New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
Exercises - Courses
IS-120.A: An Introduction to Exercises
Course Overview
IS 120.A is an INDEPENDENT STUDY course designed to introduce students to the basics of emergency management exercises. It also builds a foundation for subsequent exercise courses, which provide the specifics of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and the National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC). In this course, students will be introduced to concepts including: managing an exercise program, designing and developing an exercise, conducting and evaluating an exercise, as well as developing and implementing an improvement plan.
Primary Audience
This course is designed for local, State, federal, trust territories, tribal nations, volunteer organizations, and private industry emergency management/response personnel with the responsibility for exercise program management and/or serve as a member of an exercise planning team.
Prerequisites
None
Course length
5 hours
OEM Training Course Catalog
G-130: Evaluation and Improvement Planning
Course Overview
G-130 introduces the basics of emergency management exercise evaluation and improvement planning. It also builds a foundation for exercise evaluation concepts as identified in the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). The purpose of the Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning course is to provide students with an understanding of the need for exercise evaluation and improvement planning, and equip them with methodologies for both. Students will also learn about the process of designing and developing exercise evaluation criteria, the different methods of analyzing data, as well as how to identify the necessary steps to prepare an AAR/IP, conduct an AAR Conference, and develop/implement the Improvement Plan.
This course conforms to the capabilities-based exercise evaluation methodology outlined in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), Volume III.
Primary Audience
This course is designed for local, State, Federal, trust territories, tribal nations, volunteer organizations, and private industry emergency management/response personnel with the responsibility for exercise evaluation.
Prerequisite
IS 120.A : An Introduction to Exercises
Course length
19 hours
OEM Training Course Catalog
G-139: Exercise Design
Course Overview
The purpose of the Exercise Design course is to provide students with an understanding of how a comprehensive exercise program is used to improve and enhance ongoing preparedness efforts. This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamentals of exercise design; students will learn to design and conduct a small functional exercise. The course will also discuss the value of conducting exercises, familiarize students with exercise documentation, demonstrate a model for organization of the exercise design/planning team, and will take students through the steps of designing an exercise from beginning to end.
This course will cover the purpose, characteristics, and requirements of three types of exercises: tabletop (TTX), functional (FE), and full-scale (FSE). This course will also discuss exercise evaluation as a component of design.
Primary Audience
This course is recommended for individuals with responsibilities in State/local exercise programs; emergency program managers, exercise training officers, and emergency services officials, exercise planners, representatives from volunteer agencies, and representatives from private sector organizations that are involved with exercises.
Prerequisite
IS-120.A: An Introduction to Exercises
Course length
27 hours
OEM Training Course Catalog
G-146: Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
Course Overview
The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Training Course incorporates exercise guidance and best practices from the HSEEP Volumes I-V and HSEEP Toolkit. The course is comprised of several modules in which students will learn about exercise program management, formulation of an exercise planning team, the structure and process for exercise planning conferences, and exercise design, development, conduct, and evaluation/improvement planning.
Primary Audience
This course is recommended for individuals with responsibilities in State/local exercise programs; emergency program managers, exercise training officers, and emergency services officials, exercise planners, representatives from volunteer agencies, and representatives from private sector organizations that are involved with exercises.
Prerequisites
Required: IS-120.A : An Introduction to Exercises
Recommended
IS/G-139: Exercise Design
IS-700: NIMS - An Introduction
IS-800.B: NRF - An Introduction
Course length
24 hours
OEM Training Course Catalog
National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC)
Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP)
The National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC), when completed, will provide a comprehensive array of classroom and hands-on experiences designed to improve the individual's ability to manage exercise programs and administer emergency management exercises.
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) created the certificate title Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP) in 1998 specifically to recognize those individuals who have completed prescribed training and demonstrated, through hands-on application, a high level of professionalism and capability in the arena of emergency management exercises. This program is directed at improving the capabilities of emergency management personnel involved in all aspects of emergency management exercises. Through the improvement of the knowledge, skills and abilities of involved personnel, the quantity and quality of exercises conducted at the local, Tribal, Trust Territories, State, and federal levels of government can be improved. The Master Exercise Practitioner is not simply a training course, but rather a professional certification, and is the highest level of professional recognition in the discipline of Exercise Program Management.
Prerequisites for application to MEPP include:
- IS-100.B - Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS)
- IS-120.A - Introduction to Exercises
- IS-130 - Exercise Evaluation and Improvement Planning
- IS-200.B - ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
- IS-230 - Fundamentals of Emergency Management
- IS-235 - Emergency Planning
- IS-700.A - NIMS - An Introduction
- IS-775 - EOC Management and Operations
- IS-800.B - National Response Framework and Introduction
More detailed information on MEPP