Glossary |
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| Word | Definition |
| Actions | The process of doing. |
| Activation | To set up or mobilize response units/teams. |
| Actors/Players | Controllers who simulate members of Non-participating Organizations and role-play key individual individuals, such as injured personnel. They may have face-to-face contact with Responders/Players, functioning as media reporters, next-of-kin, or injured personnel. They may be members of a Control Cell with telephone communication being the only interaction with Responders/Players. |
| After Action Report (AAR) | Documents the performance of exercise related tasks and makes recommendations for improvements. |
| Assessment | The process of acquiring, collecting, processing, examining, analyzing, evaluating, monitoring, and interpreting the data, information, evidence, objects, measurements, images, sound, etc., whether tangible or intangible, to provide a basis for decision making. |
| Briefings | Training accomplished through formal meetings, postings, e-mails, or Web sites prior to an exercise. |
| Capabilities | The quality or state of being capable; also, ability or potential for an indicated use or action. |
| Checklist | Written (or computerized) enumeration of actions to be taken by an individual or organization meant to aid memory rather than provide detailed instruction. |
| Classifiers
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Trained persons who are authorized to assign a sensitivity rating to documents or programs, either individually or as a group. If the relevant site/facility/activity is generating classified or Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information (UCNI), or is conducting operations that are classified or UCNI, then all emergency preparedness documents, such as plans, procedures, scenarios, and assessments, shall be reviewed for classified and UCNI by an Authorized Derivative Classifier or UCNI Reviewing Official. |
| Command Post | A designated area at or near the scene of an emergency that is the collection center for the On-scene Commander and that is used for response, assessment, and communications to the Emergency Operations Center. |
| Confidentiality | Containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could be prejudicial. |
| Contextual Messages | Messages from a Controller to a Responder/Player to help build the exercise operating environment. |
| Contingency Messages | Messages from a Controller to a Responder/Player if he/she is not performing the actions needed to sustain exercise play. |
| Control Cell | A simulation center located away from the Responders/Players; staffed by experienced Controllers (and/or Actors) who role-play Non-participating Organizations that would normally be involved in responding to an emergency. |
| Control Messages | Pre-exercise information to a Controller in preparing simulations; direction to a Controller such as starting and stopping information; and management instructions for terminating the exercise. |
| Controller | A trained individual responsible for controlling aspects of a drill or an exercise by monitoring the exercise timeline and safety of all exercise Participants, providing direction and control and ensuring continuity of the scenario by distributing information (messages, indications, or data) to Responders/Players. Responsible for ensuring Responders/Players adhere to established safety precautions and limitations. |
| Controller and Evaluator Handbook | Supplemental detailed information about the exercise scenario that describes exercise Controller’s and Evaluator’s roles and responsibilities. |
| Controller and Evaluator Exercise-specific Training | This training is a pre-exercise session for preparing Controllers and Evaluators for performance of their functions. |
| Controller/Evaluator | A person assigned both the roles of a Controller and an Evaluator. |
| Controller/Evaluator Directory | A listing provided to Controllers and Evaluators which includes telephone and radio channels and frequencies used for communication within the Control and Evaluation Organizations; is not shared with the Responders/Players. |
| Controller Team | A group that delivers input (e.g., injects, instruments readings, observations) to Responders/Players as described in the MSEL and/or as directed by the Senior Controller and/or Lead Controller; notifies the Lead Controller of events or need for changes. |
| Corrective Actions | Those measures taken to terminate or mitigate the consequence of an emergency at or near the source of the emergency. |
| Critical Task | Prevention, protection, response, and recovery tasks that require coordination among an appropriate combination of Federal, State, tribal, local, private-sector, and nongovernmental entities during a major incident to minimize the impact on lives, property, and the economy. |
| Drill | An event designed to develop, test and maintain skills in a particular operation. Frequently limited in scope, and often a component of an exercise. May be used as training events, in which Controllers provide on-the-spot training as Responders/Players take action. |
| Earned Information Injects | Messages that contain data to be provided to a Responder/Player when the function being performed would yield specific information. |
| Emergency | Any unwanted operational, civil, natural-phenomenon or security occurrence which could endanger or adversely affect people, property, or the environment. |
| Emergency Classification | Operational Emergencies must be classified as either an Alert, Site Area Emergency, or General Emergency, in order of increasing severity, when events occur that represent a specific threat to workers and the public due to the release or potential release of significant quantities of hazardous materials from DOE/NNSA facilities /activities/operations. |
| Emergency Management | The development, coordination, and direction of planning, preparedness, and readiness assurance activities. |
| Emergency Medical Service (EMS) | Services, including personnel, facilities, and equipment required to ensure proper medical care for the sick and injured from the time of the injury to the time of final disposition (which includes medical disposition within a hospital, temporary medical facility, or special care facility; release from the site; or being declared dead). Further, EMS specifically includes those services immediately required to ensure proper medical care and specialized treatment for patients in a hospital and coordination of related hospital services. |
| Emergency Operations Center (EOC) | A central facility from which management and support personnel carry out coordinated emergency response activities. May be a dedicated facility or office, conference room, or other pre-designated location having appropriate communications and informational materials to carry out the assigned emergency response mission and located, where possible, in a secure and protected location. |
| Emergency Plan (EP)
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A brief, clear, and concise description of the overall emergency organization, designation of responsibilities, and descriptions of the procedures, including notifications, involved in coping with any or all aspects of a potential credible emergency. |
| Emergency Plan Implementing Procedures (EPIP) | Specified steps necessary to implement emergency plans.
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| Emergency Response | Action(s) taken to cope with and minimize the effects of an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action. |
| Emergency Response Organization (ERO) | The designated group(s) of personnel responsible for coping with and minimizing or mitigating the effects of any emergency. |
| Evacuation | The orderly withdrawal of individuals from a hazardous or threatened area until such time as the area is again deemed safe for use. |
| Evaluation | One of the five phases of the exercise process; it documents strengths and opportunities for improvement in an organization’s preparedness and is the first step in the improvement process. Evaluations are conducted through Responder/Player observation and the use of Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs), which outline exercise performance measures expected from exercise Participants. |
| Evaluation Organization | A group of trained individuals who observe, document, and evaluate Responder/Player performance and the adequacy of facilities and equipment against established emergency plans and exercise evaluation criteria. |
| Evaluation Plan (EVALPLAN) | A document that provides specific guidance to exercise Evaluators, including an exercise synopsis. Typically used for operations-based exercises of a large scope and scale. It is published and distributed before the start of an exercise. The EVALPLAN assists exercise Evaluators to understand their roles and responsibilities in data collection and evaluation to conduct an effective analysis of the exercise. For most exercises, however, the EVALPLAN can be combined with Control Staff Instructions (COSIN) to produce a Controller and Evaluator (C/E) Handbook. |
| Evaluation Team | A group of Evaluators trained to observe and record Participant actions. These individuals should be familiar with the exercising organization’s plans, policies, procedures, and agreements. |
| Evaluator | A trained individual assigned to observe, document, and then measure and assess exercise Participants’ performance against established emergency plans, procedures, and exercise evaluation criteria. An Evaluator uses Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) to measure and assess performance, capture unresolved issues, and analyze exercise results. |
| Event | Any real-time occurrence or significant deviation from planned or expected behavior that could endanger or adversely affect people, property, or the environment. |
| Exercise | A scheduled and planned large-scale activity that tests the integrated capability and most aspects of the emergency management program associated with a particular DOE facility. |
| Exercise Control | DOE Order and Guidelines mandate that exercises must be conducted, controlled, evaluated, and critiqued effectively and reliably. The flow of the scenario timeline and events must be effectively controlled and the response of Participants must be realistic and professional. |
| Exercise Control Objectives | Used by exercise officials to ensure the demonstration of the organizational goals during an emergency drill or exercise. |
| Exercise Design Team | Members are fully versed in the scenario, the Responders/Players, and expected action. |
| Exercise Director | Has overall responsibility for exercise planning, development, conduct, and evaluation. Provides the opportunity to meet exercise objectives; starts, suspends, and terminates the exercise. |
| Exercise Directory or Control Cell Directory | A document provided to Control Cell Controllers which lists telephone numbers of Responders/Players who may need to be contacted. |
| Exercise Evaluation | A mechanism for evaluating the ability of an organization to respond to a simulated emergency. It includes selected document review, Responder/Player Briefing, evaluation of Controller training, observations of exercise performance, exercise critique sessions, and identification of potential findings. |
| Exercise Evaluation Criteria | Standards used by Evaluators to determine when an objective is adequately demonstrated. Are developed for each exercise objective. |
| Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) | Documents developed to assist in exercise evaluation, which incorporate the critical tasks that should be completed in an exercise. |
| Exercise Messages or Injects
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Include instructions to Controllers to begin simulations; insert information; or provide earned information, acting instructions, and contingency messages. Contain accurate, unambiguous, and non-promoting information and technical data for the Responders/Players and provide proper direction for the exercise. |
| Exercise Objectives | Specific, measurable performance goals selected by the Exercise Planning Team that are used for formal practice sessions. Demonstrate or test specific response procedures and/or capabilities. |
| Exercise Plan (EXPLAN) | The cumulative documentation prepared for Controllers and Evaluators that provides the information necessary to prepare, conduct, and evaluate a drill or an exercise. |
| Exercise Position | Either a Controller or an Evaluator position recorded on the Observation Sheet. |
| Exercise Setup | Includes setting up simulations, preparing scenes and visual areas (e.g., smoke generators, simulated spills, actor moulage, etc.), performing Controller communications checks, conducting Responder’/Players’ initial conditions briefings, synchronizing clocks, initializing computer simulation data, and other scenario-specific activities. Must be carefully planned to ensure that all logistics necessary to conduct the exercise are checked before the exercise begins. |
| Extent of Play | The exact level to which an event objective should be demonstrated during an event, as determined by the event’s designers. |
| Facility | The buildings, utilities, structures, and other land improvements associated with an operation or service and dedicated to a common function. |
| Facility/Area | Any equipment, structure, system, process, or activity that fulfills a specific purpose. |
| Free Play | The standard practice during drills and exercises of allowing the Responders/Players to go as far as possible in their response actions to the simulated emergency events without jeopardizing personnel, plant, or facility safety; exceeding established limitations on utilization of resources; or compromising the established objectives. |
| General Emergency (GE) | An Operational Emergency classification. A GE must be declared when events are predicted, in progress, or have occurred that result in one or more of the following situations.
(1) Actual or imminent catastrophic reduction of facility safety or security systems with potential for the release of large quantities of hazardous materials to the environment. The radiation dose from any release of radioactive material or a concentration in air from any release of other hazardous material is expected to exceed the applicable Protective Action Criterion at or beyond the site boundary. (2) Actual or likely catastrophic failures in safety or security systems threatening the integrity of a nuclear weapon, component, or test device that may adversely impact the health and safety of workers or public. |
| Hotwash ( aka Critique) | A facilitated discussion held immediately after an exercise among exercise Responders/Players from each functional area. It captures feedback about any issues, concerns, or proposed improvements Responders/Players may have about the exercise. The Hotwash is an opportunity for Responders/Players to voice their opinions on the exercise and their own performance. This facilitated meeting allows Responders/Players to participate in a self-assessment of exercise play and provides a general assessment of how the organization(s) performed. At this time, Evaluators can seek clarification on certain actions and what prompted Responders/Players to take them. Evaluators should take notes during the Hotwash and include these observations in their analysis. |
| Incident Command System (ICS) | The Emergency Response Organization at the event scene designed to deal with command, control and coordination issues. |
| Incident Commander (IC) | The individual responsible for the management of all operations at a particular hazardous materials emergency. |
| Inject | Master Scenario Events List events that prompt Responders/Players to implement the plans, policies, and procedures that planners want the exercise to validate. Injects are MSEL entries that Controllers must simulate, including directives, instructions, and decisions. Exercise Controllers provide injects to exercise Responders/Players to drive exercise play toward achievement of objectives. Injects can be written, oral, televised, and/or transmitted via any means (e.g., fax, phone, e-mail, voice, radio). Injects can be contextual or contingency. |
| Joint Information Center (JIC) | A centralized facility where organizations responding to an emergency coordinate the release of accurate and timely information to the public and the media and provide a central source for all instructions. Operated cooperatively by all responding levels of Federal, State, and Local governments and organizations, and the involved facility. |
| Jurisdictions | A range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority. Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be political or geographical (e.g., city, county, tribal, State, or Federal boundary lines) or functional (e.g., law enforcement, public health). |
| Lead Controller | A person who coordinates the activities of several Controllers for larger or more complicated exercises that involve a number of response locations and emergency functions. |
| Lead Evaluator | A person who coordinates the activities of several Evaluators for larger or more complicated exercises that involve a number of response locations and emergency functions. |
| Lead Exercise Planner (aka the Exercise Director) | A person who has complete management responsibility, assigning tasks to team members and ensuring the successful execution of the exercise. |
| Limitations | Management policies and guidelines of concern to the Exercise Developers and Scenario Designers; may include issues such as conducting exercises on weekends, overtime restrictions or authorizations, and financial constraints. |
| Logistics | The handling of the details of an operation. |
| Logs | A record of performance, events, or minute-to-minute activities. |
| Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) | A chronological timeline of expected actions and scripted events to be injected into exercise play by Controllers to generate or prompt Responder/Player activity. It ensures necessary events happen so that all exercise objectives are met. It enumerates all exercise messages and key events in a table that specifies the time the message is expected to be delivered, who delivers it to whom, a message number, and a short description of the message. It also may contain the Responder/Player-expected actions and associated exercise objectives to assist the Controllers and Evaluators in performing their functions. |
| Moulage | Makeup to give the impression of realism, i.e., makeup on an Actor to simulate injuries to be treated. |
| Non-participants | Individuals outside the scope of play who continue to perform their normal, routine duties as though the exercise is not in progress. Such routine duties include activities necessary for continued safe and secure operation of the facility. Efforts are made to minimize the impact of the exercise on Non-participants to avoid interface between Responders/Players and those individuals. |
| Observation Sheet | A form for Evaluators and Controllers to record observation details, including name, position, exercise, and time of observation. |
| Observations/Observable | A statement of fact regarding a visible condition. |
| Observer | An individual outside the scope of play—in attendance for various reasons—who is briefed, with Controllers and Evaluators or separately, prior to the exercise to ensure compliance with safety and security precautions and other rules of conduct. |
| Observer Briefing | A pre-exercise overview given to educate Observers about program background, scenario, schedule of events, Observer protocols, and other miscellaneous information. |
| Operational Emergency (OE) | Unplanned, significant events or conditions that require time-urgent response from outside the immediate/affected site/facility or area of the incident. Incidents that can be controlled by employees or maintenance personnel in the immediate/affected facility or area are not Operational Emergencies. Incidents that do not pose a significant hazard to safety, health, and/or the environment and that do not require a time-urgent response are not Operational Emergencies. |
| Operations-based Exercise | Focus on action-oriented activities such as deployment of resources and personnel. |
| Participant | Every person (i.e., Responders/Players, Controllers, Evaluators, and staff members) who is involved in conducting an exercise. |
| Participating Organizations | Every organization which has a role (Responder/Player, an objective to be met) in implementing the exercise. |
| Performance | A criterion, which must be met to demonstrate an exercise objective. |
| Performance Objective | A statement of desired outcomes for an organization or activity. |
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | Equipment such as respirators, face shields and safety glasses, used to protect workers from excessive exposure to radioactive or hazardous materials. |
| Pitfalls | Inability of Responders/Players to implement management directives; inability of technical support to monitor and assess actions being taken; inability to communicate; inability of ICS to dispatch agencies; deviations from plans and procedure affecting response; confusing simulation; free play that impacts the opportunity of another organization to meet its objectives or that violates safety and security protocols. |
| Post-exercise Briefing | Debrief of Controllers’ and Evaluators’ chronologies and notes following exercise termination to ensure an accurate reconstruction. |
| Props | Nonfunctional replications of objects. The presence or discovery of props requires certain actions by exercise Responders/Players. Examples of props include simulated bombs, bomb last debris (shrapnel), mannequins or body parts, and foam bricks and beams. Simulants that mimic the effects of chemical or radiological hazards or that cause a positive reading of an actual detection device are also considered props. |
| Protocols | Ground rules or rules of conduct to remind exercise Participants of drillsmanship and safety issues. |
| Record | A technically accurate and detailed documentation of actions by Responders/Players. |
| Responder/Player | A person who has an assigned role during an emergency and who has been predetermined to participate in a tabletop, drill or exercise. Responders/Players have an active role in preventing, responding to, or recovering from the risks and hazards presented in the exercise scenario. Responders/Players initiate actions that will respond to and/or mitigate the simulated emergency. In an operations-based exercise, this is done by performing their regular roles and responsibilities. |
| Responder/Player Briefing | A Responder/Player Briefing is held immediately before an operations-based exercise and addresses individual roles and responsibilities, exercise parameters, safety, badges, and any other logistical items. For a drill or full-scale exercise, Responder/Player Briefings typically occur in an assembly area. |
| Responder/Player Directory | Listing provided to Responders/Players with the phone, fax and/or radio net of simulated organizations. |
| Response Organization | An organization which takes immediate actions to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs, including the execution of emergency plans and actions to support short-term recovery. |
| Scenario | A technically accurate mechanism developed to provide Responders /Players with the opportunity to meet objectives; consistent with the set of exercise objectives, that explicitly supports an evaluation/validation of each objective. |
| Scenario Materials | Includes the narrative scenario; overall sequence and timing of events; the detailed messages; technical data tables; illustrations, maps, and/or additional information necessary to realistically depict events. |
| Scenario Narrative | A storybook summary of the background, initial conditions, initiating events, and expected responder actions. It contains descriptions of the simulated emergency situation, including the overall sequence of events, details, supporting data, and timing of activities. |
| Scope
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Contains the type of exercise, the location of the event scene (e.g., specific facility), facility/site or activity background information, and the date and expected duration. |
| Senior Controller | A person who oversees all exercise functions, including setup and takedown of exercise, and positioning of Controllers and Evaluators; is responsible for communications with Controllers and Evaluators; issues exercise materials to Responders/Players; monitors exercise progress and makes decisions regarding any changes; coordinates any modifications; and conducts Post-exercise Briefing. |
| Sensitive Materials | Documents that must be protected from inadvertent disclosure to prevent skewing assessment of emergency response capabilities, includes scenario, timeline, notes, inject message, other material. |
| Shadow Forces | Personnel (e.g., Fire, Emergency Medical Services, and Security Forces) who handle an actual event while an exercise is in progress. |
| Shelter-in-Place | A protective action that calls for personnel to move into or remain indoors; close doors and windows; turn off air conditioners, heaters, and air-handling units that draw in outside air; refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum; and remain indoors until notified that it is safe to leave. Personnel in vehicles should roll up windows and close vents that draw in outside air (including heater and air-conditioning vents if applicable), and proceed to a safe area. |
| Simulation | As defined for drills and exercises, applies to the overall emergency or event being staged. |
| Skews | Distorts the ability to assess the capability of the emergency response actions. |
| Staging Area | Temporary location for available resources. A Staging Area can be any location in which personnel, supplies, and equipment can be temporarily housed or parked while awaiting operational assignment. |
| Subject Matter Expert (SME) | An individual qualified and experienced in performing a particular task; may also be an individual who—by education, training, and/or experience—is a recognized expert on a particular subject, topic, or system. |
| Termination and Recovery | An Operational Emergency can be terminated only after a predetermined set of criteria are met and termination is coordinated with offsite agencies. Must include communication and coordination with State, Tribal, and Local government and other Federal Agencies; planning, management, and organization of the associated recovery activities; and ensuring the health and safety of the workers and the public. |
| Timeline Coordinator | An individual, for complex exercises, who is responsible for ensuring the exercise timeline remains on schedule—a key factor for proper attainment of exercise objectives. |
Glossary of Training Products Exercise Responder – Download [Optimized PDF]
Glossary of Training Products Exercise Responder – Download