An evaluation of the ‘Emergency Response Exercise Programme’ in Taiwan

The ‘Emergency Response Exercise Programme’ is the first of a series of hybrid control‐post and computer‐based exercises that target the training of tactical decision‐makers when responding to disasters occurring in Taiwan. The aim of the programme is to improve the coordination, communication and decision making skills of staff working in Emergency Operation Centres (EOC). To improve the effectiveness of the exercises, the programme has five major features: (1) flexible scenarios, (2) localised contexts, (3) integrated decision‐ making support systems such as hazard mapping and real‐time Geography Information Systems, search and rescue operation support systems, dispatch systems, and recording database of disaster operations resources systems, (4) performance evaluation, and (5) recordable and traceable data. The programme does not only contain scenarios for different types and scales of natural and man‐made hazards, but also provides scenarios to train personnel from different agencies and at different levels that are involved in responding to disasters. The aim of the paper is (1) to explain how the ‘Emergency Response Exercise Programme’ was designed; (2) to assess the effectiveness of the exercise and participants’ performance; and (3) to provide recommendations for future exercise designers.