Updated Emergency Exercises Training Package
 

Step 6 of the six-step planning process, plan implementation and maintenance, is an important part in the development of a high-quality emergency operations plan (EOP). Planning teams should continually practice the EOP to ensure that it remains relevant, up-to-date, and thorough. The exercise program, which is often built in Step 5 and documented in the Basic Plan section, can help planning teams practice and exercise the plan. There are several types of emergency exercises that schools and school districts can conduct, one of which is tabletop exercises. A tabletop exercise is a discussion-based activity where a facilitator and participants problem solve how they would activate their EOP in the event of a hypothetical emergency incident. Tabletop exercises are a great way to practice an EOP (or portions of an EOP) in a stress-free environment.

The REMS TA Center is excited to announce the release of the newly updated Emergency Exercises Training Package to support K-12 schools and school districts in implementing their EOPs and improving their emergency management and preparedness capacity. This updated training package contains two NEW tabletop exercises, two NEW fact sheets, and fully refreshed resource lists. The training package is designed for anyone who may have a role or responsibility in developing protocols for, or responding to, an emergency at any level of K-12 education. This includes administrators, staff, teachers, and members of planning and response teams, as well as community partners.

The updated Emergency Exercises Training Package contains:

• Detailed instructions for using the training package and conducting the tabletop exercises;
• A resource list with tools, training opportunities, and reading materials for further learning on emergency exercises and after-action reports;
• An informative fact sheet all about emergency exercises;
• A fact sheet on after-action reports; and
• Materials to conduct four different tabletop exercises, each with a facilitator podcast, a participant guide, and a supplemental resource list.

Tabletop Exercises

To help schools and school districts practice a range of EOP annexes and increase their preparedness for a variety of threats and hazards, this training package includes tabletop exercises based on four different hypothetical emergency incidents.

Each tabletop exercise is designed to last approximately 1 hour. Planning teams can use these materials by playing and listening to the facilitator podcast, following along with the participant guide, and/or reading through the participant guide as a group. After each scenario and its injects are discussed and played out, participants should debrief to identify lessons learned from the exercise. Ideally, the team will also create a formal after-action report that analyzes the courses of action that were chosen during the exercise and identifies strengths and potential gaps in the EOP.

Conducting tabletop exercises is a convenient way to train staff members, practice and improve an EOP, and collaborate with community partners. The REMS TA Center is pleased to support K-12 schools and school districts with these goals via the Emergency Exercises Training Package. Download the training package today from the Training Packages Web page!

If you have any questions or need additional assistance,
please contact the REMS TA CENTER at 1-855-781-REMS [7367]
or via email at info@remstacenter.org