April 2026
A Note From Susan
According to our calendars, we’re just a few short weeks until the first FIFA match in Seattle on June 15. As you know, attention and excitement are growing, but the planning has been in motion for years. Our own efforts as part of the MCI planning are built on years of experience, learnings, planning and collaboration. This is the foundation of our work; preparing, sharing, designing, testing and deployment to help ensure our communities are ready, can respond and then recover so lives, economies and health to continue with as little interruption as possible.
The Network is advancing coordinated healthcare readiness across the region, with upcoming training on the FIFA Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Annex to align partners who are exercising their response protocols, patient tracking and reunification capabilities. Demand for our team’s support continues to grow as many of your own organizations exercise your response plans. Our team has been participating in regional and local efforts as ConOps and event action plans are finalized.
We’ll continue responding to your feedback and the information you’re wanting us to address through the info@nwhrn.org.
Making Progress – Always On for You
Disaster Medical Coordination Center (DMCC) Planning
We continue to meet monthly with statewide DMCC leaders to socialize the updated plans with response partners and refine the documents, both for regional and state DMCC processes. The DMCC’s continue to provide expertise and engagement, along with response partners who are directly involved in this work, capturing the nuances and unique processes locally, regionally, and statewide.
We continue to engage the DMCC committee, which is comprised of DMCC representatives and Network experts, to review documents and provide insight into any new DMCC issues that arise. We look forward to utilizing these updated annexes during upcoming exercises and continue to refine documents as we lead up to FIFA World Cup. We remain dedicated to transparency around this work, anchored in the mandate that DMCC work continues to function according to the plans and helps drive forward solutions and implementation as challenges arise.
Next Steps Supporting National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Large Scale Combat Operations
While the importance of the NDMS exercise remains prevalent, the April 2026 exercise dates have been postponed by our federal partners. A new date has not yet been determined.
As we’ve shared, the Network has developed the objectives to support healthcare leadership involvement as well as the Network, Washington State Department of Health, and State Emergency Management Division engagement, to exercise our communication, coordination and decision making to support scaling up to meet an NDMS mission.
We will provide updates as they are available.
Continuing FIFA World Cup 2026: Regional Planning and Exercising
The FIFA World Cup 2026 State MCI plans are complete and available here, including:
The Network team is updating our Pediatric, Burn and Infectious Disease Clinical Annexes which we will be testing in the May Confluent Goal exercise. See below for Confluent Goal exercise details.
The Network will also begin hosting multiple WATrac trainings for hospitals, EMS and other partners focused on patient tracking in support of reunification. For more information, reach out to us at watrac@nwhrn.org.
Exercises: Mark Your Calendar
IF YOU HAVEN’T YET SIGNED UP, THERE IS STILL TIME!
Confluent Goal FIFA World Cup ’26 Special Event MCI Surge Virtual Tabletop Exercise
Date: Wednesday, May 6
Time: 8:00am – 12:30pm PDT
The Network will be hosting a virtual FIFA World Cup 2026 Special Event MCI Surge Confluent Goal Tabletop Exercise for healthcare, EMS and public health partners and others across Washington State.
Join us to ensure your teams are ready for upcoming activities:
- Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vuKcSthZQnmxq8rt7XNErA
- For questions, please email training@nwhrn.org.
Give Big 2026...or even a little
The Network is participating in the 2026 Give Big program, inviting individual donors to offer their support for the work the Network does to support communities across the state. The Give Big campaign will run beginning April 28 through the primary Give Big day of May 5.
If you’re compelled to donate, you can visit Give Big to support our work, or the Network’s donation page any time.