Module 4: Disaster Management

Disaster Management

• a process of effectively preparing for and responding to disasters

• a systematic approach to managing the responsibilities of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery

• includes risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, response

Republic Act 10121 of 2010

• National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)

• a working group of various government, non-government, civil sector, and private sector organizations of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)

Plans and leads the guiding activities in the field of communication, warning signals, emergency, transportation, evacuation, rescue, engineering, health and rehabilitation, public education and auxiliary services

Strategic Planning

• focus on preparing the organization for any type of threat

Steps

• understand the need for a strategic plan

• set goals

• develop assumptions or premises

• research different ways to achieve objectives

• choose your plan of action

• develop a supporting plan

• implement the strategic plan

Contingency planning

• activities related to a site-specific threat that may occur at any time

• done after a risk assessment has been completed and the vulnerabilities of the organization are identified

Forward planning

• used for a known imminent disaster or event

• it focuses on plans for activation of the existing strategic and possibly the contingency plans

• annually reviewing the plan

internal disaster

• occurs when there is an event within the facility that poses a threat to disrupt the environment of care (fire, loss of utilities, labor strike)

• the management role maintain a safe environment for the patients and continue to provide essential services

External disaster

• the consequences of the event exceed the usual available resources (human patients, victims of chemical, HAZMAT incident)

preparedness risk assessment

• evaluate the facility’s vulnerabilities or inclination for disasters

• issues to consider include weather pattern; geographic location, expectation related to public events and gathering, age, condition, and location of the facility, and industries the close proximity

mitigation

• that are taken to lessen the impact of a disaster should one occur and can be considered as prevention measures

Response

• the actual implementation of the disaster plan

• continuously monitored and adjusted depending on current situation

Recovery

• invariably, services have been disrupted and it takes time to return to routines

Evaluation

• this phase of disaster planning and response receives the least attention

• it is essential to be done to determine what went well and what problems were identified

• a specific individual should be charged with the evaluation and follow-through activities