DSNS Simulation and Modeling Program

The Division of Strategic National Stockpile (DSNS) is the Nation’s repository for medical supplies, drugs, vaccines and other related equipment. Since moving to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), DSNS is responsible for deploying ASPR equipment and caches as well. During an event or incident where DSNS or ASPR assets are deployed, the division activates its response operations, plans and procedures to support the material and management requirements. With the advent of the recent COVID-19 world pandemic and the evolving changes to DSNS response operations and support for these new requirements, the Information & Planning Branch (IPB) has determined a unique requirement to support these missions and augment internal abilities with a modeling and simulation capability. The utilization of simulations and models integrated into emerging and changing operations will allow the incorporation of the complex ideas being developed and provide a visualization, in real-time, slow motion and compressed time, of those processes and operational plans, and the stress points of the operations. IPB needs an ability to create simulations and models of DSNS processes and plans with variable inputs and requirements in order to determine likely outcomes of various response scenarios. The ability to evaluate plans and processes in a compressed and real-time scenario will assist DSNS with planning and executing all-hazards response plans. It will also add a capability to assign variables to processes and plans, which will show potential failure points and best courses of action, simultaneously.