Preparedness

What is Preparedness?

     While mitigation can make communities safer, it does not eliminate risk and vulnerability for all hazards. Therefore, jurisdictions must be ready to face emergency threats that have not been mitigated away. Since emergencies often evolve rapidly and become too complex for effective improvisation, a government can successfully discharge its emergency management responsibilities only by taking certain actions beforehand. This is preparedness.
     Preparedness involves establishing authorities and responsibilities for emergency actions and garnering the resources to support them. A jurisdiction must assign or recruit staff for emergency management duties and designate or procure facilities, equipment, and other resources for carrying out assigned duties. This investment in emergency management requires upkeep. The staff must receive training, and the facilities and equipment must be maintained in working order. To ensure that the jurisdiction’s investment in emergency management personnel and resources can be relied upon when needed, there must be a program of tests, drills, and exercises. A key element of preparedness is the development of plans that link the many aspects of a jurisdiction’s commitment to emergency management.
        - FEMA’s Guide for All-hazard Emergency             Operations Planning