CAPTRS C3C Game Improves Understanding of Coordination and Activation During an Emergency

In October, CAPTRS hosted two pilot sessions for the Command, Control, Coordination, and Communication (C3C) Game , a learning and analytical exercise designed to strengthen how teams collaborate during complex threats. The new C3C Game will be released in early 2026!

In a crisis, coordination challenges and communication gaps can cost time, resources, and even lives. The C3C Game helps teams confront these challenges head-on by navigating the operational and communication dynamics of emergency response in a realistic, structured environment. The game can be customized for a variety of threat scenarios, from disease outbreaks to natural disasters, and tailored to include the specific agencies and organizations that would be involved in a response in your region, city, or county.

Through multiple interactive modules, players practice assessing threats, determining activation levels, adapting command structures as scenarios evolve, and clarifying cross-agency roles and responsibilities. The goal is to strengthen coordination, reveal misalignments, and improve decision-making under pressure.

Our first pilot was conducted with the South Dakota Department of Health and regional partners using a scenario centered on a virulent flu outbreak that stretched local health systems to their limits. The second pilot, hosted by

Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) , brought together around 40 participants from the Dallas response community, including Dallas County, the City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management, local hospitals, Dallas ISD and others. The scenario focused on a measles outbreak spreading across county lines. Support for this pilot was provided by Lyda Hill Philanthropies.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Before and after the game, participants completed assessments measuring their ability to:

Identify triggers used in threat assessments Determine which entities to engage as a threat develops Describe how incident command structures and emergency operations centers activate and adapt

Communicate effectively across entities to support coordinated decision-making

Across all categories, participants reported improvements of

10–50% in their understanding of these critical response functions.

Here’s what participants had to say: “I’ve done lots of exercises, and this was the best at generating meaningful discussions.”

“It blew my expectations out of the water.” “Phenomenal. It was like a tabletop on steroids—really, really cool, taking emergency management to the next level.”

“We actually figured out who does what during a response.” “I left with a deeper understanding of different roles and thought processes.”

“It was so helpful to hear different perspectives from a variety of partners involved in public health responses.”

The full C3C Game package will include all game components, one complete scenario (with the option to purchase additional scenarios), a detailed facilitation guide, and hands-on training with the CAPTRS team.

If your organization is ready to strengthen coordination and communication in a realistic, engaging way, connect with the CAPTRS team to bring the

C3C Game to your team. We’re offering an exclusive 20% discount for early clients.