Emergency response personnel receive training in how to respond to various types of emergency events. In order to ensure that they have been properly trained, that they have adequate equipment, and that appropriate plans are in place, they practice their response in a simulated environment where an evaluation can be conducted without any threat to life or property. The goal of all exercises is to learn how to improve planning, training, and equipping to achieve the greatest success in a real emergency event. The same skills can be used in planned events, like parades and sporting events.
Exercises can be both passive and active. Participants may practice one skill or using one tool, or they may wear personnel protective equipment and move vehicles. They may sit at a desk and interact with a computer, or they may be one of hundreds of responders at the scene of a simulated event. Each type of exercise has its purpose in evaluating the organization’s preparedness for a variety of threats to the agency or community.