HSEEP-Compliant Functional Exercise

Project Overview

Pennsylvania State University (PSU) sought to conduct a functional exercise (FE) in compliance with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) for the Centre Region Continuity of Government (COG), a voluntary coalition that includes State College Borough and five surrounding townships.

Understanding the Mission

The COG was established to deliver “cost-effective and high-quality public services” to its nearly 100,000 residents across 150 square miles. A regional emergency management program has been in place since 1990. However, in October 2008, Subchapter C was added to Pennsylvania Title 35, which mandated “mutual cooperation among the participating subdivisions in conducting exercises, testing or other training activities.” The COG engaged Hagerty to help meet this new requirement.

The Hagerty Advantage

The Hagerty team, with their subcontractor Mission Critical Partners, collaborated with PSU and COG representatives. They developed a regional scenario that required all six townships to work together for mutual aid and multi-jurisdictional support. The team created an FE centered on an extreme weather event, specifically a tornado, to test this cooperation. Hagerty facilitated the event and produced all exercise materials, including the Exercise Plan, Master Scenario Events List (MSEL), Controller/Evaluator (C/E) Handbook, and Exercise Evaluation Guide (EEG).

Following the exercise, the team facilitated an after-action review (or “hotwash”) to assess the event. The primary goal of this review was to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. They compiled all findings and recommendations into an After Action Report (AAR) and distributed it to the Exercise Design Team for further action.

Achieving Results

The final report presented to COG and PSU included an Improvement Plan detailing enhancements to plans, processes, and procedures. The exercise strengthened coordination and preparedness between COG and PSU for responding to potential emergencies, ultimately boosting public safety across the Centre Region and the university community.