1.1.1.5 Be prepared and ready to act

Strengthen disaster preparedness for an effective emergency response. Being prepared and ready to act, with contingency plans in place including conducting risk assessments, before investing in development at all levels of society will enable people to become more resilient to natural hazards.

Preparedness involves many types of activities and may include the following:

1. Development and regular testing of contingency plans such as:

- Emergency Operation Plans
- Operation Center Management Plans
- Vulnerability / Risk Assessment Plans
- Winter Operations Plans
- Power Shut off Plans
- Pandemic Response Plans
- Emergency Work Guidance Plans
- Continuity of Operations Plans
- Continuity of Government Plans

2. Establishment of emergency funds

3. Development of coordinated regional approaches

4. Establishment of training, exercises, and drills

Disaster preparedness includes continuous dialogue between response agencies, planners, policymakers, and development organizations as well as training and regular exercises, including evacuation drills, to ensure rapid and effective disaster response. Preparedness plans also help to cope with the many small and medium-sized disasters that repeatedly occur in so many communities.

The United States utilizes a National Response Framework (NRF) ‘…that provides foundational emergency management doctrine for how the Nation (United States) responds to all types of incidents. The NRF is built on scalable, flexible, and adaptable concepts identified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to align key roles and responsibilities across the Nation (United States).” 1

Training for emergencies, such as Incident Command System (ICS) training as well as specific emergency specific training geared towards a specific credible threat, such as an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, severe storm, severe snow, wildfire, drought, tsunami, flood, avalanche, train derailment, or civil disobedience is a necessary part of preparedness.

Natural and manmade hazards cannot be prevented, but it is possible to reduce their impacts by having an exercised plan in place.

Footnotes

• 1. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/NRF_FINALApproved_20110...