Disaster preparedness refers to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of disasters. It is readiness to respond to disaster. Just like disaster mitigation, preparedness is a pre-disaster phase of the disaster management cycle, implying it is undertaken before the occurrence of a disaster. It is an ongoing process in which individuals, communities, businesses and organisations can plan and train for what they will do in the event of a disaster.
Therefore, disaster preparedness planning involves identifying organisational resources, determining roles and responsibilities, developing policies and procedures and planning preparedness activities aimed at ensuring timely disaster preparation and effective emergency response.
It demands the involvement of all stakeholders at various levels, say at national, district, council, area and/or community levels. All these levels must be capacitated to ensure the highest level of readiness to respond to disasters. The multiplicity of stakeholders demands the need for effective coordination, which is the best way to ensure readiness.
Disaster preparedness is a continuous and integrated process resulting from a wide range of activities and resources rather than from a distinct sectoral activity by itself. The multi-sectoral approach to disaster preparedness increases efficiency, effectiveness and impact of disaster emergency response mechanisms at the community, district and national level.
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Preparedness plans that strengthen community-based platforms are also key to disaster management. This includes educating, preparing and supporting local populations and communities in their everyday efforts to reduce risks and prepare their own local response mechanisms to address disaster emergency situations.
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Developing disaster preparedness plans that provide guidance on what to do, where to go or who to call for help during a disaster is pivotal in disaster management. Lives are lost and injuries exacerbated during disasters when people don’t know what to do, where to go and who to reach out to. Likewise, developing and testing warning systems regularly and planning measures to be taken during a disaster alert period is critical in minimising potential loss of life and physical damage.
Disaster preparedness capacitates officials as well as the population at risk on the specifics of disaster response. This includes, ensuring availability of information and education materials to the public, exercising evacuation and emergency plans through drills and full-scale exercises as well as training and equipping first-aid and emergency response teams.
Preparedness further facilitates identification, using hazard maps where applicable, and prioritisation of high-risk areas. The high-risk areas are then designated with facilities for emergency use during disasters.
Disaster preparedness measures should always identify, develop, review and update resources and create a supply list (resource inventories) of items that are useful and make them handy during a disaster. This eases the task of disaster response teams.
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As a recap, disaster preparedness is a broad concept that describes a set of measures that minimise the adverse effects of a hazard, including loss of life and property and disruption of livelihoods. This is achieved partially through readiness measures that expedite emergency response, rehabilitation and recovery and result in rapid, timely and targeted assistance.
The adverse effects of a hazard, including loss of life and property, are also minimised, as a preparedness measure, through community-based approaches and activities that build the capacities of people and communities to cope with and minimise the effects of a disaster on their lives.
Ideally, disaster preparedness strategies create awareness, produce emergency response and logistics plans to be utilised during the disaster and also focus on early warning systems as well as communications emergency operation, and ensure availability of community or volunteer disaster response teams. Above all, an effective disaster response plan must include acquisition of the equipment, kits and reliable mobility platforms to facilitate the disaster response.
It is important to note that during an actual disaster or emergency, quick and effective action is required. This action often depends on having made and implemented preparedness plans. Therefore, preparedness planning is very important for those involved in disaster management. If appropriate action is not taken or if the response is delayed, lives are needlessly lost.
