HSEEP Training, Please watch videos and read about the 7 Steps

Theoretical Exercises

Seminars: Seminars are designed to orient participants on strategies, plans, policies, and procedures. These are often used when developing new plans or making changes to existing plans or procedures. This is usually lecture-based and gives a general overview of the material. This is usually done to gain awareness of or assess inter agency capabilities and is done in the form of a presentation.

Workshops: Workshops are designed and structured to have engagement from participants while having discussion-based activities. Collaboration and information sharing allows for the coordination of outcomes to be more effective. Group activities and breakout sessions are most commonly conducted. After-Action Reviews, Mutual Aid Agreements, Emergency Operations Plans, and Standard Operation Procedures are expected outcomes of these workshops.

Tabletops (TTX): Tabletop exercises enhance general awareness of roles and responsibilities while validating plans and procedures. It allows for the facilitation of conceptual understanding and identifying strengths and areas of improvement. Facilitated discussions enable participants to have in-depth conversations while staying focused on the exercise objectives. It assists with validating plans and procedures and assisting with problems and resolutions.

Games: A game is a simulation of operations that usually involves teams in a competitive environment. It explores critical decision-making processes and consequences. It often includes using data and hypothetical situations to identify “what-if” analyses to evaluate existing strengths and vulnerabilities. The game can be either slow and deliberate or rapid and more stressful, depending on the exercise design and objectives.

Operational Exercises

Drills: Drills provide training on new equipment, procedures, and policies. They are coordinated and supervised to validate a specific function or capability within a jurisdiction or organization. They also allow for a more realistic approach while introducing new training and practicing and maintaining skills. It helps to assess whether more training may be required and can help narrow the focus on a specific procedure or skill that needs to be worked on.

Functional: These are conducted in a realistic environment to validate and evaluate capabilities. They are focused on plans, policies, procedures, and staff members involved in management, direction, command, and control functions. This includes a controller and an evaluator. A simulated scenario with structured event updates and injects can drive the activity to the management level.

Full Scale: Conducted in a realistic, real-time, simulated environment to mirror an actual incident. High-stress, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional activities designed to test coordinated responses and rapid problem-solving skills. These are the most complex, resource-intensive exercises. It involves many agencies, partners, organizations, and jurisdictions. Mobilization of resources and personnel will be required, and site logistics and scene safety will be required.