Maine Emergency Management Agency's Exercise Program provides an avenue for all emergency managers and responders, specialty rescue and support personnel to experience a large complex incident. MEMA provides technical, planning and training support to State, County and Local EMA offices and response agencies. We do this in a number of ways, including telephone support, budget development and meeting facilitation. We also assist in the field in the planning, delivery and evaluation of exercises and training.
After an exercise is complete, the work continues through the After Action Review (AAR) process. We track the improvements that are made in addressing any shortfalls or deficiencies that were demonstrated during the exercise. This may include additional training, targeted drills, follow-up exercises or the revision of the plans that were tested during the exercise.
State of Maine Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) (pdf)
Levels of Exercise
- Discussion based exercises focus on conversation and decision-making. Participants discuss their roles, responsibilities, and responses without executing actions in real-time.
- Seminar: Lecture based in the form of presentations by Subject Matter Expert’s with limited feedback or interaction from participants.
- Workshop: Lectures, presentations, panel or case-study discussions facilitated by a workshop facilitator/presenter.
- Tabletop: Scenario based where players apply their knowledge and skills to discuss and work through the problems. Discussion is led by a facilitator using a Situation Manual or Placemat, presentation, EEG and Feedback Forms.
- Operational based exercises involve the simulation of actual response activities. Participants actively carry out response actions to test operational capabilities.
- Drill: Coordinated, supervised activity to validate a specific function or capability in a single agency/organization.
- Functional: Events are projected through a realistic exercise scenario with controllers typically utilizing a MSEL with injects driving simulated play without deploying actual resources or personnel
- Full Scale: Simulates a real-life emergency scenario as closely as possible. Involves the deployment of resources, personnel, and equipment. A MSEL must be created to drive players actions.
Resources and Curriculum
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Overview
Exploring Tabletop Exercises.pdf