Functional Exercises

The Functional Exercise, also known as a command post exercise (CPX), is designed to test and evaluate individual capabilities, multiple functions or activities within a function, or interdependent groups of functions. Functional Exercises are generally focused on exercising the plans, policies, procedures, and staffs of the direction and control nodes of Incident Command (IC) and Unified Command (UC). Generally, events are projected through an exercise scenario with event updates that drive activity at the management level. Movement of personnel and equipment is simulated.

The objective of the FE is to execute specific plans and procedures and apply established policies, plans, and procedures under crisis conditions, within or by particular function teams. An FE simulates the reality of operations in a functional area by presenting complex and realistic problems that require rapid and effective responses by trained personnel in a highly stressful environment. Attributes of an FE include:

Our team recently conducted a Functional Exercise for the Harris County, Texas Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES) division of Harris County, Texas; who is responsible for planning, preparing and responding to health disasters including those involving Terrorist Attacks using biological agents. We conducted a large-scale (approx. 300 participants) inject driven, Functional Tabletop exercise to test inter-jurisdictional command and control coordination and response to a Strategic National Stockpile scenario. The exercise scenario was expanded in scope to encompass the need to request, receive and distribute SNS assets and provide sufficient injects to engage all public health and other response agencies, i.e., law enforcements, schools, OEMs, hospitals, etc. at all levels, State, County and City.