Out of Disaster into Preparedness

The Time is Now to Capitalize on Risk Mitigation Opportunities

Major disasters provide important learning opportunities. People are motivated by the loss of life to be more receptive to new approaches and strategies for risk reduction in the aftermath of a crisis. In 2008, 321 natural disasters claimed more than 235,000 lives and cost the world an estimated $181 billion (according to The World Bank).

A long-term approach to building disaster resilience is critical, sadly however, disaster risk is often only fully acknowledged following a major event. The disaster recovery period thus provides an opportunity to once again sound the alarm and proselytize for increasing disaster preparedness and risk reduction funding at the federal, state and local levels.

Climate change now compounds the risks for natural disasters, but also provides an opportunity to empower communities to manage that risk. Consider that disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation funding can actually be integrated into relief and recovery budgets. How about an in-depth review of the relevant funding instruments and practices to ensure that those institutions most able to effect change have access to relevant funding  facilitated by local and national governments?

Let’s get serious about risk reduction partnerships and collaboration with practices that engage local government, civil society and NGOs in collective decision-making and tangible strategies to reduce risk and strengthen early warning. Technology MUST be utilized more effectively if we are to achieve enhanced resiliency and risk reduction with the limited funds we are currently willing to allocate.

This fleeting moment needs to be capitalized upon by policymakers, practitioners and the public alike – let’s do it together.

Disaster Strikes When You Least Expect It

The nightmare in Haiti once again hammers home this age-old axiom.

How many more people will die in the future because of our complacency – in this country and elsewhere?

How many times do we have to witness such disasters only to find that once again lack of communications is the greatest hindrance to rapid and accurate assessment of the impact? How many people could have been saved if communications were available to quickly obtain accurate situational awareness and better coordinate the resources for search and rescue?

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Let the (Disaster) Games Begin

Now surely you’ve never thought to make a game of disaster preparedness!? Well … 2010 may be a good time to rethink your approach to improving your business continuity readiness.

Games are essential to our human experience and they form a part of every culture.

Defined as structured activities undertaken for fun, games are more and more being used as educational tools. By making aspects of education and work fun through games, attention and retention among participants can be greatly enhanced. The defense industry has understood this for many years – investing heavily in gaming software to enhance soldier training.

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Preparedness as a Gift

The holiday season, for many, is a time of gathering with family and friends. It’s a time when we share gifts, and as a prelude to the new year, it is also a time of reflection. However, many throughout the world are not at peace, are not gathering with friends and family, are not sharing gifts. It is time we awaken to the fact that we are indeed in a new age – an age in which we need to stop thinking just about ourselves and begin to care more about other people and indeed all living things.

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Resiliency=f(comms)

Organizational resiliency is a function of available communications which is a direct function of your preparedness posture. Without communications you are up zee creek (if there’s any water left)! Ok if there’s no water left you are really up zee creek! Better call somebody…oh darn…the phones aren’t working and the power is out! … Geez my cell phone battery is dead…oh well the cell service is down too. – Now what! … Hope I can find my car keys.

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Are We Prepared? Why Bother?

Did  you ever think to ask your local first responders (fire, police, emergency management)  how prepared we are for natural disasters?

Is your local community sufficiently prepared to meet the needs of you and your neighbors when a disaster strikes? Do you know who is responsible, what resources they can access, and how quickly they can respond?

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Never Forget Disaster while Enjoying Peace

Complacency turns mere emergencies into disasters. Much like taking the blessings of nature for granted has yielded a fragile environment intolerant of more abuse,  postponing disaster preparedness because it’s been awhile is like piling combustible materials in the direct path of a raging forest fire. It will burn out of control.

Do you ever wonder why most experts suggest stockpiling 2 weeks of critical supplies when, until recently, the recommendation has been 3 days?