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Last year around this time, the United States' Treasury Department sponsored a massive bird flu drill for the Financial sector in order to evaluate how they would perform during a pandemic crisis.
The US drill turned up important shortcomings that needed to be addressed in the financial sector, as reported in this CIDRAP news article from October, 2007.
Pandemic drill for financial sector finds planning gaps
Oct 26, 2007 (CIDRAP News) – The US Department of the Treasury this week announced the results of a recent exercise to test the resiliency of the nation's financial services sector in an influenza pandemic, revealing that few firms were well prepared and most needed to improve their all-hazards plans.
In May 2006 the White House directed the Treasury Department to work with banking and financial services companies to boost their pandemic preparedness, according to an Oct 24 department press release.
The exercise was conducted Sep 24 through Oct 12 and consisted of an online program of weekly scenarios and preparedness questions. The exercise was organized by two Treasury divisions: the Financial Banking Information Infrastructure Committee (FBIIC) and the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council (FSSCC).
Later this month Singapore plans to hold their own pandemic flu drill, as reported in this DPA article from Monsters & Critics.
Singapore financial sector to be tested for flu-outbreak readiness
Aug 13, 2008, 7:44 GMT
Singapore - A two-week exercise to test the preparedness of Singapore's financial industry for a deadly flu outbreak is to start at the end of this month, organizers said Wednesday.
Involving more than 140 banks, insurers, other firms and government agencies, the aim is to ensure that financial institutions are ready to cope with a potential flu pandemic, said Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director of the association of banks.
The exercise is to evaluate the ability of banks, insurance companies and securities brokerage firms to respond to widespread flu infections, mass hospitalizations and deaths, the association said.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Exchange are also to take part in the exercise from August 28 to September 11.
The financial industry took part in a simulated terrorist attack two years ago.
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