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The Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology (KMC) in Linköping, Sweden, is partner in the ENGAGE project and end user for the solutions developed in the project as the center is the operational preparedness organization for its region. As an advanced teaching facility and home to competence center for the simulation platform Emergo Train System (described earlier https://www.project-engage.eu/simulation-for-public-safety/ ) KMC will support the exercise management of a training exercise within the ENGAGE project, set up for fall 2023. The planned exercise will take place in late September and involves a mud slide exercise in Trondheim, Norway. SINTEF arranges the exercise in collaboration with the Red Cross in Trondheim, Trondheim municipality, the police, alongside other organizations.
When planning an exercise, it is important to begin with the purpose – what do you want to achieve? This will frame the activities and delimit and direct possible alternatives for actions and choices. This will also provide arguments for costs and involvement. The purpose should be formulated in dialogue with the main stakeholders. This is also a way of involving the stakeholders and including them in planning, conducting the exercise and making sure that the outcome will be useful to them. In addition, always plan and set aside plenty of time for debriefing and evaluation. Again, involving the stakeholders in this is of importance, to make sure that their participants will be present during the evaluation phase. Otherwise, there is a risk that participants are satisfied after the exercise has ended, and leave without providing their feedback.
The planned landslide exercise will be divided into two tracks. During day 1 a field exercise focusing on evacuation with more than 100 evacuees are participating. Here, the logistics of evacuation is addressed, which will include setting up an evacuee center. On day 2 the exercise is conducted as a table-top exercise to focus on multi-actor collaboration and coordination, decision-making, information flow, and use of common operational picture. The simulation platform Emergo Train System (https://www.emergotrain.com/) will be used on day 2 to visualize the event.
Author: Peter Berggren (KMC)
