Army Emergency Management Program - Federation of American ...

. Lessons learned. Lessons learned are key outputs of the AAR and reflect best practices, consistent challenges/
issues, and recommended solutions based upon exercise evaluation. Lessons learned shall be submitted to the Center
for Army Lessons Learned. In addition, installations are encouraged to engage with the lessons learned information
sharing initiative and associated Web portal run by DHS at http://www.llis.gov (note that this is a secure server and
you must request register for an account). Posting of lessons learned on the lessons learned information sharing portal
is permitted if approved by the installation commander after a legal review by the CLO.
c. Improvement plan. The IP converts lessons learned from the exercise into concrete, measurable steps that result in
improved EM capabilities. It is developed by the exercise planning team and specifically details the actions that will be
taken to address each recommendation presented in the AAR, who or what agency will be responsible for taking the
action, and the timeline for completion. This information may be derived from an after action conference conducted
after the draft AAR is completed.
d. Corrective action plan. Once the IP has identified recommendations and action items and responsibility and due
dates have been assigned, the installation must ensure that each action item is tracked to completion. Each installation
must develop a CAP to track and assess progress on enhancing preparedness and incorporating the information into the
emergency planning process. This process may identify needs for additional coordination, plans, procedures, organization,
manning, training, equipment, and exercises, which can be addressed through the multiyear exercise plan. The
CAP must include incorporation of recommendations into updates to the risk management process and annual revision
of the installation EM plan per DODI 6055.17. The CAP is closed out when improvements have been implemented and
validated through subsequent exercises.
e. Maintenance requirement. The installation EM shall maintain a copy of all AARs, summary reports, IPs, and
CAPs for a period of no less than 5 years as a valuable source of lessons learned and an audit trail for assessment
purposes.
15–10. Exercise cycle
a. Exercise cycle. The EM exercise and evaluation program incorporates a continual improvement process of
exercises with increasing complexity and integration over a multiyear cycle. This cycle consists of all elements
identified in table 15–2 over an 18–36 month timeline. Installation commanders may compress the timeline and speedto-execution,
but are reminded not to bypass the steps in the process.
b. Exercise periodicity. The EM program will be exercised on a multiyear basis. In every cycle, installations shall
conduct one complete cycle of EM exercises in coordination with supporting functional areas as shown in table 15–2.
The exercise cycle should follow FY cycles, if possible, but is based upon a rolling 3–year period.
c. Exercise coordination and integration. Table 15–2 is an example of a multiyear exercise timeline to provide a
point of reference and sample of integration opportunities. The designation of 1 to 3 years is for sequencing only and
the four columns below the years are quarter divisions. In this example, EM has coordinated its functional exercise for
the installation EOC and the JIC with the annual AT exercise, which happens to include a chemical terrorism scenario
(going up to release and initial response only). Other functional areas and the local civil jurisdiction have incorporated
their functional exercise and FSE requirements into the EM FSE.
Table 15–2
Multiyear exercise timeline (example)
Emergency management exercise timeline (example)
Component Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Annual
EPW
C&O
meeting 1
Orientation
seminar
X X
X X
X X
Workshops 2 X X X X
System
tests 3
Mass warning and notification system
Drills 4 X X X X X X X X X X X X
IPC X X
FPC X X
Tabletop
exercise
TTX TTX
150 DA PAM 525–27 20 September 2012