As you’ve learned, training and exercises conducted on a regular basis allow for clarification of the processes, procedures, roles, and responsibilities that will be required following a hazard. Training and exercise also help team members develop their individual performance while learning to work together as part of a multi-agency (and perhaps multi-jurisdictional) team.

It is imperative that public works is involved in community-wide activities and that they conduct their own agency-specific training opportunities as well. Incorporating the Incident Command System (ICS) and NIMS will help promote standardization and consistency which will help all agencies and organizations function well together.

Documenting all training activity allows public works officials and community-wide planners to use the feedback and observations gleaned during the training and exercises to identify strengths and areas for improvement to the program. This information can be used to find resource gaps and to improve the program. It also helps to consider expansions of systems and new infrastructure as part of the emergency plan.

All exercise activity should be evaluated for plan updates. In addition to practicing processes, procedures, roles, and responsibilities, training provides occasion for team building which enhances inter- and intra-agency coordination.

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