Stop wasting time by creating mountains of elaborate
planning, do it right, or just don’t do it at all.
Far too many disaster management plans are drawn up daily
just for the sake of having one, because it is somehow “required”. Even more
are drawn up costing thousands and are never implemented. The reason for this
is they could not interface, or connect with structures and systems existing.
What is a Disaster Management Plan?
First off, what is a disaster? Here is a
short definition; A disaster is classified as being either natural
or man-made. That has impact on a developed population’s infrastructure,
housing, farms, or livelihood that destroys most of it, and caused extensive
loss of human life, or drastically changes the landscape, environment, or
economy of a region...
Now we can ask, what is a disaster management plan then? In simple terms; a disaster
management plan encompasses more than just disaster readiness and planning aspects,
it is very specific. Both in terms of being;
·
Industry specific,
·
Event specific,
·
Country specific and even
·
Language specific
·
Format specific…
It has characteristics of the environment it dictates
to. It connects via an identified or
perceived threat or risk that it will, could or should address, if it
transpires, alternatively, its preventative and mitigating.
Whenever contemplating preparing for “disasters”; in any form, be it small or large, then the way to deal
with planning is to look at the composition of emergency and disaster
management entities, and services existing in your area, and having a look at
their planning first. Then only decide whether your contemplated plan will fit,
or even add value. Any plan needs to fit in with both any local government,
provincial, and even national governments plans, as well as their organs/ departments
of state, in order to add value, or to even matter, and moreover make sense –
it needs to close a gap, not open one. Other NGO’s and industry stakeholders, and watch dogs are
also custodians, like the Civil Aviation Authority etc…
What are these
plans for?
Plans, and how they are
referred to could typically include amongst other things the day to day aspects
of emergency and security management;
1.
Emergency
planning; or otherwise also referred
to as crisis management planning, it tends to take on the role of more daily
occurrences; where it deals with the day to day management of different
categories of emergency, anything from; fire, accidents, bees, storm water, burst pipes,
trees falling over, etc.
2.
Contingency
plans; a contingency plan is
the backup plan to prevent, and or mitigate disasters from happening; they aim
to lessen, or to totally prevent potential disaster from happening. Contingency
planning deals with the more day to day stuff, and then having a plan B, should
plan A fail, type of scenario. This is the spare, the backup, the additional
mobilisation plan.
3.
Then the
Disaster Management plan; this is normally the
combined plan, that deals with all types of disasters, from the moment an event
gets registered or classified as a disaster. Not every major event will be
dealt with or classified as a disaster. That will require disaster response.
Only once classified, then only does this plan kick in. Its main aim and
purpose, is to use as much resources, and specialist, as well as co-ordination
as possible, to normalise the situation effectively. Either by attempting to
create better organised and co-ordinated reaction and response teams to the
site, or to get them to assist off site, with very specific tasking’s, and initiatives.
Then we are operating in the realm of disaster management – it aims to create
co-ordination, communication, and give direction, to multilateral actions
taking place in one area, at any given time. Disaster management deals with many
aspects then, however, only at the co-ordination level. It will, or could also
include other types of supportive planning to assist with its core functions.
Like a Safety and Security plan for instance; that speaks too aspects all
divers, from a; Bio Hazard plan, Hazmed, Hazchem Plan, even a Traffic Diversion
Management Plan, right up to and involving the Army and their resources in
rapid deployment.
4.
Then we will also find
a Safety and
Security plan, mission specific; that
is normally only drawn up once a disaster area has been proclaimed; as safety
and security aspects are terrain, and population specific. Where these disaster areas and their
support people start working in them is identified to be under threat, and so
too their safety and security needs are re-evaluated, and new requirements will
be forth coming. Traditionally you will require different types, and forms of
protection; be it anything from, protective clothing, drilling, mining, and
breathing apparatus, grappling gear, inoculations, a private fresh water supply,
and air scrubbers, refrigeration, body bags, heat, lights, power,
communications, armed forces, right up to security personnel, armoured
vehicles, and even police and military deployments, are not uncommon.
5.
Therefor it becomes strategic,
at the point where it becomes complex, as it starts unfolding, more and more
aspects then need addressing, the scope becomes enormous, and dealing with all
the issues, in order of importance, and in time frames, with pre-event scenario
planning helps. It just informs us about what becomes an option we have and
don’t have, in the now, medium term, and then afterwards, even with the long
term directives.
6.
Disaster management
planning is based on scenarios, and probability estimations, and eventuality
planning. It only serves as a kick start platform with some directive and
resources, so that initial basic and advance professional services can be
alerted and could intervene immediately.
When we are contemplating planning of this nature, we need
to keep this in mind, and then we need to be in this right paradigm.
Only then do we start by asking ourselves just where do we
slot in, and which aspects do we consider our “turf”. We need to clarify and
quantify, so that we may identify exactly what we want and need done. Again, we
need to know, and realize that disaster management plans, are not the here all
and end all of disaster mitigation and management. We may want everything, but
we could only need something. The ideal vs. the effective is the way to go. What
are my choices then; especially pertaining to management options; both in terms of technology available and type of management platforms and templates that appeal to us, or
designed specifically for us, and what type of business philosophy
will we utilise
here, what will serve us best?
Good research, best
practices, and history, could bring forth a wealth of info. How much experience
does one need, where do you find all the additional info and experts?
Do we go with
strategic planning or project planning styles?
Furthermore, to what extent are we going to go with our
planning, just how far is far and “grand” enough, and how much detail and
resources is enough? There is always a
balance that need to be apparent, a place between going some way with a project,
and then having the ability and good common sense to go all the way, without
overdoing it either.
I have seen volumes of disaster management plans compiled
in my lifetime, and then bound into books, that in the end just served as
decorative books, in a big glass display cabinet, filling a whole wall in the
operations room, one “whole wall” yes; no one has ever been able to read all of
it. Of that I am very sure, let alone any of it lately. It just seems so intimidating
to read, such a waste of time and money, and way too much effort. If what we
need is something small instead, an SOP. See link for SOP
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