Department of Emergency Medicine

UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: International EM

Title: Phases of Emergency Management: Preparing and Responding to a Disaster

Keywords: Emergency Management, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery (PubMed Search)

Posted: 3/18/2015 by Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD
Click here to contact Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD

Whether in the U.S. or overseas, there are four main phases of emergency management:

 

  1. Mitigation
    1. Identifying risks and hazards to reduce or eliminate the risks, such as:
      1. Building codes (for earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, etc.)
      2. Zoning rules (floodplain restrictions)
      3. Dams and levees (prevent flooding)

 

  1. Preparedness
    1. To enhance response capacity, such as
      1. Training, including exercises to assure adequacy of planning efforts
      2. Planning
      3. Resource procurement

 

  1. Response
    1. Immediate post disaster activities to save lives and property, such as
      1. Evacuating victims
      2. Response teams deployment
      3. Incident command operations

 

  1. Recovery
    1. Efforts to restore essential services and repair damage, such as
      1. Reconstruction of government operations and services
      2. Housing and services for displaced families/ individuals
      3. Replenish stockpiles

References

fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/R42845.pdf


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