They may not be common, but emergencies are guaranteed to have an impact on your life at some point, and your business is no exception. Everything from natural disasters to equipment failure to supply chain disruptions can lead to sudden emergency events that have the potential to decimate business operations. Being able to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency is exactly what Emergency Management Planning is all about.
What are the phases of the Emergency Management Cycle?
The Emergency Management Cycle involves four steps: preparation, response, recovery and mitigation
Preparation: Plans and procedures are made prior to an emergency occurring. These plans are constantly refined and tested using emergency simulation exercises and staff are educated about how to use the plans during an emergency.
Response: An emergency has occurred, and the time to respond begins. The very plans and procedures that have been created for situations of this kind are put in place, and quick, effective actions are needed. Ensuring the safety of all staff and customers is paramount, as well as reducing damage to key infrastructure.
Recovery: The recovery stage involves working to restore infrastructure, systems and operations to how they were prior to the emergency occurring where possible. Damaged infrastructure is repaired, and operations begin to return to business as usual.
Mitigation: Alterations are made to business operations to mitigate the risk of a potential emergency occurring, or to lessen the impacts that an emergency could have on business operations and longevity. For example, building an office tower that is earthquake resistant in an earthquake-prone city is a way of mitigating the disruptions that an earthquake could cause.
