Exercises are fundamental to emergency management, and they bring together and strengthen the whole community in its efforts to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from all hazards. Exercises are conducted to validate plans, policies, and procedures, test equipment, identify gaps in training, and bring forth best practices to be continued.
The State of Idaho has adopted the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) as the set of guiding principles for our exercise programs. This provides a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. The fundamental principles of HSEEP are:
- Guided by Elected and Appointed Officials: Ensuring exercises are driven by the input and oversight of senior leadership.
- Capability-based, Objective Driven: Focusing on building and assessing specific capabilities and achieving defined objectives.
- Progressive Planning Approach: Developing exercises that build on each other in a logical progression.
- Whole Community Integration: Including all relevant stakeholders to ensure comprehensive preparedness.
- Informed by Risk: Designing exercises based on a thorough understanding of the risks and threats.
- Common Methodology: Utilizing a standardized approach to ensure consistency and effectiveness.
Exercise Coursework
Several training opportunities are available to develop and enhance exercise programs. Courses are offered through Independent Study (IS), instructor-led classroom delivery, and webinar formats.
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) provides training in both virtual and in-person courses. You can find all courses including those offered through EMI’s National Training and Education Division.
View upcoming training in Idaho here
Exercise Tools
- Idaho Request for Assistance Form—This form can be used to request assistance from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management Training and Exercise Section for your design, conduct, and evaluation.
- FEMA Prep Toolkit: A comprehensive set of tools provided by FEMA to assist in exercise planning and execution. We encourage all exercise directors, managers, and planners to utilize the Exercise Tools section. To access this, you must have a verified Prep Toolkit account.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): CISA Tabletop Exercise Packages (CTEPs) are a comprehensive set of resources designed to assist stakeholders in conducting their own exercises. Partners can use CTEPs to initiate discussions within their organizations about their ability to address a variety of threat scenarios.
Exercise Templates
By leveraging these resources and adhering to the principles of HSEEP, Idaho ensures that our exercise programs effectively enhance our preparedness and response capabilities.
Training & Exercise Project Manager
Isaiah La Masters
(208) 258-6534
ilamasters@imd.idaho.gov