What is Disaster and Emergency Planning?
An emergency or disaster plan is an effective tool that provides a layout for people responding to major incidents. Plans can cover everything from fires or other localized episodes to natural disasters in high-risk areas. This strategic process is designed and led by a team focusing on safety to ensure better outcomes in moments of crisis. With several members and specifically assigned tasks, these guides can help save lives, property and money when facing catastrophic events.
This plan should delineate the roles of each person involved, with defined leadership and communication expectations. Being PROactive by taking courses in CPR or other life-saving skills can greatly improve results when dealing with disaster. Utilize all resources, like people in your community to see if any of them are a paramedic, EMT or other EMS personnel to get their input or to join your efforts in being prepared.
Disaster Preparedness PRO tip:
Check out our schedule of classes to see how you or your team can benefit from attending the EMS PRO Expo at Mohegan Sun near Norwich, Connecticut, and grab a group discount when you sign up together. With courses like “Medical Preparedness and Response to Dynamic Incidents,” you can attend knowing you will come away with a variety of new information to help you succeed in disaster situations.
What should your emergency response plan look like?
When creating a document that outlines the steps your disaster responders will take, there are a few things that are important to include. Making sure to differentiate plans based on localized incidents versus extreme catastrophes is an important place to start. Having someone or a few people on the team assigned to risk assessment can be vital to ensure the correct procedure is enacted.
Everyone involved should have a clear task in each scenario, hopefully with multiple people able to respond depending on the size or location that your group is covering. Plans for evacuating, sheltering or in some cases lockdown should be included with maps and chosen locations for each. Choosing when and how to inform or warn people is also essential. Since there are no national standards of procedures, it is great to keep updating and changing to get the best results.
Emergency Management PRO tip:
If you are struggling with where to start or need guidance in creating your tactical strategy, contact a local EMS personnel, such as a firefighter to help out. They can provide insight into how to manage different incident levels based on your location and resources. If you are looking to network and get the latest information, check out EMS PRO Expo to talk with the best in the industry.