The emergency planning process

Let’s pick up on some of the issues highlighted by our expert who talked about the challenges of emergency planning and preparedness.

1. It is essential to understand what you are trying to achieve with the process – in other words, defining the scopes of the arrangements.

2. The risks faced by an organisation should be well understood – this includes their likelihood and consequences/impacts.

3. There needs to be buy-in by the organisation for the arrangements, and a commitment to ensuring they are implemented and maintained.

4. There has to be clarity with regards to roles and responsibilities for all responders, along with clarity on the actions that can be taken.

5. All plans and arrangements are only as good as the last emergency, so there must be a strong process in place to review and update.

6. The importance of flexibility cannot be overestimated – if plans are too prescriptive they can limit the effectiveness of the response.