Managers and other personnel in organizations should keep in mind that disasters, emergencies and catastrophes are separate and distinct problems, which need different response strategies. Since the occurrence of emergencies, catastrophes, and disasters jeopardize the normal autonomy of an organization, there is a need to prioritize the concept of emergency management. Emergencies are unplanned events, which have the capacity to disrupt operations, affect reputation, endanger life, and cause environmental damage. Emergencies demand comprehensive and efficient response strategies. Despite that emergency management may take different approaches or incorporate diverse aspects, its key facets include mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Other key aspects in emergency management include command and control, prevention and protection, evacuation planning, training and exercise, grants management, public outreach and education, and transportation security and incident management.
Mitigation
Mitigation is a key aspect of emergency management, which entails knowing and preventing unnecessary risks. This element of emergency management helps in making the consequences of a disaster milder. Mitigation entails efforts to reduce the effects of a catastrophe such as the loss of life, damage to property or injuries to people. Mitigation efforts are realized through risk analysis, evaluation, and measurement so in order to offer adequate information for reducing risks. Mitigation efforts are aimed at offering long-term strategies for preventing, eliminating or reducing risk (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2010).
Preparedness
Preparedness in emergency management refers to change or adjustment of behaviors in order to limit the effects of a disaster on people. This is a continuous cycle of managing, training, exercising, evaluating, planning, organizing, monitoring, equipping and improving activities with an aim of ensuring effective and efficient coordination in responding to a disaster. The efforts of preparedness help in preventing, protecting, responding, creating resources and mitigating the impacts of disasters. In emergency preparedness, managers are able to develop plans to guide people in countering potential risks or catastrophes. Some of the key capabilities built in emergency preparedness include communication plans, exercise plans, training, disaster supplies, and equipment. These capabilities help in ensuring efficiency in responding to disasters as they occur (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2010).
Response
Emergency response operations involve the assembling of necessary emergency services for responding to a disaster. The phase of emergency response is guided by the plan, and frameworks developed in emergency preparedness. In emergency response, efficient coordination of rescue is required in order to reduce the effects of the disaster. This phase of emergency management deals with short term effects whereby it is executed when a disaster strikes. The right equipments, personnel and technical support, should be deployed to minimize the damage (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2010).
Recovery
Recovery is a key step in emergency management, which entails restoration of the disaster area to its previous state. Recovery comprises of decisions and issues, which must be taken after the attention of immediate needs. Actions such as re-employment, rebuilding of damaged property and repair of essential infrastructure, as well as guidance and counseling of affected people, are key aspects of emergency recovery (Haddow, …