MARION — With the help of a state agency, Marion officials tested the town’s emergency response plans Tuesday, Oct. 8, a news release said.

Staff from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency facilitated a tabletop exercise with officials from several town departments, including the police, fire, and public works departments. Participants from the Marion Council on Aging, Sippican Elementary School and community emergency response team also took part in the exercise, according to the release.

A snowstorm served as the exercise’s emergency scenario.

"These exercises are valuable to assess our emergency response plans and help us identify possible areas for improvement," Police Chief Richard Nighelli said.

Nighelli is also the town’s emergency management director.

The scenario utilized during the exercise contained three modules. The first focus was on the preliminary forecast of the hypothetical incoming storm and possible resulting conditions and necessary preparations.

Then, new circumstances — high wind gusts, a vehicle crash with leaking fuel, impassable roadways, fire, downed wires and trees, for example — were added to the exercise as the emergency event evolved.

The final part of the exercise focused on the aftermath of the storm event scenario.

During each section, participants considered the priorities of their respective agencies, sheltering operations and logistics, resources, communication with the public and other challenges.

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said the exercise with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency provided “a valuable opportunity to implement and evaluate” Marion’s emergency response plans.

“They help us ensure that our policies and procedures are effective and efficient, enabling us to achieve the best possible outcomes in various emergency scenarios," Gorman said.

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said tabletop exercises, like the one completed by Marion officials, “are an integral part of preparedness and education” and “provide an opportunity for a community to test and validate plans and policies.”

The exercise overall helped to put Marion’s emergency response plans “to the test” and allowed town officials to evaluate effectiveness and identify areas for improvement, the news release said.