After the new or updated emergency operations plan has been disseminated, there is still work to be done. All response personnel and partners, as well as senior officials, need to receive training so they can implement the plan successfully. The plan also needs to be practiced and tested through exercises.
Exercises help determine the effectiveness of all elements of the plan. To keep the plan viable, it should be reviewed regularly and updated.
This lesson presents the key aspects of implementing and maintaining an emergency operations plan.
Audio TranscriptAll response personnel and partners as well as senior officials need to receive training so they can implement the plan successfully.
The plan also needs to be practiced and tested through exercises. Exercises help determine the effectiveness of policies, procedures, use of equipment, communication among organizations, and coordination of decisionmaking.
Whenever the plan is used, evaluation and improvement planning should be conducted to correct any identified problems. And to be sure the plan remains viable, it should be reviewed regularly and updated as needed.
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In addition to providing practice and test opportunities, exercises serve a variety of other purposes. For example, they allow the jurisdiction and its response partners to:
Discussion-based exercises include seminars, workshops, tabletop exercises, and games. These types of exercises can be used to familiarize participants with, or develop new, plans, policies, agreements, and procedures. Discussion-based exercises focus on strategic, policy-oriented issues. Facilitators and/or presenters usually lead the discussion, keeping participants on track toward meeting exercise objectives.
Games
Operations-Based Exercises| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Drills | A drill is a coordinated, supervised activity usually employed to validate a specific function or capability in a single agency or organization. Drills are commonly used to provide training on new equipment, validate procedures, or practice and maintain current skills. For example, drills may be appropriate for practicing evacuation procedures. Drills can also be used to determine if plans can be executed as designed, to assess whether more training is required, or to reinforce best practices. A drill is useful as a stand-alone tool, but a series of drills can be used to prepare several organizations to collaborate in a full-scale exercise. |
| Functional Exercises | Functional exercises are designed to validate and evaluate capabilities, multiple functions and/or sub-functions, or interdependent groups of functions. Functional exercises are typically focused on exercising plans, policies, procedures, and staff members involved in management, direction, command, and control functions. In functional exercises, events are projected through an exercise scenario with event updates that drive activity typically at the management level. A functional exercise is conducted in a realistic, real-time environment; however, movement of personnel and equipment is usually simulated. |
| Full-Scale Exercises | Full-scale exercises are typically the most complex and resource-intensive type of exercise. They involve multiple agencies, organizations, and jurisdictions and validate many facets of preparedness. Full-scale exercises often include many players operating under cooperative systems such as the Incident Command System (ICS) or Unified Command. In full-scale exercises, events are projected through an exercise scenario with event updates that drive activity at the operational level. Full-scale exercises are usually conducted in a real-time, stressful environment that is intended to mirror a real incident. Personnel and resources may be mobilized and deployed to the scene, where actions are performed as if a real incident had occurred. The full-scale exercise simulates reality by presenting complex and realistic problems that require critical thinking, rapid problem solving, and effective responses by trained personnel. The level of support needed to conduct a full-scale exercise is greater than that needed for other types of exercises. The exercise site is usually large, and site logistics require close monitoring. Safety issues, particularly regarding the use of props and special effects, must be monitored. Throughout the duration of the exercise, many activities occur simultaneously. |
When two improvised explosive devices detonated near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, the scale of the incident required local, State, and Federal partners to carry out a coordinated multi-agency response.
Because these partners had worked together closely to develop, update, and exercise their emergency response plans, they were prepared to respond effectively and save lives in this extraordinary response effort.
The Benefits of Exercising PlansThe Incident
On April 15, 2013, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, approximately 3 hours after the winners completed the course. The explosions occurred 13 seconds and 200 yards apart.
At the time of the explosions, approximately 17,000 runners had completed the race while almost 9,000 were still advancing toward the finish line. The explosions occurred near the finish line where large numbers of spectators were gathered, resulting in 3 deaths and 264 people injured. The scale of the incident required local, State, and Federal partners to carry out a coordinated multi-agency response.
Prior Planning
Local, State, and Federal agencies, private-sector partners, and nongovernmental organizations in Boston had developed plans to define roles and responsibilities during the Boston Marathon. As part of this planning effort, these agencies had:
Public safety agencies and private-sector participants in Massachusetts regularly conduct exercises to facilitate communication, situational awareness, and functional area coordination. The following exercises contributed to Boston’s level of preparedness on the day of the Marathon:
Results
According to national, State, and local officials, these and other related preparations made possible a high level of coordination during the response to the bombing incident, creating a unity of focus and unity of purpose at the command level and through the ranks. According to the FEMA Deputy Administrator, “The fact that the response was so well executed wasn’t an accident—it was a result of years of planning and coordination.”
Source: FEMA Lesson Learned: Boston Marathon Bombings: The Positive Effect of Planning and Preparation on Response
Evaluation and Improvement Planning