An activity designed to promote emergency preparedness; evaluate emergency operations, policies, plans, procedures, and facilities; train personnel in emergency management and response duties; and demonstrate operational capability. Exercises consist of performing duties, tasks, or operations very similar to the way they would be performed in a real emergency. However, the exercise performance is in response to a simulated event.

Therefore, exercises require input to emergency personnel that motivates a realistic action. Reclamation "mock emergencies" have been replaced with the five components of an emergency exercise programme as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These five components are: orientation seminar, tabletop exercise, drill, functional exercise, and full-scale exercise.