Implementing Successful Preparedness Exercises. Objectives To increase knowledge of exercising and how to create an effective exercise program To provide

Implementing Successful Preparedness Exercises

Objectives

To increase knowledge of exercising and how to create an effective exercise program

To provide processes for creating high-quality exercise activities

Why Exercise?

Progressive Exercising

Involves everyone! Planned to achieve identifiable goals Series of increasingly complex exercises Success breeds success

Who participates?

Types of Exercise

Orientation Seminar Drill Tabletop Exercise Functional Exercise Full-Scale Exercise

Orientation Exercise

Overview– Can be lecture, slide

show, etc. Familiarize

participants with their roles, equipment, etc.

Lasts one – two hours

Drills

Tests a single specific operation or function

Allows the practice and perfection of one part of the response plan

Usually takes ½ hour - 2 hours to complete

Tabletop Exercise

Facilitated analysis of an emergency situation

Informal and stress-free environment

Little attempt at simulation

Generally lasts 1 – 4 hours

Functional Exercise

Fully simulated, interactive exercise

Tests the capability of the organization to respond in a time-pressured environment

Tests multiple functions Can be as short as 3-8

or hours

Full-Scale Exercise

Simulates “The Big One” for the organization

High stress Use of personnel,

equipment, and resources

Can be as short as 2 – 4 hours, or last for days

Compare all this to football (or hockey!)

Orientation 1st team meeting

Drill Special teams

Tabletop exercise “Skull” session

Functional exercise Intra-squad game

Full scale exercise Preseason game

Actual disaster Regular season game

Catastrophic disaster (with Presidential

declaration)

Team in the PLAYOFFS!

ReviewPlan

ReviewPlan

DevelopScheduleDevelopSchedule

DetermineExercise

Scope

DetermineExerciseScope

AssessCapabilityAssess

Capability

ConductNeeds

Assessment

ConductNeeds

Assessment

WritePurpose

Statement

WritePurpose

Statement

SendExerciseDirective


OrganizeEvaluation

Team

OrganizeEvaluation

Team

OrganizeDesignTeam

OrganizeDesignTeam

PrepareObjectivesPrepare

Objectives

WriteNarrative

WriteNarrative

WriteMessages

WriteMessages

DevelopEvaluation

Format

DevelopEvaluation

Format

List Major &DetailedEvents


FinalizeExercise

Enhancements

FinalizeExercise

Enhancements

DetermineExpectedActions


ConductExerciseConductExercise

ConductPost-Exercise

Meeting

ConductPostexercise

Meeting

ConductFollow-UpActivities

ConductFollowupActivities

WriteAfter-Action

Report

WriteAfter-Action

Report

Before

During

After

ReviewPlan

ReviewPlan


DetermineExercise

Scope



Capability

ConductNeeds

Assessment

ConductNeeds

Assessment

WritePurpose

Statement

WritePurpose

Statement



OrganizeEvaluation

Team

OrganizeEvaluation

Team

OrganizeDesignTeam

OrganizeDesignTeam


Objectives

WriteNarrative

WriteNarrative

WriteMessages

WriteMessages

DevelopEvaluation

Format

DevelopEvaluation

Format



FinalizeExercise

Enhancements

FinalizeExercise

Enhancements





Meeting

ConductPostexercise

Meeting



WriteAfter-Action

Report

WriteAfter-Action

Report

Before

During

After

ReviewPlan

ReviewPlan


DetermineExercise

Scope



Capability

ConductNeeds

Assessment

ConductNeeds

Assessment

WritePurpose

Statement

WritePurpose

Statement



OrganizeEvaluation

Team

OrganizeEvaluation

Team

OrganizeDesignTeam

OrganizeDesignTeam


Objectives

WriteNarrative

WriteNarrative

WriteMessages

WriteMessages

DevelopEvaluation

Format

DevelopEvaluation

Format



FinalizeExercise

Enhancements

FinalizeExercise

Enhancements





Meeting

ConductPostexercise

Meeting



WriteAfter-Action

Report

WriteAfter-Action

Report

Before

During

After

Sequence of Tasks for Successful Exercises

1. Establishing the base

5. Exercise follow-up

4. Exercise critique and

evaluation3. Conduct the exercise

2. Develop exercise

Exercise Design Cycle





2. Develop exercise





2. Develop exercise





2. Develop exercise





2. Develop exercise





2. Develop exercise





2. Develop exercise

Exercise Documents

Exercise PlanControl PlanEvaluation PlanPlayer Handbook

Exercise Design Steps

1. Assess needs

2. Define scope

3. Write a statement of purpose

4. Define objectives

5. Compose a narrative

6. Write major & detailed events

7. List expected actions

8. Prepare messages

Assess Needs

Helps define problems, establish reasons to do an exercise, and ID the functions to be exercised– What hazards?– Who can be impacted?– Who needs to practice?– Who can come play?– What exercise requirements are there? – What toys do we have to play with?

Define the Scope

Type of emergencyLocationFunctionsParticipantsExercise type

Write a Statement of Purpose

Covers who, what, where, when, and why

Define Objectives

Basis for all that was and all that is to be

Sets the “rules of engagement”

Helps with evaluation Sets goals for follow-up Make sure they are

S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Compose a Narrative

Sets the moodSets the stage for

later action

Write out major & detailed events

Find your inner playwright

Major events

Detailed events

List expected actions

VerificationConsiderationDeferralDecision

Prepare messages

Single purpose…to spur a reaction

Can be transmitted in various ways

Need to be credible

Evaluation and Critiques

Evaluations

Did we meet our goal? Where can we improve? What training or staffing

opportunities have we found? What equipment do we need? When is the NEXT exercise??

It’s all about the team

Evaluation team structure

Role of the Team Leader

Team Member selection

Training the team

Evaluation Methodology

How is the team structured?

What are the objectives to be measured?

What’s in my evaluation packet??

Postexercise Meetings

Player debriefings

Evaluation team meeting

After Action Report

Form Format

– Introduction– Statement of the Problem– Exercise Summary– Accomplishments and Shortfalls– Recommendations

Implementing Change

Exercise Enhancements

Be creative! Take advantage of what

is available to you Maps and charts and

status boards, OH MY! People and props

How do I get all this stuff?

Hospitals Schools & colleges Business & industry CHEMTREC Boy & Girl Scouts SAR volunteers Railroads The Salvation Army

Public transportation Fire/Police/EMS

agencies Amateur radio clubs Religious organizations American Red Cross Service organizations

(Elks, Lions, Rotary, etc..)

…and then what do I do with it?

Make sure you designate someone to be in charge of logistics for the exercise

Costs & Liability

Manpower hours Potential for damage or replacement costs Be sure to return what you borrow

– Includes volunteer victims on loan

Check over your jurisdictions policy for equipment usage.

Additional Resources

Gillis, Tracy K., Emergency Exercise Handbook: Evaluate & Integrate Your Company’s Plan. Penwell Publishing Company:1996.

Green, Walter G., Exercise Alternatives for Training Emergency Management Command Center Staffs. Universal Publishers:2000.

Anna M. McRay, NREMT-P, CERT Coordinator, County of Henrico

http://www.fema.gov– EMI Exercise Design (IS-139)– EMI Exercise Evaluation (G-130)