EXPERTISE AVAILABLE IN:
Survey Research
Strategic Planning
Healthcare Education and Training
Emergency Management – Operations
Emergency Management – Funding Streams
Emergency Management – Communications
EXPERTISE AVAILABLE IN:
Survey Research
Strategic Planning
Healthcare Education and Training
Emergency Management – Operations
Emergency Management – Funding Streams
Emergency Management – Communications
Emergency Management (or disaster management) is the discipline dealing with and avoiding risks. It is a discipline that involves preparing, supporting, and rebuilding society when natural or human-made disasters occur.
The nature of Emergency Management is highly dependent on economic and social conditions local to the emergency, or disaster. In general globally, any Emergency Management is the continuous process by which all individuals, groups, and communities manage hazards in an effort to avoid or ameliorate the impact of disasters resulting from the hazards. Actions taken depend in part on perceptions of risk of those exposed.
Effective Emergency Management relies on thorough integration of emergency plans at all levels of government and non-government involvement. Activities at each level (individual, group, community) affect the other levels. It is common to place the responsibility for governmental Emergency Management with the institutions for civil defense or within the conventional structure of the emergency services.
Continuity feature of Emergency Management resulted in a new concept Emergency Management Information Systems (EMIS) in resent years. For continuity and interoperability between the Emergency Management stakeholders, EMIS support the Emergency Management process by providing an infrastructure that integrates emergency plans at all levels of government/non-government involvement and by utilizing the management of all related resources (including human resource and other resources) for all four phases of emergencies
Phases and professional activities
The process of Emergency Management involves four phases:
Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
Mitigation
Mitigation efforts attempt to prevent hazards from developing into disasters altogether, or to reduce the effects of disasters when they occur. The mitigation phase differs from the other phases because it focuses on long-term measures for reducing or eliminating risk The implementation of mitigation strategies can be considered a part of the recovery process if applied after a disaster occurs. However, even if applied as part of recovery efforts, actions that reduce or eliminate risk over time are still considered mitigation efforts.
Mitigative measures can be structural or non-structural. Structural measures use technological solutions, like flood levees. Non-structural measures include legislation, land-use planning (e.g. the designation of nonessential land like parks to be used as flood zones), and insurance. Mitigation is the most cost-efficient method for reducing the impact of hazards. However, mitigation is not always suitable and structural mitigation in particular may have adverse effects on the ecosystem.
A precursor activity to the mitigation is the identification of risks. Physical risk assessment refers to the process of identifying and evaluating hazards. In risk assessment, various hazards (e.g. earthquakes, floods, riots) within a certain area are identified. Each hazard poses a risk to the population within the area assessed. The hazard-specific risk (Rh) combines both the probability and the level of impact of a specific hazard. Catastrophe modeling tools are used to support the calculation. The higher the risk, the more urgent that the hazard specific vulnerabilities are targeted by mitigation and preparedness efforts. However, if there is no vulnerability there will be no risk, (e.g. an earthquake occurring in a desert where nobody lives).
Preparedness
In the preparedness phase, emergency managers develop plans of action for when the disaster strikes. Common preparedness measures include: the
- communication plans with easily understood terminology and chain of command
- development and practice of multi-agency coordination and incident command
- proper maintenance and training of emergency services
- development and exercise of emergency population warning methods combined with emergency shelters and evacuation plans
- stockpiling, inventory, and maintenance of supplies and equipment
An efficient preparedness measure is an emergency operations center (EOC) combined with a practiced region-wide doctrine for managing emergencies. Another preparedness measure is to develop a volunteer response capability among civilian populations. Since, volunteer response is not as predictable as professional response, volunteers are most effectively deployed on the periphery of an emergency.
Response
The response phase includes the mobilization of the necessary emergency services and first responders in the disaster area, such as firefighters, police, volunteers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A well rehearsed emergency plan developed as part of the preparedness phase enables efficient coordination of rescue efforts. Emergency plan rehearsal is essential to achieve optimal output with limited resources. In the response phase, medical assets will be used in accordance with the appropriate triage of the affected victims.
Where required, search and rescue efforts commence at an early stage. Depending on injuries sustained by the victim, outside temperature, and victim access to air and water, the vast majority of those affected by a disaster will die within 72 hours after impact. Individuals are often compelled to volunteer directly after a disaster. Volunteers can be both a help and a hindrance to emergency management and other relief agencies. A spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteer can harm recovery efforts.
Recovery
The aim of the recovery phase is to restore the affected area to its previous state. It differs from the response phase in its focus; recovery efforts are concerned with issues and decisions that must be made after immediate needs are addressed Recovery efforts are primarily concerned with actions that involve rebuilding destroyed property, re-employment, and the repair of other essential infrastructure. An important aspect of effective recovery efforts is taking advantage of a 'window of opportunity for the implementation of mitigative measures that might otherwise be unpopular. Citizens of the affected area are more likely to accept more mitigative changes when a recent disaster is in fresh memory.
The Emergency Management Profession
Emergency managers are trained in a wide variety of disciplines that support them through out the emergency life-cycle. Professional emergency managers can focus on government and community preparedness (Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Planning), or private business preparedness (Business Continuity Management Planning). Training is provided by local, state, federal and private organizations. It ranges from public information and media relations to high-level incident command and tactical skills such as studying a terrorist bombing site or controlling an emergency scene.
In the past, the field of Emergency Management has been limited to mostly men from a military or first responder background. Currently, the field is as diverse as any with many experts from a variety of backgrounds with no military or first responder history at all. Educational opportunities are increasing for those seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees in Emergency Management or a related field.
Professional accreditation standards are increasing as well. Such professional certificates as the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) are becoming more common place as the need for high professional standards is recognized and accepted by the Emergency Management community.
Our Emergency Management Consultants
The Scott Consulting Firm is dedicated to providing a full complement of services to our clients. Our Certified and Experienced Emergency Management Consultants provide expertise and in the following areas:
Administration:
- Design Response Standard Operating Procedures
- Development of a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
- Development of EOC Organization, EOC Manual, and Staff Action Guides for each EOC Position
- Development or Enhancement of Emergency Operations Plans
- Development of Field Operating Guides for Disaster Responders
- Development of Local Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Plan and Procedures
- Development of a Medical Response System
- Emergency Management Program Review
- Grant Writing
- Humanitarian Assistance Programs
- Media 101
- Policies and Procedures
- Public Relations 101
- Capability Assessment for Readiness
- Damage Assessment Plan and Implementation Procedures
- EOC Vulnerability and Capability Assessment
- Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessments
- Hazard Vulnerability Assessment
- Risk Assessments
- Threat Assessments
- EOC Review
- EOC Design
- EOC Software Selection and Implementation
- Incident Command System
- Secure Communications Equipment
- Business Preparedness Plans
- Crisis Management Planning
- Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare Facilities: Evacuation Policies and Procedures
- Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery for Communities
- Family Preparedness Plans
- Harnessing the Internet as a Community Preparation Tool
- Mitigation Planning Search and Rescue
- Simulation Planning and Execution
- Terrorism Planning
- Utilities Preparedness
- Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Terrorism Preparedness
- Waterway Preparedness
- Crisis Management
- Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction
- Homeland Security Program
- Introduction to Community Emergency Management
- Land Navigation
- Leadership and Team Building
- Performance Principles for Crisis and Emergency Response Teams
- Search and Rescue
- Vendor Relationships
- Volunteering
- Workplace and School Violence
- Crisis Communication Training
- EEOC Training, Exercises, and Drills
- School Violence Training
- Simulations
- Training, Exercises and Drills
- Workplace Violence Training