Emergency Exercise Participation and Evaluation

Julie Smith , University of Vermont, Lynette Black, Oregon State University, Linda Williams, Montana State University The Extension System is uniquely positioned to participate in emergency exercises formally or informally with the goal of engaging community members in emergency and disaster preparedness. With their knowledge of community needs, Extension personnel are valuable resources and can assist emergency managers in the process of identifying local risks and vulnerabilities as well as capabilities that should be tested and strengthened through the process of exercises. Extension brings to the table diverse and research-based expertise, program evaluation skills, and connections to local communities, all of which can contribute to conducting successful exercises. By facilitating, participating in, or evaluating exercises, Extension professionals can help communities better prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. Furthermore, exercise conduct and evaluation could be a useful tool for measuring the impact of Extension activities related to emergency preparedness. Event simulations or “exercises” are useful ways to educate and evaluate. Both real and fictional scenarios are often used by Extension educators when engaging audiences in learning. Real and fictional incident scenarios are used by emergency managers to evaluate adequacy of planning, training, and equipping responders. Extension personnel can provide informational resources and can utilize existing relationships with community organizations, commodity groups and regulatory agencies to support their local or state exercise programs. The relationships Extension personnel have in communities are extremely valuable. By partnering with emergency management, the Extension System can help the traditional emergency management community overcome one of its historic challenges—bringing the right people to the table. Extension personnel in all program areas have opportunities to…