Multi-hazard Disaster Management - CPOdrm.cpo.vn/uploads/Documents/TM1/MATERIAL_COURSE/1... · Web...

Multi-hazard Disaster Management

Adapted Source Materials Hughey, Erin (2005) Fundamentals of Disaster Management. The Commonwealth of The

Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (1998). The Disaster

Manager. FEMA Emergency Management Training Institute

Contributing AuthorsErin Hughey, PhD

Editing and DesignJoseph W. BeanMargaret S. Roth

Water Resources University

University of HawaiiOffice of Research Services2530 Dole Street, Sakamaki D-200Honolulu, HI, 96822

Pacific Disaster Center1305 N. Holopono Street, Suite 2Kihei, HI 96753www.pdc.org [email protected]

Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) develops and applies information and technology solutions to foster disaster-resilient communities. PDC was established by the U.S. Government, and is managed by the University of Hawaii. The content of this document does not reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Government.

http://www.pdc.org/

MULTI-HAZARD DISASTER MANAGEMENT

FOREWORD

IntroductionThe Natural Disaster Risk Management Project (NDRMP) Education and Training Program (E&TP) was developed in 2009–2010 for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) working under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MARD) Department of Dyke Management and Flood and Storm Control (DDMFSC) and Central Project Office (CPO).

The main objective of the NDRMP, and therefore of the E&TP is to develop the capacity of central and provincial disaster management organizations to (i) strategically plan investments based on full technical, social, environmental and economic analyses of subprojects, (ii) mainstream integrated disaster risk management (IDRM) into provincial development planning,1 and (iii) implement the National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention, Response and Mitigation to 2020.

Purpose and CurriculumThe NDRMP E&TP is designed to strengthen the capacity of central and provincial disaster management organizations in Vietnam to effectively provide service through all four phases of the disaster management cycle: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The selected training topics in this initial series are the critical components of any successful disaster management program, and they provide the foundation for the potential expansion of Vietnam’s national disaster management education and training program in the future. Furthermore, these selected courses provide participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure that all agencies and organizations can seamlessly work together to achieve Vietnam’s national strategy for natural disaster prevention, response and mitigation.

The E&TP curriculum provides an organized approach to disaster management training that is consistent with the training philosophy of ACDM2, United States FEMA3, and UNOCHA4, and supports international best practices, as well as the specific goals of Vietnam. It comprises six core training courses. They are, in order of recommended delivery:

1. Multi-hazard Disaster Management

2. Natural Hazards of Vietnam

3. Decision Making and Problem Solving

4. Disaster Communications

5. Mapping for Disaster Management

6. Disaster Risk and Vulnerability

1 See, for example, McGrath and Dang (2005) Improving Socio-Economic Development Planning in TT Hue Province. 2 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM)3 United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)4 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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Approach and PresentationThis training is designed for hands-on participation, to reflect the wide variety of settings in which disaster managers work and the range of demands they must satisfy. It is intended to bring together participants from a variety of agencies and organizations active in disaster management, and to facilitate a comfortable and stress-free environment for the exchange of information and knowledge.

Each course will engage a diverse population of participants. The rapidly changing field of disaster management requires that practitioners and managers participate in continuous training and education to ensure effective response and recovery. As a result, the training has been designed to accommodate both disaster managers and practitioners in the same classroom setting. This training style more accurately represents the everyday setting that is experienced during disaster conditions. It also empowers all participants to actively engage in the full range of training activities. Additionally, a diverse training population enriches the participants’ experience by allowing for the exchange of ideas while facilitating critical discussions of challenges, demands, and requirements.

Each course is designed to be presented through lectures that incorporate group discussions and activities, demonstrations, case studies, and simulated exercises. Participants are provided with a Participant Manual and with a compact disk (CD) containing resource materials, including the PowerPoint slides used for instruction. Instructional resources that will be provided to presenters along with the basic curriculum include materials that allow for customization of participant activities by region.

The basic prerequisite for participation in the training program is simple: Each participant will be someone who is active in disaster management in Vietnam. Within the program, all other courses have as their prerequisite the Multi-hazard Disaster Management course.

Training participants have the advantage of applying the course material to their own personal situations at frequent, pre-selected intervals during the course, and group activities are designed to advance the inter-provincial cooperation and multi-sectoral planning that is fundamental to the objectives of the E&TP.

Participants are encouraged and expected to keep the course materials provided to them, and it is intended that these materials will be taken back to the participants’ places of employment where the information can be shared with co-workers. With that aim in view, in addition to soft copies of all course materials, the CD provided to each participant includes additional resources that might be useful to the development and application of international best practices in disaster management.

NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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ABOUT THE PARTICIPANT MATERIALS

Please note the following typographical conventions and iconography are used throughout the materials.

SECTION HEADING

Main Topics

Sub Topics

SUB TOPICS

PERSONAL APPLICATION QUESTIONS

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

LEARNING CHECK

GROUP ACTIVITY (30 MINUTES)

CASE STUDY

DISCUSSION

EXERCISE

DEMONSTRATION


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CONTENTS

FOREWORD........................................................................................................................................... I

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANT MATERIALS.................................................................................................. IV

INSTRUCTOR OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................... 1

GOAL..........................................................................................................................................................1WHO SHOULD ATTEND...................................................................................................................................1PREREQUISITES..............................................................................................................................................1INSTRUCTOR GUIDELINES................................................................................................................................1TRAINING CONTENT.......................................................................................................................................2TRAINING AGENDA........................................................................................................................................2COURSE MATERIALS.......................................................................................................................................3COURSE EQUIPMENT......................................................................................................................................3

COURSE DESCRIPTION........................................................................................................................... 6

MODULE 1 INSTRUCTOR NOTES............................................................................................................ 9

SCOPE.........................................................................................................................................................9OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................................................9METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................................................9POWERPOINT PRESENTATION..........................................................................................................................9COURSE OUTLINE..........................................................................................................................................9TIME PLAN.................................................................................................................................................11

MODULE 1 INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT....................................................................13

YOUR ROLE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT..........................................................................................................13TYPES OF DISASTER MANAGERS.....................................................................................................................13WHAT IS DISASTER MANAGEMENT?...............................................................................................................14COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT......................................................................................................16BASIC TERMS..............................................................................................................................................16THE FOUR PHASES OF CDM..........................................................................................................................17DISASTER RISK REDUCTION............................................................................................................................20

MODULE 2 INSTRUCTOR NOTES........................................................................................................... 22

SCOPE.......................................................................................................................................................22OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................................................22METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................................................................22POWERPOINT PRESENTATION........................................................................................................................23TIME PLAN.................................................................................................................................................23

MODULE 2 UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE DISASTER MANAGER..................................................24

THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL...................................................................................................24KEYS TO SUCCESS........................................................................................................................................2510 CRITICAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS............................................................................................27A BIG CHALLENGE.......................................................................................................................................31




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MODULE 3 MITIGATION...................................................................................................................... 36

WHAT IS MITIGATION?.................................................................................................................................36MITIGATE BEFORE THE DISASTER....................................................................................................................36HAZARD IDENTIFICATION...............................................................................................................................37NEW HAZARDS............................................................................................................................................38VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS..............................................................................................................................38YOUR ROLE IN MITIGATION...........................................................................................................................41CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................................44



MODULE 4 PREPAREDNESS.................................................................................................................. 50

WHAT IS PREPAREDNESS?.............................................................................................................................50THE DISASTER OPERATIONS PLAN...................................................................................................................52WHAT THE PLAN IS NOT..............................................................................................................................52DISASTER PLAN COMPONENTS.......................................................................................................................53THE BASIC PLAN..........................................................................................................................................53FUNCTIONAL ANNEXES.................................................................................................................................56HAZARD SPECIFIC APPENDICES.......................................................................................................................58PLAN REVIEW.............................................................................................................................................58EXERCISING THE PLAN..................................................................................................................................58PUBLICIZING THE PLAN.................................................................................................................................62LINING UP YOUR RESOURCES.........................................................................................................................62INVENTORYING YOUR RESOURCES...................................................................................................................65CONCLUSIONS.............................................................................................................................................67



MODULE 5 RESPONSE.......................................................................................................................... 72

STAGES OF RESPONSE...................................................................................................................................72ACTIVATING THE EOC..................................................................................................................................78MAKING THE EOC OPERATIONAL...................................................................................................................80CONTROLLING ACCESS TO THE EOC................................................................................................................84INFORMATION IN THE EOC............................................................................................................................84IMPROVING PUBLIC RESPONSE.......................................................................................................................90ASSESSING DAMAGE....................................................................................................................................91CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................................93


SCOPE.......................................................................................................................................................95OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................................................95POWERPOINT PRESENTATION........................................................................................................................95METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................................................................95TIME PLAN.................................................................................................................................................96


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MODULE 6 RECOVERY......................................................................................................................... 97

RECOVERY: THE FINAL PHASE........................................................................................................................97RECOVERY ASSISTANCE.................................................................................................................................98DOCUMENTATION........................................................................................................................................98HOW TO RECOVER.......................................................................................................................................98CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................104

MODULE 7 INSTRUCTOR NOTES......................................................................................................... 106

SCOPE.....................................................................................................................................................106OBJECTIVES..............................................................................................................................................106METHODOLOGY.........................................................................................................................................106POWERPOINT PRESENTATION......................................................................................................................106TIME PLAN...............................................................................................................................................107

MODULE 7 MANAGING THE PROGRAM.............................................................................................108

DAILY OPERATIONS....................................................................................................................................108STAFFING ISSUES.......................................................................................................................................112FINANCIAL PLANNING.................................................................................................................................116TRAINING.................................................................................................................................................118CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................118

APPENDIX A: RESOURCE INVENTORY.................................................................................................121

APPENDIX B: WARNING..................................................................................................................... 133

UNISDR Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction (2009)...........................................................................135


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INSTRUCTOR OVERVIEW

GoalMulti-hazard Disaster Management is designed to help agencies and organizations develop the disaster management foundation necessary to protect communities. The goal of this course is to help participants gain knowledge and skills to ensure that they are adequately prepared to meet response and recovery challenges. The concepts of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and Disaster Risk Reduction are covered in this course.

Who Should AttendMulti-hazard Disaster Management provides training on the principles and practices of the discipline. The course is designed for all disaster management practitioners and management personnel.

PrerequisitesThere is no prerequisite for the Multi-hazard Disaster Management course. This course should be the first course that disaster management professionals take and is currently a prerequisite for the following courses:

Natural Hazards of Vietnam Mapping for Disaster Management Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Disaster Communications Decision Making and Problem Solving

Instructor GuidelinesThe Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) recommends the following general instructor guidelines:

Instructor Levels Lead instructors must have sufficient experience in presenting all modules of the

course to be capable of substituting at the last-minute for module instructors. Unit instructors must be experienced in the lesson content they are presenting. Adjunct instructors may provide limited instruction in specialized knowledge and

skill areas at the discretion of the lead instructor. Adjunct instructors must be experienced, proficient, and knowledgeable of current issues in their field of expertise.

The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) recommends that this training be team taught by instructors with the following minimum qualifications:

Instructor Qualifications Two instructors recommended to teach Multi-hazard Disaster Management Lead Instructor should have successfully completed the following courses: Multi-

hazard Disaster Management; Natural Hazards of Vietnam; Mapping for Disaster Management; Disaster Risk and Vulnerability; Disaster Communication; Decision Making and Problem Solving.

Module Instructors should have successfully completed Multi-hazard Disaster Management; and

Lead Instructor should have training and experience in adult education and have disaster management field experience.


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Training ContentThis training course is comprised of the following lessons:

Module 1–Introduction to Disaster Management Module 2 –Understanding the Role of the Disaster Manager Module 3–Mitigation Module 4–Preparedness Module 5 –Response Module 6–Recovery Module 7–Managing the Program

Training Agenda

DAY ONE

Morning Session

Welcome and Administrative Messages 20 Minutes

Course Introduction 20 Minutes

Module 1—Introduction to Disaster Management 1.5 Hours

Module 1 Learning Check 45 Minutes

Afternoon Session

Module 2—Understanding the Role of the Disaster Manager 1.5 Hours

Module 2 Individual Questions 30 Minutes

Module 2 Group Activity 30 Minutes


Question and Answer Session 20 Minutes

DAY TWO

Morning Session


Module 3—Mitigation 1 Hour

Individual Questions 25 Minutes

Case Study 45 Minutes

Afternoon Session


Module 4 Preparedness 2 Hours 15 Min.



DAY THREE

Morning Session


Module 5—Response 3 Hours 20 min.

Discussion Activity 1 25 Minutes

Afternoon Session Discussion Activity 2 25 Minutes



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Module 6—Recovery 1Hour



Module 7—Managing the Program 45 Minutes


Course MaterialsListed below are the materials that you will need in order to conduct this course:

Instructor Manual and Resource CD: Obtain one copy of the Instructor Guide and Resource CD for each trainer.

Student Manual: Secure one copy of the Student Manual for each person attending the session. This will include a Resource CD for the participant.

PowerPoint Files: The course visuals are stored on the Resource CD. Transfer the course visuals from the CD to the hard drive of the computer to be used for presentation. The visuals will operate more effectively if they are accessed from the computer’s hard drive instead of the CD. Complete the following steps for copying the folders and files from the CD:

1. Insert the Resource CD in your CD drive.2. Using Windows Explorer, access the list of folders and files on your CD drive.3. Highlight the folder on the CD titled “Visuals.”4. With the Visuals folder highlighted, click on the Edit pull-down menu and then

select Copy.5. Select a location on your computer’s hard drive. When you are in that drive (and

folder), click on the Edit pull-down menu and then select Paste.6. All of the visuals should now be copied onto your hard drive. Test the visuals to

make sure that everything transferred correctly. Course Evaluation Forms: Make sure that you have one copy of the course evaluation

form for each person attending the training.

Course EquipmentThe following equipment is required for conducting this course:

Computer and Projection Device: Make arrangements to have two computers and two LCD projectors. Be sure to try out the projector in advance of the training, in case you need help getting it to work properly. Make sure all equipment is functioning properly. Test the LCD projector and the lights. If you do not have equipment for projection, plan to refer participants to their Student Manuals. The course material is effectively outlined in the Student Manual, but the training is more effective with the projection of the visuals. Arrange for technical assistance to be available during training in the event of equipment malfunction.

Flip Charts and Markers: Make arrangements to have flip charts and markers available. (minimum 5)

Paper and Pencils/Pens: Make arrangements to have paper as well as pencils and/or pens for each member of the class.


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COURSE DESCRIPTION


Multi-hazard Disaster Management is designed to help agencies and organizations develop the disaster management foundation necessary to protect communities. The goal of this course is to help participants gain knowledge and skills to ensure they are adequately prepared to meet response and recovery challenges. The concepts of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) are covered in this course.

Course Duration 3 days / 24 classroom contact hours

Course Delivery Method

Lecture Discussion Demonstration Field Trip Case Studies Simulated Exercise Group Activities

Course Goal To introduce the principles of disaster management and teach the skills and knowledge needed to adapt the course information to particular situations and community needs.

Course Objectives Explain the term “disaster management,” and describe how it functions at the provincial and central government levels.

Describe the key characteristics of the professional disaster manager, and develop strategies for adopting these characteristics.

Identify the four phases of disaster management, and understand what is required of disaster managers in each of these phases.

Determine the necessary resource requirements for your community, and develop the documents needed to obtain and maintain these resources.

Develop a strategy for integrating and applying training knowledge in your community.

Course Certificate Upon successful course completion students will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Prerequisite None

TRAINING MODULES AND OBJECTIVES

Module 1

Introduction to Disaster Management

Define the role of the disaster manager. Define “Comprehensive Disaster Management” and list its three primary

concepts. Identify the four phases of disaster management and what is included in

each of these phases.


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Module 2

Understanding the Role of the Disaster Manager

Describe the characteristics of a successful disaster manager. Identify critical functions of a disaster manager and his or her staff. Apply the skills and techniques necessary for effective management of a

disaster operation.

Module 3

Mitigation

State the crucial role mitigation plays in saving lives and property. Identify hazards that would potentially affect your community. Describe vulnerability in your community in relation to identified hazards. Describe the disaster manager’s role in mitigation. Apply the skills and tools of mitigation to your community.

Module 4

Preparedness

State what is involved in the preparedness phase of disaster management. Distinguish between what a disaster operations plan is and what it is not. Define the guiding principles when developing a disaster operations plan. Define the eight sections of the disaster operations plan. Define five different types of exercises to test a disaster operations plan. State ways in which to establish and manage an Emergency Operations

Center (EOC) in your community.

Module 5

Response

Identify the five stages of disaster response and the disaster manager’s role.

State how to activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and list the ways in which to make it operational.

State how to handle the media and rumors in a disaster or emergency. Define ways to improve the public response through education and

partnership efforts. Develop a response strategy for your community.

Module 6

Recovery

List recovery-related activities that occur after a disaster. Identify the types of assistance that will be needed following a disaster

and how to access this assistance. Identify considerations for recovery planning. State how to assess and report damage and losses. Understand short- and long-term recovery needs (e.g. housing, economic). State ways to gain support for disaster management while visibility is high. Develop a recovery strategy for your community.

Module 7

Managing the Program

State ways to address staffing issues. State ways to plan for and prepare a budget. Identify what is involved in accounting for resource expenditures. Identify training and other opportunities to improve skills and knowledge

of disaster management personnel.


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MODULE 1INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Scope Module Introduction Course Objectives Student Introductions Expectations: Student and Instructor Course Structure Course Logistics Successful Course Completion

ObjectivesBy the end of this module you will be able to:

Define the role of the disaster manager. Define “Comprehensive Disaster Management” and list its

three primary concepts. Identify the four phases of disaster management and what

is included in each of these phases.

MethodologyThe instructors will welcome the students to the course and introduce themselves. They will also review the course objectives. Following instructor introductions, each participant will introduce himself or herself to the rest of the group. After introductions, the instructors will facilitate a discussion about what the group expects to gain from the course.

The instructors will then provide an overview of the course structure and logistics. Finally, they will explain what is required for successful course completion. The instructors will then transition into Module 1 course content.

PowerPoint PresentationMHDM_01 Total Number of Slides: 20

Course Outline

1. Welcome the participants to the course.

2. Tell the participants that this course will provide them with a stronger understanding of disaster management.

3. Introduce yourself by providing:

Your name and organization.

A brief statement of your experience in the field of disaster management.


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Provide the participants with a quick overview of Module 1 by highlighting a few key items identified to the left under the heading Scope.

Emphasize that Module 2 discusses their role in the disaster management process.

Encourage participants to take notes and think about how the material applies to their job responsibilities and requirements.

Present the module objectives to the students.

Remember to review the objectives at the conclusion of the module.


4. Tell participants that the objectives for this course are to:

Explain the term “disaster management,” and describe how it functions at the provincial and central government levels.

Describe the key characteristics of the professional disaster manager, and develop strategies for adopting these characteristics.

Identify the four phases of disaster management, and understand what is required of disaster managers in each of these phases.

Determine the necessary resource requirements for your community, and develop the documents needed to obtain and maintain these resources.

Develop a strategy for integrating and applying training knowledge in your community.

5. Ask the students to introduce themselves by providing:

Their names, job titles, and organizations.

A brief account of their overall experience with disaster management.

6. Ask the participants the following question: What do you expect to gain from this course?

Allow the group time to respond.

Record their responses on flip-chart paper.

If possible, hang the list of their responses in the training room. Revisit the list at the end of the course to ensure that participants have met their learning objectives.

7. Explain that you also have expectations for the course. You expect that everyone will:

Cooperate with the group.

Be open minded to new ideas.

Participate actively in all of the training activities and exercises.

Return to class at the stated time.

Use what they learn in the course to perform effectively within a disaster management environment.

8. Tell participants that the course is divided into the following seven modules:

Module 1—Introduction to Disaster Management

Module 2—Understanding the Role of the Disaster Manager


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The Introduction to the course is very important. Make sure you are .welcoming - greet the students as they enter the classroom.

The Module 1 Outline provides both instructions for the welcome / introduction as well as guiding you through the first module materials.


Module 3— Mitigation

Module 4—Preparedness

Module 5—Response

Module 6—Recovery

Module 7— Managing the Program

9. Review the following information with the group:

Course agenda

Sign-in sheet

10. Review the following housekeeping issues:

Breaks

Cell phone policy

Facilities

Other concerns

11. Tell participants that in order to successfully complete this course, they must:

Participate in all three days of training. Actively engage in activities/exercises. Complete the end-of-course evaluation.

Time PlanA suggested time plan for this unit is shown below. More or less time may be required based on the experience level of the group.

Topic Time

Introduction 5 Minutes

Your Role in Disaster Management

10 Minutes

Types of Disaster Managers 10 Minutes

What is Disaster Management 15 Minutes

Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM)

30 Minutes

Basic Terms 10 Minutes

Four Phases of CDM 10 Minutes

Learning Check 45 Minutes

Total Time 2 hours 15 Minutes


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After completing Step 11, transition to the Module 1 PowerPoint Slides.


MODULE 1INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Objectives At the end of this module you will be able to:

Define the role of the disaster manager.

Define “Comprehensive Disaster Management” and list its three primary concepts.

Identify the four phases of disaster management and what is included in each phase.

Your Role in Disaster ManagementThe focus of disaster management is on the protection of the population and property from the destructive forces of natural and man-made hazards through a comprehensive program of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

The disaster manager is responsible for building the community’s disaster management system to allow for effective response to and recovery from local events. As a disaster manager, you may NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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Your Role in Disaster Management: 10 Minutes

Types of Disaster Managers: 10 Minutes

What is Disaster Management: 15 Minutes


think that local natural and man-made disasters are the most pressing concern.

The disaster manager will work closely with agencies and organizations in the community. Governmental and non-governmental organizations will engage in coordinated efforts to build capabilities and capacity. Partnership and coordination are essential components of a successful disaster management program.

Types of Disaster ManagersA large city or province may have a full-time disaster manager with a paid supporting staff. There also may be a full-time fire and police department. A small community may have only a part-time or volunteer disaster manager with no staff support.

You may be in one of these two categories or somewhere in between. Perhaps you are a shared employee, spending part of your time as the disaster manager and another part as a member of some other office, such as planning or public works. Whatever your situation, this course can help you perform your job.

What is Disaster Management?Disaster management is defined by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) as “The organization and management of resources and responsibilities for addressing all aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and initial recovery steps.”

Disaster management involves plans, structures and arrangements established to engage the normal endeavors of government, as well as voluntary and private agencies, in a comprehensive and coordinated way to respond to the whole spectrum of disaster needs. This is also known as “emergency management.”

In the most basic terms, disaster management may be as simple as a homeowner responding to a broken water pipe and a flooded basement. Depending on the homeowner’s abilities and resources, he or she may handle the emergency and restore services to normal without anyone else’s help. In so doing, the homeowner has managed the emergency.

Routine Emergencies

Routine emergencies are daily situations faced by people and local disaster services personnel. For example, a single structure fire or traffic accident would be a routine emergency that is managed by a response organization on a regular basis.

Non-routine Emergencies

Disaster management programs at the local level are responsible for providing overall pre-disaster planning and other programs


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What is Disaster Management: 15 Minutes (Continued)


such as training and exercises for natural disasters and man-made disasters that can affect a community. These local efforts are the first line of defense in coordinating activities related to a large-scale event, such as a typhoon or flood, to ensure an effective response and recovery from such events.

The responsibility for responding to disasters begins at the district level, but the next level of response is activated when resources and capabilities are exhausted. If a community is overwhelmed and cannot respond to a disaster, the province can provide assistance. Similarly, when the provincial resources are exhausted it can turn to the regional or central government for assistance.

Common Perception of Disaster Management

The average person probably thinks of disaster management in terms of a natural disaster such as a typhoon, flood, or landslide. However, disaster management also embraces man-made disasters such as hazardous materials spills and major transportation accidents.

Regardless of the type of hazard, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery programs to deal with all hazards are the responsibility of disaster managers.


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Comprehensive Disaster ManagementIn this course, the concept used for handling all types of disasters and their consequences is called Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM). CDM is the integrated approach of managing all-hazards through all four phases of the disaster management cycle. CDM is a change—from preparing for a single hazard or narrowly defined categories of hazards—towards an all-hazards approach (natural and man-made) to potential threats to life and property. Three closely related concepts must be reviewed in order to fully understand the CDM approach.

Concept 1: All Types of Hazards

The commonalities among all types of man-made and natural disasters suggest strongly that many of the same management strategies will apply to all events. Understanding this concept reveals that planning for one hazard means planning for all hazards.

Concept 2: Disaster Management Partnership

The burden of disaster management and the resources to deal with it require a close working partnership among all levels of government (district, province, region, and central government) and private sectors (business and industry, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), and the general public). This makes sense, because disasters affect all aspects of society and do not abide by boundaries.

Concept 3: Disaster Lifecycle

Disasters do not just appear one day and go away the next. Rather, they have what we might call an “occurrence cycle.” This cycle corresponds to a series of management phases that include strategies to mitigate hazards and prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and their effects.

Basic TermsBefore going any further, let’s define each word in the expression “comprehensive disaster management.” Let’s first look at the definition of disaster.

Disaster

As defined by UNISDR, a disaster is “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.”

Disaster results when a community or society is exposed to a hazard, is vulnerable to the effects of that hazard (or perhaps


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Comprehensive Disaster Management: 30 Minutes

Basic Terms: 10 Minutes


any hazard), and is not able to reduce or cope with the negative consequences of impact.

Management

Management simply means a coordinated, organized effort to reach specific goals or objectives. In disaster management, it means a coordinated and organized effort to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive is the word that brings the CDM concept together. It clarifies “disaster” by including all kinds of natural and man-made events that adversely affect lives and property. “Comprehensive” also broadens the definition of management by suggesting the best mix of resources from governmental and non-governmental organizations and from business, industry, volunteers, and the public.

The word “comprehensive” also introduces a new dimension into the meaning of disaster management. Earlier we alluded to the fact that disasters have occurrence cycles. In that context we mentioned the terms mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. In fact, these are really four phases of disaster management.

As we discussed earlier, disasters do not just suddenly appear. One of the basic principles of comprehensive disaster management is that we can do something to reduce disaster impacts both before and after the disaster-triggering event occurs. This is why, in comprehensive disaster management, the four phases of disaster management work together to form an effective protection program.

The Four Phases of CDM

The four phases of CDM appear in a circular relationship to each other. Each phase links to the other. Activities in one phase may overlap those in the previous. Preparedness moves swiftly into NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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Four Phases of CDM: 10 Minutes


response when disaster strikes. Response yields to recovery at different times, depending on the extent and kind of damage. Similarly, recovery should help trigger mitigation, motivating attempts to prevent or reduce the potential for a future disaster. The disaster management phases have no beginning or end, so recognition of a threat can motivate mitigation efforts as well as an actual disaster can.

Mitigation

“The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters.” (UNISDR 2009)

Mitigation includes activities that eliminate or reduce either the chance of disaster occurring or the effects of a disaster that has occurred. If communities cannot prevent disasters, they can at least reduce the negative impacts. For example, requiring roof reinforcements will reduce damage from typhoon winds. In Module 3 we will discuss other mitigation strategies.

Preparedness

“The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions.” (UNISDR 2009)

Preparedness includes planning how to respond when a disaster occurs and working to ensure resources are available to respond effectively. These activities help save lives and minimize damage by preparing people to respond appropriately when disasters happen. To respond properly, a community must have a functioning monitoring and warning system in place, a plan for response, trained personnel to respond, and necessary resources with which to respond. In Module 4 you will learn how to develop a preparedness plan for your community and strategies for coordinating human and equipment resources.

Response

“The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.” (UNISDR 2009)

Response covers the period of time during and immediately following a disaster. During this phase, public officials provide for the short term needs of disaster victims and try to reduce the likelihood of further damage. In Module 5 you will learn more about response activities, and identify the emergency responders in your community.


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The Four Phases of Disaster Management: 10 Minutes (Continued)


Recovery

“The restoration, and improvement, where appropriate, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors.” (UNISDR 2009)

Recovery is a process that continues until all systems return to normal or better than normal. Short-term recovery restores vital life-support systems to minimum operating condition. Long-term recovery may go on for months, even years, until the entire disaster area returns to its previous condition or undergoes improvement with new systems and features that are less disaster-prone. In Module 6 you will learn more about recovery, and identify effective recovery strategies.

Disaster Risk ReductionYou may be familiar with the term “Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)” and may be involved in DRR initiatives in your community. UNISDR defines DRR as “the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events.” While most often associated with mitigation and preparedness, activities undertaken during all phases of CDM can contribute to DRR.


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The Four Phases of Disaster Management: 10 Minutes (Continued)


LEARNING CHECK ANSWERS

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of Module 1. Read each question carefully. When you are sure you know what is being asked by a question, give your best answer. Even if you feel unsure, write something in the space provided. You can work as a team, use your notes, and record your team answers on the flip-charts provided.

1. What are the three concepts of comprehensive disaster management?

(1) All types of Hazards, (2) Disaster Management Partnership, and (3) Disaster Lifecycle

2. Define “disaster.”

“a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources”

3. List the four phases of comprehensive disaster management.

(1) Mitigation, (2) Preparedness, (3) Response, and (4) Recovery

4. List at least one action that should be taken in each of the four phases of disaster management for a typhoon hazard.

Various actions could be used as examples for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.


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A total of 45 minutes has been allotted to complete the Learning Check.

Provide participants with 30 Minutes to complete the questions. Encourage students to work together and use their notes.

The remaining 15 Minutes should be used to guide the groups through each question providing the correct answer.



Scope Module Introduction Module Objectives The Disaster Management Professional Characteristics of Successful Disaster Management

o Within Your Departmento Coordinating with Multiple Agencies and

Organizationso Interacting with the Community

Ten Critical Disaster Management Functionso Function 1: Mobilizing Emergency Personnel and

Resourceso Function 2 and 3: Warning the Public and Taking

Protective Actiono Function 4: Caring for Victimso Function 5: Assessing the Damageo Function 6: Restoring Essential Public Serviceo Function 7: Informing the Publico Function 8: Record Keepingo Function 9: Planning for Recoveryo Function 10: Coordinating Disaster management

Activities A Big Challenge Group Activity (30 minutes)

o Developing Partnerships


Describe the characteristics of a successful disaster manager.

Identify some of the critical functions of a disaster manager and his or her staff.

Apply the skills and techniques necessary for effective management of a disaster operation.

MethodologyThe instructors will introduce the module by displaying a visual which outlines the objectives. After reviewing the module objectives, the instructors will begin the PowerPoint slideshow.


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Emphasize that Module 2 discusses their role in the disaster management process.





After the slideshow, the instructors will allow student an opportunity to complete the individual questions listed throughout the module. Students should be provided with approximately 30 minutes to complete the questions.

The instructors will then facilitate the group activity. Students should be given approximately 30 minutes to complete the group exercise. Once each group has completed the exercise the instructor will facilitate information sharing between the groups.

The final component of this module is the learning check. Provide approximately 45 minutes for the students to complete the questions. Remind students that they can use their notes as well as work in groups to complete the task.



Topic Time

The Disaster Management Professional 15 Minutes

Keys to Success 30 Minutes

10 Critical Disaster Management Functions 30 Minutes

A Big Challenge 15 Minutes


Group Activity 30Minutes

Learning Check 45Minutes



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MODULE 2UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE DISASTER MANAGER


Describe the characteristics of a successful disaster manager.

Identify some of the critical functions of a disaster manager and his or her staff.

Apply the skills and techniques necessary for effective management of a disaster operation.

The Disaster Management ProfessionalThis module will answer questions like, “What is disaster management and what exactly does someone in the profession do, especially when there is no disaster?” The primary responsibility of a disaster manager is to have a disaster operations plan for their community, and to keep it current by exercising the plan and modifying it when needed. This sounds pretty simple, but in times of response, plans are useless unless everyone knows their part. Disaster management is the process of bringing all the stakeholders together when building a plan, and then involving as many people as possible in testing the plan. This is the key to a successful disaster management program.

In conjunction with a plan, the disaster manager is responsible for activation and management of the local Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This is the center of all disaster management activities—it might be a conference room, police department, or school facility. The role of the EOC is to provide a central location from which government at any level can work together to coordinate activities.

WHERE IS YOUR LOCAL EOC?

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Keys to Success There are a variety of professional and individual qualities that are the hallmark of a successful disaster manager. Successful disaster managers must be: organized and professional; able to apply


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The Disaster Management Professional: 15 Minutes

Individual Questions: Participants will have 30 minutes to complete the individual questions after the module is completed.

Keys to Success: 30 Minutes


specialized job knowledge; able to communicate effectively with superiors, subordinates, partners, and the public; able to balance competing requirements while looking out for the good of the community; and able to maintain self-control in stressful situations. Let’s look at how these qualities relate to your job.

Professionalism in the Workplace

Professionalism can be displayed in various ways. Typically, disaster managers have few, if any, staff resources. Often, disaster managers have to work as mediators or facilitators, helping others make things happen. They integrate and coordinate the activities of a lot of other people and organizations in the community.

Disaster managers know how to reconcile differences and compromise for the greater good of the community. The ability of a disaster manager to balance all of the requirements in an effective and systematic way requires a level of professionalism and commitment. This ability is a key characteristic of a disaster manager.

Local and national laws and regulations will specify a chain of command during a disaster. It will tell you to whom you report. In many cases you will report to a decision or policy maker. One of the first things you should do is to find out what this person expects of you and your office.

From one community to another, leaders differ in their expectations of what the disaster manager should do. They also have different methods of operation. One official may be authoritative, and direct the disaster manager. Other officials think of themselves as being there to support you, and they may be content to leave most of the disaster management functions up to you. Trust is essential to achieve the ideal working relationship. As in any profession, competence breeds trust.

One way professional disaster managers show competence is through specialized job knowledge: awareness of current or pending legislation, familiarity with regulations, and a working knowledge of the agencies associated with disaster management.

Effective Coordination

Another area where you will need solid communication and human resource skills as well as specialized knowledge is in coordinating with other agencies. As a disaster manager, you will be working closely with other departments such as fire, planning, and public works. During a disaster, you may be coordinating operations among these and other departments. A good working relationship with other department leaders is essential. As you become more comfortable with your role, strive to have these individuals and organizations view you as the expert in disaster management.


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Keys to Success: 30 Minutes (Continued)


On a day-to-day basis, the planning department, non-governmental organizations, and fire departments tend to function somewhat independently. They have their own mandates, their own responsibilities, and their own structures. During a disaster however, all of these agencies and organizations must work together. Agency differences, competitiveness, and territoriality can cause problems, and may result in a slower response, or even prevent the delivery of critical services. As disaster manager you must always remember what is best for the public. Your responsibility is to facilitate the effective coordination of all agencies active in disaster.

Your Role as Coordinator: Your role as coordinator comes into play when more than one emergency organization is involved. For example, think of the need to ensure security and crowd control at a major fire. In this case, police and fire personnel will need to work together closely. Your role as coordinator is to make sure the operation goes smoothly. Long before this event, you and other organizations should agree on mutual responsibilities and document these in a comprehensive disaster operations plan. This will ensure that each department knows its responsibilities during an event. Your role is not to tell the police how to control security, or the fire department how to put out the fire, but rather to ensure a coordinated effort.

Coordination is always required in major disasters, but may also be necessary in minor emergencies. Even in a home fire, you may be called upon to coordinate the temporary housing of victims with a local service agency. Your job includes planning and negotiating the overall smooth performance of community disaster services.

If you are new to your job, your supervisor can help you establish a good working relationship with other department heads by putting out an official notice about your position. Even if you have been in your position for some time, an official announcement should be made.

Community Interaction

One potential problem with disaster management programs is the lack of community support. If you live in a community with few disasters, community support for disaster management may be minimal. Even in large disaster-prone cities, there may be competing demands and limited support of disaster management programs. Incorporating people in disaster management actions at every opportunity is a way to build public awareness, increase buy-in, and make the disaster management program more effective.

The following activities can help build community awareness and support for disaster management and can help reduce disaster impacts:


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Keys to Success: 30 Minutes (Continued)


Develop creative ways to inform and involve local people in all phases of the disaster management program.

Keep the community in a state of readiness in case a disaster occurs.

Use volunteers.

Work with elected officials to cultivate a greater interest in disaster management.

IN WHAT SPECIFIC WAYS CAN YOU BUILD SUPPORT FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN

YOUR COMMUNITY?

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10 Critical Disaster Management Functions The success of disaster management is based on the extent to which critical functions (such as the ten listed on the following pages) have been implemented. Many other functions could have been included, but creation of an exhaustive list is counterproductive. Some improvisation is likely during an emergency and, in fact, is inevitable during a major disaster.

While the emergency functions listed here may generally be considered part of the preparedness, response and recovery phases, successful execution of these functions depends on actions taken during all four phases, including mitigation.

Function 1: Mobilizing Emergency Personnel and Resources

The ability to mobilize personnel and resources on short notice in the face of a threat is essential. To be successful, two things must occur.

First, there must be an around-the-clock means of monitoring threats and potential disasters so that officials can remain informed. Depending on the size of your community, this could be as simple as a telephone tree or as complex as a communications center.

Second, key officials, once alerted, must be able to mobilize their personnel and resources in a timely way.

The effective disaster manager will make sure that 24-hour monitoring and notification processes are in place, and that each manager of personnel and resources potentially involved in


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10 Critical Disaster Management Functions: 30 Minutes


disaster response has workable mobilization procedures in place. Testing these procedures in advance is crucial.

Functions 2 and 3: Warning the Public and Taking Protective Action

These are two related activities. It is important to be able to provide the public with timely messages that are accurate, precise, and authoritative, so that when the public hears a warning, people know that they can safely rely on the message, and take the protective action recommended. This will obviously depend on the nature of the threat.

The effective disaster manager will ensure that public notification systems are ready and that specific personnel are designated to transmit messages to the public that are both accurate and timely. In addition, you and other officials will have already performed a hazard and vulnerability analysis of the community to determine the most suitable protective actions in response to each hazard that is likely to occur in your community.

Function 4: Caring for Victims

This encompasses a range of activities addressing the well-being of the public. The community normally has existing services that do this on a regular basis; basic and standard processes are already in place.

Often the problem is not the scarcity of resources and facilities, but a lack of coordination between the providers, the overlapping responsibilities of various providers, and an uneven allocation of resources.

The effective disaster manager will help all the agencies that provide day-to-day care services to better coordinate their response. This is another place where the manager can organize disaster exercises that can be very valuable in building greater coordination.

Function 5: Assessing the Damage

This becomes a critical function once the disaster strikes. Damage assessment continues long after the immediate danger passes. The information gathered through assessment is important to help officials allocate resources not only immediately, during response; but also long-range, during recovery.

The effective manager will rely on and coordinate the skills of various experts and specialists in the community to do damage assessments. Sometimes, a quick, superficial survey is all that’s possible at the beginning of a disaster. Later, this work can be technical, involving engineers, architects, construction personnel, hazardous materials experts, and the like. The disaster manager will ensure that the data gathered through the assessments reaches the right officials in a timely way to allow them to make appropriate response decisions. NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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10 Critical Disaster Management Functions: 30 Minutes (Continued)


The effective disaster manager will ensure that staff are appropriately trained in damage and needs assessment techniques. It is also important to work with a variety of agencies to determine and practice protocols for collecting and sharing information. Streamlining and testing the damage assessment process prior to a disaster can help ensure more efficient collection of accurate data and more effective use of available resources.

Function 6: Restoring Essential Public Services

Restoring public services is always a high priority after a disaster. The utility companies usually are ready to go into action because they have their own disaster plans and are experienced at implementing them. The effective disaster manager, as the coordinating agent of the community’s emergency planning, needs to be sure that there is ongoing communication and coordination with the utilities.

Other public services, such as hospitals and public works departments must also be prepared to respond effectively. When your community conducts a disaster exercise, be sure to invite representatives of all these organizations.

Function 7: Informing the Public

This is a critical function during an emergency. Failure to properly inform the public often compounds problems. It is important that the disaster plans be clear about who is authorized to release information, what can be released, and how it is to be released.

The role of the effective disaster manager is to make sure these plans are up-to-date, and that the personnel designated to handle the public information function receive the training they need. Furthermore, close coordination with the media to better understand and meet their needs is essential. In many communities, members of the media participate in drills and exercises.

Vulnerability analyses can also help identify populations that might require specialized communication strategies.

Function 8: Record Keeping

Record keeping during a disaster is essential for two reasons.

First, officials should be able to document what is occurring so the community can learn from its experiences and not repeat mistakes. The records kept by all departments will be very useful in helping the community form an accurate picture of a range of disaster effects on the community. These records will be helpful in reviewing and possibly revising plans and mitigation strategies.

Second, good records are essential if the community hopes to receive financial assistance from the central government or the international community. While Vietnamese and foreign offices are willing to assist, the “price tag” may be increased documentation.


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The effective disaster manager will ensure that all of the partners involved in disaster response have their own procedures for record keeping and use them. To the degree that it is feasible, the manager could suggest standardized record-keeping processes using state-of-the-art technologies.

Function 9: Planning for Recovery

Planning for recovery should occur before the disaster hits. One good reason for this is that obtaining central government and international assistance is often not a simple process, and involves knowing the requirements and procedures for getting the aid. When the disaster hits, it is too late to do the research.

The effective manager maintains constant contact with the personnel of the agencies who can provide this assistance. This action will allow the manager to be up-to-date about changing requirements and procedures. Being known by the agency staff, and being up-to-date on the agency’s information can save a lot of time when time is critical.

Function 10: Coordinating Disaster Management Activities

This is the keystone function, because someone needs to pull the whole effort together, and to coordinate all of the activities. The individuals who make up the disaster management team may be individually well trained to assume their responsibilities, but someone needs to be sure the team functions well as a whole.

The effective disaster manager plays an important role in helping the disaster management team work well together. This means helping the individuals involved in disaster management keep their plans current. Organizing various disaster drills, table-top exercises and full-scale exercises to test the plans will add realism to the planning. Coordinating all these activities is the essence of the disaster manager’s job. It is not a small task.

Successful execution of these key emergency functions will not only improve response and recovery efforts, but can also help inform mitigation strategies and help reduce future losses.

A Big ChallengeAt this point you may feel a bit overwhelmed. We have covered a lot of ground, starting with key traits of a successful disaster manager and ending with a brief summary of the major emergency responsibilities associated with the job. It is a big job, but there are a lot of people you can turn to for help—just look around the room.


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A Big Challenge: 15 Minutes

Allow students the opportunity to discuss the day to day operations of their job.

Ask participants how the 10 critical functions relate to their work.


GROUP ACTIVITY (30 MINUTES)

DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS

This group activity is intended to help you identify potential partnerships in the region. When you look around your table, do you know everyone’s name, agency, and job responsibilities? Do you know what their role is in the disaster management process, and how they can help you do your job? Take the next twenty minutes to identify your group members. Utilizing the flip-charts that are provided answer the following questions:

1. How can we work together to support disaster management activities in our region?

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2. What are three things we can begin doing together to improve inter-agency coordination and support disaster management in our community?

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3. When disaster strikes, what can you provide to other members of your group to help ensure effective response?

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Students have 30 minutes to complete the group exercise

Instructors should facilitate the group work and aid participants.

Ask participants to think about the questions in the context of their job responsibilities:

EXAMPLE: Ask participants to provide an example of how they currently work with other agencies and organizations to complete tasks.




1. Describe the characteristics and skills of a successful disaster manager. How might you go about developing these?

Professionalism in the workplace; Effective Coordination; Community Interaction.

2. Define your role as disaster manager.

Answers may vary and should reflect the participant’s experiences.

3. What role should the disaster manager have during an event?

Coordinator. Making certain that responsibilities during a disaster are assigned and action taken without conflict or controversy

4. What are 10 critical emergency functions of a comprehensive disaster manager and his/her staff?

Mobilizing emergency personnel and resources, warning the public, taking protective action, caring for victims, assessing the damage, restoring essential public services, informing the public, record keeping, planning for recovery, coordinating emergency management activities


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Scope Module Introduction Module Objectives What is Mitigation? Mitigation Before the Disaster Hazard Identification New Hazards

o Relevant Questions Vulnerability Analysis

o Recognize Differences in Vulnerability to Threatso Potential Economic Losso Potential Human Losso Special Needs Populationso Review Existing Capabilities

Your Role in Mitigationo Mitigation Tools: Codes and Ordinanceso Mitigation Tools: Structural Measureso Mitigation Tools: Information

Case Studyo You, the coordinator

Conclusion


State the crucial role mitigation plays in saving lives and property.

Identify hazards that would potentially affect your community.

Describe vulnerability in your community in relation to identified hazards.

Describe the disaster manager’s role in mitigation. Apply the skills and tools of mitigation to your community.

MethodologyThe instructors will begin this module by reminding participants about the four phases of disaster management as described in Module 1. “As you will remember from Module 1, the four phases of disaster management are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This module focuses on mitigation.” The instructor will then display a visual that outlines the module objectives.


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Emphasize that Module 3 focuses on Mitigation.

Ask participants by a show of hands how many participate in mitigation activities as part of their daily job.

Follow-up Question: Ask a few (1 or 2) select participants to provide an example of mitigation activities in which they have participated.





After reviewing the module objectives the instructor will begin the PowerPoint Presentation.



Topic Time

What is Mitigation? 5 Minutes

Mitigation Before the Disaster 10 Minutes

Hazard Identification 10 Minutes

New Hazards 5 Minutes

Vulnerability Analysis 20 Minutes

Your role in Mitigation 10 Minutes


Case Study 45 Minutes




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MODULE 3MITIGATION


State the crucial role mitigation plays in saving lives and property.

Identify hazards that would potentially affect your community.

Describe vulnerability related to identified hazards.

Define the disaster manager’s role in mitigation.

Apply the skills and tools of mitigation to your community.


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What is Mitigation: 5 Minutes

Mitigation Before the Disaster: 5 Minutes


As you learned in Module 1, the four phases of disaster management are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This module focuses on mitigation.

What is Mitigation?UNISDR defines mitigation as “the lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters.”

Mitigation can be structural or non-structural and can often involve permanent actions that attempt to reduce exposure to hazards. Traditionally, mitigation has focused primarily on changes to the built environment. (Example: Zoning or building code requirements.) Over time, the definition of mitigation has expanded to include improved environmental and development policies, as well as activities that involve educating businesses, schools and the public about simple measures they can take to reduce loss, injury or damage.

Mitigate Before the DisasterIt is apparent that mitigation involves a range of activities. Ideally, these will occur before the disaster. Many of these mitigation activities are not within the direct control of disaster management professionals. This does not mean that you have no role in the mitigation process. As you will see, disaster managers can do a lot to make sure the community engages in mitigation efforts.

In this module we will look at three aspects of mitigation:

Hazard identification and vulnerability analysis

The role of the disaster manager in mitigation

Various mitigation strategies

Hazard IdentificationLet’s begin by defining what we mean by a hazard. According to UNISDR, hazard is defined as “A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.” Hazards can include latent conditions that may represent future threats, and they can have different origins: natural (geological, hydro-meteorological and biological) or induced by human processes (environmental degradation and technological hazards). Hazards can be single, sequential or combined in their origin and effects. Each hazard is characterized by its location, intensity, frequency and probability.

It would be ideal if your community were prepared for all types of hazards. However, in most cases it is not practical to be prepared for all types of hazards, since some may never occur in your


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Hazard Identification: 10 Minutes



community. For example, should your community prepare for a snow storm or blizzard?

What about the hazards associated with our 21st century lifestyle: chemical spills, ecological disasters, explosions, major transportation accidents?

Mitigation means addressing both sets of hazards, as different as they are in many respects.

The first step in mitigation activities is deciding which hazards have the potential to affect your community.

IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS LIKELY TO OCCUR IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

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Think about it, in your community some hazards are likely, others are possible, and still others less probable. To understand this properly, you should have more than just your own opinion or any other person’s. One common way to anticipate what may happen in the future is to look at the past, your community’s history of disasters and major emergencies. Which of them resulted from hazards still present in your community? Which of them recur and with what frequency?

Past disasters will give you an indication of what to expect from these same hazards in the future. Review your files to determine what types of disasters your community has faced over the years. If you cannot find extensive files, talk to people who are long-time residents and know the local history. Local newspapers are also an excellent source of information. These sources will help you find out if any major emergencies or disasters occurred prior to establishment of a disaster management unit.

New HazardsTo identify the new hazards that may threaten your community, your task is to constantly observe the changes taking place. For example:

Have high-rise buildings or apartments been constructed recently?

Is there a possibility of a major high-rise fire that did not exist a year or two ago?

Are there new industries with a potential for chemical incidents?

Is there a new major highway, meaning your area may experience increased transportation of hazardous materials?

Has recent development increased storm water runoff?


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New Hazards: 5 Minutes

Vulnerability Analysis: 20 Minutes


In other words, it is essential to identify the hazards that did not exist a few years ago, but do today.

Relevant Questions

Remember, when researching the hazards that impact your community, you need to ask four questions about each hazard:

Could this hazard affect your community?

If so, is it a significant threat to your community?

How often has this hazard occurred in your community?

What is the total population that could be seriously affected by this hazard?

This leads us to our discussion of vulnerability.

Vulnerability AnalysisAnother key activity is the vulnerability analysis. Simply put, if a disaster strikes, who or what will it affect, and how badly? UNISDR defines vulnerability as “the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.” Understanding what is vulnerable and why can improve the effectiveness of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities.

To assess vulnerability, you need to review each hazard identified in the hazard analysis and determine the effect it could have on your community. For example, two rivers in different parts of the country flood simultaneously and on a fairly regular basis, according to historical analyses. The likelihood of occurrence of a flood of similar size is equal. However, one river flows through the business center, while the other flows through a farming region. Do both parts of the community have the same vulnerability?


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Recognize Differences in Vulnerability to Threats

While many social, economic, and environmental factors contribute to vulnerability, it is likely that a flood in the business district would cause considerable economic loss any time it occurred. The flooded farm lands may or may not experience significant crop loss, depending on the season of the year. In the farming-region flood, fewer lives are likely to be in jeopardy. The city flood might require evacuation and relocation of many people.

WHAT OTHER FACTORS MIGHT MAKE AN INDIVIDUAL OR COMMUNITY MORE

SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE IMPACTS OF A DISASTER?

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Potential Economic Loss

To evaluate economic loss, you should keep several things in mind. As stated above, potential human loss and economic loss are key considerations in vulnerability analysis. As you examine potential economic loss, buildings and their contents are obviously primary concerns. Crop or range land damage in agricultural areas is another form of potential economic loss.

Potential Human Loss

Looking at the vulnerability of people requires an assessment of where people live and work. Your vulnerability analysis should identify the locations of these people and the hazards to which they are vulnerable.

WHAT OTHER TYPES OF LOSSES MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER? WHY?

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Special Needs Populations

Here you will want to concentrate not only on the general population but also on special populations. These are the people who, in the event of an emergency, will require special provisions and attention, such as the elderly, those with disabilities, and those speaking languages other than Vietnamese. Your vulnerability


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Vulnerability Analysis: 20 Minutes (continued)



analysis will help you in preparing the emergency plan and identifying the special tasks necessary to provide for their safety.

WHAT SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS CAN YOU IDENTIFY THAT NEED TO BE INCORPORATED

INTO YOUR DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES?

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Review Existing Capabilities

Another consideration in estimating your vulnerability is existing mitigation capabilities. For example, if there is a dam that was constructed as a flood control measure, then your vulnerability to flood damage is probably reduced. However, if the dam is earthen or old, and has the potential to fail, it may create or increase vulnerability to a catastrophic dam failure. In a similar way, fire drills can reduce the vulnerability of people to loss of life, but if the drill plan no longer matches the family or the property, it may not be effective at all in a time of need.

Your Role in MitigationSo far we have explained that mitigation efforts seek to eliminate or reduce the threat to life and property from the hazards potentially affecting the community. In that context, we touched on two other important points that are worthy of repetition.

First, we said that most mitigation efforts are the primary responsibility of other departments of local government, not often the direct responsibility of the disaster manager.

Second, that does not mean the disaster manager lacks a role in mitigation. On the contrary, the disaster manager has crucial roles in mitigation—that of motivator, coordinator, and monitor. We will examine these in more detail.

One of your roles in mitigation is to be the conscience of the community in matters related to emergencies. This translates into two major tasks.

You must be alert to the various types of hazards that threaten your community.

You must constantly monitor opportunities to reduce and eliminate the risks associated with these hazards.

You are the person with the broad scope of responsibility to help the community to do all it can to reduce potential harm to people and property. Remember, your job is to translate comprehensive disaster management into meaningful programs for your community.


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Vulnerability Analysis: 20 Minutes (continued)


Your Role in Mitigation: 10 Minutes


How do you do this? One way you can do this is by motivating others to take mitigation actions, and helping coordinate the available government and private-sector resources that can assist in mitigation.

We need to look at some of the resources that will help you do this.

Codes and ordinances

Structural measures

Financial measures

Environmental policies

Socio-economic development plans

Information

Land use planning and mapping

Inspections

Mitigation Tools: Codes and Ordinances

Laws are a primary tool of mitigation. All the power to mitigate is not going to reside in your local disaster management ordinance. Many other local ordinances authorize others to share the responsibility for mitigation.

Codes and regulations are the mechanism for carrying out the intent of these laws. Examples of these include:

Building and zoning codes

Plumbing and electrical codes

Public health ordinances

Fire and life safety codes

Hazardous materials regulations

Dam inspection regulations

Traffic codes

These examples show that many people in the community have responsibility for mitigating hazards. The fire department is responsible for enforcing the fire codes, and the building inspector is responsible for enforcing the local building codes.

As the disaster manager, it is your job to work with the various agencies or departments who have direct responsibility for developing and enforcing codes and regulations.

Mitigation Tools: Structural Measures

In addition to codes and ordinances, there are other tools available to mitigate emergencies. For example, there are several ways that engineering measures affect hazards. Wind-resistant shutters help protect against windows breaking in a severe storm. Stronger transportation containers, built to withstand accidental punctures, help railroad cars and trucks carry hazardous materials more safely.


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Your Role in Mitigation: 10 Minutes (continued)


Students have 45 minutes to complete the Case Study

Select a Case Study from your resource CD that is appropriate for the geographic location and reflects the local hazards.

Instructors should facilitate the group discussion and aid the participants.


Buildings have sprinkler systems and fire retardant substances to lessen the damage from fire.

Mitigation Tools: Information

Information is another tool. For example, when looking to relocate, identifying studies or reports on local hazard conditions can help inform your decision. If a property is in a floodplain, the potential resident should know that risk.

Another example is labeling of hazardous materials. This has gone a long way toward improving their safe storage and handling.

You can serve as a mitigation advocate before policy-making boards both in government and in the private sector. Presentations to lawmakers, civic groups, professional societies, and corporate management are excellent ways to get the mitigation message understood and accepted.

How your organization handles public information will affect your overall mitigation strategy. As noted earlier, an important group to which you need to relate well is the media. People in the media can be invaluable allies in promoting your mitigation efforts. They can help inform the public about the possible alternatives available when dealing with hazards.

CASE STUDY

Your instructor will provide you with a case study. Please review the document and respond to the discussion question. Your instructor will facilitate discussion and help you to link the case study to the concepts you have learned in this module and to activities in your community.


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You, the Coordinator

All these mitigation tools are ways you and others in the community can promote mitigation. Your role is to inform, to question, to negotiate, to motivate, and to challenge. You need to know where technical expertise exists in your community, and in central and provincial government, and you need to know how and when to use this expertise. You need to be aware of the agencies and groups that carry out day-to-day mitigation so that you can work cooperatively in pursuit of public safety.

IDENTIFY STRUCTURAL AND NON-STRUCTURAL MITIGATION MEASURES IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

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ConclusionYour role in mitigation will vary depending on the hazards faced by your community, your specific responsibilities, and those of other government departments and agencies.

Regardless of how active you are in actual mitigation efforts in your community, it is your responsibility as the disaster manager to monitor how other governmental departments are carrying out the mitigation functions assigned to them, which affect the safety of the community. Your role is to motivate others to practice mitigation through hazard awareness, to coordinate efforts of agencies that have the responsibilities for mitigation, and to help ensure continuing enforcement of risk reduction measures.

Your challenge is to help these community groups to understand the importance of mitigation. Let’s hope it will not take a disaster to do this. But, if a disaster does happen in your community, any mitigation activities the community has undertaken will help reduce the impact, and make your efforts worthwhile.


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1. What is the purpose of a hazard analysis?

The purpose of a hazard analysis is to show what hazards can strike.

2. What is the purpose of a vulnerability analysis?

The purpose of a vulnerability analysis is to show who or what will be affected by a disaster and how badly it will be affected.

3. What are some sources of information you should use while preparing a hazard analysis?

Information sources include: reports on past disasters, local citizens, schools or teachers, government agencies, neighboring disaster managers, officials in your own community.

4. Why should you identify special populations in the vulnerability analysis?

Because these are the people who, in the event of a disaster, will require special provisions and attention , such as the elderly, those with disabilities, college students on a campus, and those speaking languages other than Vietnamese. Your vulnerability analysis will help you in preparing the disaster plan and identifying the special tasks necessary to provide for their safety.

5. What are the tasks of the disaster manager in mitigation?

The disaster manager’s role in mitigation is to be the conscience of the community in matters related to disasters. This translates into two major tasks: He/she must be alert to the various types of hazards that threaten the community, and he/she must constantly monitor opportunities to reduce and eliminate the risks from these hazards.


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6. List three forms of mitigation that can be accomplished by local laws or ordinances.

Any of the following: building and zoning codes, plumbing and electrical codes, public health ordinances, fire and life safety codes, hazardous materials regulations, dam inspection regulations, traffic codes

7. List four tools other than laws that can be used for mitigation.

Financial incentives and disincentives, public information, risk mapping, monitoring and inspecting, professional training, and structural measures.

8. Which of the following is a structural measure for mitigation?

Storage containers and Fire sprinkler system

9. How can public information be used as a tool for mitigation?

Public information for mitigation is useful for sharing with citizens the possible alternatives for dealing with hazardous conditions and then applying pressure for implementing mitigation.


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Scope Module Introduction Module Objectives What is Preparedness? The Disaster Operations Plan What the plan is NOT

o Administrative Plano Mitigation Plano Long-Term Recovery Plano Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Disaster Plan Components The Basic Plan

o Statement of Purposeo Situation and Assumptionso Organization and Assignment of Responsibilitieso Concept of Operationso Administration and Logisticso Plan Development and Maintenanceo Authorities and Referenceso Definitions of Terms

Functional Annexeso Core Functionso Other Functionso Eight Sections

Hazard Specific Appendices Plan Review Exercising the Plan

o Orientationo Table-top Exerciseo Functional Exerciseo Field Drillo Full-scale Exercise

Publicizing the Plano Potential methods


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Emphasize that Module 4 discusses disaster preparedness.



Lining up Your Resourceso From Governmento From the Communityo From a Neighboro From the Private Sector

Inventorying Your Resourceso Identifying Sourceso Resource Trackingo Specialized Government Resources: The Emergency

Operation Center (EOC) Conclusions


State what is involved in the preparedness phase of disaster management.

Distinguish between what a disaster operations plan is and what it is not.

Define the guiding principles that are necessary when developing a disaster operations plan.

Define the eight sections of the disaster operations plan. Define the five different types of exercises for testing a

disaster operations plan. State ways in which to establish and manage an Emergency

Operations Center (EOC) in your community.

MethodologyThe instructors will begin this module by reminding the participants about the four phases of disaster management as described in Module 1. “As you will remember from Module 1, the four phases of disaster management are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This module focuses on Preparedness.” The instructor will then display a visual that outlines the module objectives.




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Topic Time

What is Preparedness? 5 Minutes

The Disaster Operations Plan 25 Minutes

The Basic Plan 20 Minutes

Functional Annexes 10 MinutesNDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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Instructors must be mindful of the time while teaching Module 4. Refer to your ‘Notes’ section to keep track of the allotted time for each topic area.


Hazard Specific Appendices 10 Minutes

Plan Review 10 Minutes

Exercising the Plan 20 Minutes

Publicizing the Plan 10 Minutes

Lining up Your Resources 15 Minutes

Inventorying Your Resources 10 Minutes





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MODULE 4PREPAREDNESS

Objectives

At the end of this module you will be able to:

State what is involved in the preparedness phase of disaster management.

Distinguish between what a disaster operations plan is and what it is not.

Define the guiding principles that are necessary when developing a disaster operations plan.

Define the eight sections of the disaster operations plan.

Define the five different types of exercises for testing a disaster operations plan.

State ways in which to establish and manage an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in your community.

What is Preparedness?NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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What is Preparedness: 5 Minutes


While mitigation can make communities safer, it does not eliminate risk and vulnerability for all hazards. Therefore, communities must be ready to face emergency threats that have not been fully mitigated. Since emergencies often develop rapidly, and become too complex for effective improvisation, a government can successfully implement its disaster management responsibilities only by taking certain actions in advance. This is preparedness.

Preparedness involves establishing authorities and responsibilities for emergency actions and obtaining the resources to support them. A community must assign or recruit staff for disaster management duties; and designate or procure facilities, equipment and other resources for performing assigned duties. This investment in disaster management requires maintenance. The staff must receive training, and the facilities and equipment must be kept in working order. To ensure that the community’s investment in disaster management personnel and resources can be relied upon when needed, there must be a program of tests, drills, and exercises.

An essential element of preparedness is the development of plans that link the many aspects of community commitment to disaster management.

In this module, we will examine essential elements of a disaster operations plan, and then take a look at the equipment, supplies, and personnel requirements to put the plan into action.


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The Disaster Operations PlanThe disaster operations plan is at the center of comprehensive disaster planning. This plan spells out the scope of activities required for community response. It must be more than just a dust-collecting document you and others have spent an hour writing. It must be a “living” document that accurately describes what the community can realistically do. Because response activities are time-sensitive, planning is critical, and will help promote a more effective response.

Your plan needs to be flexible enough that it will be of value in any emergency, even those you cannot foresee fully. In a sense, the all-hazards plan gives your community a disaster-management “bottom line” that provides confidence in the community’s ability to handle an event.

What the plan is NOTBefore moving quickly into what the disaster operations plan is, it is helpful to understand what the plan is not.

It would be wrong to oversimplify and give the impression that effective disaster management hinges on only the disaster operations plan. Just as there are several different kinds of action in disaster response, there are different kinds of plans in disaster management.

Administrative Plan

The first of these are the administrative plans. They describe the basic policies and steps your community takes in managing its internal processes. Some typical administrative plans are those addressing financial management, personnel management, records management, and labor relations activities.

Mitigation Plan

These plans reflect the strategy for mitigating the hazards faced. Module 3 dealt with considerations of how to formulate these strategies.

Long-Term Recovery Plan

Typically, a disaster operations plan does not address recovery actions beyond rapid damage assessment and the actions necessary to satisfy the immediate life-support needs of disaster victims. The disaster operations plan should provide for a transition to a long-term recovery plan and a stand-down of response forces.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Your disaster operations plan does not contain the detailed “how-to” instructions that must be known only by an individual or group with responsibility to perform the function. The standard operating


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The Disaster Operations Plan: 25 Minutes


procedures may be annexed to the disaster operations plan or referenced as deemed appropriate.

Disaster Plan ComponentsIn a real sense, the plan is the result of a planning process; the more successful the planning process, the better the plan.

There are three basic components to the plan.

The Basic Plan serves as the overview of the community’s approach to disaster management, including broad policies, plans, and procedures.

Functional Annexes address specific activities critical to emergency response and short-term recovery efforts that support the basic plan.

Hazard-Specific Appendices support each functional annex and contain technical information, details, and methods for use in emergency operations.

The plan should be written using clear, simple language to avoid possible misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Do not use unnecessary big words, but keep in mind that technical terminology will be required.

The Basic PlanThe basic plan is the foundation document that provides the background and basis for the other parts of the plan. It begins with a series of introductory parts. These include:

A foreword describing the planning process, abstracting the contents in an executive summary, and stating the purpose of the plan.

A table of contents.

Instructions on using the plan, on its intended audiences, on the purpose of its various sections, and on plan distribution.

A “change record” page, a place for noting the dates of revisions and the section revised.

There are eight other sections to the basic plan.

1. Statement of Purpose

This states the reason the plan exists: To give the community an effective and efficient disaster management program that will protect life and property and help the community recover from disasters in a manner acceptable to the people.

2. Situation and Assumptions

This is a description of the types of disasters or emergency situations that may occur. It discusses warning time, the degree of damage expected, or another specific situation that may be peculiar to the community. For example, if you are located in the vicinity of


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The Disaster Operations Plan: 25 Minutes (continued)

The Basic Plan: 20 Minutes


an airport, this section would describe the various emergency situations that may occur because of that particular facility.

Be realistic. Make only valid assumptions, because they will influence the details that follow later in the plan for responding to the event. The description of potential disasters should reference your “hazard identification and vulnerability analysis.”

3. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities

This is the heart of the plan, because it deals specifically with how the community will assign the disaster functions to carry out the plan. However, this section does not yet say how the plan will function. Its sole purpose is to specify who will be responsible for the key functions.

This section also defines the roles of local officials in the disaster management structure. It specifies the lines of authority between the various government officials, the disaster manager, and the heads of the various agencies or departments.

Your emergency organizational structure should be as similar as possible to that used for day-to-day operations. However, it should allow for the expansion and extension of duties to include such items as damage assessment, liaison with community groups, emergency shelter management and similar functions that do not normally occur on a daily basis.

Disaster management is a community-wide responsibility, not just a local government responsibility. Therefore, the organizational structure should also clearly identify those private-sector individuals or organizations that have accepted the responsibility to coordinate resources outside the direct control of the local government.

4. Concept of Operations

This section describes the roles and relationships of government agencies and how they interact with each other and the private sector. Here are some of the points covered:

Relationships among levels of government

Curtailment of nonessential functions during emergency conditions

General need for time-phase of operations (pre-disaster, disaster, and post-disaster)

Supporting plans and procedures as a basis for operations

Expectations for training, exercises, and critiquing

Efforts directed toward mitigation and recovery

General discussion of the decision-making processes that affect disaster management operations


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The Basic Plan: 20 Minutes (continued)


5. Administration and Logistics

This is the place to address management of resources, general support requirements, and availability of services and support for all phases of comprehensive disaster management. The plan will establish policy for obtaining and using facilities, materials, services, and other resources required for any aspect of disaster management.

6. Plan Development and Maintenance

This presents details about the creation, review, revision, approval, acceptance, and distribution of the plan. Especially important: the continuous review required to keep the plan current and reflect changes that result from actual experiences in disaster management, changing emergency situations and assumptions, and modifications in the community’s profile.

7. Authorities and References

This part cites the authorities that provide the basis for a comprehensive disaster management program. It refers to the statutes, executive orders, regulations, and formal agreements that pertain to any type of emergency. It also references other documents relating to disaster planning, such as general planning guidance, plans of other agencies, and the plans of other levels of government.

8. Definitions of Terms

This is the plan’s explanation of words and phrases that are not commonly known or might be misinterpreted. For example, you may wish to define “mutual aid,” “hazardous materials,” or “radiological emergency” as you are using the terms in your plan. These definitions will depend upon their application to your community and the particular interpretation you intend to give them.

It should be fairly evident by now that the basic plan is mostly preliminary, background information. It establishes the structure for the functional annexes and the hazard-specific appendices that follow.

Functional AnnexesAnnexes are the parts of the disaster operations plan where you begin to provide specific information and direction. Annexes should focus on operations—what the function is and who is responsible for carrying it out. While the basic plan provides information relevant to the disaster operations plan as a whole, annexes should emphasize responsibilities, tasks, and operational actions that pertain to the function being covered. Annexes should cover, in general terms, the activities to be performed by anyone with NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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The Basic Plan: 20 Minutes (continued)

Functional Annexes: 10 Minutes


assigned responsibility under that function. An annex should identify actions that not only ensure effective response, but also aid in preparing for emergencies and disasters

Core Functions

The core functions that should be addressed are:

Direction and control – Who is in charge?

Communications – How will people and organizations communicate?

Warning – What warning systems will be used?

Emergency public information – How will the public be kept informed?

Evacuation – What steps will be taken to tell people to leave a particular area, and how will they do it?

Mass care – Who will shelter and feed populations that have been evacuated or displaced as a result of a disaster?

Health and medical services – Who will provide these services after a disaster?

Resource management – How will resources be allocated?

Other Functions

Other functions to consider:

Damage assessment

Search and rescue

Emergency services

Aviation operations

Engineering services

Agriculture services

Transportation

Eight Sections

As with the basic plan, and as described on the previous pages, an annex has eight parts:

1. Purpose

2. Situation and Assumptions

3. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities

4. Concept of Operations

5. Administration and Logistics

6. Plan Development and Maintenance

7. Authorities and References

8. Definition of Terms


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Functional Annexes: 10 Minutes (continued)


Hazard Specific AppendicesHazard-specific appendices are a way of building on what was contained in the functional annexes in order to address special and unique response procedures, notifications, protective actions, emergency public information, and other needs generated by a particular hazard.

A hazard-specific appendix should be prepared for any functional annex that does not, by itself, give complete information on performing required functions in the event of a particular high-priority hazard, such as a typhoon.

The appendices are attachments to the functional annexes, and their sections correspond to those in the annex for which they provide supplementary hazard-specific information. This assures consistency in the plan, since all major parts—the basic plan, the functional annex, and the hazard-specific appendix—will look alike. The level of detail, however, will vary from one to the other.

Plan ReviewWhen you have the plan completed, review each aspect with your local officials and others who have responsibility for implementation of various functions. Be prepared to make revisions, as necessary.

DOES YOUR COMMUNITY HAVE A DISASTER OPERATIONS PLAN?

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DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE PLAN?........................................................................................................................

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Exercising the PlanThe most effective way to test the plan is by exercising it. There are five different types of exercises. They are progressively more realistic, more stressful, more complex, and more difficult to conduct. Communities should plan to perform exercises in successive steps, each step building on the experience of the previous exercise. Exercises must be an integral and ongoing part of an effective disaster management program

1. Orientation

The first type of exercise is a preparatory training exercise that helps orient staff to plans or procedures. It is very low-key and serves as a building block to other, more difficult exercises.


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Hazard Specific Appendices: 10 Minutes

Plan Review: 10 Minutes


Exercise the Plan: 20 Minutes


2. Table-top Exercise

Second is the table-top exercise. The focus of this exercise is to familiarize participants with their roles, procedures, and responsibilities in the disaster management system. As the name implies, it occurs when the participants sit around a table and talk their way through the exercise. It is normally not a stressful activity, and it is easily scheduled since it does not require elaborate preparation.

A table-top exercise does involve an initial attempt to simulate what happens during an emergency, because it uses pre-scripted messages designed to trigger a response. But, unlike more complex exercises, there is no pressure of urgency and timeliness since it is basically an exercise in talking about the plan. This shared conversation about the plan is valuable in that it emphasizes the need to coordinate and to identify the interaction problems agencies face.

3. Functional Exercise

The functional exercise takes place in a classroom setting arranged to look like an emergency operations center or in an actual Emergency Operations Center (EOC). It involves complex simulation using written, telephone, and radio messaging. The messages describe realistic events and occurrences to which the participants respond as if there were a real emergency.

The training benefit comes from the evaluation of personnel and procedures under complex conditions and relatively high stress.

The functional exercise should involve all key disaster management personnel to allow them to practice using the procedures they helped write or, at a minimum, the plan that they approved. This tests the organization of the plan, its task assignments, and the interaction necessary among government officials.

Conflicts in authority or responsibility emerge in a functional exercise as do gaps in planned task assignments. Because this occurs, the functional exercise often leads to plan revision.

4. Field Drill

An exercise in which the personnel of only one emergency service organization actively participate is a field drill. Also, a field drill might be one that is limited to the personnel involved in only one specific function.

Field drills serve a valuable purpose in support of a full-scale exercise. For example, before you conduct a full-scale exercise, you should verify that alerting and notification procedures are correct by conducting a notification field drill. This is done by sending out a message simulating that a disaster has occurred and observing whether the correct people and agencies find out about it within a predetermined period of time.


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Exercise the Plan: 20 Minutes (continued)


Drills also let you verify that your specialized facilities, such as the EOC and the communications center, are in working order.

Too often, communities feel confident that they have tested their plan after running such a drill. However, unless the EOC activates, and full interagency coordination takes place, there is no complete-system or end-to-end test. Therefore, the ultimate goal of the exercise program should be to conduct a full-scale exercise with EOC activation. Drills alone cannot substitute for simulation of total emergency coordination.

5. Full-scale Exercise

The full-scale exercise combines a functional exercise with a field drill. During a full-scale exercise, all personnel respond to a disaster by moving equipment and personnel as in a real situation. There may even be civilian participants who simulate injuries.

While there is not the urgency and stress of a real-life situation, there is enough pressure to test the disaster management plan and the ability of the personnel to follow it.

One final word of advice: Do not move too fast to advanced exercises until all participants and agencies have participated in the more basic exercises and drills. The surest way to “fail” the full-scale exercise is to attempt to launch one with insufficient practice.

WHEN WAS YOUR LAST DISASTER PLAN EXERCISE (OF ANY KIND) CONDUCTED?

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WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE WAS CONDUCTED?........................................................................................................................

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WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN BY DOING THIS EXERCISE?

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Exercise the Plan: 20 Minutes (continued)



Publicizing the PlanOnce you have completed the disaster operations plan, you need to let everyone in the community know about it. If you have not done so already, it is an excellent time to start a full-scale public information campaign about disaster preparedness. It is also an excellent time to do a little promotion within your own government. Use the completion of the plan as an opportunity to renew contact with other agency officials and with volunteer groups and the public.

Your approach to each of these groups and the information you present will be different. The intent, however, is the same: to have a well-informed and fully prepared community.

Potential Methods

Local Media: There are several ways you can inform the public about the plan. The most obvious is to use the local news media. The media might broadcast informational “spots” on radio and television as a public service.

Your local newspaper could run a series of small articles about the disaster operations plan and what the public is to do when alerted.

Speak to Community Groups: Another way of getting the word out is to speak to local community groups, such as schools and women’s unions. Do not pass up the opportunity to speak to any community group. The more informed people are, the better the plan will work in the event of an emergency.

Handouts: If possible, arrange to have some type of brochure printed as a handout.

E-mail & Social Networking: As technology advances and communication methods continue to develop, make sure that your local disaster management community is taking advantage of the tools. E-mail lists as well as social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be used to share information and inform the public.

Lining up Your ResourcesAs you work on a disaster operations plan, you will find that the plan requires considerable resources—people, equipment, and supplies. Without them the job of emergency response would be impossible.

Potential sources of resources are:

Those available from the government in your community or maintained by higher levels of government

Those in the community

Those in a neighboring community

Those available from the private sector


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Publicizing the Plan: 10 Minutes

Lining up Your Resources: 15 Minutes


From Government

The first available resources are those of the various departments and agencies of your community. They constitute your first line of response and the core resources for your disaster management plan.

WHAT GOVERNMENT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

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From the Community

Groups from the community can provide valuable resources. These groups include:

Red Cross of Vietnam

Schools

Women’s Unions

IDENTIFY THE GROUPS IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN PROVIDE VALUABLE RESOURCES?

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From a Neighbor

It would not be fiscally responsible for a community to purchase some specialized piece of disaster equipment used only occasionally if a neighboring community owns one and is willing to share. It makes sense to partner and share resources through mutual aid agreements

A mutual aid agreement is a legal document that sets forth what help will be provided in case of a disaster. The heads of the governments involved sign the document. Typically, the agreement covers access across boundaries, the provision of resources and services, and the extent to which the resources and services will be provided.

WHAT MUTUAL AID AGREMENTS ARE YOU AWARE OF IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

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Lining up Your Resources: 15 Minutes (continued)




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WHAT MUTUAL AID AGREMENTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

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From the Private Sector

A major part of your private-sector resource inventory will be personnel and equipment that will supplement government resources in a disaster. Often, the private sector has different and more up-to-date resources than the government. Private sector entities may also have specialists that the government cannot afford to hire.

Inventorying Your ResourcesPerhaps you already have a community resource inventory. If you do, get it out and review it as you read this section. Your inventory should be updated as often as necessary, but at least once a year. You may find that your inventory is not as complete as it should be. If so, this is the time to begin adding information.

If you do not have a resource inventory, it is time to start developing one. The forms in Appendix A at the end of this Student Manual will help you to begin the process.

Identifying Sources

Begin to identify sources by creating a list of people to contact who have authority to allocate resources during a disaster.

Organizational charts, telephone directories, and simply asking others are excellent ways to identify contacts.

Once you have identified these sources, you will need to make contact with them to find out what resources they can provide. You should be prepared to take notes and to explain in detail your requirements.

It is a good idea to follow up any commitment about a resource in writing. The written document should address specifics about the resource, such as what is being provided, the quantity, the location, primary and alternate contact information, and any costs


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Lining up Your Resources: 15 Minutes (continued)

Inventorying Your Resources: 10 Minutes


Resource Tracking

An inventory of resources, people, and materials must be established using a manual or automated system to capture the information.

The fastest way to update a resource inventory is to send a standard form letter to everyone identified in the inventory. Reproduce the information you have on the inventory, and ask your contacts to confirm the facts and continued availability of the resource. When they return the letter, you can change information on the inventory and/or make note of the last date of confirmation.

Specialized Government Resource: The Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

A designated EOC is a key component to effective disaster management. You and other officials must be able to coordinate the direction of disaster operations, and this is the place where you do it. The EOC has several functions.

First, it serves as the command center. As such, it must contain the necessary communications equipment for officials operating there to communicate with 1) their personnel in the field or at other locations, 2) other government agencies, 3) the higher levels of government that may be involved in the response, and 4) other groups that agreed to be part of the response.

Second, as its name implies, it is the operations center for the emergency personnel: chief elected or appointed government officials, your emergency operations staff, and other essential representatives.

It is the nerve center for government officials away from the disaster scene. This distancing from the scene is critical for proper coordination with the emergency responders at the scene and continuous support of their efforts. Thus, your EOC must be large enough to house all the key personnel, and adequately equipped to allow them to exercise proper direction and control.

Third, the EOC is the information hub. As such, it must be able to receive incoming communication from the field, process it, and transmit outgoing communication to the units at the disaster site. This takes a lot of training to be sure the information flow is smooth and efficient. Furthermore, there can be no confusion over the use of channels.

As a disaster manager, one of your tasks will be to see that all communications equipment is compatible. This is no easy task, since there are often different systems in use.

The EOC should also provide the staff with adequate shelter and life-support services to make extended occupation possible. It should have an emergency power generator, auxiliary water supplies, heat, and ventilation.


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Inventorying Your Resources: 10 Minutes (continued)


The facility should not be located in a basement in a flood zone, and it should be in a building strong enough to withstand the most severe hazards anticipated in your area. The continuity of your local government and its ability to continue serving its people during a disaster depend upon the survivability of your EOC.

The ideal place for such a center is in a local government building having the necessary communications equipment and providing adequate structural protection. Don’t assume that the community’s communication center or that of your local police or fire department is the ideal location just because it is there and already in operation. It may not have the needed space or provide the necessary structural protection.

In brief, the EOC is a critical element in the functioning of the plan when a disaster strikes. Getting the EOC ready takes a lot of time, and knowing how to use it well takes training and exercising.

ConclusionsIf you had any doubts earlier about the scope of the job of the disaster manager, they are probably gone. This module has outlined the tasks associated with preparedness. The full spectrum of activities associated with preparedness is very extensive and this module is designed to only highlight key areas. If you are interested in acquiring additional information, talk to your instructor about additional courses that may be available.

There is a lot you can do every day to prepare your community for a disaster, long before one occurs. Working with all agencies active in disasters, a coordinated preparedness effort can make the critical difference when a disaster strikes.


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Inventorying Your Resources: 10 Minutes (continued)




1. What is a disaster operations plan?

The disaster operations plan spells out the scope of the preparedness activities required for community response.

2. What are three concepts that should form the basis for a disaster operations plan?

The Basic Plan, Functional Annexes, and Hazard-specific Appendices.

3. Describe at least three of the five types of exercises you will use to test your disaster operations plan.

Orientation, Table-top Exercise, Functional Exercise, Field Drill, and Full-scale Exercise

4. What are Standard Operating Procedures?

The how-to instructions for disaster response.

5. List characteristics of a good disaster operations plan.

Living document that describes what the community will do and offers confidence in community’s ability to handle crisis.

6. What is the purpose of a resource inventory and how often should it be updated?

The purpose of a resource inventory is to help you develop contacts with your own government officials, volunteer groups (who are a source of help with the resource inventory), and business and industry officials throughout the community. It can be a path to visibility in your area and a way to build bridges to groups that will be important in disasters. Your inventory should be updated as often as necessary, but at a minimum once a year.


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7. What are the four major functions of an Emergency Operations Center?

First, it serves as the command center. Second, as its name implies, it is the operations center for the emergency personnel: government officials, disaster operations staff, and other essential representatives. Third, it is the information hub. Lastly, the EOC should also provide the staff with adequate shelter and life-support services to make possible extended occupation.


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Scope Module Introduction Module Objectives Stages of Response

o Alerting & Notificationo Warningo Protecting People & Propertyo Providing for Public Welfareo Restoration

Discussion Activity Activating the EOC

o Routine Emergencieso Limited Emergencieso A Potential Disastero Full-scale Disaster

Making the EOC Operationalo Alert the EOC Personnelo Activating the Communication Equipment and

Support Facilitieso Starting the Message Flow Systemo Using Logs, Maps, and Status Boardso Preparing a Shift Scheduleo Announcing the Briefing Scheduleso Providing Staff Necessities

Controlling Access to the EOC Information in the EOC Improving Public Response Assessing Damage

o Preliminary Damage Assessmento Detailed Damage Assessment


Identify the five stages of disaster response and the disaster manager’s role in each of these stages.


State how to handle the media and rumors in a disaster or emergency.


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Provide the participants with a quick overview of Module 5 by highlighting a few key items identified to the left under the heading scope.

Emphasize that Module 5 focuses on Response.

Ask participants by a show of hands: “How many participants have responded to a disaster in the last Year?”

“How many participants have responded to a disaster in the last 6 months?”

“How many participants have responded to a disaster in the last month?”




Define ways to improve the public response through education and partnership efforts.

Develop a response strategy for your community.

MethodologyThe instructors will begin this module by reminding the participants about the four phases of disaster management as described in Module 1. “As you will remember from Module 1, the four phases of disaster management are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This module focuses on response.” The instructor will then display a visual that outlines the module objectives.




Topic Time

Stages of Response 20 Minutes


Activating the EOC 15 Minutes

Making the EOC Operational 20 Minutes

Controlling Access to the EOC 15 Minutes

Information in the EOC 15 Minutes

Improving Public Response 15 Minutes

Assessing Damage 20 Minutes






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Instructors must be mindful of the time while teaching Module 5. Refer to your ‘Notes’ section to keep track of the allotted time for each topic area.


MODULE 5RESPONSE

Objectives


Identify the five stages of disaster response and the disaster manager’s role in each of these stages.


State how to handle the media and rumors in a disaster or emergency.

Define ways to improve the public response through education and partnership efforts.

Develop a response strategy for your community.

In Module 4, you learned how to plan for a disaster. The true test of the plan is how the community actually responds in time of emergency. In this module, you will learn the basic stages of response. You will also learn the steps in activating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and in processing the information that


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Stages of Response: 20 Minutes


passes in and out of the EOC. Finally, you will learn about damage assessment to help you determine the situation and allocate the required resources.

Stages of ResponseThere are five stages of response to an emergency or disaster.

1. Alerting and notification

2. Warning

3. Protecting people and property

4. Providing for the public welfare

5. Restoration

The length of each stage depends on the disaster situation. For example, the alerting or notification stage for a typhoon may be several days, but it may be only hours or minutes in advance of a flash flood or landslide.

1. Alert and Notification

Some disasters, such as a typhoon or a large-scale flood may be slow in developing. With the almost instantaneous communications we have in most places today, it is unlikely that anyone would remain completely unaware of these slowly developing events. The continuous updates provided by the media can be considered part of the alert and notification process.

Public officials need to notify two groups: the general public and the emergency personnel who will respond.

During this period, emergency responders are primarily on a stand-by basis. There are three actions the public needs to take at this time:

1. Keep themselves informed of the progress of the threat;

2. Take preparatory actions such as getting ready for an evacuation or stockpiling essential resources; and

3. Be ready to take more specific steps if public officials order them.

In most situations like this, radio and television will be a primary way to alert the general public. But this notification should occur according to the disaster plan. While you will not have complete control over what the media will say in general about the potential event, you do have control over the specific disaster preparedness information you want them to convey to the public. Your plan should state the kinds of emergency information the public needs at different times. Your previous contacts with the media will help you work together during this time.

HOW IS ALERT AND NOTIFICATION HANDLED IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

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Stages of Response: 20 Minutes (continued)



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2. Warning

The second phase is warning. Some events occur with little or no time for alert and notification. In these instances, things happen so fast that the best public officials can do is to warn the public of impending danger. This would be the case if there were a hazardous chemical spill at a local facility with an immediate threat to all or part of the community.

A worksheet with several questions to help you analyze the warning systems in your community is provided as Appendix B of this student manual. The worksheet will guide you through the analysis and help you to identify areas that need improvement.

There are several ways to warn the public. A discussion of a couple of options follows.

One way is to ask the media to interrupt regular broadcasting with an emergency warning about the impending or current emergency. Be prepared to give the media specific information on who in the community is affected and what protective actions they should take.

Another option is to use public vehicles equipped with loudspeakers to cover the affected areas of the community telling the people what to do. Your message might say to listen to a specific radio or television station for further information on response steps, or it might call on people to take certain protective actions at once.

Your planning should include options for warning the public. Regardless of the medium, it is critical that there be one consistent set of information and instructions given to the public.

WHO IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSUING WARNINGS DURING TIMES OF

DISASTER?

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3. Protecting the Public and Property

The third stage in response is taking immediate actions to protect the public and property. Primarily, this means providing such services as security, fire protection, emergency medical care, search and rescue, evacuation from the disaster area and possibly sheltering. The primary concern is for the life-safety of the community and immediate treatment of those who may be injured.


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Closely associated with this are measures to secure property and prevent further damage. Local disaster management agencies, working with the police, normally perform these actions. The police see to it that property is secure and that looting does not occur. The fire department puts out fires, and the military assists in search and rescue. Also, the local department of public works may be important in providing personnel and equipment to board up windows, remove debris, or provide street barricades.

WHO IN YOUR COMMUNITY PROVIDES THESE SERVICES?

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4. Providing for the Public Welfare

Providing for the public welfare is the next phase, and it consists of two main operations: a) caring for the people during and immediately after the disaster; and b) assessing damage.

Service agencies such as the Vietnam Red Cross, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), U.N. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the other community agencies identified in your plan are skilled in feeding, clothing, and sheltering the public.

WHAT LOCAL AGENCIES WILL HELP PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC WELFARE?

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The community must assess damage to allow the officials in charge to decide what is required and in what quantity, and to determine priorities for restoration of essential services. Also, getting estimates of the associated costs may be necessary in order to request outside help if local resources are exhausted.

WHO IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING DAMAGE AND NEEDS

ASSESSMENTS?

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5. Restoration

Restoration, the final phase, involves actions to repair essential services. Among many other tasks, this means restoring utility service, clearing or repairing roads, removing debris from the disaster scene, and possibly stabilizing weakened structures.

To the extent possible, the community resumes its normal routine. Businesses not severely damaged in the disaster will reopen. Schools may also reopen, and public transportation may resume. This short-range recovery is the first step toward long-term recovery. The next module will cover recovery in greater detail.

WHO IN YOUR COMMUNITY WILL PARTICIPATE IN RESTORATION ACTIVITIES?

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We have already said that certain disasters or emergencies are more likely than others to occur in your community. You also learned that you may need certain resources identified in your community resources list for certain emergencies, but not for others. The following worksheet will show you how preparedness planning links to response. Take a few minutes to complete it.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Complete a copy of this worksheet for one of the high priority hazards in your community. The worksheet will help you start the development of an Emergency Contact List keyed to the five stages of response.

First, select an emergency and note it in the space provided. Then, list the kinds of resources you may need to call on in each of the stages. Finally, turn to your resource inventory and identify who or what agency will provide those resources.

If you do not have an up-to-date resource inventory, write the names of people or agencies where you think you might be able to obtain the resources. In the future, you will have to check with them and work out an agreement for the emergency use of the resources.

Completing a chart for each major threat will give you a good idea where you need to focus on obtaining resources for that emergency.


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Students have 25 minutes to complete the discussion activity

Instructors should facilitate the working groups and aid participants as necessary.


Emergency Resource Contact List for

(type of emergency)

Stage of Readiness

Source Telephone

Alert and Notification

Warning

Safeguarding the Public and Property

Providing for the Public Welfare

Restoration


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Activating the EOCIn Module 4 we talked briefly about the EOC. We now need to return to this important topic. The EOC is where the officials responsible for responding to major emergencies and disasters assemble to direct and control the community’s response. Its operation must function smoothly and efficiently.

It is important to have a well-equipped EOC capable of providing for continued operations throughout major disasters and emergencies. The EOC goes into operation when the disaster manager decides that the situation is serious enough to require a coordinated and other-than-routine response. Obviously, the EOC does not become operational for all emergencies. The plan will specify the conditions under which it is activated and who is authorized to activate it.

One of the first tasks in any emergency is to quickly assess the situation to determine if its size or severity warrants activating the EOC. The EOC may be staffed on a regular basis, or only as-needed. Staffing the EOC may be as simple as people leaving their offices and walking down the hall to the operations center. Or it may be more elaborate, such as calling in people from various locations.

When activating your EOC, you will want to gauge your staffing level by the scale of the emergency. Four classifications are useful in determining the EOC’s operational status.

Routine Emergencies

Routine emergencies are those that local emergency services personnel handle on a day-to-day basis, such as fires and traffic accidents. Under certain conditions, such an emergency may require additional departments to respond. Public officials, agencies or organizations are not likely to activate the EOC for this level of emergency.

IDENTIFY THE ROUTINE EMERGENCIES IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

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Limited Emergencies

A limited emergency is more serious than a routine emergency, and involves a limited staff in the EOC. Only the functions of the EOC that are essential for coping with the limited emergency are operational for such emergencies. This is also known as a partial activation.


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Activating the EOC: 15 Minutes



Limited emergency situations fall into two categories. The first is an advance readiness for what may become a full-scale disaster later. For example, during a watch or warning associated with typhoon or flood, your plan may call for the activation of a limited staff at the EOC to monitor conditions.

The second category of limited emergency is when a routine emergency goes beyond the capability of the community’s day-to-day operations. For example, suppose a small fire in a housing complex or a wildland fire suddenly gets out of control and becomes a major problem. Your plan may call for the activation of the EOC on a limited basis to help with evacuation, mass care, and sheltering.

A Potential Disaster

A potential disaster is one step beyond a limited emergency. In this situation, authorities would supplement the limited staff to more closely monitor the situation, and to be ready to go into action if conditions deteriorate. During this waiting time, it is wise to verify that all communication links of the EOC are operational and all essential EOC staff are ready to report.

For example, when a typhoon is a few days away but its projected path is likely to hit your area, the EOC should be in the limited emergency stage. As the storm nears and the trajectory remains constant, more and more staff would report to the EOC, and you would reach the potential disaster stage.

Full-scale Disaster

A full-scale disaster requires total mobilization of the entire EOC staff. Referring to the typhoon example again. By the time the leading edge of the wind and rain is beginning to be felt in your community, the EOC should be on full emergency status with all staff present and all systems ready to function.

WHAT IS THE MOST RECENT DISASTER THAT YOUR COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED TO?

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Making the EOC OperationalBut how does the EOC go from a non-active status to a fully activated one? As we stated above, the plan should spell out a sequence of steps for activating the EOC, depending on the threat. Note that many steps will apply whenever you decide to activate the EOC, regardless of the nature of the threat. What will vary from situation to situation will be the number of persons involved and the functions activated.

The following are seven suggestions for preparing that sequence.


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Activating the EOC: 15 Minutes (continued)


Making the EOC Operational: 20 Minutes


1. Alert the EOC Personnel

Once public officials have decided to activate the EOC, the first step is alerting the personnel needed to deal with the situation at hand. The operations plan should contain a standard operating procedure detailing how this happens. Usually, this is via telephone contact, personal pagers, or email.

Your alerting roster should contain the names and telephone or pager numbers of a primary and secondary (alternate) contact for each position in the EOC. The alternate would receive the call if the primary contact is unavailable. To keep your alert roster current, it is wise to update it regularly, at least semiannually.

2. Activating the Communications Equipment and Support Facilities

While the personnel alerted are reporting to the EOC, activate the communications equipment and other support facilities. Unless your EOC is in operation on a day-to-day basis, you will need to activate and test your communications equipment. Activating the support facilities may mean anything from plugging in the teapot and turning on the computers to starting up an emergency power generator.

You want to be ready to go into action when the essential personnel arrive.

3. Starting the Message Flow System

It is important to have an effective message system that allows for a disciplined flow of incoming and outgoing messages. This system will ensure the following, at a minimum:

Exacting and detailed recording of an incoming message

Directing each message to the EOC staff person best suited to respond

Coordinating the decision to allocate resources

Allocating the resources or requesting additional ones

Recording the action(s) taken

Notifying the sender of the message of what action has been taken

Ideally, an operations officer routes the completed incoming messages to the appropriate staff person and makes sure each incoming message gets the attention it needs.

One effective way to manage this process is to use pre-printed, pressure-sensitive, color-coded forms that minimize the amount of writing needed. This process also guarantees a chronological record of activities.


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Making the EOC Operational: 20 Minutes (continued)


WHAT MESSAGE FLOW SYSTEM DOES YOUR LOCAL EOC HAVE?

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4. Using Logs, maps, and Status Boards

During a typical disaster, the volume of information and kinds of information generated can be much more than expected. You need systems to manage this accumulation of information. Here are some useful tools.

You need to maintain a chronology of events on a log board to keep track of what is occurring. Today there are “white boards” that electronically capture what one writes on the board. Once the chronology is printed, a special file can keep the hard copy of the chronology, thus freeing the board for another batch of data. This minimizes the need to have multiple log boards. Maybe you can use this technology.

You need maps of your local community, of your province, and of Vietnam. The ideal map is a large, wall-size blow-up with an acetate overlay allowing you to use erasable markers when making appropriate notations. Don’t wait until an emergency occurs to find a useful map and accessories; make this part of your preparedness effort.

Finally, you will need status boards to record such things as the names and locations of the operational shelters, the number of occupants in each and their needs; the roads that are impassible or in need of immediate repair; and the sections of town without utilities. You may be able to capture this information on a computer and project the data on large monitors and wall displays.

DOES YOUR LOCAL EOC HAVE LOGS, MAPS AND STATUS BOARDS?

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5. Preparing a Shift Schedule

If the EOC is to operate for any length of time, make sure the personnel in the EOC have the needed breaks and that their period of duty does not exceed a reasonable span of time (usually 12 hours). While it is impossible to set a schedule of breaks, it is critical that staff working under intense pressure take regular breaks to


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maintain their mental clarity. You may have to encourage some over-zealous staff members, caught up in the excitement, to take a break. Do not hesitate to do so if it looks the person is becoming fatigued.

If it seems that the operation will extend beyond one day, you will need a second shift to relieve the first shift. Your plan should specify the length of the shift and the names of everyone who is to serve and on which shift.

DOES YOUR EOC HAVE A SHIFT SCHEDULE?........................................................................................................................

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6. Announcing the Briefing Schedules

It is important to announce and post the briefing schedule as soon as the EOC activates. Briefings should occur on a regular basis such as when shifts change, when there is a sudden change in events, or before making a major decision or releasing potentially disturbing information to the public or the media.

The local news media also needs a briefing schedule so that they know when to expect a report from the EOC. A media schedule will provide them with important information, and it help prevent the media from interfering with EOC operations.

DOES YOUR EOC HAVE A BRIEFING SCHEDULE?

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7. Providing Staff Necessities

If you know the EOC will be in operation for some time, make sure you have appropriate food, beverages, housekeeping provisions, and basic medical supplies. Your plan should anticipate all needs.

Depending on your situation, you should have made arrangements with caterers or other community food sources to preparing meals for the EOC staff. While you can stockpile drinks and housekeeping and medical supplies, fresh food poses a different challenge.

IS YOUR EOC EQUIPPED WITH THESE NECESSITIES?

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Summary

These seven steps cover the most important actions you need to take when the EOC is activated. There are many smaller tasks that NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

76




fall under these seven steps that are not addressed in the introductory course. Time on the job and further training will familiarize you with them. These seven steps provide a reliable starting point for you.

It is one thing to make the EOC operational, but it is something else to keep it in operational status. One of the chief obstacles to smooth operations in the EOC is the possible interruptions from persons who have no business in the EOC. So, we need to briefly address the question of maintaining the security of the EOC.

Controlling Access to the EOCIn order to provide an effective response to an emergency or disaster, the EOC must function without interference from those who are not part of the disaster management team. The best way to do this is to control access to the EOC. As soon as the EOC goes into emergency status, implement your planned check-in procedure. The EOC should have a receptionist or security person on duty. Each member of the EOC staff should have identification so that the receptionist knows whom to admit. You may wish to have different identification methods for those who have direct access at any time (for example, if the EOC operates on a daily basis) and for those who have only limited access during emergencies. Different color badges are an easy way to establish categories of identification and access, and ensure security.

Your plan should require a sign-in procedure, so you can tell at any time who is in the EOC.

It is best to keep the media and the EOC staff separate, to ensure that members of the media do not interfere with operations. Designate a separate facility for briefing the media. If you have no separate facility, designate a restricted area or room within the building housing the EOC, but preferably not close to the operations.

Information in the EOCEarlier we referred to the need for a smooth flow of information into and out of the EOC. This information processing is critical to the successful operations of the EOC. How well you perform will depend upon how well you can handle the information you receive, process and transmit.

Even before the staff arrives at the EOC, there should be no question as to what each person will do. Each staff member should have received a personal copy of the EOC standard operating procedures as part of your training and exercise program.

As soon as possible after the activation of the EOC, someone must brief personnel on the situation. This can be a quickly prepared summary given to them as they sign in, or it may be done in an initial situation briefing.


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Controlling Access to the EOC: 15 Minutes

Information in the EOC: 15 Minutes


Even as this briefing is occurring, the EOC is likely to be receiving messages from the field. There are ways to manage this message process and not let it get out of control.

All incoming messages should be written or entered into a computer and then funneled through an operations officer to those in the EOC who are responsible for taking action. The operations officer should be aware of the actions taken, not just the information coming in. One way to do this is to use a preprinted form for incoming and outgoing messages. A typical form appears on the following page.

HOW DOES YOUR EOC HANDLE BRIEFINGS?

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Written information is absolutely essential, because it documents the time of the request and the actions taken during the response phase. You may have to refer to this documentation later for verification of events.

The use of a standard form (or computer program) will ensure that the information is complete. The form should be an easily recognizable document and contain space for the members of the staff to make notes. Nothing is more frustrating to the EOC staff, and more potentially damaging to an effective response, than to have to deal with slips of paper of various sizes with no specific format. Making important decisions affecting public safety on the basis of these snippets of information is not an effective way to operate.

As a disaster manager, it is your job to see that the EOC functions smoothly. Message flow is a critical process supporting the EOC operation. Some training and exercises will be needed for the staff to become proficient at this, especially if you do not use your EOC on a regular basis.

HOW IS INFORMATION DOCUMENTED IN YOUR EOC?

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Information in the EOC: 15 Minutes (continued)



SAMPLE MESSAGE / ACTION LOG

Event No. Message No. Sample Form

Date: ______/______/______Mo Day Yr

Time: (24 Hr.)

Routine Urgent

To: From:

Organization: Organization:

Method: Method: (Tel., Fax, Radio, Ecomm, Amateur) (Tel., Fax, Radio, Ecomm, Amateur)

MESSAGE / ACTION: (Names, Titles, Dept., Tel. No., Dates)

R O U T E T O: Signature

____ Central Government ____ Support Agencies/

____ EOC Incident Command ____ Message Center Data Information Systems

____ Public Information Officer ____ Rumor Control

OPERATIONS OFFICER

PLANNING OFFICER

LOGISTICS OFFICER FINANCE OFFICER

(Field Actions) (Plan/Evaluate) (Resource Mgmt.) (Cost/Contract)

FIRE/RESCUE AGRICULTURE COMMUNICATIONS

POLICE PUBLIC WORKS MASS CARE

MEDICAL DAMAGE ASSMT. SHELTER SYSTEMS

EMA RADIOLOGICAL SCHOOLS

EVACUATION HAZMAT RESOURCES

FLOOD OBSERVERS FLOOD COORD. TRANSPORTATION

SEARCH & RESCUE DOCUMENTATION MILITARY AFFAIRS

ACTION TAKEN BY RECIPIENT:

WHITE = To Designated Staff YELLOW = Message Control PINK = Keep


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Computers as EOC Tools

Probably no tool of disaster operations since the introduction of radio communications has had such an impact as the computer. It enables the storage, retrieval, and rapid display of huge quantities of information. As a result, it has greatly altered the way an EOC can function.

Let’s consider a couple of areas where a computer can improve EOC operations. As messages flow into the EOC, the communications operators enter messages into the computer, tagging them for action by specific agencies or individuals. The action tag might be a blinking red marker turned off only when the assigned individual responds to that message. A glance at a large projection screen showing the EOC Event Log makes it clear to everyone what actions are still outstanding, and what unmet needs exist.

For example, when a message arrives asking for pumps to support the response operation, the resource manager can type the word pump and get a list of all available pumps displayed in seconds. With proper programming, the computer system can display the locations of the pumps on a computer-generated map. When the resource manager allocates a pump, the program can record its use—and instantly note that the pump is no longer available to fill another request—on the computer screen.

Similarly, you can answer questions about shelters quickly. The computer allows the shelter officer to display all shelters and the exact status of all open shelters. Each time more occupants arrive in a shelter, the shelter officer can adjust the number of remaining shelter spaces. A computerized program can easily keep count of shelters and display a list of their occupancy levels.

These are just two examples. Computer-aided EOC operations are state-of-the-art. Commercially available emergency information software or database management programs that you develop yourself can improve the way your EOC functions.

DOES YOUR EOC HAVE A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM TO HELP IT FUNCTION?

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WHAT PLANS HAVE YOU PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE YOUR EOC CAN STILL FUNCTION IF YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM FAILS?

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Working with the Media

During an emergency, the media crave information. You, as the disaster manager, or your public information officer or your chief executive will have to face the media. Do not ignore the media, because they may gather information for their public reports from other, less-reliable sources if you do not provide it.

The information needed by the news media answers basic questions like who, what, when, where, why, and what next. Whenever possible, use prepared press releases to cover these essential facts. In addition, the reporters will probably want briefings with officials of the government. This approach can be very useful in getting the public’s attention, but you must ensure that officials are well informed about the situation.

When you, your public information officer, or an official goes before the reporters, be as factual as possible. Do not speculate on what could happen or what is going to happen. Present them with the basic facts, and answer their questions to the best of your ability. If you do not know the answer to a particular question, be honest. Tell them you don’t know at this time but you will let them know as soon as you get and verify the information requested. Do not give out any information you have not been able to confirm.

HOW DO YOU CURRENTLY WORK WITH THE MEDIA?

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You must work with the news people throughout the year, not only during emergencies. Remember, you will need assistance in informing the public about your preparedness plan.

The more you work with them on a regular basis, the better grasp of their operations and deadlines you will have. A good working relationship will facilitate positive exchanges during a disaster.

Also, the more the members of the media respect you, and the more they are aware of your daily operations, the less they will doubt your credibility during a disaster.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

As a group, identify three (3) effective strategies to work with the media in an effort to educate the public about disasters and disaster preparedness.

What strategies are you currently using in your community?


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Students have 25 minutes to complete the discussion activity

Instructors should facilitate the working groups and aid participants as necessary.


Rumor Control

Rumors are sometimes as dangerous as the emergency itself. The control of rumors is essential if the public is to remain accurately informed and as cooperative as possible with the emergency recommendations issued by public officials. As a disaster manager, there are several things you can do to control rumors.

Get the Facts Out: First, try to control rumors quickly by gathering the facts, and then releasing the exact information. As soon as you are aware of a possible rumor, check it out and release to the news media the facts that dispel the rumor. If it is true, confirm its veracity.

Create a Rumor Control Center: Another useful technique is creating a rumor control center. The public should have a number to call for confirmation or refutation of information. It helps to use well-known community leaders to aid in rumor control. Certain individuals may have more credibility with a particular group in the community. It may be necessary for such leaders to go on radio or television to inform their constituents of the facts involved, and to deal with the particular needs of those constituents.

Improving Public ResponseResponding to the media and the general public during and after a disaster is, of course, only part of your public affairs responsibilities. You can do a lot before the emergency hits.

Your job involves other public information responsibilities such as pre-disaster public safety education. Awareness campaigns sponsored by community groups, local government officials, and area business and industry, are perhaps the best way to spread the word on preparedness actions that people can take to help save their lives and their property when an event occurs.

In addition to helping the people of the community, a well-planned and well-executed public awareness campaign has other benefits. It expands your working relationship with the community and helps develop stronger alliances between you and the local media. It will also result in people knowing more about your organization and the services it offers. In addition, it will disseminate necessary emergency public information throughout the community, ready for use when a disaster strikes.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IN YOUR COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE PUBLIC RESPONSE?

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MULTI-HAZARD DISASTER MANAGEMENT........................................................................................................................

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Assessing DamageThe last point we need to examine in reference to response is damage and needs assessments.

There are two types of assessment—preliminary damage assessments (PDA) and detailed damage assessment (DDA).

1. Preliminary Damage Assessments take place within hours after an incident, and focus on lifesaving needs, imminent hazards, and critical lifelines.

2. Detailed Damage Assessments take place days and weeks after a disaster, and record details about the types of damage, affixing a monetary value to damages. DDA focuses on sector-specific damages and identifies recovery needs.

The ability of local governments to perform a PDA accurately and within the first few hours after an incident is critical to providing an adequate local government response for life-threatening situations and imminent hazards. Coordinated and timely assessment permits local government to prioritize response activities, allocate scarce resources, and request assistance quickly and accurately.

Damage assessments involve developing plans and procedures that address:

What information should be collected,

Who will be responsible for collecting the information,

What supplies and equipment will be needed by those collecting the information,

How will the assessment data be consolidated, summarized, and communicated, and

What follow-up actions will be needed?

Preliminary Damage Assessment

Preliminary damage assessment is a key step in attending to the long-term needs of the community.

We cannot overemphasize that you should take pictures of the damage. Written documentation is important, but the damage is recorded more graphically and more dramatically when a photograph is added. Today, with the availability of digital cameras and camcorders, it has become easier to document the damage with photos.

Make sure the people who are responsible for PDA know what to do. It is important to do damage assessments quickly in order to ensure effective service delivery and coordinate outside assistance as necessary.

Damage assessment information can be collected in many different ways. You will have the greatest success if you develop a system


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Assessing Damage: 20 Minutes


that fits your needs and stick to it. It should be as simple as possible, but it must help you collect all the vital information.

The determining factor is how you are going to use the damage information. The basic purpose of an assessment is to obtain needed assistance. You may also use the damage assessment information to report to the media. Your damage assessment may even be the basis for receiving international assistance.

Detailed Damage Assessment

The detailed damage assessment is an in-depth assessment of both the situation and the needs. The DDA usually starts after the preliminary damage assessment has been completed and covers assessments of critical sectors (e.g. transportation, power, communications, banking, agriculture, health…) that have to be addressed for medium- and long-term response and recovery. The DDA should be carried out by specialists in each impacted sector.

As with the PDA, clear documentation (both written and in pictures) is very important. The DDA may be used to seek national and international assistance as well as to apply for development funds. It is important that DDA data collection is carried out in a consistent and systematic manner.

For more information and instructions on how to conduct a DDA see: ASEAN Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) Quick Reference Guide 2008 or UNOCHA Disaster Assessment and Coordination Field Handbook 2006.

ConclusionIn brief, these are some of the major duties your disaster management team will be responsible for during response. As you can see, there will be a lot to do. The more of this you can anticipate and plan for, the better off you and your community will be when something happens.


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Assessing Damage: 20 Minutes (continued)




1. List the five basic stages of response to a disaster and identify your level of preparedness for each stage.

(1) Alerting and notification. (2) Warning. (3) Protecting the citizens and property. (4) Providing for the public welfare. (5) Restoration.

2. List the steps in making an EOC operational.

Alerting the EOC Personnel, Activating the Communications Equipment and Support Facilities, Starting the Message Flow System, Using Logs, Maps, and Status Boards, Preparing a Shift Schedule, Announcing the Briefing Schedules, Providing Staff Necessities.

3. What are some possible ways to handle rumors?

Try to control rumors quickly by getting the facts and then getting the exact information out. As soon as you are aware of a possible rumor, check it out and release to the news media the facts that dispel the rumor. If it is true, confirm its veracity. It is also important to have a good working relationship with the media. Your good rapport will contribute to making them willing to hold certain information until you verify it before releasing it to the public. Another useful technique is creating a rumor control center. The public should have a number to call for confirmation or refutation of information. It helps to use well-known community leaders to aid in rumor control. Certain individuals may have more credibility with a particular group in the community.

4. Why conduct a damage assessment?

Provide adequate response for life-threatening situations, prioritize response activities, allocate resources, report to press, helps to match needs with available resources, basis for requesting international aid.


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Scope Module Introduction Module Objectives Recovery: The Final Phase Recovery Assistance Documentation How to Recover

o Recovery Partnershipso Recovery Planningo Capitalizing on Event


List recovery-related activities that occur after a disaster.

Identify the types of assistance that will be needed following a disaster, and state how to access this assistance.

Identify considerations for recovery planning.

State how to assess and report damage and losses.

Understand short- and long-term recovery needs (e.g. housing, economic recovery).

State ways to gain support for disaster management while visibility is high.

Develop a recovery strategy for your community.


MethodologyThe instructors will begin this module by reminding the participants about the four phases of disaster management as described in Module 1. “As you will remember from Module 1, the four phases of disaster management are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This module focuses on recovery.” The instructor will then display a visual that outlines the module objectives.



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Provide the participants with a quick overview of Module 6 by highlighting a few key items identified to the left under the heading scope.

Emphasize that Module 6 focuses on Recovery.





Topic Time

Recovery: The Final Phase 20 Minutes

Recovery Assistance 15 Minutes

Documentation 10 Minutes

How to Recover 15 Minutes



Total Time 1 hour 40 Minutes


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MODULE 6RECOVERY

Objectives


List recovery-related activities that occur after a disaster.

Identify the types of assistance that will be needed following a disaster, and state how to access this assistance.

Identify considerations for recovery planning.

State how to assess and report damage and losses.

Understand short- and long-term recovery needs (e.g. housing, economic recovery).

State ways to gain support for disaster management while visibility is high.

Develop a recovery strategy for your community.

Recovery: The Final PhaseNDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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Recovery: The Final Phase: 20 Minutes


Recovery includes activities necessary to restore the community to normal. Recovery activities are classified as short-term and long-term.

During response, the community takes emergency action to restore vital functions while instituting protective measures against further damage or injury. Short-term recovery is immediate and tends to overlap with response. The community restores interrupted utility services, re-establishes transportation routes, and stabilizes or demolishes severely damaged buildings. Additionally, there may be a need to provide food and shelter for those displaced by the disaster. Although called short-term, some of these activities may last for weeks.

Long-term recovery may involve some of the same activities, but it may continue for a number of months, sometimes years, depending on the severity and extent of the damage sustained. For example, long-term recovery may include the complete redevelopment of damaged areas. The goal is for the community to return not only to its pre-emergency condition but to an improved state.

This is an ideal time to implement new mitigation measures so that the community is better prepared to deal with future threats, and is less vulnerable to the hazards it has now experienced.

Helping the community to take new mitigation steps is one of your most important roles during the recovery phase. You will also be your community’s liaison with representatives of government assistance programs. In addition, you will have to keep track of the myriad of other tasks associated with your daily position as the disaster management coordinator.

Recovery AssistanceFor the majority of disasters, local communities are able to provide the assistance needed for recovery.

However, for a major disaster, it may be necessary to obtain assistance from the central government or international community. Therefore, you must be prepared to request outside aid if a major disaster occurs.

DocumentationThe most common reason for outside assistance not being provided when requested is lack of adequate documentation. Documenting a disaster simply means providing evidence of what happened. Photographs of the damage provide irrefutable evidence. Take pictures of the damage, the repair work, and completed restorations. You cannot take too many pictures.

You will have good documentation if you follow these five simple steps:

1. Take pictures of damage and repairs. More is better than too few. Private individuals may have excellent photographs to supplement your own.


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Recovery Assistance: 15 Minutes

Documentation: 10 Minutes

How to Recover: 15 Minutes


2. Take notes on damages and repairs. Again, more is better than too little note-taking. If there is too much to write at one time, dictate your notes into a tape recorder to be written later.

3. Clip and file newspaper reports and stories. If you can, get video footage from the television stations.

4. Record all expenditures carefully, and keep all receipts and invoices.

5. Make sure anyone acting on behalf of the community does the same.

How to RecoverIn Module 4: Preparedness, one of the suggested Things to Do was to develop an inventory listing individuals in your community with special skills or resources. These individuals are your partners in the response effort. However, during recovery, in addition to working with many of these same persons, you will be developing relationships and working with a new set of partners.

Recovery Partnerships

You may already know some of your new partners, such as the officials from your province or regional DMC office. In addition, you will continue to work with the people who helped you to conduct damage and needs assessments.

However, you will also need to work with new community resources or partners. You will probably develop working relationships with agencies and organizations in the area to work with you.

As you begin the long-term recovery effort, you will also develop new relationships with people on various local government commissions and departments. For example, you may find yourself working with the local government planning and development offices.

IDENTIFY CURRENT RECOVERY PARTNERSHIPS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

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WHAT AGENCIES WOULD YOU LIKE TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH IN ORDER TO HAVE THEIR HELP DURING RECOVERY ACTIVITIES?

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........................................................................................................................NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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How to Recover: 15 Minutes (continued)


MULTI-HAZARD DISASTER MANAGEMENT........................................................................................................................

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Recovery Planning

You and your partners in recovery will work together much better if you understand the recovery process and have a general plan for recovery. You should append such a plan to your disaster operation plans.

The primary purpose of a recovery plan is to spell out the major steps for managing successful recovery. For each step you will also designate key partners and their roles, and procedures for mobilizing them. The plan should have at least the following seven steps:

1. Gathering basic information

2. Organizing recovery

3. Mobilizing resources for recovery

4. Administering recovery

5. Regulating recovery

6. Coordinating recovery activities

7. Evaluating recovery

The following table shows the steps that are typically performed during recovery, and compares long-term with short-term activities. You will note the transition from action objectives (restoration of utilities, for example) to planning and coordination objectives.

SAMPLEActions Typical to the Recovery Period

Short Term Long Term

Gathering basic information

Documentation – Photographic press clippings, written estimates

Documentation – Records of expenditures. More detailed damage assessment.

Organizing recovery

Identification of aid programs.

Submit requests for aid to include: applications for loans, grants, and technical assistance.

Mobilizing resources for recovery

Restore utilities. Temporary housing and transportation. Secure hazardous property. Temporary food and

Implementation of assistance programs. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of damaged areas.


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Review with the participants the SAMPLE ‘Actions Typical to the Recovery Period’.


clothing.

Administering recovery

Short-term planning to return community services.

Long-term master plan for community development.

Regulating recovery

Assess needs for special laws or permits.

Get approval for proposed new laws or permits.

Coordinating recovery activities

Coordinate transition from response to recovery.

Coordinate among programs, service organizations, and local resources.

Evaluating recovery

Monitor recovery effort Monitor recovery effort; evaluate if additional aid is needed.

This suggests again the importance of recognizing that disaster management is a partnership with a wide variety of individuals and organizations and requires quite a range of management skills, from command and control, to coordination, to planning. Effective disaster managers strive for a proper balance among these skills so that they can fulfill their role during all four phases of the disaster management cycle.


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DOES YOUR COMMUNITY HAVE A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN?

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WHEN WAS THE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN LAST REVIEWED AND TESTED?

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........................................................................................................................

Capitalizing on Events

One of the most effective ways to get needed support for disaster management programs is to make them highly visible in the aftermath of a disaster. Why? Because right after a disaster, local officials are most familiar with your efforts, and the public is willing to listen.

Funding for disaster management is usually one of the items of lower priority in a community’s budget. Because of the economic and financial constraints put on most governments, officials are often reluctant to institute new programs. As a result, funding for many disaster management programs is minimal.

There are several methods you can use to capitalize on a recent emergency. First, review what happened. Ask:

Were you prepared?

What weaknesses were there in your disaster operations plan?

Did the recovery effort go smoothly?

Did your EOC function as planned?

Were communications adequate?

The next step is to determine what the community can do to correct the problems you identified in your review of the situation. Ask:

Do you need more communications equipment?

Do you need more help on a day-to-day basis to perform such tasks as keeping your resource inventory up to date?

Do you need additional help in your EOC during a disaster?

Recall that in Module 3 we urged you to do a needs assessment. Another good time to do a detailed needs assessment is after a major disaster.

Once you have a good idea of what the community needs, you can begin the process of planning and mitigating.


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DESCRIBE A RECOVERY STRATEGY THAT HAS BEEN EMPLOYED IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

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WAS IT EFFECTIVE? WHY OR WHY NOT?........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

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ConclusionIt should be clear to you that your job as a disaster manager does not end when a disaster is over. In some cases, such as after a typhoon or flood, the recovery stage may go on for months or years. Even after minor emergencies, there may be battles over zoning changes or construction techniques in council meetings or commission hearings for a long time. Don’t get discouraged; it is a continuous process.


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1. In addition to time, what are the differences between short-term and long-term recovery efforts?

Short-term recovery is immediate and tends to overlap with response. The community restores interrupted utility services, re-establishes transportation routes, and shores up or demolishes severely damaged buildings. Additionally, there may be a need to provide food and shelter for those displaced by the disaster. Although called short-term, some of these activities may last for weeks. Long-term recovery may involved some of the same activities, but it may continue for a number of months, sometimes years, depending on the severity and extent of the damage sustained. For example, it may include the complete redevelopment of damaged areas. The goal is for the community to return not only to its pre-disaster conditions but to an improved state. This is an ideal time to implement new mitigation measures so that the community is better prepared to deal with future threats and does not leave itself vulnerable to the same setbacks as before.

2. What activities should your community take in order to be prepared for the recovery phase?

Develop a recovery plan to include: gathering basic information, organizing recovery, mobilizing resources for recovery, recovery regulations.


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Scope Module Introduction Module Objectives Daily Operations

o Typical Nonemergency Duties Staffing Issues

o Administrative Staffo Emergency Staffo Basic Question

Financial Planningo Budgetingo Accountingo Reporting

Training


State ways to address staffing issues.

State ways to plan for and prepare a budget.

Identify what is involved in accounting for resources and the expenditure of these resources.

Identify training and other opportunities to improve skills and knowledge of disaster management personnel.

MethodologyThe instructors will begin this module by reminding the participants about the four phases of disaster management as described in Module 1. “As you will remember from Module 1, the four phases of disaster management are mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This module focuses on recovery.” The instructor will then display a visual that outlines the module objectives.




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Emphasize that Module 7 focuses on Managing the Program.





Topic Time

Daily Operations 15 Minutes

Staffing Issues 10 Minutes

Financial Planning 10 Minutes

Training 10 Minutes



Total Time 1 hour 20 Minutes


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MODULE 7MANAGING THE PROGRAM

Objectives


State ways to address staffing issues.

State ways to plan for and prepare a budget.

Identify what is involved in accounting for resources and the expenditure of these resources.

Identify training and other opportunities to improve skills and knowledge of disaster management personnel.

Daily OperationsThroughout this course we have examined your various roles and what they entail. Given that disaster management is the NDRMP Education and Training ProgramRev. March 2010

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Daily Operations: 15 Minutes


coordination of an organized or systematic effort to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency, how is that expressed in your daily tasks?

You spend the majority of your time preparing for and mitigating possible disasters. How well you manage the tasks associated with these activities will significantly affect how well the community will respond to and recover from an event.

In this module we will look at some of the management functions of daily operations. While these tasks are not as glamorous or thrilling as the high-adrenaline responses during a disaster, your community’s ability to respond is affected by your careful management of these functions:

Staffing your office—with full-time paid, part-time paid, or volunteer staff

Financial planning—the processes of developing a budget, accounting for expenses, and reporting your budget and expenses for the community

Training—for yourself, your staff, others performing disaster management activities, and for the public

Ask yourself:

How much of my time will this take? Do I have staff to assist with these?

How much money will it take to accomplish these tasks? How will I account for the funds? What is the most effective way to report accomplishments?

Does anyone, including myself, need training? Can I mentor others to help me with these tasks?


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HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU RECEIVED DISASTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING?

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WHAT TYPE OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING DO YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY NEED MOST?

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Typical Nonemergency Duties

Obviously, what you do on a day-to-day basis will depend on various circumstances and factors. But such factors as your geographical location, the size of your community, its disaster history, and the official support you have, as reflected in your budget and staff size, will largely define your job.

In the previous modules, we have addressed the tasks and functions that are part of the disaster manager’s job. Let’s summarize some typical duties. As you read through this module, think about the impact of staffing, financial planning, and training on each of these tasks. The following is checklist of typical duties:

Typical Duties Conduct a hazard and vulnerability analysis of the community.

Cooperate with local officials and organizations to develop a mitigation program

Assist local government departments and community organizations in developing disaster plans and capabilities.

Help industry develop disaster plans and capabilities that support local government plans and guidelines.

Identify resource shortfalls and work with appropriate officials on ways to correct them.

Inventory personnel and material resources from agencies active in disaster management.

Establish mutual aid agreements to obtain necessary services, equipment, and other resources during a disaster.

Establish an EOC.

Develop and maintain disaster communication systems.

Establish a shelter and mass care program.

Develop a training program for personnel, including a program of tests and exercises.

Develop a public education program.


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Daily Operations: 15 Minutes (continued)


Review the ‘typical duties’ table with participants.

Ask participants if they can think of any other ‘typical duties’ that could be added to the list.


Establish a disaster public information system.

Ensure officials are fully informed of disaster management activities.


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There may be others. We will first talk briefly about staffing.

Staffing IssuesAs a disaster manager, you may or may not have a paid staff. Even if you serve the community as a volunteer disaster manager, it is possible to have a paid staff to assist you. You might have a person serving as receptionist, secretary, or office assistant. That person may be working part-time for some other department. There are all kinds of possibilities.

Let’s look at the types of staff—administrative and emergency—and their typical roles.

Administrative Staff

Members of the administrative staff handle the routine office work. You may not be able to run a disaster management office without some type of administrative help. A good administrative assistant handles paperwork effectively and efficiently. Among other important duties, someone needs to answer the phone, check the e-mail, log and track mail, and process reports and data coming in from the other offices. Every disaster management office should have administrative support staff, if only on a part-time basis.

If you are the disaster manager in a large municipality, you may have your own administrative assistant. If you are only a part-time emergency program manager, you may have only part-time administrative help. In many cases, the disaster manager can share a paid employee with other departments.

Even if you are a volunteer, you should have some type of administrative help on a regular basis. Perhaps someone from a government office can serve on a limited basis to make sure that some of the basic administrative duties are covered.

If funds are extremely limited, do not overlook the possibility of using volunteers to help in the disaster management office. Local service organizations and youth groups make excellent helpers. Perhaps you can arrange some type of duty roster so volunteers can staff the disaster management office for a few hours every day helping with the paperwork, especially keeping your resource list up-to-date.

If you use volunteers, you will need to prepare a job description with clear descriptions of their responsibilities. It need not be as elaborate as for a regular staff person, but it should be precise. This will help guide the volunteers and give them a sense of accomplishment.

Your disaster management office may consist of limited facilities and equipment: an office, a desk, a computer, a phone, a mail drop, and a file cabinet. Don’t get discouraged if your resources are extremely limited. If you are in a small community with little history of major emergencies or disasters, these may be all you need.


102

Staffing Issues: 10 Minutes


However, limited administrative resources should not keep you from doing a good job. With a little resourcefulness and careful planning, and by using the available resources, you can run your disaster management office effectively.

DO YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT?........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

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Emergency Staff

The emergency personnel staff the EOC on an as-needed basis.

Depending on the local community, paid personnel or volunteers will be used. Either way, it is absolutely essential that your disaster plan spell out the staffing of your EOC and the responsibilities of each person. This is especially critical if the staff does not function in the EOC on a day-to-day basis. When your EOC is activated the staff members will need a reminder about their responsibilities. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) can be helpful to remind people about what to do during an emergency.

DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE EOC STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES?

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Plan for at least two shifts a day for 24-hour operations. Check the EOC roster on a regular basis to make sure you have a fully staffed EOC when a disaster occurs.

How well are you able to manage your office, whether it is on a day-to-day basis or during a disaster, depends in part on whether you are adequately staffed. Part of your job as the disaster manager is to estimate what your staffing needs are or will be, and then plan to attain that level of staffing.

Basic Questions

The ability to staff your program will depend on financial planning, which is connected to your goals. To manage your disaster program, you need to answer some basic questions:

You may not be able to answer all of the following questions today but you should take this information back to your community and find the answers.


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Staffing Issues: 10 Minutes (continued)



WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF MY CURRENT DISASTER PROGRAM?

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HOW CAN I SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVE THEM? ........................................................................................................................

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WHAT GOALS SHOULD MY PROGRAM HAVE FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS?

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WHAT ARE OTHER LONG-TERM GOALS OF THE PROGRAM?

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The first two are critical questions for preparing your budget. Goals and objectives determine the funding you will need. So, before you can prepare a budget, you need to decide what you will do to try to accomplish your goals and objectives. This requires a considerable amount of detail but it is essential.

As you attempt each year to identify where your program has come to and where it is going, you can focus on several main program areas, such as:

Hazard and vulnerability analyses

Mitigation efforts

Emergency organization

Plan development

Evacuation planning

Contamination monitoring and control

Public education and disaster information

Emergency support services

Training and exercises

Your plans for each of the areas selected should include an annual review in narrative and/or statistical form. By looking at each


104

Staffing Issues: 10 Minutes (continued)



program area in the light of the stated goals and objectives and by itemizing your accomplishments and remaining needs, you will develop an accurate picture of disaster management in your community. This will prepare you to plan your program in a realistic way so that you know how to achieve your next set of goals and objectives using the resources your budget provides.

Financial PlanningFinancial planning is a vital part of disaster management. Every disaster management office, no matter how small, must have a budget. Even the disaster manager serving on a volunteer basis needs funds for basic administrative expenses and for attending meetings, seminars, and training.

For discussion purposes, we will divide financial planning into budgeting, accounting, and reporting.

Budgeting

A budget is an itemized summary of probable expenditures for a given period of time, usually a year. The size of your budget will depend on the history of disasters in your area, the past performance of disasters managers in your job, the size of the community, and the willingness of government officials to commit funds.

Developing a disasters management budget is a simple, straightforward process. You need to look at the community’s past appropriations for disasters management. A look at the past will provide a baseline on which to build your request. You need to ask yourself questions like: How much is it going to cost to maintain the community in a state of readiness and to operate the disasters management office?

DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR YOUR COMMUNITY?

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WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET? ........................................................................................................................

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Accounting

Accounting is another financial process aimed at keeping accurate financial records. Just as the budget is a list of anticipated expenses for a given period, the accounts are the record of the actual expenditures.


105

Financial Planning: 10 Minutes



More than likely you will base your accounting on monthly records. By looking at these monthly records of the amount of your budget actually spent, you can tell the financial status of your program.

Accounting procedures are likely to be well established in your community. The office of financial management usually will be able to provide you with the proper forms and procedures.

DO YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNTING PROCESS IN PLACE?

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........................................................................................................................

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Reporting

Reporting is just showing your budgeting and accounting information with the officials who have oversight responsibility for your program. One way to look at the financial report is to see it as a way to summarize your year.

In keeping your financial records, you can also note the activity associated with the expense. This will give you an accurate record of your activities as they relate to program expenditures for items like the training courses you or your staff attended, the speeches you made, the supplies you bought and other program activities.

Reporting, then, is not only part of your financial management responsibility, but also potentially a way to keep track of the development of your disaster management program.

Finally, the reporting requirement gives you one more opportunity to make the case for improved disaster management. Seize the opportunity to make new friends for your program through personal presentations emphasizing your accomplishments and the benefits to the community. Cite examples of where disaster management has made a positive difference in the community.

Like the accounting procedures in your community, your reporting procedures are likely to be standardized. Check with your community’s administrative officer for those details. Remember, turn the reporting burden into an opportunity to promote your disaster management program.

WHAT DISASTER MANAGEMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS EXIST FOR YOUR COMMUNITY?

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Training


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Financial Planning: 10 Minutes (continued)


Training: 10 Minutes


It is important for communities to have training opportunities. Training programs, for disaster management personnel should include the testing and exercising for all plans.

As a disaster manager, you need a wide range of knowledge and skills. You can acquire these through training available from communities close to you or international opportunities, as well as from organizations in the private sector. Moreover, you should plan to share your knowledge and skills by helping others to learn about their jobs.

ConclusionYou began this course as a trainee in disaster management. You have ended it by finding out that one of your important roles as a disaster manager is to help train others. You have come full circle as a disaster manager. With every bit of knowledge and experience you gain, you can enrich others.

This course has taken you from a definition of your job through the broad understanding of the four phases of disaster management. You have learned the importance of working with agencies and organizations to keep them alert to ways to mitigate future disasters. You’ve learned about hazard identification and analysis, preparedness planning, and resource inventorying. You have focused on the EOC as the center of response, and on damage assessment as the beginning of recovery. You have learned that the disaster manager’s job doesn’t end when the crisis is over. It is a continuing job, looking for mitigation opportunities even as the community makes its redevelopment decisions.

In long-term recovery after disaster, your role again comes full circle. You have been trained, and now you become the trainer. You have prepared for disaster, and now you respond to it. You supported recovery, and now you are ready to work on mitigation. Throughout it all—different disasters, different phases, different partners—you are there, helping to reduce disaster risk and preparing your community to effectively respond to and recover from disaster impacts.


107

Training: 10 Minutes (continued)




1. What are sources for obtaining staff for your program if your community is unable to pay a salary?

Perhaps someone from the police department or a member of your staff can serve on a limited basis to make sure that some of the basic administrative duties just mentioned are covered. If funds are extremely limited, do not overlook the possibility of using volunteers to help in the disaster management office. Perhaps you can arrange some type of duty roster so volunteers can staff the office for a few hours every day helping with paperwork, especially keeping your resource list up-to-date.

2. Where can you and your staff obtain disaster management training?

You can find disaster management training programs through government agencies (such as this course) with non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross, or online courses through accredited universities. Students may also provide specific examples of training that is available in there community.


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APPENDIX A: RESOURCE INVENTORY

IDENTIFYING RESOURCES

Instructions: Make assumptions about resources in your community then complete the worksheet.

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITYExamples of Assumptions are:

A resource inventory will be maintained at the Emergency Operations Center. Response organizations will be responsible for sustaining themselves for the first 24

hours. Households and businesses will be responsible for sustaining themselves during the

first 72 hours. Evacuees who are located in a shelter will receive necessary life-sustaining services

from the shelter. Performance of the Resource Management function depends on volunteers

Our Assumptions:

RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THECOMMUNITYResource Location

Communications Equipment

Transportation/Vehicles (passenger, cargo, debris removal)


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RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THECOMMUNITY Resource Location

Heavy Equipment (Public Works) (e.g., cranes, road graders)

Useful Materials and Tools (fuel, sandbags, chain saws, plastic sheeting, shovels, picks, and hatchets)

Mass Care Supplies (medical/first aid, potable water, food, sanitation, lighting)

PERSONNEL

Response Personnel (e.g., emergency management staff, fire, police, public works)


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PERSONNELVoluntary Personnel & NGO’s

Specialized Groups (e.g., amateur radio operators, morticians, engineers.)


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Resource Management Plan Checklist

Instructions: This checklist includes planning considerations for the Resource Management function. Use it as a guide for preparing your community’s Resource Management plan.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN CHECKLISTPurpose: To describe the means, organization, and process by which the community will find, obtain, allocate, and distribute resources to satisfy needs that are generated by a disaster.

Situation and Assumptions

Potential for disasters that could deplete critical resources. Possible effects of hazards on the transportation and distribution network. Complete listing of resources and planned requirements including:

Personnel Communications equipment Transportation/vehicles (passenger, cargo, debris removal) Heavy equipment (public works, materials handling, pumps) Useful materials and tools (fuel, sand, sandbags, plastic sheeting, shovels, and other

tools) Mass care supplies (medical/first aid, potable water, food, sanitation, and lighting). Portable generators

Mutual aid agreements related to resource acquisition Assumptions related to the Resource Management function. Examples of these

assumptions are: The Disaster Manager (DM) or Resource Manager (RM) will maintain a resource

inventory or database. Response agencies will sustain themselves during the first 24 hours. Households and businesses will sustain themselves during the first 72 hours. Evacuees who are located in a shelter will receive necessary life-sustaining services

from the facility. Performance of this function depends on a large pool of volunteers.

Concept of Operations

General Resource Management policies Sequence of Resource Management activities Provisions for:

Notifying the Resource Manager and suppliers of impending disasters Activating the Resource Management function Needs assessment, prioritization, and follow-up Obtaining supplies (notifying suppliers, evaluating requests against supplies,

procurement and hiring, soliciting donations) Maintaining financial and legal accountability Distributing goods and services (operating key facilities, traffic control, hauling,

reporting and coordination) Recovery activity, including:

Disposal of excess stocks Stand down Financial settlement Thank-you notes

Coordination with voluntary agencies


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Organization and Assignment of Responsibility

Responsibilities related to the Resource Management function that are assigned to ministries, organization chiefs, and individuals.

Administration and Logistics

Records to be kept (for how long, in what format) Reports to be made (from whom to whom, in what format) Provisions for the protection of vital records Financial policies related to Resource Management The community’s policies on emergency procurement Special hiring and personnel issues (e.g., waivers of normal procedure) Staffing requirements:

Core cadre Estimated maximum complement Procedures for augmenting staff

Facility requirements: Minimum requirements Requirements with significant influx of aid Requirements with extensive donations expected Lodging requirements for volunteers and government workers

Communications requirements Computer and software requirements Office equipment and supplies requirements Transportation requirements Forms required


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Obtaining Additional Resources

Instructions: Identify current assignments and potential strategies for obtaining additional resources.

OBTAINING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Resources that should be targeted for pre-disaster purchase and storage

Existing Standby Agreements or organizations and business that could be approached for Standby Agreements

Mutual Aid Agreements in place or potential.

Potential solicited donations.


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Distributing Resources

Instructions: Answer the following questions.

DISTRIBUTING RESOURCES1. Where in the community can you warehouse disaster resources, both prior to and

following a disaster?

2. What transportation options could you use following a disaster to distribute resources?

3. How can you track the movement of resources in your community following a disaster?

4. How can your community document the use of resources during the response process?


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Disaster Resource Management Checklist

DISASTER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CHECKLISTInitial Activities

Assemble a team for creating the Resource Management Plan.

Work with government disaster management staffs to coordinate the Resource Management function.

Set assumptions.

Analyze resource requirements.

Prepare list of resources.

Establish inventory, tracking, and delivery systems.

Identify warehouse and distribution centers.

Develop agreements for the use of resources.

Set priorities on available resources.

Coordinate the Resource Management function.

Train personnel.

Develop mutual aid agreements.

Preparedness Activities (Prior to a Disaster)

Review potential needs for disaster resources and identify their sources.

Coordinate resources with other organizations and volunteers in order to maintain adequate reserves.

Notify mutual aid parties and private-sector organizations about possible need for assistance.

Response

Assess resource needs.

Establish priorities and allocate resources.

Coordinate delivery of resources to response teams and disaster victims.

Set up warehouse and distribution centers.

Coordinate efforts with government organizations.

Make lists available to response organizations that identify sources of materials, equipment, personnel, and other resources.

Record services and resources used during disasters.

Recovery

Assess recovery needs.

Estimate costs of providing resources.

Assess impact of disaster on available resources and identify repair, maintenance, and replenishment needs.

Assess damage to Resource Management facilities.

Maintain appropriate records.

Disseminate and communicate public information about resources available.


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Transportation Planning Checklist

Instructions: Use the following checklist for transportation planning

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING CHECKLISTCheck () When Done

Be prepared for requests to relax such motor carrier requirements as operating authorizations and size/weight restrictions.

Coordinate with the appropriate transportation authorities.

Do not delay urgently needed donated goods.

Allow less urgently needed donated goods (if designated or belonging to a volunteer agency) to proceed to their destinations.

Ensure that shipment sponsors indicate that:

The goods are needed.

They (not a third party) are the recipients in the disaster area.

The drivers know how to find their destinations.

Ensure that sponsors of designated goods are responsible for recruiting labor to unload their shipments.

Ensure that shipments of designated goods are marked with the name of the voluntary agency.

Ensure that vehicles shipping relief supplies are aware of your community’s policy regarding travel in the disaster area.


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Donations Coordinator Checklist

This checklist will help you understand roles and responsibilities for coordinating the donations function. You will delegate to others many of the specific responsibilities on this list, but you must be aware of the need to address each item.

Note that this is not a complete list. Your responsibilities may vary depending on the nature and scope of the disaster and according to the laws and regulations in your community.

DONATIONS COORDINATOR CHECKLIST

Initial Responsibilities

Identify key players: Identify key government and voluntary agencies. Make initial contacts. Conduct an initial team meeting. Assign members to committees/subcommittees: Executive, Planning, Logistics,

Transportation, and Communications.

Executive Responsibilities

Determine when the Donations Management function will be activated. Determine under what authority goods will be accepted. Determine procedures for handling unsolicited cash donations. Identify “trigger points” for community involvement in donations management. Identify “trigger points” for requesting national assistance. Coordinate where necessary among the Planning, Logistics, Transportation, and

Communication committees. Establish feedback procedures from committees. Communicate with government organizations about operational resource shortfalls.

Planning Responsibilities

Ensure that full use of voluntary agencies’ capacity for handling donations is used. Coordinate with the government organizations regarding the level of national support

required. Establish procedures for accepting cash donations. Establish procedures for determining needed and unneeded donations. Establish procedures for accepting medical donations. Plan demobilization once the entire operation is up and running.


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DONATIONS COORDINATOR CHECKLIST (CONTINUED)

Logistics Responsibilities

Assess warehouse capacities and the need for contingency warehouse facilities. Develop receiving, sorting, and distribution procedures for donated goods. Identify logistics support requirements (i.e., personnel, equipment). Establish procedures for dealing with spontaneous volunteers.

Transportation Responsibilities

Identify potential transportation sources (e.g., trucking companies) for use if needed to transport critical donations.

Coordinate transportation needs for distribution with the Logistics Committee. Begin planning demobilization when the entire operation is fully running.

Communications Responsibilities

Identify and develop public awareness campaigns that suit the needs of the community and emphasize benefits of cash donations.

Involve the local media in public information efforts.


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APPENDIX B: WARNING

Strengthening Your Warning Systems

Instructions: Use your answers to these questions to develop your warning system disaster management plans.

TYPES OF DISASTERS THAT REQUIRE WARNINGS

For what disasters are warnings issued:

Are there disasters for which the community is at moderate or high risk, but for which no warning may be issued? (Why?)

Where are the warning systems located?

Are the warning systems at risk? (If yes, are backup systems or sites available?)

Yes No

ASSUMPTIONS

What conditions can you assume will exist during a disaster?


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HOW WARNINGS WILL BE GIVEN

Who has authority to make the decision to issue a warning?

When is this decision made?

Are there areas of the community that are not covered by the warning systems? (If yes, please identify those areas and how those populations will be warned.)

Yes No

Is extra warning time planned for facilities and/or populations that require extra time to prepare or respond?

Yes No

WARNING RESPONSIBILITIES

Who is assigned key responsibilities for warning?

What do they do?

SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

Do “call-down” lists for notifying key personnel exist and are they up-to-date?

Yes No

Who is responsible for ensuring that call-down lists, SOPs, maps, etc. are accurate and current at all times?

LOGISTICAL SUPPORTDoes your plan include provisions for testing, maintaining, repairing and/or replacing warning equipment?

Yes No

Are procedures in place for augmenting the warning system, where necessary? (If yes, when were these procedures last tested?) Yes No

UNISDR TERMINOLOGY ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (2009)


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Introduction

The UNISDR Terminology aims to promote common understanding and common usage of disaster risk reduction concepts and to assist the disaster risk reduction efforts of authorities, practitioners and the public. The previous version “Terminology: Basic terms of disaster risk reduction” was published in “Living with risk: a global review of disaster risk reduction initiatives” in 2004. The following year, the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 requested the UNISDR secretariat to “update and widely disseminate international standard terminology related to disaster risk reduction, at least in all official United Nations languages, for use in programme and institutions development, operations, research, training curricula and public information programmes.”

The 2009 version is the result of a process of ongoing review by the UNISDR and consultations with a broad range of experts and practitioners in various international venues, regional discussions and national settings. The terms are now defined by a single sentence. The comments paragraph associated with each term is not part of the definition, but is provided to give additional context, qualification and explanation. It should be noted that the terms are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and in some cases may have overlapping meanings.

The Terminology has been revised to include words that are central to the contemporary understanding and evolving practice of disaster risk reduction but exclude words that have a common dictionary usage. Also included are a number of emerging new concepts that are not in widespread use but are of growing professional relevance; these terms are marked with a star (*) and their definition may evolve in future. The English version of the 2009 Terminology provides the basis for the preparation of other language versions. Comments and suggestions for future revisions are welcome and should be directed to the ISDR Secretariat (see www.unisdr.org).

ACCEPTABLE RISK The level of potential losses that a society or community considers acceptable given existing social, economic, political, cultural, technical and environmental conditions.

Comment: In engineering terms, acceptable risk is also used to assess and define the structural and non-structural measures that are needed in order to reduce possible harm to people, property, services and systems to a chosen tolerated level, according to codes or “accepted practice” which are based on known probabilities of hazards and other factors.

ADAPTATION

The adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

Comment: This definition addresses the concerns of climate change and is sourced from the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The broader concept of adaptation also applies to non-climatic factors such as soil erosion or surface subsidence. Adaptation can occur in autonomous fashion, for example through market changes, or as a result of intentional adaptation policies and plans. Many disaster risk reduction measures can directly contribute to better adaptation.


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BIOLOGICAL HAZARD

Process or phenomenon of organic origin or conveyed by biological vectors, including exposure to pathogenic micro-organisms, toxins and bioactive substances that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Comment: Examples of biological hazards include outbreaks of epidemic diseases, plant or animal contagion, insect or other animal plagues and infestations.

BUILDING CODE

A set of ordinances or regulations and associated standards intended to control aspects of the design, construction, materials, alteration and occupancy of structures that are necessary to ensure human safety and welfare, including resistance to collapse and damage.

Comment: Building codes can include both technical and functional standards. They should incorporate the lessons of international experience and should be tailored to national and local circumstances. A systematic regime of enforcement is a critical supporting requirement for effective implementation of building codes.

CAPACITY

The combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within a community, society or organization that can be used to achieve agreed goals.

Comment: Capacity may include infrastructure and physical means, institutions, societal coping abilities, as well as human knowledge, skills and collective attributes such as social relationships, leadership and management. Capacity also may be described as capability. Capacity assessment is a term for the process by which the capacity of a group is reviewed against desired goals, and the capacity gaps are identified for further action.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

The process by which people, organizations and society systematically stimulate and develop their capacities over time to achieve social and economic goals, including through improvement of knowledge, skills, systems, and institutions.

Comment: Capacity development is a concept that extends the term of capacity building to encompass all aspects of creating and sustaining capacity growth over time. It involves learning and various types of training, but also continuous efforts to develop institutions, political awareness, financial resources, technology systems, and the wider social and cultural enabling environment.

CLIMATE CHANGE (a) The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as: “a change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use”. (b) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that


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alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”.

Comment: For disaster risk reduction purposes, either of these definitions may be suitable, depending on the particular context. The UNFCCC definition is the more restricted one as it excludes climate changes attributable to natural causes. The IPCC definition can be paraphrased for popular communications as “A change in the climate that persists for decades or longer, arising from either natural causes or human activity.”

CONTINGENCY PLANNING A management process that analyses specific potential events or emerging situations that might threaten society or the environment and establishes arrangements in advance to enable timely, effective and appropriate responses to such events and situations.

Comment: Contingency planning results in organized and coordinated courses of action with clearly-identified institutional roles and resources, information processes, and operational arrangements for specific actors at times of need. Based on scenarios of possible emergency conditions or disaster events, it allows key actors to envision, anticipate and solve problems that can arise during crises. Contingency planning is an important part of overall preparedness. Contingency plans need to be regularly updated and exercised.

COPING CAPACITY The ability of people, organizations and systems, using available skills and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or disasters.

Comment: The capacity to cope requires continuing awareness, resources and good management, both in normal times as well as during crises or adverse conditions. Coping capacities contribute to the reduction of disaster risks.

CORRECTIVE DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT * Management activities that address and seek to correct or reduce disaster risks which are already present.

Comment: This concept aims to distinguish between the risks that are already present, and which need to be managed and reduced now, and the prospective risks that may develop in future if risk reduction policies are not put in place. See also Prospective risk management.

CRITICAL FACILITIES The primary physical structures, technical facilities and systems which are socially, economically or operationally essential to the functioning of a society or community, both in routine circumstances and in the extreme circumstances of an emergency.

Comment: Critical facilities are elements of the infrastructure that support essential services in a society. They include such things as transport systems, air and sea ports, electricity, water and communications systems, hospitals and health clinics, and centres for fire, police and public administration services.

DISASTER A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.


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Comment: Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of: the exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences. Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative effects on human physical, mental and social well-being, together with damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and economic disruption and environmental degradation.

DISASTER RISK The potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur to a particular community or a society over some specified future time period.

Comment: The definition of disaster risk reflects the concept of disasters as the outcome of continuously present conditions of risk. Disaster risk comprises different types of potential losses which are often difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, with knowledge of the prevailing hazards and the patterns of population and socio-economic development, disaster risks can be assessed and mapped, in broad terms at least.

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT The systematic process of using administrative directives, organizations, and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disaster.

Comment: This term is an extension of the more general term “risk management” to address the specific issue of disaster risks. Disaster risk management aims to avoid, lessen or transfer the adverse effects of hazards through activities and measures for prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events.

Comment: A comprehensive approach to reduce disaster risks is set out in the United Nations-endorsed Hyogo Framework for Action, adopted in 2005, whose expected outcome is “The substantial reduction of disaster losses, in lives and the social, economic and environmental assets of communities and countries.” The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system provides a vehicle for cooperation among Governments, organisations and civil society actors to assist in the implementation of the Framework. Note that while the term “disaster reduction” is sometimes used, the term “disaster risk reduction” provides a better recognition of the ongoing nature of disaster risks and the ongoing potential to reduce these risks.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PLAN * A document prepared by an authority, sector, organization or enterprise that sets out goals and specific objectives for reducing disaster risks together with related actions to accomplish these objectives.

Comment: Disaster risk reduction plans should be guided by the Hyogo Framework and considered and coordinated within relevant development plans, resource allocations and programme activities. National level plans needs to be specific to each level of administrative responsibility and adapted to the different social and geographical circumstances that are present. The time frame and responsibilities for implementation and the sources of funding


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should be specified in the plan. Linkages to climate change adaptation plans should be made where possible.


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EARLY WARNING SYSTEM The set of capacities needed to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information to enable individuals, communities and organizations threatened by a hazard to prepare and to act appropriately and in sufficient time to reduce the possibility of harm or loss.

Comment: This definition encompasses the range of factors necessary to achieve effective responses to warnings. A people-centred early warning system necessarily comprises four key elements: knowledge of the risks; monitoring, analysis and forecasting of the hazards; communication or dissemination of alerts and warnings; and local capabilities to respond to the warnings received. The expression “end-to-end warning system” is also used to emphasize that warning systems need to span all steps from hazard detection through to community response.

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES The benefits that people and communities obtain from ecosystems.

Comment: This definition is drawn from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The benefits that ecosystems can provide include “regulating services” such as regulation of floods, drought, land degradation and disease, along with “provisioning services” such as food and water, “supporting services” such as soil formation and nutrient cycling, and “cultural services” such as recreational, spiritual, religious and other non-material benefits. Integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use provide the basis for maintaining ecosystem services, including those that contribute to reduced disaster risks.

EL NIÑO-SOUTHERN OSCILLATION PHENOMENON A complex interaction of the tropical Pacific Ocean and the global atmosphere that results in irregularly occurring episodes of changed ocean and weather patterns in many parts of the world, often with significant impacts over many months, such as altered marine habitats, rainfall changes, floods, droughts, and changes in storm patterns.

Comment: The El Niño part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon refers to the well-above-average ocean temperatures that occur along the coasts of Ecuador, Peru and northern Chile and across the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, while La Niña part refers to the opposite circumstances when well-below-average ocean temperatures occur. The Southern Oscillation refers to the accompanying changes in the global air pressure patterns that are associated with the changed weather patterns experienced in different parts of the world.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT The organization and management of resources and responsibilities for addressing all aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and initial recovery steps.

Comment: A crisis or emergency is a threatening condition that requires urgent action. Effective emergency action can avoid the escalation of an event into a disaster. Emergency management involves plans and institutional arrangements to engage and guide the efforts of government, non-government, voluntary and private agencies in comprehensive and coordinated ways to respond to the entire spectrum of emergency needs. The expression “disaster management” is sometimes used instead of emergency management.


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EMERGENCY SERVICES The set of specialized agencies that have specific responsibilities and objectives in serving and protecting people and property in emergency situations.

Comment: Emergency services include agencies such as civil protection authorities, police, fire, ambulance, paramedic and emergency medicine services, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and specialized emergency units of electricity, transportation, communications and other related services organizations.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION The reduction of the capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological objectives and needs.

Comment: Degradation of the environment can alter the frequency and intensity of natural hazards and increase the vulnerability of communities. The types of human-induced degradation are varied and include land misuse, soil erosion and loss, desertification, wildland fires, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, mangrove destruction, land, water and air pollution, climate change, sea level rise and ozone depletion.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Process by which the environmental consequences of a proposed project or programme are evaluated, undertaken as an integral part of planning and decision-making processes with a view to limiting or reducing the adverse impacts of the project or programme.

Comment: Environmental impact assessment is a policy tool that provides evidence and analysis of environmental impacts of activities from conception to decision-making. It is utilized extensively in national programming and project approval processes and for international development assistance projects. Environmental impact assessments should include detailed risk assessments and provide alternatives, solutions or options to deal with identified problems.

EXPOSURE People, property, systems, or other elements present in hazard zones that are thereby subject to potential losses.

Comment: Measures of exposure can include the number of people or types of assets in an area. These can be combined with the specific vulnerability of the exposed elements to any particular hazard to estimate the quantitative risks associated with that hazard in the area of interest.

EXTENSIVE RISK * The widespread risk associated with the exposure of dispersed populations to repeated or persistent hazard conditions of low or moderate intensity, often of a highly localized nature, which can lead to debilitating cumulative disaster impacts.

Comment: Extensive risk is mainly a characteristic of rural areas and urban margins where communities are exposed to, and vulnerable to, recurring localised floods, landslides storms or drought. Extensive risk is often associated with poverty, urbanization and environmental degradation. See also “Intensive risk”.


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FORECAST Definite statement or statistical estimate of the likely occurrence of a future event or conditions for a specific area.

Comment: In meteorology a forecast refers to a future condition, whereas a warning refers to a potentially dangerous future condition.

GEOLOGICAL HAZARD Geological process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Comment: Geological hazards include internal earth processes, such as earthquakes, volcanic activity and emissions, and related geophysical processes such as mass movements, landslides, rockslides, surface collapses, and debris or mud flows. Hydrometeorological factors are important contributors to some of these processes. Tsunamis are difficult to categorize; although they are triggered by undersea earthquakes and other geological events, they are essentially an oceanic process that is manifested as a coastal water-related hazard.

GREENHOUSE GASES Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation of thermal infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and by clouds.

Comment: This is the definition of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The main greenhouse gases (GHG) are water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone.

HAZARD A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Comment: The hazards of concern to disaster risk reduction as stated in footnote 3 of the Hyogo Framework are “… hazards of natural origin and related environmental and technological hazards and risks.” Such hazards arise from a variety of geological, meteorological, hydrological, oceanic, biological, and technological sources, sometimes acting in combination. In technical settings, hazards are described quantitatively by the likely frequency of occurrence of different intensities for different areas, as determined from historical data or scientific analysis. See other hazard-related terms in the Terminology: Biological hazard; Geological hazard; Hydrometeorological hazard; Natural hazard; Socio-natural hazard; Technological hazard.

HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARD Process or phenomenon of atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic nature that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Comment: Hydrometeorological hazards include tropical cyclones (also known as typhoons and hurricanes), thunderstorms, hailstorms, tornados, blizzards, heavy snowfall, avalanches,


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coastal storm surges, floods including flash floods, drought, heatwaves and cold spells. Hydrometeorological conditions also can be a factor in other hazards such as landslides, wildland fires, locust plagues, epidemics, and in the transport and dispersal of toxic substances and volcanic eruption material.

INTENSIVE RISK * The risk associated with the exposure of large concentrations of people and economic activities to intense hazard events, which can lead to potentially catastrophic disaster impacts involving high mortality and asset loss.

Comment: Intensive risk is mainly a characteristic of large cities or densely populated areas that are not only exposed to intense hazards such as strong earthquakes, active volcanoes, heavy floods, tsunamis, or major storms but also have high levels of vulnerability to these hazards. See also “Extensive risk.”

LAND-USE PLANNING The process undertaken by public authorities to identify, evaluate and decide on different options for the use of land, including consideration of long term economic, social and environmental objectives and the implications for different communities and interest groups, and the subsequent formulation and promulgation of plans that describe the permitted or acceptable uses.

Comment: Land-use planning is an important contributor to sustainable development. It involves studies and mapping; analysis of economic, environmental and hazard data; formulation of alternative land-use decisions; and design of long-range plans for different geographical and administrative scales. Land-use planning can help to mitigate disasters and reduce risks by discouraging settlements and construction of key installations in hazard-prone areas, including consideration of service routes for transport, power, water, sewage and other critical facilities.

MITIGATION The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters.

Comment: The adverse impacts of hazards often cannot be prevented fully, but their scale or severity can be substantially lessened by various strategies and actions. Mitigation measures encompass engineering techniques and hazard-resistant construction as well as improved environmental policies and public awareness. It should be noted that in climate change policy, “mitigation” is defined differently, being the term used for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that are the source of climate change.

NATIONAL PLATFORM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION A generic term for national mechanisms for coordination and policy guidance on disaster risk reduction that are multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary in nature, with public, private and civil society participation involving all concerned entities within a country.

Comment: This definition is derived from footnote 10 of the Hyogo Framework. Disaster risk reduction requires the knowledge, capacities and inputs of a wide range of sectors and organisations, including United Nations agencies present at the national level, as appropriate. Most sectors are affected directly or indirectly by disasters and many have specific responsibilities that impinge upon disaster risks. National platforms provide a means to enhance national action to reduce disaster risks, and they represent the national mechanism for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.


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NATURAL HAZARD Natural process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Comment: Natural hazards are a sub-set of all hazards. The term is used to describe actual hazard events as well as the latent hazard conditions that may give rise to future events. Natural hazard events can be characterized by their magnitude or intensity, speed of onset, duration, and area of extent. For example, earthquakes have short durations and usually affect a relatively small region, whereas droughts are slow to develop and fade away and often affect large regions. In some cases hazards may be coupled, as in the flood caused by a hurricane or the tsunami that is created by an earthquake.

PREPAREDNESS The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions.

Comment: Preparedness action is carried out within the context of disaster risk management and aims to build the capacities needed to efficiently manage all types of emergencies and achieve orderly transitions from response through to sustained recovery. Preparedness is based on a sound analysis of disaster risks and good linkages with early warning systems, and includes such activities as contingency planning, stockpiling of equipment and supplies, the development of arrangements for coordination, evacuation and public information, and associated training and field exercises. These must be supported by formal institutional, legal and budgetary capacities. The related term “readiness” describes the ability to quickly and appropriately respond when required.

PREVENTION The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters.

Comment: Prevention (i.e. disaster prevention) expresses the concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse impacts through action taken in advance. Examples include dams or embankments that eliminate flood risks, land-use regulations that do not permit any settlement in high risk zones, and seismic engineering designs that ensure the survival and function of a critical building in any likely earthquake. Very often the complete avoidance of losses is not feasible and the task transforms to that of mitigation. Partly for this reason, the terms prevention and mitigation are sometimes used interchangeably in casual use.

PROSPECTIVE DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT * Management activities that address and seek to avoid the development of new or increased disaster risks.

Comment: This concept focuses on addressing risks that may develop in future if risk reduction policies are not put in place, rather than on the risks that are already present and which can be managed and reduced now. See also Corrective disaster risk management.


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PUBLIC AWARENESS The extent of common knowledge about disaster risks, the factors that lead to disasters and the actions that can be taken individually and collectively to reduce exposure and vulnerability to hazards.

Comment: Public awareness is a key factor in effective disaster risk reduction. Its development is pursued, for example, through the development and dissemination of information through media andeducational channels, the establishment of information centres, networks, and community or participation actions, and advocacy by senior public officials and community leaders.

RECOVERY The restoration, and improvement where appropriate, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors.

Comment: The recovery task of rehabilitation and reconstruction begins soon after the emergency phase has ended, and should be based on pre-existing strategies and policies that facilitate clear institutional responsibilities for recovery action and enable public participation. Recovery programmes, coupled with the heightened public awareness and engagement after a disaster, afford a valuable opportunity to develop and implement disaster risk reduction measures and to apply the “build back better” principle.

RESIDUAL RISK The risk that remains in unmanaged form, even when effective disaster risk reduction measures are in place, and for which emergency response and recovery capacities must be maintained.

Comment: The presence of residual risk implies a continuing need to develop and support effective capacities for emergency services, preparedness, response and recovery together with socio-economic policies such as safety nets and risk transfer mechanisms.

RESILIENCE The ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions.

Comment: Resilience means the ability to “resile from” or “spring back from” a shock. The resilience of a community in respect to potential hazard events is determined by the degree to which the community has the necessary resources and is capable of organizing itself both prior to and during times of need.

RESPONSE The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.

Comment: Disaster response is predominantly focused on immediate and short-term needs and is sometimes called “disaster relief”. The division between this response stage and the


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subsequent recovery stage is not clear-cut. Some response actions, such as the supply of temporary housing and water supplies, may extend well into the recovery stage.

RETROFITTING Reinforcement or upgrading of existing structures to become more resistant and resilient to the damaging effects of hazards.

Comment: Retrofitting requires consideration of the design and function of the structure, the stresses that the structure may be subject to from particular hazards or hazard scenarios, and the practicality and costs of different retrofitting options. Examples of retrofitting include adding bracing to stiffen walls, reinforcing pillars, adding steel ties between walls and roofs, installing shutters on windows, and improving the protection of important facilities and equipment.

RISK The combination of the probability of an event and its negative consequences.

Comment: This definition closely follows the definition of the ISO/IEC Guide 73. The word “risk” has two distinctive connotations: in popular usage the emphasis is usually placed on the concept of chance or possibility, such as in “the risk of an accident”; whereas in technical settings the emphasis is usually placed on the consequences, in terms of “potential losses” for some particular cause, place and period. It can be noted that people do not necessarily share the same perceptions of the significance and underlying causes of different risks. See other risk-related terms in the Terminology: Acceptable risk; Corrective disaster risk management; Disaster risk; Disaster risk management; Disaster risk reduction; Disaster risk reduction plans; Extensive risk; Intensive risk; Prospective disaster risk management; Residual risk; Risk assessment; Risk management; Risk transfer.

RISK ASSESSMENT A methodology to determine the nature and extent of risk by analysing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that together could potentially harm exposed people, property, services, livelihoods and the environment on which they depend.

Comment: Risk assessments (and associated risk mapping) include: a review of the technical characteristics of hazards such as their location, intensity, frequency and probability; the analysis of exposure and vulnerability including the physical social, health, economic and environmental dimensions; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of prevailing and alternative coping capacities in respect to likely risk scenarios. This series of activities is sometimes known as a risk analysis process.

RISK MANAGEMENT The systematic approach and practice of managing uncertainty to minimize potential harm and loss.

Comment: Risk management comprises risk assessment and analysis, and the implementation of strategies and specific actions to control, reduce and transfer risks. It is widely practiced by organizations to minimise risk in investment decisions and to address operational risks such as those of business disruption, production failure, environmental damage, social impacts and damage from fire and natural hazards. Risk management is a core issue for sectors such as water supply, energy and agriculture whose production is directly affected by extremes of weather and climate.


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RISK TRANSFER The process of formally or informally shifting the financial consequences of particular risks from one party to another whereby a household, community, enterprise or state authority will obtain resources from the other party after a disaster occurs, in exchange for ongoing or compensatory social or financial benefits provided to that other party.

Comment: Insurance is a well-known form of risk transfer, where coverage of a risk is obtained from an insurer in exchange for ongoing premiums paid to the insurer. Risk transfer can occur informally within family and community networks where there are reciprocal expectations of mutual aid by means of gifts or credit, as well as formally where governments, insurers, multi-lateral banks and other large risk-bearing entities establish mechanisms to help cope with losses in major events. Such mechanisms include insurance and re-insurance contracts, catastrophe bonds, contingent credit facilities and reserve funds, where the costs are covered by premiums, investor contributions, interest rates and past savings, respectively.

SOCIO-NATURAL HAZARD *The phenomenon of increased occurrence of certain geophysical and hydrometeorological hazard events, such as landslides, flooding, land subsidence and drought, that arise from the interaction of natural hazards with overexploited or degraded land and environmental resources.

Comment: This term is used for the circumstances where human activity is increasing the occurrence of certain hazards beyond their natural probabilities. Evidence points to a growing disaster burden from such hazards. Socio-natural hazards can be reduced and avoided through wise management of land and environmental resources.

STRUCTURAL AND NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES Structural measures: Any physical construction to reduce or avoid possible impacts of hazards, or application of engineering techniques to achieve hazard-resistance and resilience in structures or systems; Non-structural measures: Any measure not involving physical construction that uses knowledge, practice or agreement to reduce risks and impacts, in particular through policies and laws, public awareness raising, training and education.

Comment: Common structural measures for disaster risk reduction include dams, flood levies, ocean wave barriers, earthquake-resistant construction, and evacuation shelters. Common non-structural measures include building codes, land use planning laws and their enforcement, research and assessment, information resources, and public awareness programmes. Note that in civil and structural engineering, the term “structural” is used in a more restricted sense to mean just the load-bearing structure, with other parts such as wall cladding and interior fittings being termed non-structural.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Comment: This definition coined by the 1987 Brundtland Commission is very succinct but it leaves unanswered many questions regarding the meaning of the word development and the social, economic and environmental processes involved. Disaster risk is associated with unsustainable elements of development such as environmental degradation, while conversely


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disaster risk reduction can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, through reduced losses and improved development practices.

TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARD A hazard originating from technological or industrial conditions, including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or specific human activities, that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Comment: Examples of technological hazards include industrial pollution, nuclear radiation, toxic wastes, dam failures, transport accidents, factory explosions, fires, and chemical spills. Technological hazards also may arise directly as a result of the impacts of a natural hazard event.

VULNERABILITY The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.

Comment: There are many aspects of vulnerability, arising from various physical, social, economic, and environmental factors. Examples may include poor design and construction of buildings, inadequate protection of assets, lack of public information and awareness, limited official recognition of risks and preparedness measures, and disregard for wise environmental management. Vulnerability varies significantly within a community and over time. This definition identifies vulnerability as a characteristic of the element of interest (community, system or asset) which is independent of its exposure. However, in common use the word is often used more broadly to include the element’s exposure. __________________ * Emerging new concepts that are not in widespread use but are of growing professional relevance; the definition of these terms remain to be widely consulted upon and may change in future.


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Course Evaluation: For each statement below, please place a check mark (√) in the space provided that best reflects your opinion.

Course Elements StronglyDisagree Disagree

Neither Agree Nor Disagree

Agree Strongly Agree

Course Design and ContentThe course objectives were clear.

The course has relevance to my profession / work.

The course maintained a good balance between lecture/presentation and activities/discussion.The course enhanced my knowledge of the topics presented.

Course Materials

The course materials were understandable and well organized.The course materials, presentation, and activities supported objectives.The course materials are a valuable resource that I will use or refer to in the future.The course materials are technically accurate and current.The course materials were appropriate for my skill and knowledge level.

Instructor(s)

The Instructor was well prepared and organized.

The Instructor clearly and effectively conveyed course materials.The Instructor demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter.The Instructor provided clear answers to questions.The Instructor effectively managed the course schedule (teaching time, activities, breaks).

Instruction

The group activities provided excellent opportunities for me to apply new skills and The group discussions provided an excellent opportunity for sharing of ideas. The case studies were useful in illustrating how course concepts apply to actual events in The personal application questions challenged me to apply course concepts to my job.


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Course Evaluation: For each statement below, please place a check mark (√) in the space provided that best reflects your opinion.

General Questions Poor Fair Average Good Excellent

What overall rating would you give the course?

What overall rating would you give the course materials?How would you rate the overall performance of the instructor(s)?How would you rate the overall helpfulness of the support staff?

Place check marks next to the Modules you expect to find most applicable to your job?

Module 1: Introduction to Disaster Management Module 2: Understanding the Role of the Disaster Manager Module 3: Mitigation Module 4: Preparedness Module 5: Response Module 6: Recovery Module 7: Managing the Program

Place check marks next to the Modules you expect to find least applicable to your job?

Module 1: Introduction to Disaster Management Module 2: Understanding the Role of the Disaster Manager Module 3: Mitigation Module 4: Preparedness Module 5: Response Module 6: Recovery Module 7: Managing the Program

Would you recommend this course to others? (Please circle your answer) Yes No

Please provide any additional comments/recommendations in the space below.

Your comments are important to us! Thank you for taking the time to help improve this course!

Name of Instructor(s):

Course Location: Date Taught:


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