Crisis and Disaster Management - The Good, Bad and the Ugly

Oh Oh...

A crisis is brewing. Specialists know that an event will occur and potentially have serious impacts on the community. What to do? Who do I call, brief and explain what is about to unfold? How much time do I have before disaster strikes? And what are the steps necessary to protect and prepare for the consequences.

Emergency services are under immense pressure when an event occurs. Often the pressure is worse when past performance has been criticized or found wanting. When you have advance notice of a potential crisis, it can often feel like the world is about to crash down on your head.

Post event quarterbacks are quick to dive into problems that were not solved and Emergency response teams are well aware they are in the spotlight, from the head of government all the way down to the team leads of front line response units.

The plan...

As you read through the articles in this magazine, journalist vary in their attitudes and judgement of what areas of disaster response have gone right or horribly wrong. In their mind, reporters believe they are just reporting the facts as they see it. This continues to be a significant challenge to overcome. You also have read articles on new technology gizmo or software application implying there is a fix for everything, suggesting why are response teams not using them? Under constant scrutiny is asset and logistics management. Managers didn't put stuff there when it should be "over there". Just put stuff on a map, see where it is and move it!!! See !!! It is easy as pie to fix. I can do it, so why can't you!?! Who's in charge of this Mickey Mouse operation anyway... Twitter seems to explode with analysis when this happens. Our planning and progress response systems need to be better understood and prepared when it gets ugly. There is a plan for that too.

The response...

Within seconds of something going wrong in one place, it's on the 'net. Rarely when things are working as 'planned' does it make the six o'clock news, let alone tweeted. Bill Greener, who was a press aide to Gerald Ford and Donald Rumsfeld in the 1970's had this advice when dealing with the Press, - don't argue with a reporter when they buy ink by the barrel. The new world version is - doesn't have to pay a cent to tweet about it.

Civil protection and Emergency Management Agencies are beginning to turn this problem around on its head. As you have seen by several of the posted articles here, Emergency Management agencies aggressively use social media to get the word out on status and planned initiatives. What many do not yet know, is it working. So far, evidence is mixed. You can publish and tweet on social media updates every 15 seconds, but if nobody is subscribed...

Recovery...

Post disaster recovery operations in the past were often left to be a problem left to local authorities - assuming they survived. Long term reconstruction was never part of an augmented plan or authorized. Today, not only is it mandatory, but reviewed for sustainable and long term suitability. This is particularly true of International aid providers, who are increasingly, becoming accountable to their donors on what services and products they are delivering. We have documented several articles where this is a requirement. If not complaint, NGO's know donations will go over a cliff. 

Cooperation...

Large scale crisis and disaster events affect a populations ability to cope. In a disaster zone, the stress can be devastating to the point it overwhelms even the best prepared and capable local organizations. The world responds. Compared to 15 years ago, multiple agencies and non-government organizations have made marked improvements in some aspects, while in others, it has become bogged down or in some cases, become regressive to the point of not even talking to each other. As large scale disasters become more frequent and more public and volunteer organizations become engaged, cooperation is going to be a key element demanding success, or failures will occur in spectacular fashion and be very public. Recent events bear this out and it does not take long to get on the news. One of the hot topics is Command and Control in civilian and military cooperation environments. There is no getting around this obstacle and it is not going to go away. It is a global issue requiring new policy and doctrine.

Lessons learned cycle...

All of us have heard it before. When mistakes are made, we analyze what went wrong and make recommendations to avoid such problems in the future. Yet, the same mistakes appear to be recurring over and over and... It is true, Hot Wash debriefs and reports often wind up on a shelf collecting dust. This is not true in all circumstances or post event reviews. Improvements are clearly evident in front line operations around the world. The perceived gap and probably the most often discussed lesson learned today is the enemy of time. Why did it take so long to get help to ground zero? 

Your turn...

The issues I have listed above are focus areas that we should pay attention to and discuss openly. We need to talk about it on a regular basis. I encourage you to offer your feedback, suggestions, ideas and views on the stories and topics I have highlighted here. Try not to just read the article and say to yourself that it is interesting. Challenge yourself to open the dialogue with your colleagues and how they can be an influence for change and improvement. The goal is to increase awareness and identify how we can make a difference and affect accountability where possible. In turn, we can craft enhanced training, management and service delivery, so those that dedicate their lives to helping others can be tweeted and reported on TV in a positive and rewarding way.

Doug