Emergency Management & Response Planning
Emergency Management Plans & Consulting Services
What is emergency management & response planning?
Crisis and emergency management involve processes that are designed to lessen the effects and minimise the damage of a crisis or emergency event on an organisation. The processes involve preparing for, responding to, and recovering from any foreseeable risk that a business may encounter.
It is important to delineate between a crisis and an emergency:
- A crisis requires executive-level strategic actions to protect the business, safeguard reputation, and ensure long-term stability.
- An emergency is an operational management response, focusing on immediate incident containment, safety, and restoring normal operations.
By effectively managing both crises and emergencies, businesses can enhance resilience, minimise disruption, and maintain continuity even in the face of unexpected events.
Having an effective emergency management system is paramount when attempting to alleviate any business disruptions an emergency can cause. At Resilient Services, we follow the emergency management cycle, which is used almost universally to break down the process that needs to be considered when conducting emergency management planning and activities. The different phases of the cycle are preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. Each phase provides a detailed step-by-step explanation of what your business will do in the event of an emergency.
The importance of having an emergency management system and plan
When protecting the profitability and longevity of your business and the safety of your staff and the public, it is imperative to ensure that it can respond to and recover from any possible emergency. All sections of the emergency management cycle are considered when creating our plans to ensure that any disruptions that your business may face during an emergency are minimal and that the return to business as usual is as quick as possible.
Emergency plans examine all of the risks that can occur, and the likelihood of these risks are eliminated or minimised. Some risks will be impossible to eliminate, whereas other new risks can emerge. We then develop tailored emergency plans that you and your staff provide input into, so you can be assured of the relevance. We tailor training to ensure everyone is well prepared for the unexpected.
An emergency will place you and your staff into a business as unusual situation, where panic and poor decisions can be made. We develop easy to follow instructions to protect you, your staff, and your customers by managing emergencies and returning your services to normal in the shortest possible timeframe through step-by-step instructions. By having an emergency management system in place, you will be providing your stakeholders with the confidence that you know and understand the risks that your business could potentially face, and that in the event of any emergency, your response will be effective at ensuring that minimal disruptions are caused.
Our Emergency Management Consultants
We are fast becoming known as an industry leader in Emergency Management & Emergency Response Planning
We understand the commercial and operational risks that your business faces and tailor carefully crafted solutions to treat those risks.
With this understanding, what we do offers tailored practical solutions that your organisation can apply to build its resilience.
What do our emergency management consultants do?
At Resilient Services, we offer a wide range of emergency management services and emergency response planning to suit your business’s specific needs. We recognise that every organisation is different and will require a unique set of management procedures. Depending on your circumstances, we can offer and are not limited to the following services:
Crisis and emergency management plans are written to meet government legislation and or ISO 22320:2018 – Security and resilience – Emergency management – Guidelines for incident management.
After Action Reviews (AARs):
We run structured reviews after incidents or exercises to identify what worked, what didn’t, and where improvements can be made. These reviews help embed lessons learned and drive continuous improvement.
Emergency Response Plans:
We develop site-specific response plans that guide your staff during emergencies, ensuring coordinated actions that protect people, assets, and operations.
Business Continuity Plans:
We create practical BCPs supported by BIAs to identify critical functions, assess impacts of disruptions, and define strategies for fast recovery and continuity of operations.
Emergency Management Plans:
Our all-hazards comprehensive Emergency Management Plans follow the PPRR model and ensure your organisation is prepared, compliant, and ready to respond to a wide range of emergencies.
Crisis Management Plans:
Our Crisis Management Plans outline clear roles, escalation procedures, and communication frameworks, enabling leadership teams to act swiftly and effectively during high-pressure events.
Cause and Effect Reports:
Support organisational transformation by fostering innovation, streamlining processes, and embracing emerging technologies.
Risk Management Plans:
We identify emergency-related risks and create strategies to minimise their impact, integrating risk management into your broader emergency planning.
Emergency Management Cycle
1. Preparation
Preparation is the foundation of any effective emergency plan. This phase involves identifying potential risks, developing response strategies, and ensuring all necessary resources, training, and communication systems are in place. Businesses conduct risk assessments, establish emergency procedures, and train employees to ensure they are ready to act swiftly and effectively when a crisis occurs.
2. Response
The response phase is the immediate action taken when an emergency unfolds. This includes activating emergency plans, coordinating with key personnel, ensuring employee safety, and managing communications with stakeholders. The goal of this phase is to minimise damage, protect lives, and maintain critical business functions while responding efficiently to the situation.
3. Recovery
The recovery phase focuses on restoring operations and minimising downtime after an emergency. This involves assessing the event’s impact, repairing damages, resuming business functions, and supporting employees and stakeholders. A well-structured recovery plan helps businesses return to normal operations quickly, reducing financial and reputational risks.
4. Mitigation
Mitigation is the proactive approach to reducing the likelihood and impact of future emergencies. This phase includes implementing long-term strategies such as infrastructure improvements, policy updates, risk monitoring, and investment in resilient technologies. By learning from past events and strengthening preparedness efforts, businesses can minimise vulnerabilities and enhance their ability to withstand future disruptions.
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Benefits of Emergency Management
Faster incident detection and escalation
A strong Emergency Management System helps teams identify issues early and escalate them through the right channels before they grow.
Clear coordination across teams and agencies
Effective Emergency Response Planning ensures everyone—internal staff, contractors, and external agencies—works in sync.
Improved safety outcomes
Robust Emergency Procedures reduce injuries, safeguard people onsite, and create a safer working environment.
Reduced financial losses
Good Emergency Management helps minimise operational downtime, asset damage, and long-term financial impact.
Stronger communication flow
An integrated Emergency Communication Framework ensures accurate, timely information reaches the right people.
Better resource allocation during incidents
Effective planning allows organisations to use emergency resources, equipment, and personnel efficiently and strategically.
Boosted employee confidence and trust
When staff know there is a reliable Emergency Response Plan, they feel safer, more supported, and more engaged.
Greater organisational readiness for complex scenarios
Regular exercises, simulations, and emergency readiness planning embed awareness and teamwork across the organisation.
A more resilient organisational culture
Embedding strong Emergency Management practices shifts the culture from reactive to proactive—building long-term resilience.
Industries that are offered Emergency Management Systems
Resilient Services provides emergency management consulting to clients across New Zealand and Australia in metropolitan cities such as Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane. These industries include, but are not limited to:
Strengthen Your Emergency Response Capability
Fill out the enquiry form — or call 0493 700 661 — to learn how our Emergency Management and Response Planning services can help your organisation prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises and disruptions.
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What our clients are saying
“Business continuity plan is comprehensive and flawless.”
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Your Emergency Management questions answered
Common questions
What industries does Resilient Services specialise in serving?
Resilient Services specialises in serving a variety of industries, including:
- Critical Infrastructure
- Energy and Power
- Government and Regulators
- Industrial and
- Manufacturing
- Maritime
- Mining
- Office/Corporate
- Oil, Gas and Petroleum
- Water
What is emergency management?
Emergency management is the discipline focused on protecting life, property and the environment during immediate, time-critical incidents. It involves planning, procedures, and actions undertaken before, during, and immediately after an emergency to reduce harm and stabilise the situation. Emergencies typically require rapid response and clear command structures.
Why is emergency management important for organisations?
Emergencies can occur without warning and escalate quickly. Effective emergency management helps organisations:
Protect staff, contractors and visitors
Reduce the severity of injuries and damage
Ensure fast, coordinated responses under pressure
Meet legal and safety obligations
Prevent small incidents from escalating into major crises
Without clear emergency arrangements, confusion and delayed decisions can significantly increase risk.
What types of incidents does emergency management cover?
Emergency management applies to incidents such as:
Fires, explosions or hazardous material releases
Medical emergencies or serious injuries
Natural hazards (storms, floods, bushfires)
Evacuations and shelter-in-place scenarios
Infrastructure or utility failures that pose immediate risk
The focus is always on immediate safety and control of the incident.
How is emergency management different from disaster and crisis management?
While closely linked, each discipline has a distinct role:
Emergency management focuses on immediate response to protect life and control the incident.
Disaster management covers the broader lifecycle, including preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery from large-scale disruptions.
Crisis management addresses leadership decision-making, communications and reputation during high-impact events.
Emergency management controls the incident. Crisis management controls the outcome.
What are the key components of an emergency management plan?
A well-designed emergency management plan typically includes:
Clear emergency roles and responsibilities
Incident command and escalation structures
Evacuation and shelter procedures
Communication protocols and contact lists
Emergency equipment and resource requirements
Training and drill schedules
Plans should be simple, practical and easy to follow under stress.
Who is responsible for emergency management within an organisation?
Emergency management is a shared responsibility. Leadership sets expectations and resources, while trained wardens, response teams and staff play defined roles during an incident. Clear accountability ensures decisions are made quickly and actions are coordinated effectively when seconds matter.
How often should emergency plans be reviewed and tested?
Emergency plans should be:
Reviewed at least annually
Updated after organisational changes or incidents
Tested regularly through drills and exercises
Practice builds familiarity, confidence and muscle memory, helping teams respond calmly and effectively in real emergencies.
How does emergency management support business continuity?
Effective emergency management reduces the immediate impact of incidents, making it easier for business continuity and recovery plans to take effect. By stabilising the situation quickly, organisations can limit downtime, protect critical assets and transition smoothly into recovery activities.
How can Resilient Services support emergency management?
Resilient Services supports organisations by:
Developing and reviewing emergency management plans
Designing clear command and response frameworks
Delivering training, exercises and simulations
Supporting compliance and best-practice standards
Integrating emergency management with broader resilience, disaster and crisis frameworks
This ensures your emergency arrangements are practical, compliant and aligned with your overall resilience strategy.
