CERT Drills and Exercises
Overview
Exercises are opportunities for CERT programs to practice, assess, and improve emergency response plans and on-the-ground operations while engaging their members and refreshing the concepts and skills learned in CERT training. Drills, tabletop exercises, functional exercises, full-scale exercises, and competitive events are the different types of exercises that CERT programs conduct, and each type has different advantages.
These exercises were developed according to national guidance and principles outlined by the Homeland Security Exercise Program (HSEEP). It is important that CERT programs tailor their exercises to reflect realistic events that may impact their community. The scenario, objectives, and events can be modified based on what your CERT program is likely to respond to and what your program needs to test or practice. Review the 20 exercises below and start planning your next exercise.
The following exercise materials may be downloaded for use by CERT programs:
Drills
- All Drills MS Word 463 KB | PDF 343 KB
- Drill #1 MS Word, 198 KB
- Drill #2 MS Word, 170 KB
- Drill #3 MS Word, 191 KB
- Drill #4 MS Word, 168 KB
Tabletop Exercises
- All Tabletop Exercises MS Word, 10,003 KB | PDF 10,420 KB
- Tabletop Exercise #1 MS Word, 917 KB
- Tabletop Exercise #2 MS Word, 932 KB
- Tabletop Exercise #3 MS Word, 1,589 KB
- Tabletop Exercise #4 MS Word, 2,465 KB
- Tabletop Exercise #5 MS Word, 2,355 KB
- Tabletop Exercise #6 MS Word, 2,070 KB
Functional Exercises
- All Functional Exercises MS Word, 4,814 KB | PDF, 3,868 KB
- Functional Exercise #1 MS Word, 4,072 KB
- Functional Exercise #2 MS Word, 1,320 KB
- Functional Exercise #3 MS Word, 349 KB
- Functional Exercise #4 MS Word, 1,796 KB
Full-Scale Exercises
- All Full-Scale Exercises MS Word, 2,532 KB | PDF, 1,021 KB
- Full-Scale Exercise #1 MS Word, 440 KB
- Full-Scale Exercise #2 MS Word, 374 KB
- Full-Scale Exercise #3 MS Word, 1,565 KB
- Full-Scale Exercise #4 MS Word, 380 KB
Competitive Events
- Both Competitive Events MS Word, 834 KB | PDF, 418 KB
- Competitive Event #1 MS Word, 428 KB
- Competitive Event #2 MS Word, 492 KB