ANALYTICAL PREPAREDNESS
FULL-SCALE EXERCISE
(AP-FSE) TOOLKIT
SERA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Are you prepared for a water contamination incident?
WHAT IS A WLA AP-FSE?
An Analytical Preparedness Full Scale Exercise
is an operational exercise in which live actions,
including analysis of prepared water samples, are
taken in response to a fictional water contamination
scenario. It gives utilities, laboratories and other
partners an opportunity to practice their emergency
response plans and operating procedures. The Water
Laboratory Alliance's AP-FSE Toolkit is an interactive
ten-step guide that provides the information and
tools needed to plan and execute an AP-FSE.
WHO PARTICIPATES IN AN AP-FSE?
At a minimum, each exercise should include one water utility
and one laboratory. The exercise may also involve other water
sector response partners, including federal,state and local
regulatory and emergency management stakeholders and
others. Participants may take on the roles of exercise planners,
controllers, evaluators, and players. The Toolkit provides a
summary of exercise participant roles and responsibilities.
WHY PARTICIPATE IN AN AP-FSE?
Preparedness is key in the effective coordination of
laboratory support during a water contamination incident.
Participation in an AP-FSE ensures that ali organizations
involved will understand their roles and responsibilities in the
event of a water contamination emergency.
DID YOU KNOW?
The AP-FSE has helped past participants:
•	Build and strengthen relationships among utilities, laboratories and
other response partners—relationships necessary for effective
emergency response during an incident.
•	Identify critical resource gaps to be addressed prior to an actual
contamination event.
•	Increase familiarity with EPA's Water Laboratory Alliance Response
Plan (WLA-RP).
•	Practice implementing plans and procedures for responding to
contamination events.
•	Build laboratory capacity by providing an opportunity to use
a wide variety of analytical methods.
QUOTE FROM
PAST PARTICIPANT:
"This was an advantageous study
in which to participate. We got
the chance to build some
relationships and network with
other local laboratories and utilities
in our region. We were able to build
our intra-laboratory communication
skills...and improve upon our
laboratory quality control.
- AP-FSE Laboratory Participant

-------
EXERCISE ACTIVITIES
Activities are designed to meet participating
organizations" objectives. Activities in a WLA
AP-FSE may include:
•	Communication and coordination.
•	Sample collection, sample shipping, receipt
and analyses.
•	Data review, validation, and reporting.
•	Data communication and developing
public notices.
THE STEPS:
The Toolkit presents the process of planning and
executing an AP-FSE in ten steps:
1.	Initiate the Exercise Planning Process
2.	Identify and Recruit Potential Participants
3.	Identify Objectives
4.	Develop the Scenario and Expected Actions
5.	Schedule the Exercise
6.	Prepare Exercise Documents
7.	Conduct Pre-Exercise Training Sessions
8.	Conduct the Exercise
9.	Conduct the "Hot Wash" (Immediate Debrief)
10.	Perform Exercise Follow up Activities
ACCESSING THE AP-FSE:
The AP-FSE is freely available to download from
EPA's website: https://www.epa.gov/waterlabnet-
work/plan-laboratorv-full-scale-exercise.
FAQ:
HOW MUCH TIME
IS NEEDED TO PLAN
AND CONDUCT A FULL-
SCALE EXERCISE?
In general, 6-12 months should be allowed to plan
a 3-5 day exercise. The AP-FSE toolkit provides an
example planning schedule to meet your needs.
QUOTE FROM PAST PARTICIPANT:
"This exercise is an awesome way to educate,
enhance and test our training! We learned so
much and would be very much interested in
participating again with future exercises."
- AP-FSE Laboratory Participant
TOOLKIT RESOURCES
The AP-FSE Toolkit includes everything users need to
conduct exercises based on two "off the shelf" scenarios:
one involving a biological agent and one involving
a chemical contaminant. The Toolkit also features
templates and other easy-to-adapt forms and handouts
so participants can easily use the included scenarios or
develop their own. Resources that users can download
from the Toolkit include, among others:
•	Two complete sets of customizable scenario
documents, including master scenario event lists
and exercise evaluation guides, plus templates for
creating new scenarios,
•	Example exercise planning schedule.
•	Training slideshows for controllers and evaluators.
•	Customizable exercise evaluation and
feedback forms
•	After-Action Report template.
v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA 817-S-19-002
Questions or interested in learning more?
Contact WLA 5 epa.gov or visit https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience
training/register-water-utilitv-resilience-training-now to register for
training on the AP-FSE Toolkit and the WLA-RP.

-------