The value of tabletop exercises and one-page planning documents.

Tabletop exercises are an excellent means for teaching people what a severe pandemic entails and for helping participants realise both the importance of planning and how to relate to an existing plan. Creating a one-page document to describe one's pandemic response plan and delineate trigger points enhances understanding of a complex plan and is excellent for guiding action during a pandemic. This paper will discuss the value of both tabletop exercises and one-page pandemic response plan summaries. In addition, it discusses the lessons learned from their use at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and at several nonprofit organisations in Howard County, Maryland.