Drills and Exercises: Practice Before the Real Thing
Plans that live only on paper tend to fail when reality intrudes. The Incident Command System (ICS) recognizes this truth and places heavy emphasis on drills and exercises. Practice is where ideas are tested, weaknesses are exposed, and confidence is built—long before a real emergency forces the issue.
Drills are not about perfection. They are about familiarity. When people have practiced a response, they think more clearly and act more calmly when it matters.
The ICS Concept: Train the Way You Operate
ICS training follows a simple progression: start small, build gradually, and test the whole system once the pieces work. This approach prevents overwhelm and allows learning to compound.
ICS generally recognizes three levels of exercises:
- Small drills — testing one skill or function
- Medium exercises — coordinating multiple roles
- Full exercises — practicing the entire response structure
Each level has value. Skipping steps usually leads to frustration and false confidence.
Why It Matters
In real emergencies, people fall back to what they have practiced—not what they planned. Drills create muscle memory and mental familiarity.
- Problems surface early. Missing supplies, unclear roles, or bad assumptions are revealed safely.
- Communication improves. People learn how to talk clearly under mild stress.
- Leadership becomes clearer. Roles solidify through repetition.
- Anxiety decreases. The unknown becomes familiar.
A drill that feels awkward is usually a successful drill—it means you found something to improve.
Great Plains Examples
1. Small Drill: Generator Start and Load Test
A family runs a 15-minute drill to start the generator, connect essential loads, and track fuel use. The drill reveals:
- A missing extension cord.
- A breaker that trips under load.
- Unclear roles about who shuts it down.
2. Medium Exercise: Winter Storm Tabletop
A neighborhood group gathers for a discussion-based exercise. They walk through:
- A three-day power outage.
- Road closures.
- Heating and shelter needs.
No equipment is moved, but decision-making and communication are tested.
3. Full Exercise: Church Shelter Activation
A church conducts a live exercise:
- Opening doors.
- Assigning ICS roles.
- Running check-in and logistics.
- Conducting a short After-Action Review.
This kind of exercise builds confidence across the entire organization.
How to Build Progressive Drills
- Start With One Skill.
Radios, generators, check-in procedures—test one thing at a time. - Add Complexity Slowly.
Combine skills only after each one works reliably. - Limit Time and Scope.
Short drills are better than ambitious ones that never happen. - Simulate Stress Carefully.
Mild time pressure or distractions are enough—no need to create chaos. - Debrief Every Drill.
Always follow with a quick After-Action Review.
Classroom vs. Hands-On Training
ICS uses both discussion-based and action-based exercises:
- Classroom / tabletop exercises test thinking and coordination.
- Hands-on drills test physical skills and equipment.
Both are necessary. Talking without doing creates false confidence. Doing without thinking creates unsafe habits.
Optional Sidebar: The “90-Minute Rule”
Many ICS trainers recommend limiting exercises to a manageable length:
Plan for no more than 90 minutes.
Short, focused drills are more likely to happen—and more likely to be repeated.
Takeaway
You don’t rise to the level of your plans—you fall to the level of your training.
📘 This article is part of the Prepper ICS Training Series.
View the full schedule and resources at the ICS Training Home Page.
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