National Exercise Simulation Center Opens At FEMA 

Release Date: January 12, 2009
Release Number: HQ-09-006

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today held the official opening of its newly constructed National Exercise Simulation Center (NESC) at FEMA Headquarters.  The NESC provides a state-of-the-art facility to serve the all-hazards preparedness and response mission through pooling resources, maximizing efficiency and providing sustained exercise and training support to all stakeholders.

The 2006 Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA) Section 664 called for the establishment of a National Exercise Simulation Center that uses a mix of live, virtual and constructive simulations to:

As envisioned in PKEMRA, the NESC will serve as a powerful tool that supports improved national preparedness.  It also serves as a key function in the initiative to develop a Federal Coordination Center (FCC) at FEMA Headquarters, which supports federal, regional, state and local partners in joint planning, training and exercising, and operational coordination in the National Capital Region (NCR).   Other FEMA elements of the FCC are the Disaster Operations Directorate, including the National Response Coordination Center, the National Incident Management Assistance Team East and FEMA Operational Planners the Office of National Capital Region Coordination and additional FEMA Directorates or non-FEMA agencies and organizations as appropriate.

Developing the NESC is the responsibility of the FEMA National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) and its components.  The NPD mission is to provide the guidance and support to prepare a nation to respond to incidents resulting from either natural causes or malicious acts to minimize the loss of lives and property.  Standing up a state-of-the-art National Exercise Simulation Center, as witnessed in the demonstration today, will provide a key capability in the national preparedness and response equation.

The NESC's initial operating capability supports basic training and exercise requirements with phone, network and visual display capabilities.  The NESC has already utilized these capabilities to support key Presidential Transition Training and Exercise events.  In the coming weeks, the NESC will provide an important support facility for Presidential Inauguration activities.

The true value of the NESC will be achieved as it expands beyond its initial capability, to fully support the needs of FEMA operational components, federal, state and local partners, and FEMA leadership.  Through a phased implementation plan, the NESC will expand its capabilities to:

For additional information please visit www.fema.gov.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 13-Jan-2009 08:32:00