The emergency management cycle is a description of how people, in general, respond to a major disaster. Understanding the cycle is the first step in planning out a detailed response plan for any major disaster. This process follows a predictable pattern, and understanding how the parts of the process affect the other parts is essential in developing a well crafted response plan.
Phase I: Mitigation/Prevention
In preparing for a disaster, it is important to start with mitigation, or prevention, as it is sometimes known. In this phase households, businesses, cities, counties or larger organization review the type of disaster they expect to face. In thinking of the emergency management cycle, it is often useful to use scenarios. In this case, we will use a hurricane on the Gulf of Mexico coast.
If a family were to move to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, they are likely to already be aware of previous hurricanes and the annual threat posed by them. Mitigation begins the moment they decide to make the move. The news coverage of Hurricane Katrina, and the damaging winds, which were magnified by the tidal surge of over 25 feet, would have been hard to miss.
In this phase of the cycle, the family would choose a house that would best protect them for the storm’s damage. Some of the factors they would look at would be elevation of the house, to protect against a future storm surge, the building’s material, like brick versus vinyl siding, to protect from damaging winds, and possibly a house further inland, so that the storm is weaker by the time it reaches them. These are not all inclusive, but by taking some of the ways that the home’s construction or location might minimize a storm’s impact, this family is attempting to mitigate a future storm’s damage.
Phase II: Preparedness
The second phase of emergency management is the preparedness phase. Preparedness comes in many forms, but most of the forms have a similar goal. During the preparedness phase, the organization will look to devising a plan, getting trained in procedures and then practicing the procedural steps of the plan.
In the previous scenario, the family in question would come up with an overall plan. They might attend seminar on disaster preparedness or simply read a pamphlet handed out by a governmental emergency management representative. Either way, this research will be incorporated in developing a plan. This plan will include things like which legal documents to take, what to pack in a suitcase, how far away from the coast to drive, and even which road to take. Finally, the family should try out their plan. Exercising their plan will allow the family to see if the things they want to pack will actually fit in the car, see if they can reach their destination on a single tank of gas and even determine if their destination point is an acceptable recovery point.
Preparedness is the last time the family, or organization, will be able to modify their plan before the disaster occurs.
Phase III: Response
The third phase of the emergency management cycle is call the Response Phase. The response phase is characterized by the initial response of first responders, agencies like FEMA field reps and local law enforcement, as well as the initial actions taken by those affected by the disaster.
In this phase this is where those damaged by the disaster will begin to see rescue efforts, law enforcement return to the scene and initial damage assessments. Once these assessments are made, additional support, known as emergency responders, are called to the scene or to support facilities, like hospitals. The resources available during this phase directly impact the speed and depth of the recovery phase.
In hurricanes, things are slightly different. For the family in our example, the hurricane response normally happens immediately before the disaster. In this case, FEMA workers may arrive on scene and law enforcement officials may direct evacuation of people living along the coast line. The family in our example will activate their evacuation plan, packing essential items and documents while preparing to move northward. It is also common to other organizations making evacuation plans, like airlines moving aircraft to safer airfields, or business moving machinery out of possible storm surge areas. It is important to note that response is handled at the local and state level, and the federal government cannot intervene unless officially requested by the local or state governments.
Phase IV: Recovery
The recovery phase will often overlap efforts during the response phase of a disaster. In most disasters, the recovery phase is characterized by two closely related parts of the recovery, namely, the short term and long term recovery efforts.
Short term recovery will often be localized, such as the return of power to neighborhoods. The size and scale of the short term recovery will differ from disaster to disaster, but the focus during the short term is the return or resolution of issues pertaining to basic survival necessities, such as food, water and shelter. Short term recovery is also the focus for emergency responders, to treat the injured, restore emergency services and begin removing debris.
For the family, this would involve returning to their house and beginning the clean-up process. Cover broken windows and damage roofs with tarp in order to keep water out. During this time, they will boil their water and secure their home as best they can. Basic survival for the family is the most important part of the short term recovery. For businesses, the short term recovery is muted by the emphasis on the employees’ part to secure their homes and families. Businesses will focus on securing any goods that they may have from looting as well as putting up tarps or canopies to protect their building from the elements.
Long term recovery, though, is the return to normalcy. This is characterized by the return of electricity and water, and other services. Street repairs are completed, power lines replaced and structures repaired. Normal police and fire responses return and employees return to work. An essential part of this phase is the lessons learned portion. During the long term recovery, those who felt the impact evaluate their response to the disaster and begin planning their future response, making adjustments as needed. This then blends in to the mitigation phase, identified as the first phase of the disaster.
For the family, this will be the return to a normal work schedule for the family members. This will also be the time when they will review their actions during the response and plan changes for future responses. Maybe a particular item that they brought on this trip turned out to be non-essential or something else that was needed was left behind. For businesses, the long term recovery is the return to normal work periods. Employees focus is beyond clean-up and more on returning to a normal operations tempo.
The Cycle, in Summation
The cycle is just a theory on the evolution of a situation. These cycles can be years in length or moments. Each phase does not have a specific start and stop, but the ideas behind them are representative of our natural reactions. Individuals may not necessarily write a checklist of things to take with them, but they do go over the items they might need before they venture off. Understanding how the cycle works will give a better understanding of the expectations of the people involved in the process, from the emergency manager to the victims of the disaster.
Sources:
Emergency Management Institute, IS-1, Emergency Manager: An Orientation to the Position, http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is1.asp
