It is an old Army maxim, "Train as you will fight." You do that if you want your people and equipment and processes and procedures to be ready for the disaster maelstrom that is sure to come with catastrophic disasters.
See this interview I did with a university professor who has dissected two events, one a real and simulated. Trust me, this guy has his head screwed on right and don't be waiving your finger at him and calling him an academic. It is a long interview, but well worth your reading and adapting to.
Making the Case for More Realistic Disaster Exercises
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
