Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program

What's in HSEEP

Overview:

Virginia Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan 2011- 2013 [1 Mb pdf]

HSEEP links

HSEEP consists of both doctrine and policy for designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating exercises. HSEEP is a threat- and performance-based exercise program that includes a cycle, mix, and range of exercise activities of varying degrees of complexity and interaction. HSEEP is also a program of financial and direct support designed to assist State and local governments with the development and implementation of a State exercise and evaluation program to assess and enhance domestic preparedness.

The HSEEP consists of both doctrine and policy for designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating exercises. Exercises are an instrument to train for and practice prevention, vulnerability reduction, response, and recovery capabilities in a risk-free environment. They also can be used to assess and improve performance. Exercises are also an excellent way to demonstrate community resolve to prepare for disastrous events. The benefits of the HSEEP are:

  • Testing and validating policies, plans, procedures, training, equipment, and interagency agreements
  • Clarifying and training personnel in roles and responsibilities
  • Improving interagency coordination and communications
  • Identifying gaps in resources
  • Improving individual performance
  • Identifying opportunities for improvement

The doctrine established by this program requires the following:

  • States will conduct an annual EPW to examine the progress and effectiveness of the current exercise strategy and program.
  • A Multi-Year Exercise Plan will be produced from the EPW and submitted to USDHS/ODP.
    This Exercise Plan will include guidelines for the establishment of a State Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (SHSEEP) and a multi-year exercise schedule (to be updated annually).
  • The Exercise Plan will employ a cycle of activity that includes exercises of increasing levels of complexity.
  • The scenarios used in exercises will be terrorism-related and threat-based.
  • All TTXs, drills, FEs, and FSEs will be evaluated and performance-based.
  • An AAR will be prepared and submitted to USDHS/ODP following every TTX, drill, FE, and FSE.
  • An IP will be developed, submitted to USDHS/ODP, and implemented to address findings and recommendations identified in the AAR.
  • Periodic exercise scheduling and improvement implementation data will be reported to USDHS/ODP.

The HSEEP allows jurisdictions to conduct prevention exercises; response and recovery exercises, interagency or multi jurisdictional exercises, and allows for private-sector participation and regional exercises.

USDHS/ODP provides a range of assistance under HSEEP to aid State and local jurisdictions with the implementation of effective exercises. Types of assistance are described below.

  • Grant funds
  • Exercise funding
  • Direct exercise support
  • Secure web-based portal
  • Exercise toolkit

Exercises and the resultant AARs/IPs offer a valuable source of information that can be analyzed at the national level to identify lessons learned and best practices that can be shared to enhance preparedness across the country. Lessons learned should encompass knowledge and experience (positive and negative) derived from observations and historical study of actual operations, training, and exercises.

Links

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  • Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program: https://hseep.dhs.gov/pages/1001_HSEEP7.aspx
  • Responder Knowledge Base has been designed to provide emergency responders with a single source for integrated information on current equipment, including organizing information such as the Inter-Agency Board’s Standardized Equipment List (SEL) and ODP’s Authorized Equipment List.
    http://www.rkb.us
  • The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), Oklahoma City, OK, is a non-profit organization funded by ODP. Working in coordination with ODP, MIPT has created a national information sharing capability on lessons learned in managing terrorist or critical incidents.  The Lessons Learned Information System (LLIS) provides a national repository of terrorism preparedness and mitigation knowledge. 
    http://www.LLIS.gov
  •  Office Of Criminal Justice Programs
    http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/
  • Office For Domestic Preparedness
    https://cdp.dhs.gov/ 
  • Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) has been designed to provide emergency responders with a single source for integrated information on current equipment, including organizing information such as the Inter-Agency Board’s Standardized Equipment List (SEL) and ODP’s Authorized Equipment List (AEL).
    http://www.rkb.us
  • The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), Oklahoma City, OK, is a non-profit organization funded by ODP. Working in coordination with ODP, MIPT has created a national information sharing capability on lessons learned in managing terrorist or critical incidents. The Lessons Learned Information System (LLIS) provides a national repository of terrorism preparedness and mitigation knowledge.
    http://www.LLIS.gov
  • The SAVER program is designed to assist emergency responders by providing impartial, practitioner relevant, operationally oriented assessments and validations on the performance of critical equipment. SAVER assessments are made of Commercial Off-Of-The-Shelf (COTS) equipment for effectiveness, quality, and safety under conditions closely simulating actual use. Decision makers can then use the SAVER reports and responders to better select, procure, use, and maintain their equipment.
    https://www.rkb.us/SAVER/