Exercise Design

1. Exercise Design

2. Self Introduction • Name • Community • Position on Team • Exercise Design experience • Expectations of the Course

3. Course Agenda • Course will be delivered with a combination of lecture, visuals, and workshops • Your participation is key to the success of the course • Exercises are designed to help you design your own exercises • Exercises expected within 6 months

4. Administration • FIRE EXIT • WASHROOMS • SMOKING • PARKING • BREAKS • LUNCH

5. Learning Outcomes:Participants will be able to . . . • Analyze the need for exercises • Be familiar with the different types of exercises • Develop an Exercise Program • Utilize the 9 step Exercise Process • Function as a member of the Exercise Team • Gain practical exercise experience

6. Why Exercise? • To improve operational readiness. • To reveal planning weaknesses. • To reveal resource gaps. • To improve inter-agency coordination & communications.

7. Why Exercise (cont’.) • To train &/or clarify emergency roles & responsibilities. • To test & evaluate plans, policies & procedures. • To test equipment. • To improve individual performance.

8. Why Exercise (Cont’.) • To satisfy government requirements. • To develop the knowledge, skills & enthusiasm to participate in emergencies. • To gain public recognition of emergency program & promote emergency preparedness.

9. Exercise Types: • Orientation • Drill • Tabletop • Functional • Full-Scale

10. Orientation Seminar: • Very low stress. • An overview or introduction. • A Lecture, group discussion, media presentation, computer demonstration, or talk-through.

11. Orientation Seminar Cont’: • Used to familiarize plans, procedures, roles & responsibilities, & equipment. • Can review past incidents for lessons learned. • Can involve all levels of personnel.

12. Drill: • A coordinated, supervised activity. • Tests a single emergency response function. • Used to conduct training on new equipment. • Involves an actual field response or an EOC operation.

13. Drill Cont’d. • Can involve coordination or operations or response personnel. • Effectiveness relies in focusing on a single, or limited portion of the overall response system in order to evaluate & improve it.

14. Tabletop Exercise: • A discussion of an emergency situation in an informal stress-free environment. • Often the first exercise attempted. • Focus is on training & familiarization of roles, responsibilities, plans, policies & procedures. • Conducted prior to submitting plan or procedures for final approval.

15. Table Top Exercise Cont’d. • Exercise controlled & lead by a Facilitator. • Discussions based on a described emergency situation supported by questions or problem statements (messages) to resolve. • Allows for thorough discussions & analysis of actions taken & decisions made.

16. Table Top Exercise Cont’d. • Practice problem-solving with limited or no time pressures. • Practice coordination of services. • No deployment or actual use of equipment or resources. • Involves policy &/or coordination personnel.

17. Functional Exercise: • A simulated interactive exercise of the EOC, the Incident Command Post, &/or other designated sites. • Often the 2nd exercise attempted. • EOC members practice a coordinated, effective response in a time-pressured, realistic emergency simulation.

18. Functional Exercise Cont’d. • Simulation of an emergency - includes a description of the situation, a timed sequence of messages, & communication between players & an external Simulation Team. • Use of phones, radios, computers, etc. • Moderate-high level of stress induced.

19. Functional Exercise Cont’d. • Designed to practice multiple emergency functions, e.g.: “direction & control”, “resource management”, “communications” etc. • Evaluates individual & system performance. • Involves policy, coordination & operations personnel.

20. Full Scale Exercise: • High stress - realism is key! • Adds a field component that interacts with a functional EOC exercise through simulated & real messages. • Coordinates actions of several agencies, tests several emergency functions & requires EOC & field participation.

21. Full Scale Exercise Cont’d. • Requires mobilization & move- ment of emergency personnel, equipment & resources. • Evaluates the deployment of resources not regularly used. • Involves all levels of personnel: policy, coordination, operations & field. • Involves $$ implications & time commitment.

22. Building An Exercise Program: • Exercises are not a one-shot deal. • Establish an Exercise Program Team. • Establish short & long term goals. • Develop a mission statement.

23. Building An Exercise Program Cont’. • Consider budget implications and status of emergency program priorities. • Consider more preparation time, more planning & personnel required (staff & players). • Allow enough time for implementation of previous exercise recommendations.

24. Building An Exercise Program Cont’. • Ensure exercises are progressive - escalating in difficulty, scope & complexity. • Ensure exercises foster: • Commitment, Comprehension, Challenges, Change, Community & Confidence.

25. Exercise Program: Time Schedule

26. Exercise Design Process The Exercise Process: Nine Steps From Start to Finish

27. Exercise Considerations: • Review emergency plans. • Conduct needs assessment. • Assess capabilities & resources. • Address costs & liabilities. • Determine type & scope of exercise.

28. The Exercise Process • Define the Purpose & Scope. • Announce the Exercise. • Assign the Exercise Team. • Plan the Exercise.

29. The Exercise Process • Consider Administration, Displays, Materials & Logistics. • Staff & Train. • Conduct the Exercise. • Evaluate the Exercise. • Follow up on the Exercise.

30. Step One: Define Purpose & Scope • SCOPE: • Type of Exercise • Functions/Activities • Agencies Involved • Level of Personnel • Hazard • Geographical Area • Degree of realism (conditions) • PURPOSE: • Why the exercise is being held.

31. Step Two: Announce the Exercise • Get Authority to Conduct: • need for exercise • capability (staff & costs) • type, scope, & purpose of exercise • Issue Notification to participants: • purpose for exercise • participating agencies • date, time & location • Exercise Design Team Members • source for additional info

32. Step Three: Assign the Exercise Team • Exercise Director • Overall responsibility • Act as Controller/Facilitator • Exercise Design Team • Assist with planning & design • Act as Simulators & Evaluators • Exercise Participants & Facilities

33. Step Four: Plan the Exercise • Define objectives • Identify expected actions • Develop materials: • Scenario Narrative • Major Event List • Detailed Events • Anticipated Actions • Problems & Messages

34. Exercise Objectives: • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Realistic • Task Oriented

35. Scenario Narrative: • Sets the scene. • Describes what’s already happened. • Gets participants in the mood. • Motivates action. • Very specific, short sentences phrased in present tense. • Read aloud, Video clip, or Written form of 1-5 paragraphs in length.

36. Narrative Checklist: • What event? • How did you find out? • Was there advance warning? • What time? • What happens in sequence? • Does the event move geographically? Where? • How fast, strong, deep, dangerous? • What response has been taken? • What damage is reported? • What is predicted for the future? • What are the weather conditions? • Any other factors?

37. Major Events: • Realistic chapters in a story. • Big problems that occur as a result of the disaster (scenario). • Developed from purpose statement. • Based on real events /case studies. • 3-4 major events for tabletops. • 8-10 major events for every 2 hours of play for functional/full scale exercises.

38. Detailed Events: • Specific problem situations related to a major event, which motivate action. • 6-8 detailed events should support every major event. • Each detailed event should prompt one or more expected actions for one or more agencies participating.

39. Problem Statements & Messages: • Presented to participants to prompt new discussions, decision making & initiate action. • Link back to exercise objectives. • Represent the primary means of simulating events going on outside the player’s view. • Pre-scripted - tabletop • Pre-scripted & Spontaneous - functional/full scale

40. Components of a Message Include: • Message Number • Time of Message • Source of Message:who sent it • Recipient:which player it’s being sent to • Method Sent: how it’s being sent • Content of Message:what does it say Note: exercise staff should keep a copy of message with anticipated actions

41. How to Send Messages: • Telephone, Cell Phone • Radio, Amateur Radio • Fax • Electronic (E-mail) • Messenger • Methods appropriate to your facility, budget & exercise objectives

42. MSEL Master Sequence of Events List: • Brief sequential synopsis of what is occurring during exercise. • Contains descriptions & times of Major & Detailed Events, Expected Actions and Messages/Problems. • Provides information to the Controllers, Simulators & Evaluators.

43. Step Five: Consider Administration, Displays, Materials & Logistics • Physical Facilities & Set-up of room(s) • Displays (e.g. large maps, charts, status boards) • Materials (e.g. forms, resource lists, stationery)

44. Physical Requirements of Exercises: • Clear work surfaces • Sufficient work space (e.g. Players, Facilitator, Scribe & Evaluators) • Communications • Visual access to necessary displays • Stationery & Resource materials • Refreshments/Food • Restrooms • Signs & Vests • Name cards & tags • Flip charts &/or White boards • Observer space • Ventilation • Parking

45. Step Six: Staff & Train • Exercise Director or Controller • Simulators (Functional & Full-scale) • Evaluators (1 for every 3 agencies/departments involved) • Observers (invisible participants)

46. Exercise Director (Controller): • Monitors sequence of events to ensure exercise is proceeding according to plan. • Maintains order & professionalism. • Makes decisions re unanticipated actions or resource requirements. • Maintains pace of exercise.

47. Simulators: • Send pre-scripted messages (problems), at specific times & in specific sequence. • Simulate all actions taken by resource agencies. • Respond creatively to unanticipated actions by players. • Advise Controller of free-play & deviations.

48. Evaluators: • Observes discussion, actions & decisions of players. • Monitors whether exercise is meeting objectives. • Observes exercise progress & advises Controller of any problems. • Prepares written report with recommendations.

49. Observers: • Invited guests. • New, inexperienced staff, or media, or neighboring community reps. • Observe exercise play & role of exercise staff. • Can provide verbal or written feedback.

50. Exercise Staff • Importance of conducting pre-exercise training in roles & responsibilities. • Importance of defining and informing everyone of exercise rules (rules of conduct) • Importance of briefings throughout exercise to sustain & control action.