The National Exercise Program (NEP) is a two-year cycle of exercises across the nation that examine and validate capabilities in all preparedness mission areas. Each NEP cycle is guided by Principals’ Strategic Priorities, established by the Principals Committee of the National Security Council and informed by preparedness data from jurisdictions across the nation. FEMA's National Exercise Division administers the NEP on behalf of the federal government, facilitating the design, coordination, conduct, evaluation and analysis of NEP exercises.
Request Exercise Support through the National Exercise Program
The NEP accepts requests for exercise support twice a year from state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions. Support requests are only reviewed after the submission deadline.
| Round | Submission Deadline | Decisions Sent By |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2022 Round | April 1, 2022 | May 6, 2022 |
| Fall 2022 Round* | November 1, 2022 | December 9, 2022 |
| Spring 2023 Round* | April 3, 2023 | May 5, 2023 |
*Dates subject to change
How to Request Exercise Support
Steps 1-3
- Download and Complete the Exercise Support Request Form – The NEP Exercise Nomination Form is an Adobe PDF file that can be saved and revised by sponsoring organizations as needed until ready to submit.
- Contact your Regional Exercise Officer and express intent to submit an exercise to the NEP, so they can maintain visibility on requests across their region.
- Submit the Exercise Nomination Form – All completed exercise nomination forms and required supporting documentation must be emailed by the submission deadline. Please include “National Exercise Program Exercise Support Request” in the email subject line.
Eligibility Requirements
State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) jurisdictions are eligible to submit requests for exercise support. Non-profit, private sector, and federal entities can submit requests on the condition that the request is co-sponsored by an SLTT government organization.
To be eligible for support, sponsors must meet the following criteria:
- Align exercise to at least one of the Principals’ Strategic Priorities (PSP) in the current NEP cycle.
- Submit all required supporting documentation with their Spring 2022 Exercise Support Request Form:
- All sponsors must submit documentation of plans or corrective actions that the exercise will validate (e.g., completed plans, draft plans, After-Action Report/Improvement Plan, Integrated Preparedness Plan).
- Sponsors that have previously received support from the National Exercise Division must submit Improvement Plans or other documentation of progress made on improvements since the previous exercise(s).
- Confirm that the sponsor has reached out to the appropriate FEMA Regional Exercise Officer.
How the National Exercise Program Works
State, local, tribal, territorial and other whole community partners can receive technical assistance and support for exercises at no cost from experienced exercise specialists in the National Exercise Division.
Support could include assistance with exercise design, scenario development, planning, conduct, and evaluation in the form of subject-matter expertise, material production, or facilitation for selected exercises.
Exercises are selected for the NEP based on their alignment to the Principals’ Strategic Priorities for each two-year cycle set by the National Security Council and resource availability.
Exercises in the NEP contribute evaluation data to the National Preparedness System to provide a clearer picture of the nation's readiness, such as through the National Preparedness Report.
As a culmination of each NEP cycle, the National Exercise Division leads a biennial National Level Exercise that builds off of exercises and other preparedness activities conducted during the cycle.
Policy and Resources
National Exercise Program Base Plan: Outlines the authorities, governance and concept of operations that provide the foundation for the NEP.
FEMA’s Regional Exercise Officers
| Region | Regional Exercise Officers | States / Territories |
|---|---|---|
| Region 01 | Kerri-Ann Tirrell | Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont |
| Region 02 | Chris Cammarata | New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands |
| Region 03 | Patricia Gardner | Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, District of Columbia and West Virginia |
| Region 04 | Neil Anderson | Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee |
| Region 05 | Marc Chmielewski | Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin |
| Region 06 | Justin Breeding | Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas |
| Region 07 | John Bissen | Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska |
| Region 08 | Andrew Batten | Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming |
| Region 09 | Geoffrey Krueger | Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands , Republic of Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia |
| Region 10 | Casey Broom | Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington |