencies; private businesses; volunteer groups; and international organizations.

Joining the TOPOFF 3 simulation were two international partners--Canada and the United Kingdom--that conducted simultaneous, related exercises in concert with U.S. efforts. The Department of State took the lead in organizing this international component and the Operations Directorate of the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism coordinated the interface among the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. While the Canadian exercise (Triple Play) and the United Kingdom exercise (Atlantic Blue) were driven by each country's domestically designed scenarios, all three simulations ran parallel to each other and incorporated the events happening in each country. U.S. embassies in Ottawa and London played key roles in executing the simulations.

This international element of the TOPOFF 3 exercise tested the handling and flow of time-critical intelligence among the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in response to a linked terrorist incident occurring in all three countries. It also provided an opportunity to practice the strategic coordination of media relations and public information issues.