Preparation
In this phase we develop plans of action for when the disaster strikes. Common preparedness measures include the
- Communication plans with easily understandable 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 and planable as professional response, volunteers are most effectively deployed on the periphery of an emergency.
Another aspect of preparedness is casualty prediction, the study of how many deaths or injuries to expect for a given kind of event. This gives planners an idea of what resources need to be in place to respond to a particular kind of event.