The National Exercise Program (NEP) consists of training courses and
operation centre exercises that hone our National Emergency Response System.
Government, first responders and military officials work together in these
exercises, simulating emergency scenarios such as natural disasters, health
threats and terrorist attacks. The exercises are often conducted with multiple
departments, including provincial, territorial and municipal governments, to
ensure efficient and effective responses.
Regional exercises and collaboration
Regional exercises entail collaborations between municipal,
provincial/territorial and federal agencies. PSEPC is at the hub of the federal
response, coordinating all federal departments that may be implicated in a given
emergency. Regional exercises are often led by the municipal or regional bodies,
but PSEPC can also act as the exercise lead. In either case, PSEPC oversees the
cycle of federal activities during an exercise, collecting data, measuring
response times and identifying strengths and weaknesses. When a given exercise
is complete, we ensure that all data and lessons learned are shared among the
participating agencies.
As well, PSEPC works with the provinces and territories to further develop
the National Exercise Program, creating policies and standards, identifying
priorities and developing other potential exercise scenarios.
International exercises
Under the National Security
Policy, the Canada-U.S.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Guidelines and the
Smart Border Declaration, Canada has made commitments to organize joint
counter-terrorism exercises with the U.S.
In addition, Canada participates in regular exercises with other countries.
For example, a 2005 exercise called TRIPLEPLAY simulated a major terrorist
attack on Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Officials at all
levels of the federal government and senior officials from the governments of
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were involved. This multinational, multi-agency
exercise tested operation centres, senior decision makers, coordination of
strategic public communications, and exchange of classified intelligence and
operational information.