Bridging Engineering and Emergency Response – The Power of Tabletop Exercise
Courtyard Toronto Markham (65 Minthorn Blvd, Markham, ON)
Technical Workshop:
Bridging Engineering and Emergency Response – The Power of Tabletop Exercise
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location:
- In-Person at Courtyard Toronto Markham (65 Minthorn Blvd, Markham, ON)
* Venue space is limited. Please register as soon as possible. (Meal and refreshment will be provided.)
Registration: https://
Event Information:
When disaster strikes, whether it’s flooding, structural failure, or a major power outage, engineers are often at the center of the response. But how can we prepare for the unexpected before it happens?
In this interactive session, our speaker Jennifer Lu will introduce the concept of Tabletop Exercises (TTX), a collaborative, scenario-based approach used to test systems, decision-making, and coordination during emergencies.
The talk will wrap up with a hands-on mini tabletop exercise, where participants will role-play as different engineering disciplines respond to a simulated infrastructure failure. Get ready to think on your feet, collaborate under pressure, and see how your technical expertise fits into a larger emergency management system.
No prior emergency management experience required, just curiosity and a willingness to collaborate.
Why it matters: Engineers design and maintain the systems that keep our cities running — power, water, structures, and data. When emergencies happen, these same systems are put to the test. Tabletop exercises give engineers a way to simulate those “what if” moments before they occur, strengthening not only technical readiness but also collaboration, communication, and decision-making under uncertainty.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will:
• Understand the purpose and structure of tabletop exercises.
• Recognize how TTX applies to engineering contexts (civil, mechanical, electrical, operations).
• Practice systems thinking and interdisciplinary coordination.
• Leave with a framework to design their own tabletop scenarios in the workplace.
Event Breakdown:
09:00 - 09:05 am Opening Remarks
09:05 - 10:05 am Presentation
10:05 - 10:15 am Break
10:15 - 10:25 am Transition/Breakout Setup
10:25 - 11:30 am Mini Tabletop Scenario Workshop
11:30 - 11:45 am Wrap-up & Takeaways
11:45 - 12:00 pm Q & A
12:00 - 01:00 pm Professional Networking + Lunch
Our Speaker:
Jennifer Lu, P.Eng.
Manager, Metrolinx
Jennifer Lu is a structural engineering designer turned facilitator and operational readiness lead. She bridges the gap between technical design and human collaboration, using workshops and tabletop exercises as a medium to reframe conversations, uncover the “why” decisions, and make complex ideas tangible across disciplines. At Metrolinx, she established the organization’s first readiness testing strategy and has led cross-functional sessions, connecting operations, engineering, and leadership teams to build collective preparedness and resilience. She is also a former PEO York Chapter Director from 2017 to 2020.
Regards,
Elven Tsui, P. Eng.
Director, Business and Community Outreach
PEO York Chapter
*By registering and attending In-Person PEO York Chapter events, attendees acknowledge the voluntary compliance of all host venue safety policies and local Public Health Requirements. Your participation is voluntary, PEO and PEO York Chapter decline any responsibilities and liabilities to event participants. Attendees also acknowledge and give PEO York Chapter full consent to use, reproduce and publish photos taken during the event.
*Each licence holder should determine whether an event is relevant to their practice. Only practice relevant activities are appropriate for PEAK continuing knowledge hours. Please consult PEAK program requirements on PEO website for more details.