Crisis Management Games

Traditional Games

• Traditional crisis management games put individuals in staged scenarios where they have to resolve some impending disaster. These involve rapidly emerging situations with new actors and problems throughout the crisis. Additional puzzles or problem-solving sessions are interspersed throughout the game. Governments stage these to prepare their emergency management workers for crisis situations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is especially adept at constructing these games for its personnel.

Simulator

• Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories developed a simulator for emergency preparedness. The game opens with a newscast describing the situation. The player then sees an aerial view of the affected area. He must decide how best to allocate police, firefighters, medics and other personnel. While the player moves rapidly to solve the crisis, a death toll from the emergency ticks in the corner. This creates an added sense of time pressure.

Disaster Hero

• In June 2010, the American College of Emergency Physicians teamed up with FEMA and a game development company to build Disaster Hero. This game is dedicated to families to help them prepare for an emergency situation such as a natural disaster. The game uses interactive game play, exciting graphics and wholesome themes to teach crisis management skills to all members of the family. Lessons will use time management and puzzles to teach important information.

Other Crisis Management Scenarios

• Crisis management can also be applied in the executive suite for public relations disasters. The classic example occurred in 1982 when it was found that some Tylenol had been tampered with and killed several people. Johnson &Johnson recalled all 31 million bottles nationwide to fix the caps on the bottles. The company was widely praised for its effective crisis management. Similarly, PR companies today stage games with similar scenarios.