Tabletop exercises are discussion-based sessions where team members meet in an informal classroom setting to discuss their roles during an emergency and their responses to a particular emergency event. A facilitator guides participants through a discussion of one or more scenarios. The duration of a tabletop exercise depends on the audience, the topic, and the exercise objectives. Many tabletop exercises can be conducted in a few hours, so they are cost-effective tools to validate plans and capabilities.
The major focus of a tabletop exercise is to:
- Review the processes and procedures used in a real-life emergency event
- Detect issues that could interfere with conducting a realistic simulation
This exercise involves:
- Decision-making individuals representing each group that could be involved
- An observer who documents decisions and assesses group interactions
- A topic-related scenario with set events happening in a timed sequence
No patients are involved in this type of exercise.
Tabletop exercises are usually scheduled to ensure all participants are available.
5. Armstrong, George. "National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Representatives at JFO in KY." FEMA, 06 Mar 2008, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FEMA_-_34433_-_National_Emergency_Management_Association_(NEMA)_Representatives_at_JFO_in_KY.jpg.