School Training & Exercises Program

Mission

The purpose of conducting trainings/exercises is to assess, practice, and improve in the five phases of the preparedness cycle which include prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from school-based incidents in a no fault environment. It is recommended that schools participate in activities year round to allow for a continuous cycle of process improvement for emergency readiness.

Benefits to the Community

• Improved awareness to all-hazard situations that may impact a school;
• Opportunity to assess, validate, and review school emergency operations plans (EOPs), policies, procedures, and systems employed by your school or district; and
• Identify gaps in resources, measure performance, and identify areas for improvement.

Trainings & Exercises Overview

Most commonly schools are prepared to participate in either a seminar, workshop, or tabletop exercise. These types of exercises are the least expensive and require a smaller amount of planning. Discussion-based exercises are a great way for schools to familiarize themselves with their EOPs without deploying actual resources like an operations-based exercise would.

Target Audience

There are many different internal and external stakeholders that may be involved in a school training or exercise event. Key personnel involved in these events should include all members of the school or district school safety team and anyone else requested to participate by the school or district administrators. It is strongly recommended to invite local first responders and emergency management officials to participate too.

Schedule a Training/Exercise:

• Provide at least two hours;
• Provide a classroom environment large enough to create break-out groups;
• Provide audio/visual equipment which typically includes a computer and projector screen; and
• Select a desired hazard to address (refer to RSA 189:64 for recommendations)

Complete a training/exercise request online and a representative from the School Readiness Program will contact you.

FEMA Independent Study (IS) Courses

If you are interested in learning how to plan and conduct an exercise for your school or district on your own, these FEMA IS courses are strongly recommended:

• IS-120.C: An Introduction to Exercises – (3 hours) This course introduces personnel to the basics of emergency management exercises.
• IS-130.A: How to be an Exercise Evaluator – (2.75 hours) This course introduces personnel in the evaluation and improvement phases of conducting exercises. This course will provide a foundation on how to properly evaluate an exercise being conducted. Prerequisite: IS-120.c.
• IS-362.A: Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools – (3 hours) This course provides personnel with a basic understanding of how to develop, implement, exercise, and maintain a schools EOP.