Chaos or Confidence? The Difference Is in the Practice

This article is the latest installment in the Good Government Files Crisis Comms series, where we share real-world lessons from professionals who’ve been tested in the toughest moments. At DFW StratComm, I’m fortunate to work alongside seasoned experts who know the difference between chaos and resilience often comes down to preparation—and one of the best tools for preparation is the tabletop exercise.

Today’s piece features insights from my colleague JJ Jones, a Certified Emergency Management professional with 40 years of experience. JJ began her career as a paramedic and went on to serve in the City of Fort Worth’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), FEMA, and in hospital and public health planning roles. She’s written emergency plans, led drills and exercises, trained countless professionals, and responded to disasters ranging from the 2000 Fort Worth tornado and the Wedgwood Church shooting to Ebola and COVID-19. She brings a rare mix of practical field response and high-level planning expertise—exactly what’s needed to make tabletop exercises realistic and productive.

By JJ JONES
DFW StratComm

When the storm hits—or the shooting, or the cyberattack—it’s too late to figure out who does what. That’s why tabletop exercises are essential. Done right, they facilitate stress-free conversations that reveal hidden talents, sharpen response plans, and build relationships that will save lives when the worst happens.

I’ve spent 40 years in emergency management—starting as a paramedic, then serving with the City of Fort Worth OEM, FEMA, hospitals, and public health agencies. I’ve responded to tornadoes, mass shootings, and hurricanes, as well as Ebola and COVID-19. Through it all, one lesson keeps coming back: preparation is everything. And tabletop exercises are where that preparation becomes real.

More Than a Drill

A productive tabletop is not about “gotcha” moments; it’s about collaboration, understanding roles, and testing the gaps in a plan before those gaps cost lives. Everyone brings something to the table. During a tornado that hit downtown Fort Worth, we discovered the library could use its freeze-drying equipment to salvage blown-away documents. Who would have thought librarians would become critical players in disaster recovery? But they did.

That’s the beauty of tabletops: they uncover tools in your own backyard you didn’t even know you had.

Designing the Right Scenario

The key is to know your audience and your goal. At a hospital, that meant running through what might happen if a tornado sparked a fire from unsecured oxygen tanks. At another, it was testing how quickly a shooter could overrun the building (answer: less than eight minutes). Both exercises forced leaders to confront uncomfortable but very real vulnerabilities.

The scenario must be realistic, but it can also be creative. Once, I sent a sealed envelope through City Hall’s mail system. Inside was a note declaring everyone exposed to a biological agent. It wasn’t a trick—it was a wake-up call. The exercise led directly to installing cameras and tightening mail security.

JJ Jones, standing, briefs city officials on the Rules of Play before embarking on a tabletop exercise. Credit: DFW StratComm

Rules of Play

If you don’t set ground rules, tabletops fall apart. People argue about whether a scenario could really happen. They shut down. That’s why I tell participants: Play the game. Think of it as a movie script—you didn’t write it, but you must act it out. Your job is to work with the injects, not dismiss them.

Injects—the unexpected twists—are what keep everyone engaged. A good facilitator uses them like a director uses plot points, pacing the exercise so the team stays sharp but never overwhelmed. And yes, sometimes you can throw in a little humor (“request a case of bourbon”) to break the tension.

After the Exercise

The real work begins after the exercise. A hotwash (the immediate debrief) collects quick insights. But it’s just as important to send follow-up emails a few days later. That’s when participants often remember the gaps that didn’t occur to them in the moment.

This process has led to real, tangible changes. Hospitals added metal detectors and panic buttons. City managers tightened access controls. Plans were rewritten to reflect hard lessons learned.

Why Leaders and Communicators Must Join In

Too often, people think tabletop exercises are just for police, fire, or emergency management. Wrong. City managers, assistant city managers, and PIOs need a seat at the table.

Why? Because in a crisis, they’ll be on the command team. They’ll need to understand incident command. They’ll be the ones ensuring the city speaks with one voice. And without their buy-in—financial and political—the best emergency management plans won’t work.

Relationships Matter Most

At the end of the day, tabletop exercises aren’t just about testing plans, they’re about building relationships. When disaster comes, it’s not just what you know—it’s who you know and whether you trust them.

I’ve seen city leaders come back from exercises with new respect for frontline staff, and quiet employees discover their hidden strengths. Those connections pay off when the sirens wail.

So, if you haven’t done a tabletop yet, start one. Keep it real. Keep it collaborative. And remember: Everyone has a piece of the pie.

Preparing for the unthinkable isn’t easy, and it rarely makes it to the top of a city leader’s daily to-do list. That’s why at DFW StratComm, my colleagues and I step in to help cities build and run tabletop exercises, and even write full crisis communication plans. A recent example: the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, which brought us in to strengthen its preparedness.

The truth is simple: local government executives are busy. They’re managing budgets, leading staff, and working through the politics of the day. Finding time to plan for tomorrow’s crisis—whether it’s a flood, a fire, or a political emergency—can feel impossible. Outsourcing that work often makes sense, especially if you can rely on a team with decades of real-world experience in both emergency management and communications.

Because when the crisis comes—and it will—you want more than a binder on a shelf. You want a plan that’s been tested, a team that’s trained, and the confidence that your community is ready.