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Simulation Exercises Overview

Activities designed to assess, enhance and evaluate preparedness. “The ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives. The event can in some ways be considered as an abrupt and brutal audit at a moment’s notice, everything that was left unprepared becomes a complex problem, and every weakness comes to the forefront.”

Patrick Lagadec, a French Crisis Management Academic WhatWhat isis aa SimulationSimulation Exercise?Exercise?

•• AnAn exerciseexercise isis aa practicepractice activityactivity thatthat placesplaces participantsparticipants inin aa simulatedsimulated situationsituation requiringrequiring themthem toto functionfunction inin thethe capacitycapacity expectedexpected ofof themthem inin aa realreal event.event. •• ItsIts purposepurpose isis toto promotepromote preparednesspreparedness byby testingtesting policiespolicies andand plans,plans, SOPs,SOPs, andand personnelpersonnel .training. Why Conduct a Simulation Exercise?

• Simulation exercises are conducted to evaluate an organization’s ability to execute one of more portions of it’s response.

• Many successful responses to emergencies are attributed to previous simulation exercises. CommonalitiesCommonalities ofof DisasterDisaster AfterAfter ActionAction Reports:Reports:

•• Planning,Planning, trainingtraining andand exercisingexercising areare thethe onlyonly feasiblefeasible recommendations.recommendations. •• RelationshipsRelationships mustmust bebe established,established, plansplans writtenwritten andand tested,tested, andand proceduresprocedures agreedagreed upon.upon. •• EffectiveEffective coordinationcoordination cannotcannot bebe achievedachieved duringduring thethe chaoschaos ofof anan actualactual event.event. ResearchResearch showsshows thatthat peoplepeople generallygenerally respondrespond toto anan emergencyemergency inin thethe wayway theythey areare trained.trained.

GovernmentsGovernments andand organizationsorganizations MUSTMUST exerciseexercise theirtheir plansplans andand proceduresprocedures soso theythey areare betterbetter preparedprepared toto react.react. MainMain BenefitsBenefits ofof ExerciseExercise SimulationsSimulations

•• IndividualIndividual trainingtraining:: AllowAllow peoplepeople toto practicepractice theirtheir roles,roles, gaingain experienceexperience inin theirtheir rolesroles withoutwithout anan actualactual disaster.disaster. •• SystemSystem Improvement:Improvement: ImprovesImproves thethe organizationsorganizations systemsystem forfor managingmanaging emergencies.emergencies. •• Benefits:Benefits: OccurOccur fromfrom actualactual practicepractice andand evaluations,evaluations, andand thenthen FOLLOWINGFOLLOWING THROUGHTHROUGH WITHWITH RECOMMENDATIONS.RECOMMENDATIONS. Reasons to Conduct Exercise Simulations • Test and evaluate • Clarify roles and plans responsibilities • Reveal planning • Improve individual weaknesses performance • Reveal gaps in • Gain recognition and resources support of officials • Improve • Satisfy regulatory organizational requirements coordination • Train personnel TheThe focusfocus ofof aa simulationsimulation exerciseexercise shouldshould alwaysalways bebe onon locatinglocating andand eliminatingeliminating problemsproblems priorprior toto anan actualactual emergency.emergency.

CorrectiveCorrective actionsactions areare partpart ofof exerciseexercise design,design, evaluationevaluation andand followfollow--up.up. InIn exerciseexercise simulationsimulation planning,planning, thethe emphasisemphasis isis onon common,common, multimulti--hazardhazard functionsfunctions ratherrather thanthan typestypes ofof emergencies.emergencies.

ExamplesExamples toto testtest inin anan warningwarning exerciseexercise simulation:simulation:

• Speed of message delivery • NDWC interface with media • Consistency of Message • Communications hardware • Interagency communications AnyAny simulationsimulation exerciseexercise programprogram involvesinvolves thethe participationparticipation ofof variousvarious entities.entities.

ThroughThrough participationparticipation ofof multiplemultiple entities,entities, organizationsorganizations cancan testtest bothboth theirtheir internalinternal proceduresprocedures andand coordinationcoordination mechanismsmechanisms withwith eacheach other.other. SimulationSimulation exercisesexercises requirerequire carefulcareful planningplanning aroundaround clearlyclearly specifiedspecified goals.goals.

OnlyOnly throughthrough identifyingidentifying exerciseexercise goals,goals, thenthen designing,designing, developing,developing, conductingconducting andand analyzinganalyzing thethe resultsresults cancan thethe responsibleresponsible individualsindividuals bebe suresure ofof whatwhat worksworks--andand whatwhat doesdoes not.not. SimulationSimulation exercisesexercises shouldshould bebe organizedorganized toto increaseincrease inin .complexity. EachEach simulationsimulation buildsbuilds onon previousprevious exercisesexercises usingusing moremore sophisticatedsophisticated techniques,techniques, andand requiringrequiring moremore personnelpersonnel andand planning.planning.

RushingRushing intointo aa fullfull--scalescale simulationsimulation exerciseexercise cancan resultresult inin failurefailure becausebecause shortfallsshortfalls havehave notnot beenbeen identifiedidentified throughthrough lessless complicatedcomplicated andand expensiveexpensive exercises.exercises. AdvantagesAdvantages toto BuildingBuilding IncrementallyIncrementally toto aa FullFull--ScaleScale ExerciseExercise SimulationSimulation::

•• OfficialsOfficials areare moremore willingwilling toto commitcommit resourcesresources •• PersonnelPersonnel areare motivatedmotivated toto movemove onon toto thethe nextnext exerciseexercise •• ConfidenceConfidence increasesincreases •• OperationalOperational skillsskills improveimprove Five Main Types of Simulation Exercises • Orientation Seminar • Drill • Tabletop Exercise • Functional Exercise • Full-Scale Exercise OrientationOrientation SeminarSeminar

•• AnAn overviewoverview oror introduction.introduction. •• PurposePurpose isis toto familiarizefamiliarize participantsparticipants withwith roles,roles, plans,plans, proceduresprocedures oror equipment.equipment. •• CanCan bebe usedused toto resolveresolve questionsquestions ofof coordinationcoordination andand assignmentassignment ofof responsibilities.responsibilities. DrillsDrills •• AA coordinated,coordinated, supervisedsupervised exerciseexercise activity,activity, normallynormally usedused toto testtest aa singlesingle specificspecific operationoperation oror function.function. •• ThereThere isis nono attemptattempt toto coordinatecoordinate organizations.organizations. •• PracticePractice andand perfectperfect oneone smallsmall partpart ofof thethe responseresponse plan.plan. •• TheThe effectivenesseffectiveness isis itsits focusfocus onon aa single,single, relativelyrelatively limitedlimited portionportion ofof anan overalloverall system.system TabletopTabletop ExerciseExercise •• FacilitatedFacilitated analysisanalysis ofof anan emergencyemergency situationsituation inin anan informalinformal stressstress--freefree environment.environment. •• DesignedDesigned toto elicitelicit constructiveconstructive discussiondiscussion asas participantsparticipants examineexamine andand resolveresolve problemsproblems basedbased onon existingexisting operationaloperational plansplans andand identifyidentify wherewhere plansplans needneed toto bebe refined.refined. •• SuccessSuccess isis determineddetermined byby groupgroup participationparticipation andand problemproblem identification.identification. •• MinimalMinimal attemptattempt atat simulation:simulation: equipmentequipment isis notnot used,used, resourcesresources areare notnot deployed,deployed, andand nono timetime pressurespressures areare introduced.introduced. FunctionalFunctional ExercisesExercises

•• AA fullyfully simulatedsimulated interactiveinteractive exerciseexercise thatthat teststests thethe capabilitycapability ofof anan organizationorganization toto respondrespond toto anan event.event. •• TestsTests multiplemultiple functionsfunctions ofof thethe organizationorganization’’ss operationaloperational plan.plan. •• AA coordinatedcoordinated responseresponse toto aa situationsituation inin aa timetime pressured,pressured, realisticrealistic simulation.simulation. •• FocusesFocuses onon thethe coordination,coordination, integration,integration, andand interactioninteraction ofof anan organizationorganization’’ss policies,policies, procedures,procedures, rolesroles andand responsibilitiesresponsibilities before,before, during,during, oror afterafter thethe simulatedsimulated event.event. FullFull--ScaleScale ExerciseExercise

•• SimulatesSimulates aa realreal eventevent asas closelyclosely asas possible.possible. •• DesignedDesigned toto evaluateevaluate thethe operationaloperational capabilitycapability ofof emergencyemergency response.response. •• ConductedConducted inin aa stressfulstressful environmentenvironment thatthat simulatessimulates actualactual responseresponse conditions.conditions. •• RequiresRequires thethe mobilizationmobilization andand actualactual movementmovement ofof emergencyemergency personnel,personnel, equipment,equipment, andand resources.resources. •• TestsTests andand evaluatesevaluates mostmost functionsfunctions ofof thethe emergencyemergency plans.plans. TheThe processprocess ofof creatingcreating andand conductingconducting aa simulationsimulation exerciseexercise occursoccurs inin threethree phases:phases: before,before, during,during, andand afterafter thethe exercise.exercise.

MajorMajor TasksTasks • Establish the groundwork • Exercise development • Conduct the exercise • Critique and evaluation • Exercise follow-up Other Considerations • What level of “fidelity” is needed? • How much is needed? • How do people learn? • How do people make decisions? • Cost Implementing Change

• Recommendations for the are reason for conducting the simulation exercise. • The goal of a simulation exercise is not achieved until the recommendations are implemented. • The purpose of the evaluation is to improve the emergency management plan and the organization’s performance in carrying out the plan. InIn SummarySummary ÂÂ SimulationSimulation exercisesexercises areare conductedconducted inin orderorder toto evaluateevaluate anan organizationorganization’’ss capabilitycapability toto executeexecute oneone oror moremore portionsportions ofof itsits responseresponse oror contingencycontingency plans.plans. ÂÂ SimulationSimulation exercisesexercises cancan bebe usedused toto provideprovide individualindividual trainingtraining andand improveimprove thethe emergencyemergency managementmanagement system.system. ÂÂ PeoplePeople generallygenerally respondrespond toto anan emergencyemergency inin thethe wayway theythey areare trained.trained. ÂÂ SimulationSimulation exerciseexercise recommendationsrecommendations mustmust bebe implementedimplemented forfor thethe programprogram goalsgoals toto bebe achieved.achieved.