Leaders ’ Seminar An Evaluation of an Emergency Preparedness Exercise Submitted by:

Emergency preparedness exercises are meant to expand the portfolio of potential disaster scenarios for which officials can marshal responses. Real world incidents and past disaster responses always reveal interagency policy and procedural issues that are identified as areas where deficiencies exist. Exercises provide a laboratory-style controlled environment in which improvements are tested, relationships and future coordination are enabled, and new challenges to intergovernmental coordination are discovered. A recent history of emergency preparedness exercising is helpful in understanding the context of this particular exercise as a case study. In 1988, Executive Order 12656 legislated the creation of a national emergency exercise program that was to be implemented and sustained by heads of specifically designated Federal departments and agencies. Readiness measures were set that involved planning, preparation, training, and task assignments for different agencies. The policies, plans, and procedures that were found to be appropriate tools for ensuring emergency preparedness were evaluated through the exercising of different emergency scenarios. 9/11 has reshaped our national approach to emergency preparedness exercises. Thi