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B. Operations-based Exercises

Drill

The purpose of a drill is to use repetition to instruct thoroughly. Drills can be used to test Types of Exercises
personnel training, response time, interagency cooperation and resources, and workforce and
equipment capabilities. Drills optimally take place after orientation; staff should have an
understanding of the agency function that will be tested in the drill and be given an opportu-
nity to ask questions.

How a drill begins depends on the type of drill being conducted. Drill categories include but
are not limited to notification, communication, command post, and evacuation. In most cases,
a general briefing by the drill designer sets the scene and reviews the drill’s purpose and
objectives. Operational procedures and safety precautions are reviewed before the drill begins.
Personnel are required to report, either in person or by telephone or e-mail, to a designated
drill site or contact location. Both planned and spontaneous messages sustain the drill’s action.

Functional Exercise (FE)

The purpose of an FE is to test and evaluate the capabilities of an emergency response system.
Events and situations that would actually occur over an extended period of time are depicted or
described.Time transitions advance the activity while staying within the time allotted for the
exercise (e.g.,“It is now 24 hours later”).The objectives of an FE determine how it is to be
organized. For example, a “no-notice” exercise does not have a start time; in such an exercise, the
objectives would include testing staff members’ ability to move into their emergency response
roles and activities quickly and efficiently. Other FEs, however, may be announced in advance.

Immediately before the start of the FE, participants are briefed on the objectives, procedures,
time frame, and recording requirements. FEs depend on reaction to simulated information
delivered by paper, telephone, or radio to individuals or agencies that must then coordinate
responses with other players.These messages can be pre-scripted or developed by the simula-
tion cell during the course of the exercise.

Full-scale Exercise (FSE)

The purpose of an FSE is to test and evaluate a major portion of the emergency operations
plan in an interactive manner over an extended period. FSEs typically involve more than one
agency.As with an FE, the objectives of an FSE must be specified, and the actual exercise
begins with a simulated event that prompts the initiation of the plan.An FSE differs from a
functional drill in that field personnel from the participating agencies physically proceed to
the location of the mock emergency.The FSE includes all of the activities taking place at the
emergency operations center (EOC) as well as on-scene use of simulated victims, equipment,
and workforce.Activities at the scene serve as input and require coordination with the EOC.
An FSE combines the planned and spontaneous messages characteristic of FEs with actions
from the field.
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