Exercise Program Description

Written by SCK Admin | 16 January 2010

What is an Emergency Preparedness Exercise Program?

In any discussion of emergency preparedness, the emphasis is on a comprehensive exercise program, made up of progressively complex exercises, each one building on the previous one, until the exercises are as close to reality as possible. This article briefly describes the five main types of exercise activities that make up a comprehensive exercise program. After you've had a chance to review it, please refer to the resources page for forms, templates and other helpful documents.

The orientation seminar is a very low-stress event. There is little or no simulation. For this reason, orientations do not qualify as FEMA-recognized exercises. Seminars can be used for:

• Discussing new policies and plans.

• Discussing a topic or problem in a group setting.

• Motivating people for participation in subsequent exercises.

• Test a specific operation.
• Provide training with new equipment.
• Develop new policies and procedures.
• Practice and maintain current skills.

Drills are a routine part of the daily job and organizational training in the field, in a facility, or at the EOC.

A tabletop exercise is a facilitated analysis of an emergency situation in an informal, stress-free environment. It is designed to elicit constructive discussion as participants examine and resolve problems based on existing operational plans and to identify where those plans need to be refined. There is minimal attempt at simulation, equipment is not used, resources are not deployed, and time pressures are not introduced. A tabletop exercise is a good environment for problem solving, provides good preparation for a functional exercise, and provides an opportunity for key agencies and stakeholders to become acquainted with one another, their interrelated roles, and respective responsibilities.

A functional exercise is a fully simulated interactive exercise that tests the capability of an organization to respond to a simulated event. The functional exercise:

• Simulates an incident in the most realistic manner possible short of moving resources.
• Tests multiple functions of the organization’s operational plan.
• Is a coordinated response to a situation in a time-pressured, realistic simulation.
• Focuses on the coordination, integration, and interaction of an organization’s policies, procedures, roles, and responsibilities.
• Is geared for policy, coordination, and operations personnel.

Functional exercises make it possible to test several functions and exercise several agencies or departments without incurring the cost of a full-scale exercise. A functional exercise is always a prerequisite to a full-scale exercise.

A full-scale exercise simulates a real event as closely as possible. It is an exercise designed to evaluate the operational capability of emergency management systems in a highly stressful environment that simulates actual response conditions. A full-scale exercise:

• Requires mobilization and actual movement of emergency personnel, equipment, and resources.
• Tests and evaluates most functions of the emergency management plan or operational plan.
• Differs from a drill in that it coordinates the actions of several entities, tests several emergency functions, and activates the EOC.

Full-scale exercises are the ultimate in the testing of functions—the trial by fire. Because they are expensive and time consuming, it is important that they be reserved for the highest priority hazards and functions.

For Further Information

For further information, guidance, and HSEEP templates visit the Department of Homeland Security’s HSEEP web site: https://hseep.dhs.gov/pages/1001_HSEEP7.aspx. (Exercise templates, including scheduling and planning templates, are found on the web site by clicking on “Volume IV Library” located on the right side of the page under “Exercise Resources” or clicking here: https://hseep.dhs.gov/hseep_vols/default1.aspx?url=home.aspx.