How do you conduct a realistic and effective emergency drill?

Two notes. the purpose of any exercise should be to test an existing (written, approved & published) plan or procedure. Start with that plan or procedure when you select the objectives and design the exercise. Second point (and the most often overlooked) is to 'Train the Plan'. Your job is not over when you get a plan (or procedure) signed. it's time to teach people what's in it, what's expected of them, etc. only then can you effectively exercise it. If one of your outcomes form an exercise is 'people didn't read the plan' then you've failed before the exercise started.

To conduct a realistic and effective emergency drill, plan thoroughly and simulate real-life scenarios. Involve everyone, communicate roles and schedules clearly, and ensure it's understood as a practice exercise. After the drill, hold a debriefing to gather feedback, discuss what went well, and identify areas for improvement.

Determining who is responsible for evaluation is crucial. In some cases, overlapping responsibilities and competing for credit can result in problematic drills that fail to meet their objectives.

Most importantly, understand the strengths and challenges with each exercise format. Certain formats are better suited to testing different types of issues. The FEMA IS-120.C: An Introduction to Exercises is a good source for information.

Simulations work best for us. But we go beyond the basic and make sure they are realistic. Activation of a smoke detector monitored by a Fire Indicator Panel and linked to building Occupant Warning Systems allow us to better teach the principals of investigation of potential fire emergencies for larger buildings (but this requires isolation of Alarm Signalling Equipment to avoid accidental attendance from Fire & Rescue, and costly bills!). For many of our clients we also use theatrical smoke and live 'casualties' (actors) to increase reality.

I concur with the outlined emergency drill formats, from tabletop exercises to full-scale simulations. My experience confirms that starting with low-cost, low-stress tabletop exercises effectively identifies planning gaps and enhances team communication. Progressing to functional and full-scale exercises builds realism and inter-agency cooperation. This incremental approach ensures comprehensive readiness, tailored to organizational objectives and resources, fostering a robust emergency response capability.

Most importantly, ensure you have the right people involved. The majority of exercises or drills (and the most problematic are in response) usually involves the hand-offs or support relationships between two different entities. Inside a facility, a clinical department may function fine, but when their procedures depend on support from facilities, housekeeping, ancillary care departments, or any other entity, things go awry. Similarly in communities, the response failures often occur when public health and law enforcement or emergency management or public utilities have to coordinate efforts. In planning your exercise, ensure you bring in all the partners who might have any role to play.

Ensure you have sufficient quality and quantity of people supporting your exercise - evaluators, exercise controllers, role players, etc. and never forget safety monitors. Exercises (or drills) are not training, but they can be great training opportunities for exercise observers. bring in newer personnel or maybe partner agency representatives to be exercise observers. They do not participate in the exercise play, but can gain a great deal of familiarity from observing how processes work.

An important (and sometimes difficult) step is to assign ownership to address any issues. Exercises should be 'blame free' and 'no-fault' environments. However, solutions need owners. When issues get identified, ensure that an individual is given the task to lead the effort to research the issue and develop a plan for mitigation or improvement. They should also be tasked with reporting back on the status.

Ideally, individual exercises or drills should be part of a larger plan to continuously build proficiency. So progressively more challenging exercises over a several year period can all be part of a comprehensive strategy.

Exercises require a great deal if investment (time and effort). Make sure you are getting the most out of your investment. Do your homework. Take courses in exercise development. Research the literature. LEARN FROM OTHERS! You are not the first person to do this. Reach out to similar & dissimilar organizations that conduct exercises. Even hospitals can learn from a nuclear power plant exercise. Also, making these connections can help build future mutually beneficial relationships. This is a team sport. Play together with partners - involve all the partners & stakeholders. You will not have enough staff to fill all the roles. Invite seasoned people in exercise design or evaluation from another organization to support your process.

Set clear aims & objectives! Never try to test the whole plan, you will fail. Exercising is the only "non real" way of testing your plan, So ensure you follow through on that initiation process, that communication process, that recording process, dont say " i would do that"...Do it!!

In my experience there are always improvements to be made and deciding what to incorporate into the exercise can be overwhelming. Another approach to consider is exercising specific processes separately, making revisions and then incorporating the revised processes into a larger exercise.

Forget generic drills - federal and law enforcement need hyper-realistic training for natural (weather) and man-made emergencies (active shooter, etc.) Multi-agency drills expose communication gaps by throwing teams into unfamiliar situations with simulated stress like equipment failure, casualties (actors!), and media frenzy. Mistakes have consequences - friendly fire exercises or delayed response penalties emphasize the gravity of real-world errors. Unannounced elements keep teams sharp. Analyze every misstep during debriefings. Identified weaknesses demand action plans to prevent a real emergency from becoming a catastrophic failure. This isn't about feeling good, it's about pushing agencies to their limits in a safe space.

Try and keep it realistic and simple and set clear objectives of what you want to achieve. Ensure everyone involved understands why they are there. Get feedback in the form of a hot debrief after the exercise and implement it going forward