Earthquake for Credit Unions

Earthquake Tabletop Exercise for Credit Unions

This exercise is part of our catalog of tabletop exercises for credit unions .

Scenario Overview

A powerful earthquake strikes the region, causing structural damage, power outages, and widespread disruption. Credit union facilities may be damaged or inaccessible, and employees and members face immediate safety risks.

As the situation unfolds, leadership must account for personnel, assess facility impacts, coordinate emergency response actions, and determine how to maintain critical financial services during ongoing disruption.

This exercise challenges credit union leadership teams to respond to a large-scale natural disaster while balancing life safety, operational continuity, and member service expectations.

Why This Scenario Matters for Credit Unions

Credit unions rely on physical branches, technology systems, and coordinated staff response to deliver financial services. A major earthquake can simultaneously impact facilities, infrastructure, employees, and members, creating complex operational and safety challenges.

This exercise helps leadership teams evaluate how they would respond to a widespread disruption affecting facilities, systems, and service delivery, while maintaining member trust and meeting operational demands.

Exercise Objectives

  • Evaluate leadership decision-making during a large-scale natural disaster.
  • Discuss employee and member safety and accountability procedures.
  • Review coordination of emergency response and damage assessment.
  • Assess internal communications and leadership coordination.
  • Examine continuity of critical financial services.
  • Identify priorities for short-term recovery and restoration of operations.

Typical Participants

  • Executive leadership
  • Operations management
  • Facilities or branch leadership
  • Human resources
  • Communications or public affairs staff
  • Member services leadership
  • Business continuity or crisis management team members

Exercise Format

Conduct-It-Yourself Tabletop Exercises are structured, discussion-based simulations designed to help organizations test their response to disruptive events without the time and cost of a fully facilitated exercise. Participants are placed in the middle of a realistic scenario as it unfolds and must work through decisions, priorities, and consequences as a leadership team.

Each downloadable exercise package includes everything needed to conduct the session internally, including facilitator instructions, exercise overview materials, participant forms, a detailed scenario script, and a ready-to-run PowerPoint presentation that guides the scenario and discussion. The materials are designed so organizations can conduct the exercise as delivered or customize the storyline and supporting materials to reflect their own facilities, operations, and service delivery environment.

Most exercises are designed to be conducted in approximately 2 to 4 hours. A typical agenda includes an exercise overview and scenario briefing, the facilitated disaster simulation discussion, group review and preparation for debriefing, and a structured post-exercise discussion to capture lessons learned and improvement opportunities.

Exercise Focus

  • Emergency Response
  • Business Continuity
  • Operational Recovery

Related Tabletop Exercise Scenarios

Organizations exploring this scenario may also find these exercises useful:

Looking for a Facilitated Exercise for Your Credit Union?

Many credit unions choose to run their exercises with an experienced facilitator to guide discussion, introduce evolving scenario developments, and capture improvement opportunities.

If you would prefer a professionally facilitated tabletop exercise tailored to your credit union, learn more about our consulting services.

Explore Facilitated Tabletop Exercises for Credit Unions

Purchase & Download

SKU CIYCU006
$595.00