Exercise Design & Validation HSEEP-Aligned
Exercise the plan. Validate the capability.
D2EMC designs, conducts and evaluates realistic exercises that reveal how decisions, coordination, communications and field actions perform before the incident does.
- Discussion + operations-based
- Objective-led evaluation
- AAR/IP available
A common, scalable approach from design through improvement planning.
Every scenario choice supports a defined capability or decision to test.
Pressure comes from credible conditions, not theatrical complexity.
Findings connect to owners, priorities and practical corrective action.
01 Why Exercise
Plans are assumptions
until they are exercised.
A well-designed exercise does more than satisfy a requirement. It gives leaders a controlled, low-risk way to see how the system actually performs.
D2EMC builds exercises around observable decisions and actions—then converts what happened into evidence your organization can use to strengthen plans, training, coordination and accountability.
- Reveal where plans and operations diverge.
- Test roles, handoffs and command decisions.
- Validate what works before conditions are real.
02 Select the Right Test
One goal. The right
level of pressure.
Choose a format to see what it is designed to reveal. D2EMC scales the scope to your priorities, people and operating environment.
Tabletop Exercise
Put the plan in the room—and make leaders decide.
A facilitated scenario surfaces assumptions, role confusion, policy gaps and coordination problems without deploying field resources.
New or revised plans, executive alignment, multi-agency coordination and complex policy decisions.
Decision authority, information flow, priorities, handoffs and interdependencies.
Objectives, scenario, Situation Manual, facilitator materials, evaluation plan and AAR/IP.
A clear record of strengths, unresolved decisions and prioritized improvement actions.
Drill
Isolate one critical operation. See if it works.
A focused, hands-on test measures how a team performs a specific procedure, function or tactical capability.
Alerting, decontamination, evacuation, communications, equipment use and other defined functions.
Speed, sequence, role execution, equipment readiness and procedural consistency.
Performance objectives, scenario conditions, control plan, observer tools and safety considerations.
Observable performance findings and targeted actions for training, equipment or procedure updates.
Functional Exercise
Stress the command system without a full field deployment.
A simulated operating environment tests coordination, command, communications and resource decisions at realistic pace.
EOCs, HICS/ICS, emergency communications, continuity teams and multi-partner coordination.
Command rhythm, situational awareness, information management, prioritization and resource coordination.
Exercise Plan, MSEL, SimCell architecture, controller/evaluator materials, EEGs and AAR/IP.
Evidence of how the management system performs as tempo, ambiguity and consequences increase.
Full-Scale Exercise
Test the whole operating picture under field conditions.
A resource-intensive exercise brings personnel, equipment, command systems and partner agencies together in real time.
Mature programs ready to validate integrated operations, mutual aid and field coordination.
End-to-end performance across command, tactical operations, logistics, safety and public information.
Full planning process, ExPlan, MSEL, site/control structure, evaluation package, safety plan and AAR/IP.
A defensible view of system-level capability and the priorities that must be corrected next.
03 How the Work Moves
A disciplined cycle.
No wasted motion.
Each phase protects the integrity of the next—from the first objective to the corrective action leaders own after the exercise.
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01
Scope & Objectives
Start with the decision.
Confirm risks, participants, priorities, constraints and the capabilities the exercise must reveal.
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02
Design & Development
Build only what serves the objective.
Create the scenario, injects, documentation, control structure and evaluation plan as one coherent system.
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03
Conduct
Control the exercise—not the players.
Deliver realistic pressure, manage pace and safety, and allow participant decisions to drive consequences.
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04
Evaluation & Improvement
Make every finding usable.
Analyze evidence, develop the AAR/IP and connect corrective actions to owners and follow-through.
04 What You Receive
The exercise ends.
The evidence stays.
Open each deliverable to see how it supports planning, conduct, evaluation and improvement. The final package is scaled to the exercise scope.
The participant-facing foundation: scope, objectives, scenario context, rules, roles and conduct information matched to the exercise format.
A sequenced operating picture with timed events, injects, expected actions, delivery methods and contingencies tied directly to objectives.
Clear tools for the people managing exercise pace, participant interaction, simulated agencies, communications and exercise boundaries.
Objective-linked criteria and observation tools that help evaluators collect consistent evidence instead of general impressions.
A concise record of strengths, areas for improvement, root issues, corrective actions, responsible owners and target follow-through.
A decision-ready briefing that separates urgent fixes from longer-term work and defines how priority improvements should be validated.
05 Built for Real Operations
Your risks.
Your people.
Your operating reality.
D2EMC does not force a generic scenario onto your organization. We build the exercise around your plans, partners, constraints and readiness priorities.
Discuss your exercise objectiveCBRN, first-receiver, medical surge, HICS and continuity.
Unified command, tactical coordination, communications and field operations.
EOC operations, regional coordination, resource management and public information.
Crisis leadership, continuity, protective actions and cross-functional decisions.
06 Start With the Objective
Not sure which format fits?
Start with what must be proven.
- 01Tell us the pressure point.
A plan, finding, capability, deadline or coordination problem you need to test.
- 02We shape the right exercise.
D2EMC recommends the format, participants, scope and planning path that fit the objective.
- 03You receive a clear scope.
We define the work, timeline, deliverables and what success will look like before planning begins.
07 Exercise FAQ
Clear answers.
Before we begin.
Have a question not covered here? Send the objective or requirement and D2EMC will help define the right starting point.
01What is the difference between a tabletop, drill, functional and full-scale exercise?
A tabletop is discussion-based and focuses on decisions and coordination. Drills, functional exercises and full-scale exercises are operations-based, with increasing scope—from one focused function to command-system performance to integrated field operations.
02Does D2EMC use the HSEEP framework?
Yes. D2EMC uses an HSEEP-aligned approach to program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation and improvement planning, scaled to the organization and exercise.
03How long does exercise planning take?
Timing depends on format, objectives, participant count, documentation and logistics. A focused tabletop or drill can move faster; a complex multi-agency full-scale exercise commonly requires a longer planning cycle. D2EMC confirms a realistic timeline during scoping.
04What does D2EMC need from us to start?
Start with the plan, requirement, finding or capability you need to test. D2EMC then confirms the audience, participants, operating constraints, documentation needs and the decisions the exercise should reveal.
05What does an AAR/IP include?
The After-Action Report/Improvement Plan documents strengths, areas for improvement and corrective actions, then connects those actions to responsible owners and practical follow-through.
06Can one exercise include multiple agencies or facilities?
Yes. D2EMC can structure multi-facility and multi-agency exercise planning, clarify roles, manage SimCell and control requirements, and evaluate shared coordination objectives.
Next Readiness Decision
The incident will test the system.
Let’s test it first.
Bring the plan, requirement or capability you need to test. D2EMC will help turn it into a focused exercise and an actionable improvement path.
Scope Your Exercise→