About The Exercise Training Network

The Argonne National Laboratory Public Affairs Science and Technology (PAST) Fusion Cell Academy designs and develops training materials and resource guides; provides classroom training/knowledge management; conducts assessments and offers recommendations for emergency management and risk/crisis communication to Federal, State and local jurisdictions; and provides full spectrum exercise simulation for training and exercises using the Exercise Training Network (ETN) tool. PAST offers these services to enhance risk and crisis communication, emergency management and emergency public information solutions to meet agency goals, objectives and mission/vision.

The Difference

ETN: The Exercise Training Network is a secure, state-of-the-art online platform that allows users to experience the most realistic and challenging exercise simulations, featuring multimedia driven tabletop exercises complimented by digital print, radio, video news stories and live broadcasts. ETN is flexible and scalable to meet client needs and requires limited training for exercise planners and players to employ.

Social Media Simulation Process: The PAST Fusion Cell’s process for exercising social media with real-world tools requires limited assistance and does not require support once initial set-up and training has been conducted. Agencies can use simulated social media play on-demand at no-cost, using internal resources and staffing, and augmented as desired by our highly trained staff.

Access to Subject-Matter Experts and Master Exercise Practitioners: Argonne National Laboratory and the PAST Fusion Cell have the ability to provide on-call subject-matter experts and certified Master Exercise Practitioners to assist agencies in all aspects of exercise planning, conduct, evaluation and training support

Current Exercise Support

Simulated media production and social media exercise play has been successfully tested and executed dozens of times in a range of exercise environments, from small stand-alone drills that focus only on emergency public information to large full-scale exercises with multiple players participating from across agencies and jurisdictions.

The PAST Fusion Cell provides regular public affairs exercise support using ETN for the following agencies:

Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Homeland Security/ Federal Emergency Management Agency
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Idaho National Laboratory
Kentucky Emergency Management Agency
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Nevada National Security Site
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Pueblo County Sheriff’s Department
Richmond (KY) Emergency Management Agency
U.S. Army