Disaster Response and Recovery, 3rd Edition

5Implementing Initial Response Measures: Hazard Detection, Warning, Evacuation and Sheltering

STARTING POINT

Pretest to assess your knowledge on initial response measures.

Determine where you need to concentrate your effort.

What You’ll Learn in This Chapter

• Methods to recognize hazards before disasters occur.
• The importance of warning systems.
• Different evacuation methods.
• Categories of sheltering and housing.
• Typical behavior during evacuation and sheltering.

After Studying This Chapter, You’ll Be Able To

• Detect hazards and activate the emergency operations plan.
• Assess the best way(s) to issue warnings.
• Compare and contrast alternative means of issuing warnings.
• Understand evacuation and sheltering behavior.
• Evaluate evacuation and shelter options.

Goals and Outcomes

• Identify hazards and share awareness with others.
• Develop and disseminate effective warning messages.
• Activate the community’s emergency operations center.
• Select appropriate protective actions during response.
• Predict typical human behaviors during evacuation.
• Establish and maintain an effectively run shelter.

INTRODUCTION

When a disaster occurs or is about to take place, you, as an emergency manager, will have numerous urgent, significant and perhaps overwhelming responsibilities. The first step in response is to detect a hazard, and this may be accomplished through a variety of means. During or after this identification process, you may need to implement the emergency operations plan and activate ...