FAQs

Heroic Improv is for organizations, teams, communities, and public-facing professionals who want to strengthen their ability to respond to unexpected or emergency situations. Programs can be adapted for workplaces, schools, public-facing organizations, community groups, emergency professionals, and other audiences.

Emergency preparedness often focuses on plans, procedures, resources, and logistics. Emergency readiness considers whether people have practiced how to respond when faced with uncertainty, stress, and changing circumstances. Heroic Improv focuses on building that capacity to act.

Emergencies are unpredictable, and people may not respond exactly as they expect when faced with stress or uncertainty. Heroic Improv uses focus, intensity, novelty, imagination, and practice to help people experience uncertainty in a low-stakes environment. Using the five-stop Heroic Improv Cycle©, participants learn to recognize what is happening, connect with others, focus on solutions, and move into action.

No. Traditional drills are an important part of emergency preparedness, but they generally focus on practicing specific procedures. Heroic Improv focuses on the practice people need to respond and act when circumstances change or a situation doesn't follow the plan. It helps close the practice gap between knowing what to do and being ready to respond.

Heroic Improv is designed for diverse groups and can be adapted for people of different ages, abilities, experiences, and roles. Programs have been used with emergency responders, disaster professionals and volunteers, educators, airline staff, community emergency response teams, indigenous communities, homeless service providers, university students, and other public-facing groups.

No. Heroic Improv is designed for everyone, not professional performers. The exercises are structured to help participants practice specific readiness abilities, so no previous theater or improvisation experience is required.

Research into rapid rescues has shown that ordinary people can quickly form small groups of 16 or fewer people to respond to urgent situations. Small groups can connect, build trust quickly, share information, identify solutions, and act fast to solve an urgent problem. Heroic Improv helps participants practice those abilities before they are needed in a real emergency.

Yes. Heroic Improv offers both virtual and in-person training options. The format can be adapted to the needs of the organization and participants.

Many Heroic Improv exercises take approximately 10–15 minutes. Their short, focused format makes it possible to incorporate practice into existing meetings, trainings, and readiness activities.

Yes. Heroic Improv can be adapted to different audiences, environments, abilities, and emergency readiness needs. Heroic Improv training has been used with special needs organizations and people with disabilities. Customized scenarios can also be developed around situations an organization wants its people to practice responding to.

Having a plan does not necessarily mean people are ready to act. Heroic Improv can help organizations identify the gap between written procedures and people's ability to communicate, adapt, make decisions, and respond together under uncertainty.