An emergency can be of any kind; it could be a fire, shooting, power outage, an explosion etc. Unfortunately, today we see these emergencies hit the news more often than ever, which is why the subject of preparedness is no longer limited to the professionals only. Instead, every individual should know what to do in a state of disaster. Every company or household should develop an emergency response plan so that when any disaster occurs, people know exactly what to do.While a single plan might not fit all situations, there are five critical steps that will guide an emergency plan no matter the kind of disaster you are facing. Read on.

Assess Risk

The number one step is to assess your risks and prioritize them. There is no point in spending money in a volcano eruption planning when there are no volcanos in the area. Instead identify the most susceptible risks and categorize them according to their level of emergency. A good example of this would be preparing for a hurricane in Florida as the likelihood of that occurring is high. However, on the other hand, malfunctioning of a traffic signal is also highly likely but at the same time, it is easier to resolve, hence this should be lower on the priory list.

Organize a Team

Emergency plans should always be a product of an inclusive team rather than one person deciding everything. Put together a team of people who are expert in different subject matters so they can help you in determining the overall plan, including the four most important stages:

• Mitigation: measures that prevent emergencies or lower their effects
• Preparedness: efforts that help you prepare for the event
• Response: actions carried out immediately before, during, and immediately after a hazard
• Recovery: actions taken to return a community to normal or near-normal conditions post hazard

Spread Critical Information Quickly

Whatever plan you make needs to be concise so that critical information can be passed onto relevant people quickly. Long detailed documentation may be useful at some point in the plan but when it comes to spreading information amongst the team, it’s always best to keep it short. This will let the people know what the emergency and plan of action is.

Update Your Alert Procedure

Unfortunately, we no longer live in a world where we can second guess our alert procedures. It is high time that every plan you make is updated to the current situations. For instance, if there is a shooter at a school, it is no longer safe to just ring the emergency alarm and call 911. Instead you need to take precautionary measures, have security beforehand and even then if a situation like that occurs, hide at a place which the shooter does not know about, instead of ringing the alarm as it might alert the shooter.

Test the Effectiveness of the Plan

The only way to know that a plan works is by testing it. Test the entire plan by going through everyone’s responsibilities, identifying the weak links and figuring out how to improve the plan. Carrying out the plan will also allow everyone to practice their duties hence making it easier if a real life situation occurs. 

At the end of the day, no one knows when an emergency occurs, so it always better to be prepared in advance. The above steps will help you put together a plan with which you can successfully fight any emergency. For further assistance, get in touch with Critical Innovations Advising where our impact-driven professionals navigate you through diverse environments and situations.