Disaster Management - BASIC

Disaster Management - BASIC

Disaster Management defined to be a continuous and integrated process of planning, organizing, coordinating and implanting measures which are necessary or expedient for :

• Prevention of danger or threat of any disaster, 
• Mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences, capacity-building
• Preparedness to deal with any disaster, 
• Prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster, 
• Assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster, 
• Evacuation, rescue and relief and rehabilitation and reconstruction,
  

is imperative and need of the hour. Thus it is necessary to prepare a proper disaster management plan to reduce damages of such sudden events

Disaster management involves : 

• Preparing for disaster
• Disaster response
• Supporting and rebuilding post disaster

Defination 

Disaster means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence affecting any area from natural and manmade causes, or by accident or negligence, which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of property, or damage to, or degradation of environment and is of such a nature and magnitude as to be beyond the capacity of the community of the affected areas.

Characteristics of disaster

• Unpredictability
• Unfamiliarity
• Speed
• Urgency
• Uncertainty
• Threat

Types Of Disaster

Hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to life, health, property or environment. Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm, however, once a hazard becomes 'active' ( or failure in managing hazards ) , it can create an emergency situation. Hazards are such as : 

• Biological (bacterial, fungal, viral and pest) 
• Physical (energy, e.g. falling object, tripping) 
• Chemical hazard (toxicity, irritant, sensitizing, flammable, corrosive, carcinogenic) 
• Mechanical Hazard (cutting, shearing, stabbing, crushing, ejection, friction, entanglement) 
• Electrical Hazard (electrocution, burns) 
• Ergonomics deviation 
• Psychosocial 
• Environmental Factors (noise, vibration, light, humidity, temperature, climate, pressure, etc) 
• Poor governance 
• Failure in work process & system

Causes of failure to manage hazards : 

• Failure to manage change 
• Communication failures 
• Performance monitoring failures 
• Failure to act on feedback information 
• Failure to learn past lessons or to heed early warnings
• Complacency 
• Maintenance failures 
• Human error 
• Procedure violations 
• Multiple failings 
• External factors (Nature, sabotage, etc.)

The Ten Commandments of Emergency Response 

1. Command 
2. Containment 
3. Control 
4. Communication 
5. Confirmation 
6. Coordination 
7. Cooperation 
8. Cohesion 
9. Competence 
10. Conforming 

Disaster Management Platform

Disaster Management Platform

Disaster Management Level

Disaster Management Level

Cycle Of Disaster Management

Cycle Of Disaster Management

1. Mitigation

• Prevention of hazards developing into disasters
• Reduce effects of disasters
• Focuses on long term measures
• Is part of recovery process
• Actions 
• Structural – use technology
• Non structural –legislation
• Most cost effective
• Necessitates identification of risk

2. Preparedness 

• Prepare action plans
• Communication plans
• Emergency response teams
• Emergency warning methods
• Shelters, evacuation plans
• Resources inventory building
• Develop trained volunteers
• Casualty prediction- helps in evacuation

3. Response

a.. Mobilization of 

• Emergency teams
• Core emergency services
• Specialist teams
• First responders in area
• Search and rescue efforts

b. Runs on 

• principle of unified command
• Mutual aid

c. Immediate needs are addressed

4. Recovery 

• Restore affected area to previous state
• Rebuild , employ and repair
• “Window of opportunity” for implementing harsh measures of mitigation