Prevention is better than cure, hence emergency management!

In this world nothing is infallible. Neither human, nor weather. Thus, comes in the need of a management that prepares for the unforeseen emergency. The term emergency management can be better understood as 'disaster' management, or say, this is what it actually means. Governments and organizations around the world have been utilizing their work force and resources to be better prepared for any such situation which is a calamity; either natural or man made.

The team incorporated for emergency management is required to be efficient in the skills of planning and organizing the available resources in a manner that they can support thousands of lives. Its chief task is to provide social security to the civilians and fill the gaps of losses created by a catastrophe. For example, the recent major natural disaster in the USA was caused by the hurricane Katrina. The results shown thereafter by the government saved the lives of thousands. This state of being prepared is called emergency management. More a government is prepared in its healthy days, the better management can be put up in catastrophe. Hence, this is more of a risk reduction of a disaster, that is, to reduce the factors that may cause a disaster.

Normally, the efficiency of an emergency management is directly proportional to the social and economic condition of the country. It includes important and carefully chosen means to spread public awareness and have an effective infrastructure. Overall, this management is by and large designed to work in four phases.

First phase is to recognize and mitigate the possibility of a hazard. Teams of emergency management look out for sensitive areas and recognize the hazard, such as drought, riot, flood, cyclone, terrorist attack etc. and the magnitude of the catastrophe is calculated. Then, in turn, they prepare through technological and infrastructural means the development of any possibility of a hazard.

Second phase is about being prepared for the assessment made in the first phase. Mitigation phase gives an idea of the kind of preparation needed if a disaster strikes. A team has to be prepared with the rescue operational team(s). This also involves the choice of methods in which mass awareness is to be spread. This phase means the drill run of the help and communication means to be utilized. How the help will reach the victims, when and where, are the questions to find answers under this. Multiple agencies (for example, blood bank, fire fighters) need to be communicated the information and should work in tandem to reach out to the needy. Efficient preparedness, however, needs efficient planning and practice.

Third phase is responding to a calamity or emergency. When a catastrophe occurs, the rescue teams ought to reach them in no time. This is where the real efficiency is tested after all the planning. The more the respond time is, higher will be the amount of loss. All the planning and practice done in phase two is tested in the responding time. Invariably, the rescue operations are needed to be done within 72 hours, or else, the injured succumb to death giving a rise to death toll.

Fourth and the most constructive phase is that of recovery. After the initial and immediate needs are addressed, the recovery process has to begun in order to avoid chaos, later on. The direct and indirect losses are to be recovered, such as devastated infrastructure, buildings and the loss of business opportunities in the form of employment. It differs from the responding phase in its course of action and the focus is laid on recovering in the least time possible with the best use of available resources.

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