Emergency Exercises

With plans developed, equipment acquired, and personnel trained, the time has come to put them all to the test.  Ideally, this is done in advance of an emergency by means of exercises, though of course sometimes the emergency comes first.  Exercises allow us to examine all of the previous parts of the preparedness cycle:

• Are plans complete?  Are the decisions they reflect the right ones?  Are assumptions valid?
• Does equipment work as expected or advertised?  Does it last as long as it should?
• Is the training program adequate?  Do people know and understand their emergency roles and responsibilities?  Do they know how to use the equipment they’re charged with operating?

Exercise Basics

Exercises come in varying levels of complexity (and cost), from discussion-based “tabletops,” where decision-makers talk through simulated actions in a given emergency scenario, to full-scale exercises, where resources are activated and deployed as if in an actual emergency.

Whether exercises succeed or fail typically depends on following a few important guidelines:

• Exercises scripted so that everyone “wins” probably aren’t challenging enough.  Part of what we want to learn from an exercise is the point at which plans and equipment fail.  Exercises may prove to be validating, but that shouldn’t be a foregone conclusion.
• Exercise authors shouldn’t also be players.
• Exercise scenarios should be realistic.  Overly simple exercises don’t yield very valuable lessons, while those that are too complex (or too complex too soon) might be doomed because of unrealistic expectations or lack of player experience, rather than because of the inadequacy of plans, equipment, or training.
• Diverse exercise scenarios help ensure that the institution is prepared to face a broad spectrum of possible emergencies.

The Department of Homeland Security has a wealth of exercise-related resources.  Learning how to design, execute, and evaluate exercises properly and in accordance with national standards is well worth the up-front investment of time and attention.

Emergency Communications Exercises

Emergency communications can be exercised alone or in conjunction with other campus emergency functions.  Early tabletop exercises might involve campus executives working through a scenario where they have to decide at what point to make notifications and to whom (students? the media? visitors to campus?).  This could be followed (after incorporating the lessons learned in the tabletop) by drills of various systems (e.g., mass e‑mail, 911 callback, Web updates at a remotely hosted site, outdoor warning sirens, etc.).  Finally, there should be an emergency communications component to any campus-wide full-scale exercise, which would integrate the parallel actions of senior decision-makers, the campus public safety department, local police, fire, and EMS personnel, and others.  By following this type of progression, all players gradually develop their respective capabilities, culminating in a collaborative effort of competent components.

It bears mentioning that exercising emergency communications equipment can be expensive.  Some 911 callback providers, for example, charge significant fees per call.  It is therefore essential that these exercises be thoughtfully designed and well prepared-for.

What’s Next?

The answers to the questions posed above allow us to go back to the beginning of the preparedness cycle to make improvements based on the lessons we’ve learned along the way.  Of course, lessons can and should be learned not just from exercises, but also from experience gained in real emergencies.  Are the plans incomplete or inadequate?  Re-write the plans.  Is the equipment faulty?  Fix or replace it.  Is previous training not getting the message across?  Re-design and deliver it.  Once these modifications are in place, it’s time to exercise again.  The preparedness cycle continues like this until the institution achieves its desired level of preparedness, and then continues, though perhaps with less frequent iterations, as conditions change over time.

As National Preparedness Month comes to a close, I hope these postings have provided a useful overview of the steps required (in addition to institutional commitment) to achieving emergency preparedness.  Emergency communications are critical to any campus preparedness effort.  Are you ready?