Disaster Situation

To guide emergency planning, Lang (2017) prescribed the following five steps.

First, it is important to know one’s risks. In this step, potential emergencies are identified and ranked in accordance with their importance and likelihood. The importance of this step is to draft potential responsive action and knowing what resources to mobilize and invest. A risk matrix can be used to this end.

The second step is building a team. This will ensure that a response plan is not created in a vacuum. It is the step that will create input from the end users. The emergency plan is a team effort and the same needs to be shown right at the beginning. An inclusive team will be cohesive and will reduce conflicts that come with situations demanding attention from all members of a team.

The third step involves making critical information accessible and in an efficient way. During emergencies, the organization should provide very precise and to the point kind of information. This will free up any important time taken by staff in anxiety. 

The fourth step is updating alert and response procedures. The members of staff should be continuously advised on what they should be doing to ensure that they remain under control, otherwise the environment will be characterized by chaos. To avoid this, regular updates are necessary to ensure that everybody works in synergy. 

Last, is executing the plan. Execution should be an all-inclusive activity where nobody takes credit, except the team in order to ensure that there is a continued momentum in addressing the current and future problems. The way this step will be executed will determine how well such plans will succeed in the future. 

References

Lang, R. (2017). 5 Steps To Emergency Preparedness For Any Disaster. Facilitiesnet.com. Retrieved from https://www.facilitiesnet.com/emergencypreparedness/article/5-Steps-To-Emergency-Preparedness-For-Any-Disaster-Facilities-Management-Emergency-Preparedness-Feature–17186