How to Stay Tacticool #8 – The Real-World Value of Operational Readiness Exercises

Anthony Karpanos

Helping mining, construction & venue organisations build safety that works in the field | Founding Director, Soteria 360 | 25+ yrs law enforcement & WHS | Author | Speaker

April 28, 2025

When the pressure hits, it’s too late to start preparing. You’re either ready, or you’re not. And in our world – whether it’s venue safety, public events, or operations – that moment comes fast, loud, and without warning.

That’s why I want to put the spotlight on something that still gets overlooked way too often: operational readiness exercises.

Over the years, whether I’ve been leading teams at venues, stadiums, or in state/federal operations, one thing’s always been clear—a plan only works if your people do. Paper plans look good in the boardroom, but they fall apart under pressure if your team hasn’t trained for the real thing.

So how do you make sure they’re ready? You practice like it’s game day. No scripts. No heads-up. Just simulated chaos to see if your systems, communication, and leadership actually hold up when it matters.

That’s the difference between being prepared… and just thinking you are.

What Is an Operational Readiness Exercise?

Think of it like a full-body workout for your team, systems, and procedures. It’s not a paper-based tabletop drill. It’s a real-time, boots-on-the-ground test of your setup, people, communication, and contingencies.

Whether it’s a venue evacuation, a medical emergency at a music festival, or a fast-moving threat at a stadium – readiness exercises simulate the stress, confusion, and speed of the real thing.

And yes, that pressure is the point.

But here’s the key: your people need to be in it, not just watching it happen. Staff buy-in makes or breaks these drills. If they’re only showing up for the free pizza after the drill, you’ve already missed the mark. You want full engagement – radios up, minds switched on, and every team member treating it like the real deal.

The more realistic the scenario, the more useful the outcome. So, make it loud, make it messy, and make sure everyone from security to front-of-house knows it’s not just a drill – it’s a chance to get better before the real thing comes knocking.

Why Most Organisations Skip It — and Why That’s a Mistake

Many leaders assume if you have a plan, you’re prepared. But here’s the truth: plans look great until you add people, time pressure, and chaos.

Common myths I hear:

“We don’t have the budget.” (Exercises cost less than a real incident.)
“Our staff are already trained.” (Training ≠ coordination.)
“We’ll manage if something happens.” (You won’t.)
and my favourite “She’ll be right – that won’t happen at our venue.” (It will. Eventually. And it won’t give you a heads-up.)

That false sense of security is exactly what creates risk. Operational readiness isn’t about guessing what might go wrong – it’s about making sure your people can perform when it does.

What It Looks Like Done Right

You should run scenario-based exercises across multiple departments, agencies, and event organisers. These are dynamic, no-notice drills designed to:

Identify gaps in comms, command, and control
Test decision-making in real-time
Strengthen trust between stakeholders
Improve response time and situational clarity

These aren’t tick-the-box drills or PowerPoint rehearsals. They’re pressure-cooker tests that show you exactly where your team stands – and where they’ll stumble. When you apply this in real-time, you’ll start to see the shift: teams get faster, sharper, more confident. Miscommunication drops. Leaders step up. And suddenly, that big plan on paper becomes something your people can actually execute. It’s the difference between reacting and responding – and in our world, that difference saves lives.

Pro Tips If You’re New to This

Start small, but start – A 30-minute radio test is better than nothing. Build up from there.
Make it realistic – No one learns from a scripted walkthrough.
Debrief hard – Be honest about what failed. That’s how you improve.
Get leadership involved – Exercises only work if decision-makers feel the heat too.
Repeat – One drill isn’t enough. The real world doesn’t stick to schedules.

You don’t need a huge budget or a special taskforce to get started — you just need intent. The goal here isn’t to run the perfect exercise. It’s to expose friction points before they become failures in a real incident. Every time you run a scenario, your people get sharper, your systems get tighter, and your gaps get smaller. And the best part? That kind of momentum builds fast. One good drill can change the way your team thinks, acts, and communicates for the next real-world event – and that’s the win.

Professional Spotlight

General Manager specialising in Protective Security | Threat and Vulnerability Assessments | Emergency Planning and C4 | Corporate and Government

This week, we’re featuring… — Chris Zammit… I’m lucky enough to not only lean on this guy for his sharp thinking and deep expertise, but also to call him a great mate. Chris Zammit is one of those rare professionals who brings calm, clarity, and credibility to every situation, no matter how complex or high-pressure. Whether it’s strategic risk, major event planning, or crisis response, he’s the kind of operator you want in your corner when it counts.

Chris Zammit is a senior protective security, emergency management and risk leader, with over 17 years’ experience within the public safety realm. An industry leading consultant demonstrated during his 4 years at Sheridan Consulting Group, Chris led international and local programs relating to emergency planning and response, protective security and risk management. This experience varies from government and corporate security through to major events and projects both in Australia and abroad including Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Along with his time at the Australian Football League as the Security & Emergency Management Coordinator, Chris has an established network and stakeholder relations with law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This expertise is backed by 10 years of service with Victoria Police.

Chris provides strategic vision, ensures his teams exceed operational objectives, leads by example and makes sound decisions under pressure. He received regional commendations for his dedication, leadership and initiative displayed during his successful investigative tenure at Victoria Police. Holder of the following industry body / advisory positions:

· Chairperson: ASIS International – Victoria, Australia Chapter.

· Committee Member: Victorian Security Industry Advisory Council (Victorian Government)

Chris’ experience is supported by relevant tertiary qualifications in security, strategic and operational risk, crowd risk analysis, crisis and emergency management.

Chris’s TIPS & TRICKS

Run realistic scenarios – London is NOT falling! Choose scenarios that are lower impact but higher probability of occurring. Taking a look at your risk register, near misses or experience from similar events will give you a good basis for realistic scenarios that engage your team.

Keep Scenarios Short & Sharp – One or two injects is enough. Participants will lose interest and fall back on the same people i.e. Chief Warden, Police, etc if the scenario drags on. Ideally, we are spending 30 minutes on the one incident, before wiping the slate and moving onto a completely separate scenario.

Don’t rely on emergency services – appropriately plan your scenarios and injects to ensure that your teams are responsible for the initial action. Instill a sense of accountability to respond (where appropriate and safe to do so!) rather than rely on the Police or emergency services.

Involve as many people as possible – Choose scenarios that impact as many different work groups or verticals within the organisation / event as possible. There is nothing worse than being invited to an exercise, sitting there for 2 or 3 hours and not being asked to contribute. Good luck trying to get buy in from those participants for the next exercise, or worse still the next incident!

Tacticool Tip of the Week

“Plans are just paper until people prove them.”

You can write the best emergency plan in the country — but if your team hasn’t walked it, worked it, or felt it under pressure, it won’t hold up when it counts.

Because readiness isn’t built in a meeting room. It’s built in the drill yard, in the radios going live, in the sweaty palms when the pressure’s on.

Real readiness comes from reps, not reports.

So train like it’s the real thing. Test your comms. Stress your systems. Make your people think on their feet — because in a real incident, they won’t get time to warm up.

Call-to-Action & Next Steps

What’s one readiness drill that changed how your team operates? Or maybe you ran a scenario that exposed a gap no one saw coming?

Share your go-to tactics, war stories, or lessons learned in the comments — whether it’s a small win or a total stuff-up that made you better.

Let’s trade tools, not just talk — so we can all get sharper and more prepared.

And if this one hit home, hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next drop from How to Stay Tacticool.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-karpanos-088692246

Feel free to share this newsletter with friends, colleagues, or fellow event enthusiasts—together, let’s stay prepared, proactive, and of course… Tacticool!