About Disaster Management

Disaster management, also known as emergency management, arose out of Cold War era Civil Defense initiatives. Since Sept. 11, 2001, businesses and government agencies have worked to improve disaster readiness to minimize civil and commerce disruption in the event of a catastrophe. In the United States, disaster management is spearheaded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Types

There are four steps in disaster management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Every disaster is different and response is determined by the events at hand. Disasters might be natural or unnatural in origin. Hurricanes are a natural disaster while terrorism or chemical spills are unnatural. The type of emergency determines the response. Some disasters might require evacuation or relocation. Others might demand quarantine or decontamination.

Mitigation

The mitigation phase of disaster management focuses on long-term preparation or avoidance of disaster altogether. The accurate identification of risks is paramount at this juncture. Risks are ranked through catastrophic modeling, which uses mathematical formulas and computer calculations to weigh risk. FEMA also offers free risk analysis software to assess natural disaster risks. Mitigation includes preventive actions categorized as either structural solutions, such as shoring up levees, to prevent flooding, or nonstructural solutions such as connecting with local and federal agencies to work out emergency process flow.

Preparedness

Preparedness involves gathering supplies in anticipation of disaster scenarios as well as training of emergency and nonemergency staff. Disaster management focuses on ensuring shelter is available for displaced citizens as well as maintenance and storage of equipment, training of staff and volunteers, and preparing for resource mobilization. Large-scale disaster training exercises are often conducted to test preparedness and look for weaknesses in disaster response. Corporations might also have emergency response teams composed of volunteers that undergo disaster preparedness drills.

Response

First responders to a disaster are usually law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. From there, if a disaster warrants a large-scale response, the chain of command and resource utilization moves to the county, then to the state and, finally, to the federal level. Volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross are often pivotal to the response effort as well. Responders are connected through a FEMA-sponsored IT platform called Emergency Information Management Systems. Response timing is critical as most disaster victims die within the first two days of a catastrophic event.

Recovery

Once the initial crisis has passed, it is time to rebuild and restore what was lost. This is known as the recovery phase of disaster management. The federal government coordinates and provides the majority of post-disaster assistance as determined by the National Response Plan, which is managed by the Department of Homeland Security. As the recovery phase comes to a close, a thorough assessment of what failed or succeeded should be taken and used to improve all phases of disaster management.

Resources

• FEMA Disaster Preparedness Guidelines