From Stories to Simulation: Using Roleplay and Narrative to Build Emergency Management Competence (In-person Course)

Disaster GamingCon 2026 Pre-Conference Training Course

Instructor - Mark Borland

This course bridges ancient storytelling traditions with modern emergency management practice. Participants learn how narrative, role-playing, and gamified simulations can unlock deeper engagement, improve decision-making, and build resilience under stress. Rather than relying solely on lectures or policy documents, students experience real-world emergency concepts through scenarios, character-driven decision pathways, and tabletop simulations.

Designed for emergency managers, planners, field leaders, trainers, and organizational mentors, the course leverages the mechanics of role-playing games (RPG), crisis simulations, and guided narrative exercises to model complex operations—from initial response through recovery and mitigation. Each module demonstrates how characters, motivations, environment, and constraints mirror the real pressures of disaster operations: resource scarcity, political constraints, personnel burnout, shifting objectives, and stakeholder conflict.

Participants will learn how to build training environments that are safe, psychologically realistic, and effective. They will leave with practical tools to design simulations for tabletop exercises, training events, incident after-action reviews, and professional leadership development.