Crisis Response Exercises: Common FAQs (and Answers!)

This On Call International article will discuss the following:

What is a CRE?
A crisis response exercise (CRE) presents incidents with medical or safety related impact to travelers in a low-key, non-emergency environment.  The exercise is discussion based and follows major milestones as response to an incident progresses forward; it does not require acting out a response in real-time.  Exercises are designed to allow problem-solving discussion intended to lead to solutions for a comprehensive response plan prior to a real emergency event.  Participants will be guided through each scenario, stopping to discuss protocols, and will work through challenges presented by the facilitator.  The goal is to prepare, educate and train all parties on their roles and responsibilities should they be involved in an international crisis.

Why should I plan a CRE for my organization? 
Conducting crisis response exercises (CREs) serves a critical function in strengthening and advancing any travel risk management program. CREs help prepare stakeholders who support travelers to respond to emergencies and raise awareness with leadership about available resources and protocols for incident response.

Exercises also play an important role in stress-testing incident response protocols and identifying gaps where additional preparation is needed. They also act as a catalyst for critical conversations amongst participants allowing them to discuss varied approaches, risk tolerances, and priorities. A CRE allows these conversations to occur in the context of a crisis without having the high-stakes and urgency of an actual crisis.

Do I need to have an emergency protocol developed before I plan a CRE?
No! If you are in early stages of protocol development, or if your organization is doing an overhaul on existing procedures, it is the perfect time to do a CRE.  The CRE offers opportunities to talk through current response tendencies and what gaps or opportunities for improvement you want to address.

Who should I invite?
Key stakeholders encouraged to participate are anyone with oversight of travel who may be involved in incident response and individuals with decision making influence during emergency response or during protocol or travel policy development.

If you are planning a first-time exercise, some of our clients choose to start with a core group and expand future exercises to a wider crisis management team that includes individuals who get involved in incidents with broader impact, such as Public Relations, Student Affairs, or Legal Counsel.

What kinds of incidents are used in the exercise?
On Call incorporates a variety of incidents into each scenario, such as medical emergencies, mental health situations, death, safety issues, and natural disaster events.  Challenges of varied severity are injected into the exercise.  These include financial decisions, family dynamics, legal issues, reputational risk factors, and travel problems.

Each exercise is customized for your institution or organization.  You can be as involved in planning the scenarios as you choose.  We have standard scenarios that will be edited based on our knowledge of your institution or organization, or we will work with you to design scenarios that allow you to have specific details incorporated.

How long is a CRE and where does it place?
Ideally, there is a three-hour window blocked for the exercise.  A CRE can be facilitated in-person at your location, or virtually — if you have the option for in-person this is the recommended option to achieve optimum interaction.

What do I need to get started?
If you’re interested in bringing a crisis response exercise to your organization, contact us today! The only thing you’ll need is a willingness to learn, and bring your key stakeholders together to collaborate, share ideas and prepare for a real emergency scenario. We’ll take care of the rest!

About On Call International:
When traveling, every problem is unique–a medical crisis, a political threat, even a common accident such as a missed flight. But every solution starts with customized care that ensures travelers are safe and protected. That’s why for over 30 years, On Call International has provided fully-customized travel risk management and emergency assistance services protecting millions of travelers, their families, and their organizations. Visit www.oncallinternational.com and follow us on LinkedIn to learn more.