Four Key Components of a Successful Emergency Management Training Program
By Russ Henderson, Research Director
A utility’s emergency response effectiveness depends on the strength of its training and exercise programs. Structured and consistent learning ensures that Incident Management Team (IMT) members, both new and experienced, are confident in their roles, aligned in their response, and prepared to manage complex challenges.
Chartwell’s Emergency Management Leadership Council recently published its fifth Electric Utility Emergency Management Guideline. This publication presents strategies and shared practices from the utility emergency management community in North America regarding the design, delivery, and impact of effective training and exercise programs.
The Guideline highlights four key components of successful training and dives deeper into how utilities effectively deliver strong programs.
Four key components of successful Emergency Management training programs:
- Foundational and functional training and mentorship
- Regular exercises based on real threats
- Effective tracking and accountability system
- Alignment with risk and threat assessments
Comprehensive training and exercise programs are critical to building and maintaining emergency readiness, giving utilities the confidence that their teams are prepared to respond decisively and recover quickly when emergencies arise. By combining structured training, realistic exercises, functional mentorship, and risk-informed design, utilities create a culture of preparedness that grows stronger over time. When these elements are tracked and reinforced, they result in operational excellence and resilience.
Members of Chartwell’s Emergency Management Leadership Council can access the full Guideline document here.
Learn more about the Council by reaching out to Tim Herrick.
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