Army Emergency Management Program - Federation of American ...

Category 1–5 personnel with roles and responsibilities; Improve interagency coordination and communications; Identify
capability gaps and resource needs; and Identify opportunities for improvement.
b. Concept. Exercises are an instrument to practice response and recovery capabilities in a low-risk environment.
Exercises do not supplant proper training and certification processes; exercises serve to evaluate the effectiveness of
collective training efforts. Exercises logically progress from seminars to drills to tabletop exercises (TTX) to FE to a
full scale exercise (FSE). An effective exercise program is a continual life cycle of increasing complexity and
increasing effectiveness that feeds into the ongoing risk management and emergency planning processes through
corrective action plans and lessons learned. All EM exercise and evaluation activities shall adhere to Army policy as
stated in AR 350–28.
c. Periodicity. An annual exercise cycle is not ideal considering the amount of planning, coordination, and complexity
of EM exercises and pushes the installation to continually exercise with little time for corrective action and
capability improvement. A full series of TTXs, FEs, and a FSE shall be completed every 18–24 months with at least
one FSE, as described in table 15–2, completed within every 24–month period. To that extent, completion of a FE is
sufficient to meet the annual requirements put forth by DODI 6055.17 as long as the installation adheres to the exercise
process and cycle described in this chapter. As identified in chapter 2, an installation must complete one full exercise
cycle (TTX through FSE with exercise analysis described below) prior to attaining FOC. This requirement typically
means that an installation intent on attaining FOC on 13 January 2014 should begin the exercise process on or around
13 January 2012 if using a 24–month period as a planning estimate.
d. Common capability sets. It is vital that installation commanders recognize that parallel development of singlehazard,
single-jurisdiction plans, procedures, capabilities, and exercises cannot address the response to and recovery
from multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional emergencies, such as hurricanes, terrorism, earthquakes, power outages, tornadoes,
hazardous materials incidents, and related hazards as shown in appendix F. These multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional
emergencies are the result of increased interdependence with local civil jurisdictions, population expansion into
traditional hazard-prone areas, and the growing rise of dependent populations reliant on the jurisdiction’s leadership
and support to effectively address their needs during an emergency. The EM program focuses on the development of
six capability sets common to the response to and recovery from all emergencies, regardless of cause. These core EM
capabilities include: (1) C3, (2) mass warning and notification, (3) community preparedness, (4) first and emergency
responders, (5) public health and medical services, and (6) mass care. All EM exercises will include one or more
objectives specifically related to each of these core EM capabilities.
e. Capability development. Training and experience for personnel qualification are acquired through: (1) coursebased
knowledge development, (2) low-risk practical application through an effective exercise program, and (3) on-thejob-training,
such as job shadowing, planned events, and incident management experiences at smaller Type 5 Incidents
of increasing complexity and difficulty. Once trained, it is vital that assigned personnel practice their skills during
exercises, are evaluated by trained and experienced evaluators, and demonstrate their skills by effective incident
management of small-scale emergencies. No capability exists solely due to completion of a training course. Capability
is achieved through training, exercises, evaluation, and real life experience with a proven ability to successfully
execute, vice recite, procedures.
f. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. Per DODI 6055.17 establishes HSEEP as the standard EM
exercise and evaluation program for all DOD components and Services and meets all requirements set forth by AR
525–2. Army installations shall utilize the process and tools provided by HSEEP with the following modifications:
Exercise scenarios will utilize an all-hazards approach with scenarios based upon the results of the risk management
process.
Coordination with Federal, State, tribal, other service, local, and private (or Host Nation) response and recovery
partners is highly encouraged, but DOD is exempt from the reporting, scheduling, and coordination mandates in
HSEEP, especially the submission of AARs and IPs to DHS Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) as stated in
HSEEP, Volume I.
g. Program comparisons. HSEEP is the established National standard for Emergency Management and Homeland
Security exercises and evaluation. As shown in figure 15–1, the HSEEP exercise process is very similar to the process
established in XX. The reason for using the terminology and tools provided in HSEEP is to (1) integrate with local
civil jurisdictions, (2) to exercise established EM (vice warfighting) missions, functions, and tasks, and (3) to evaluate
based upon common standards and objectives across all Army installations. To clarify, the Army continues to utilize
Army mission essential tasks under the EM mission area while using the HSEEP process and tools.
142 DA PAM 525–27 20 September 2012