Testing emergency plans is critical to ensure their viability and validity. Exercises are the standard emergency management practice to do that.
An emergency management exercise is an instrument to train for, assess, practice, and improve performance. Exercising is a distinct process of developing measurable objectives and designing a scenario to evaluate participant’s emergency response performance against the objectives. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has developed the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) to ensure exercises are developed, executed, and evaluated consistently and effectively. Dane County Emergency Management utilizes the tenets of this program to support local exercise initiatives.
There are two general types of exercises, discussion-based and operations-based. Discussion-based exercises are the most common because they can develop a thorough and common understanding of emergency plans among a core group with a minor investment of organization’s personnel and resources. Operations-based exercises allow for the actual “hands-on” application of emergency procedures by the persons who are identified to do so. Operations-based exercises are more complex because they require a greater dedication of personnel and resources.
Dane County Emergency Management assists organizations with identifying training and exercise needs, connecting with appropriate partners, and helping either with exercise development / facilitation or applying for exercise grants on a local public entity’s behalf.
The descriptions below are from FEMA’s Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP). This list can help you discern what type of activity will best suit your needs.
|
Type of Exercise |
Utility/Purpose |
Type of Player Action |
Real-Time Play? |
Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Discussion-Based |
To familiarize players with current plans, policies, agreements, and procedures; develop new plans, policies, agreements, and procedures |
Notional; player actions are imaginary or hypothetical |
No |
Varies |
|
Seminar |
To provide an overview of new or current plans, resources, strategies, concepts, or ideas |
N/A |
No |
Multi- or single-agency |
|
Workshop |
To achieve a specific goal or build a product (e.g., exercise objectives, SOPs, policies, or plans) |
N/A |
No |
Multi-agency or multiple functions |
|
Tabletop Exercise |
To assist senior officials in the ability to understand and assess plans, policies, procedures, and concepts |
Notional |
No |
Multi-agency or multiple functions |
|
Game |
To explore decision making processes and examine the consequences of those decisions |
Notional |
No (some simulations provide real- or near real-time play) |
Multi-agency or multiple functions |
|
Operations-Based |
Test and validate plans, policies, agreements, and procedures; clarify roles and responsibilities; identify resource gaps |
Actual; player action mimics reaction, response, mobilization, and commitment of personnel and resources |
Yes |
Varies |
|
Drill |
Test a single operation or function |
Actual |
Yes |
Single-agency or function |
|
Functional Exercise |
Test and evaluate capabilities, functions, plans, and staffs of Incident Command, Unified Command, Intel centers, or other command/operations centers |
Command staff actions are actual; movement of other personnel, equipment, or adversaries is simulated |
Yes |
Multiple functional areas/multiple functions |
|
Full-Scale Exercise |
Implement and analyze plans, policies, procedures, and cooperative agreements developed in previous exercises |
Actual |
Yes |
Multiple agencies or multiple functions |
