Destination Disaster: Responder Game – Enhance Tactical Decision-Making and Unified Command in Emergency Preparedness

Serious games for serious preparedness.

Ascenttra has specialized in HSEEP exercise design, conduct, and evaluation since 2007. We have developed hundreds of exercises across almost every possible scenario to examine policies, plans, procedures, equipment, systems, organizational structures, and training for all disciplines in both government and the private sector. Games are a unique style of discussion-based exercise as they allow for changing scenario environments based on player actions and decision making. Well-crafted games also allow the examination of decision points by allowing facilitators to "rewind" and explore the consequences of decisions.

Ascenttra’s Destination Disaster: Responder

Ascenttra’s Destination Disaster: Responder game is a groundbreaking tool for enhancing the preparedness of first responder agencies. This immersive, discussion-based board game focuses on tactical decision-making, resource allocation, and unified command strategies, providing participants with an engaging and realistic platform to validate their emergency response plans.

Key Features of the Responder Game

1. Tactical Decision-Making and Resource Management

The Responder game places participants in the heart of emergency scenarios, challenging them to make critical tactical decisions and effectively manage resources. The dynamic gameplay simulates real-world pressures, requiring players to think strategically and act decisively.

2. Unified Command Coordination

One of the game’s core objectives is to improve coordination between various agencies and departments. Through unified command discussions, participants can explore interagency communication, roles, and responsibilities, ensuring seamless collaboration during actual emergencies.

3. Realistic and Customized Scenarios

Ascenttra’s Destination Disaster: Responder game is designed to reflect your organization’s unique policies, plans, and procedures. Customization includes:

Two-sided game boards with your choice of maps or floor plans tailored to your operational environment.
Scenario inject cards specific to your region and scenario.
Resource cards representing your agency’s available assets.

These personalized elements make the game relevant and impactful, enabling participants to validate their plans against realistic challenges.

4. Scenario-Agnostic Mode for "What-If" Analysis

In addition to specific hazards or scenarios, the Responder game offers a scenario-agnostic mode. This feature allows participants to conduct "what-if" analyses, exploring different responses to a wide range of hazards. By rewinding and redoing decisions, teams can identify best practices and refine their strategies in a safe environment.

5. Seamless Integration with Other Games in the Series

The Responder game integrates seamlessly with the EOC and Healthcare versions of the Destination Disaster series. This interconnected gameplay simulates real-world interactions between on-scene responders, emergency operations centers, and healthcare facilities, providing a comprehensive view of emergency response operations.

The Power of Short, Focused Exercises

Response agencies operate in fast-paced environments where time is a precious commodity. Traditional, full-day exercises often require significant planning and resources. A shorter, well-structured tabletop exercise offers an alternative that delivers value without overwhelming your schedule. In just 90 minutes, your team can:

Explore Specific Scenarios: Focus on high-priority risks, such as command challenges or resource allocation during crises.
Identify Gaps in Policies, Plans, and Procedures: Highlight areas that need adjustment to align with real-world demands.
Enhance Team Collaboration: Strengthen communication and decision-making across units and agencies under simulated stress.
Encourage Continuous Improvement: Generate actionable feedback that can guide further training and planning efforts.

How the Responder Game Works

Participants in the Responder game are presented with challenging injects based on your customized scenarios or live adjustments by facilitators. Each inject simulates a real-world challenge prompting participants to:

Assess the situation and develop a tactical plan.
Allocate or reallocate resources effectively under time constraints.
Collaborate with other players to implement unified command strategies.
Navigate unexpected twists introduced, encouraging adaptive thinking.

The game’s dynamic nature ensures that no two sessions are the same, keeping participants engaged and challenged.

Fun with Purpose

Emergency management is serious business, but that doesn’t mean it has to be dull. Our product combines the rigor of a formal HSEEP exercise with the engaging elements of a board game but without the unrealistic randomness common in simple games that prevents them from deeply exploring your procedures and the consequences of player decisions. This balance ensures participants stay engaged, but are actually discussing your facility’s procedures and preparedness. While other emergency management games only seek to “familiarize” players with preparedness concepts, a Destination Disaster:Responder session produces relevant and actionable areas for improvement and corrective actions specific for your organization.

Tools and Deliverables

The Responder game comes equipped with tools to enhance gameplay and ensure meaningful outcomes:

Customized Maps and Boards: Reflect your agency’s operational areas and resource distribution.
Customized Resource Cards: Represent real-world assets, such as personnel, vehicles, and equipment.
Scenario Inject Cards: Tailored to your organization’s risks and hazards.
Blank Inject Cards: Allows facilitators to provide new or situational-specific injects during play.
Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs): Customized by Ascenttra to align with your standard operating procedures to facilitate detailed After-Action Reports.
Facilitator Instructions and Templates: Including a PowerPoint scenario presentation and customizable Ascenttra News Network videos for added immersion and a ready to use After-Action Report.

Benefits of the Responder Game

1. Validates Emergency Plans and Policies

Participants can validate their plans in realistic scenarios, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement. The game’s customization ensures that these insights are directly applicable to your organizations.

2. Encourages Critical Thinking and Adaptability

The game’s interactive design fosters proactive problem-solving, adaptability, and critical thinking, equipping participants with skills to handle real emergencies effectively.

3. Builds Team Collaboration

Through unified command exercises and interagency coordination, the Responder game strengthens teamwork and communication, laying the foundation for effective emergency response.

4. Provides Actionable Insights

With built-in tools for After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans, the game delivers actionable insights to guide continuous improvement in your emergency preparedness efforts.

Play Requirements

Space: The main play board is 56” wide by 25” high.

Players: The responder game is not limited in the number of players, however, we recommend no more than 12 responders representing the tactical resources and 4 at the Unified Command table. More can easily be added by adding additional tables for different functions (e.g. PIO/JIC, Operations Section, Planning Section, etc.)

Knowledge: Players should have knowledge of their agency's resources and policies, plans, and procedures.

Equipment: Table for the boards and computer that can show the presentation and play the news videos.

Why Choose the Destination Disaster: Responder Game?

Ascenttra’s Destination Disaster: Responder game combines the realism and rigor of traditional tabletop exercises with the engagement and interactivity of a board game. It transforms emergency preparedness training into a dynamic and impactful experience that:

Meets Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) requirements.
Encourages meaningful discussions about policies and procedures.
Creates a safe environment for exploring innovative approaches and solutions.
Allows “what-if” scenario analysis.

Invest in Excellence

Regularly incorporating customized, 90-minute exercises into your preparedness program as part of a progressive exercise program can yield long-term benefits. Teams become more adept at navigating crises, policies evolve to meet current demands, and your team builds a culture of continuous improvement. Our solution offers a strategic investment in your agency's resilience for much less than a single vendor-facilitated exercise.

Let’s redefine what tabletop exercises can achieve. Contact us today to learn how our customizable, engaging solution can meet your emergency management needs and exceed expectations for less than you think.

For detailed information on our other two versions, click on the links below to learn more or view an overview of all three games here.

Destination Disaster Healthcare

Destination Disaster EOC

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