Discussion Question-Use the text and video

It is vitally important to find out about deficiencies in emergency response plans before an incident rather than after one. Yet the importance of training and exercising is sometimes overlooked-it can be expensive to hold realistic exercises, difficult to get everyone to attend, and hard to fit into already packed schedules. Training and exercises, however, are vital and need to be consistently done.

Exercises can take many forms, and an emergency manager needs to consider a number of variables such as funding, logistics, levels of participation, and participant roles before selecting the appropriate type of exercise. Selection of the appropriate method also might depend on the specific element of the response plan that is being tested.

For this Discussion, you are responsible for developing either table-top or actual training exercises for your Final Project community. View the media, Preparedness: Training and Exercises, in this week's resources, and work through the decision-making process to choose the type of exercises most appropriate for your community.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a brief explanation of the type of training exercises you would select for your Final Project community, and justify your selection. Then describe the strengths and limitations of the type of training exercises you selected. Finally, explain the value of no-notice training exercises.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources and the current literature.

• Department of Homeland Security. (April, 2013). Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Retrieved from: http://www.nmdhsem.org/uploads/files/HSEEP_Revision_Apr13_Final.pdf

• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012f). Preparedness: Training and exercises [Video]. Baltimore, MD: Author.