Emergency planning refers to the process of preparing and arranging resources, procedures, and protocols to manage and reduce the impact of disasters and emergencies. These could range from natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes to man-made emergencies like chemical spills, terror attacks, or nuclear accidents.
The importance of emergency planning cannot be overstated. Proper planning can help:
- Save lives and reduce injuries by ensuring a timely and organized response.
- Protect property by mitigating damage.
- Minimize disruption of basic services and ensure their quick restoration.
- Provide clear roles and responsibilities, leading to a more coordinated response.
- Increase community resilience by boosting the capacity to respond and recover from emergencies.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides doctrines and guidance for emergency planning. These documents help establish a common approach to emergency management, including key concepts, principles, terminologies, and methodologies.
Key doctrine and guidance include:
- National Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) Program Guide: Provides guidance for managing incidents.
- Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Provides guidance for developing emergency operations plans.
- National Incident Management System (NIMS): Provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide all levels of government, NGOs, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents.
- National Response Framework (NRF): A guide that details how the nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies.
- National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF): A guide that outlines recovery principles, roles and responsibilities, and coordination among federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and insular area jurisdictions.
By understanding and applying these doctrines and guides, emergency management personnel can enhance their capability to handle emergencies effectively.
Relationship Between Preparedness and Planning
The Cycle of Preparedness includes four key stages: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. These stages help in reducing the risk and impact of disasters, enhancing response capabilities, and improving recovery processes. Here’s a brief description of each stage:
- Mitigation: Actions taken to eliminate or reduce the chance of the event, or reduce its impact if it does occur.
- Preparedness: Activities to develop the response capabilities needed in the event of an emergency. Training, exercises, and education are key components.
- Response: Immediate actions to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of a disaster.
- Recovery: Actions to restore normalcy, including repair, rebuilding, and reinstatement of community infrastructure.
Planning is a critical element of preparedness and serves as the cornerstone of an effective response to any disaster or emergency. Here are a few ways planning contributes to preparedness:
- Identifying Threats: Planning helps in identifying potential threats and understanding their possible impacts.
- Resource Allocation: Planning helps in determining the required resources, their allocation, and prioritization.
- Protocol Establishment: It aids in developing protocols and procedures to ensure a well-structured and coordinated response.
- Training and Exercise: Planning lays the groundwork for training programs and exercises that increase awareness, build skills, and assess preparedness.
- Continuity of Operations: Planning includes continuity of operations provisions that help ensure essential functions continue during and after a disaster.
- Community Engagement: Planning also involves engaging with the community to encourage awareness and participation, which can significantly increase overall preparedness levels.
Therefore, while planning is an aspect of preparedness, it also serves as a facilitator for all other stages of the Cycle of Preparedness.
FEMA IS-235.C: Emergency Planning Answers Example
- In the plan development step of emergency planning, the planning team generates, compares, and selects possible courses of action; identifies required resources; and:
A. Analyzes threats and hazards faced by the jurisdiction.
B. Creates a schedule for plan revision.
C. Generates a detailed budget.
D. Estimates capabilities and shortfalls.
Answer: In the plan development step of emergency planning, the planning team generates, compares, and selects possible courses of action; identifies required resources; and analyzes threats and hazards faced by the jurisdiction. - In the emergency planning process outlined in CPG 101, generating, comparing, and selecting possible courses of action to achieve desired outcomes is part of:
A. Step 2, Understand the situation
B. Step 4, Develop the Plan
C. Step 6, Plan implementation and maintenance
D. Step 3, Determine goals and objectives
Answer: In the emergency planning process outlined in CPG 101, generating, comparing, and selecting possible courses of action to achieve desired outcomes is part of Step 4, Develop the Plan. - As defined in CPG 101, the first step in the emergency planning process is to:
Answer: As defined in CPG 101, the first step in the emergency planning process is to Form a Collaborative Planning Team. - The planning team should represent the many facets of the community, including governmental and nongovernmental entities, the private sector, infrastructure owners and operators, and civic leaders.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
Answer: The planning team should represent the many facets of the community, including governmental and nongovernmental entities, the private sector, infrastructure owners and operators, and civic leaders is true. - All of the following statements about plan approval and dissemination are true except for
A. Each plan must be presented to the Department of Homeland Security for final approval.
B. “Sunshine” laws may require that a copy of the plan be placed in a location accessible to the public.
C. It is important to make the plan available in alternate formats to ensure access by the whole community.
D. Official promulgation is vital to gaining the widest acceptance possible for the plan.
Answer: Each plan must be presented to the Department of Homeland Security for final approval. - Forming a planning team removes individual accountability if problems arise during incident response.
True
False
Answer: Forming a planning team removes individual accountability if problems arise during incident response. is False. - Planning teams are most effective when the group leader takes responsibility for decision-making.
True
False
Answer: Planning teams are most effective when the group leader takes responsibility for decision-making is false. - Collaborative planning builds trust and working relationships that will be needed during emergencies.
False
True
Answer: Collaborative planning builds trust and working relationships that will be needed during emergencies is true. - Instructions: Indicate whether each statement about emergency planning is TRUE or FALSE. When you are done, select Check. It is desirable for team members to differ with respect to team purpose and goals in order to maintain the diversity of the team.
True
False
Answer: False. - Select the True statement
A. An emergency plan only needs to be updated when there is a revision in the laws, codes, or ordinances that govern emergency planning.
B. An emergency plan is considered up-to-date if it has been reviewed at least once in the last decade.
C. The best time to review and update an emergency plan is during a major activation of the plan, while personnel are focused on the policies and procedures.
D. An emergency plan should be reviewed and updated at least every 1 or 2 years and after key events, including plan activation.
Answer: An emergency plan should be reviewed and updated at least every 1 or 2 years and after key events, including plan activation.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The planning team should represent the many facets of the community, including governmental and nongovernmental entities, the private sector, infrastructure owners and operators, and civic leaders. | TRUE |
| In the emergency planning process outlined in CPG 101, generating, comparing, and selecting possible courses of action to achieve desired outcomes is part of: | Step 4, Develop the Plan |
| All of the following statements about plan approval and dissemination are true EXCEPT FOR: | Each plan must be presented to the Department of Homeland Security for final approval. |
| When completing a threat/hazard analysis, you should do all of the following actions, EXCEPT FOR: | Ask community organizations, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and other nontraditional partners to assist with the process. |
| When an emergency operations plan has been developed and approved, what step remains to be done? | Implement and maintain the plan. |
| Each of the following should trigger a review of the emergency plan, EXCEPT FOR: | Hiring of new emergency management agency support staff. |
| Which of the following statements is FALSE? | Emergency plans ensure that all resources can be obtained through internal sources within the jurisdiction. |
| One purpose of providing training on the emergency plan is to ensure that stakeholders are prepared to communicate and coordinate with others involved in implementing the plan. | TRUE |
| Select the TRUE statement: | An emergency plan should be reviewed and updated at least every 1 or 2 years and after key events, including plan activation. |
| Which of the following is a TRUE statement about Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)? | THIRA is a comprehensive process for identifying threats and hazards along with their associated capabilities. |
| All of the following are true of emergency planning EXCEPT FOR: | It is most effective when it focuses on a single threat/hazard at a time. |
| The goal of preparedness is a secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk. | TRUE |
| What are core capabilities? | Distinct elements that are essential for the execution of each mission area. |
| Planning teams are most effective when: | The group finds common ground on which to build consensus for action. |
| An emergency plan element that focuses on special planning needs generated by a bioterrorism attack is an example of a/an: | Threat/hazard/incident-specific annex. |
| Forming a planning team removes individual accountability if problems arise during incident response. | FALSE |
| The planning process set out in CPG 101: | Is suitable for planning by all levels of government. |
| A key planning principle is that plans are most coherent when developed by a single emergency management professional and then presented to the response community for approval. | FALSE |
| The emergency planning process includes the following steps: (1) Form a collaborative planning team; (2) Understand the situation; (3) ________; (4) Develop the plan; (5) Prepare, review, and get approval; and (6) Implement and maintain the plan. Select the missing Step 3 from below: | Step 3. Determine goals and objectives. |
| An emergency operations plan delineates: | How people and property will be protected during an emergency. |
| As defined in CPG 101, the first step in the emergency planning process is to: | Form a collaborative planning team. |
| Detailed guidance for developing emergency plans can be found in: | Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101. |
| What role do nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play in emergency planning? | NGOs should be involved as a stakeholder in the planning process. |
| Which of the following is a FALSE statement? | Preparedness requires the development of a separate emergency plan for each identified threat and hazard. |
| What role does the private sector play in emergency planning? | The private sector should be involved as a stakeholder in the planning process. |
| Concept of Operations is a standard element of a basic plan. | TRUE |
| An effective way to test and evaluate plans, policies, procedures, and coordination of decision-making is by: | Conducting exercises. |
| Step 4 of the planning process is plan development. This step involves generating courses of action, identifying required resources, and: | Estimating capabilities and shortfalls. |
| The process for developing emergency operations plans is outlined in the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101. | TRUE |
| When possible, the planning team should build on existing assessments such as Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments prepared by the States, major urban areas, and other government entities. | TRUE |
| Question | Option A | Option B | Option C | Option D | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The planning process set out in CPG 101 | Is best suited for strategic planning rather than operational planning | Is suitable for planning by all levels of government | Applies only to development of new plans, not plan updates | Is not appropriate for use by private entities | Is suitable for planning by all levels of government |
| An emergency operations plan | Focuses on standard operating procedures for responding to one single type of incident | Serves primarily as a budgeting document for acquiring emergency management resources | Establishes the overall authority, roles, and functions performed during incidents | Is required in order for a jurisdiction to receive Federal assistance with mitigation initiatives | Establishes the overall authority, roles, and functions performed during incidents |
| In the plan development step of emergency planning, the planning team generates, compares, and selects possible course of action; identifies required resources; and | Estimates capabilities and shortfalls | Generates a detailed budget | Analyzes threats and hazards faced by the jurisdiction | Creates a schedule for plan revision | Analyzes threats and hazards faced by the jurisdiction |
| When completing a threat/hazard analysis, you should do all of the following actions, except for | Avoid recent history or official records since they may not always be the best indicator of the presence or severity of a threat or hazard | Use existing THIRAs, hazard analyses, threat assessments, and homeland security strategies to identify initial threats and hazards | Ask community organizations, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and other nontraditional partners to assist with the process | Use online data sources and local subject-matter experts to understand potential threats and hazards | Ask community orgs, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and other nontraditional partners to assist with the process |
| What role does the private sector play in emergency planning? | The private sector has no appropriate role in the planning process | The private sector’s only emergency management role is provision of resources during an emergency | The private sector’s best role is to provide the business perspective during final review of the plan | The private sector should be involved as a stakeholder in the planning process | The private sector’s only emergency management role is provision of resources during an emergency |
| Evaluation of the effectiveness of an emergency plan | Is best done by an external evaluator comparing the plan to a set of national standards | Involves a combination of training events, exercises, and real-world incidents | Should be done by a task force once every five years to ensure compliance with the law | Typically is only needed when performance problems become evident among response personnel | Involves a combination of training events, exercises, and real-world incidents |
| The planning team should represent the many facets of the community, including governmental and nongovernmental entities, the private sector, infrastructure owners and operators, and civic leaders | – | – | – | – | True |
| Which of the following is a false statement? | Preparedness derives from building and sustaining the capabilities that are necessary to deal with great risks | Preparedness activities take place before, during, and after an incident | Preparedness requires development of a separate emergency plan for each identified threat and hazard | Preparedness results from building and sustaining core capabilities in each of five mission areas | Preparedness requires development of a separate emergency plan for each identified threat and hazard |
| An emergency operations plan delineates | How people and property will be protected during an emergency | Agency coordination during long-term recovery efforts | The importance of intelligence about imminent threats in thwarting terrorist attacks | How predisaster choices can manage or reduce long-term risk | How people and property will be protected during an emergency |
| A key planning principle is that plans are most coherent when developed by a single emergency management professional and then presented to the response community for approval | – | – | – | – | False |
| Step 4 of the planning process is plan development. This step involves generating courses of action, identifying required resources, and | Obtaining approval from Federal authorities | Estimating capabilities and shortfalls | Eliminating courses of action that would require outside resources | Determining what threats and hazards the jurisdiction faces | Estimating capabilities and shortfalls |
| The emergency operations plan establishes the overall authority, roles, and functions performed during incidents | – | – | – | – | True |
| The goal of preparedness is a secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk | – | – | – | – | True |
| When an emergency operations plan has been developed and approved, what step remains to be done? | No steps remain; the process is complete | Determine goals and objectives | Inform the response community that a plan has been developed | Implement and maintain the plan | Implement and maintain the plan |
| When possible, the planning team should build on existing assessments such as Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments prepared by the States, major urban areas, and other government entities | – | – | – | – | True |
| Question | Options | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| What part of an emergency operations plan typically provides an overview of the emergency management and response program? | A. Threat/hazard/incident-specific annex B. Supporting annex C. Basic plan D. Standard operating procedure | C. Basic plan |
| Detailed guidance for developing emergency plans can be found in | A. National Response Framework B. Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 8 C. National Preparedness Goal D. Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 | D. Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 |
| A benefit of forming a collaborative planning team is that it | A. Makes coordination with State and Federal plans unnecessary B. Eliminates the involvement of elected officials who could politicize the process C. Removes individual accountability if problems arise during incident response D. Builds trust and working relationships that will be needed during emergencies | D. Builds trust and working relationships that will be needed during emergencies |
| The process for developing emergency operations plans is outlined in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 | True/False | True |
| Which of the following statements is false? | A. Emergency plans clarify how functions and activities are to be coordinated and how they complement one another B. Emergency plans communicate what should happen, why it is done, and what to expect from it C. Emergency plans delineate roles and responsibilities D. Emergency plans ensure that all resources can be obtained through internal sources within the jurisdiction | D. Emergency plans ensure that all resources can be obtained through internal sources within the jurisdiction |
| Exercises are a means of learning what works and what does not work as planned | True/False | True |
| Within THIRA, national capability targets are set for jurisdictions to implement | True/False | True |
| Team planning is most effective when the group leader develops the overall plan and then solicits feedback from the group | True/False | False |
| An effective way to test and evaluate plans, policies, procedures, and coordination of decisionmaking is by | A. Providing job aids B. Presenting seminars and briefings C. Conducting exercises D. Organizing on-the-job training | C. Conducting exercises |
| What role do nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play in emergency planning? | A. NGOs’ best role is to provide their constituencies’ perspectives during final review of the plan B. NGOs have no appropriate role in the planning process C. NGOs should be involved as a stakeholder in the planning process D. NGOs’ only role is providing volunteers during an emergency | D. NGOs’ only role is providing volunteers during an emergency |
| All of the following are important emergency management planning principles EXCEPT for | A. Planning must be community based, representing the whole population and its needs B. Planning results in unique plans for each type of threat or hazard C. Planning should be flexible enough to address both traditional and catastrophic incidents D. Planning is fundamentally a process to manage risk | B. Planning results in unique plans for each type of threat or hazard |
| The emergency planning process includes the following steps: 1) Form a collaborative planning team; (2) Understand the situation; (3) ________; (4) Develop the plan; (5) Prepare, review, and get approval; and (6) Implement and maintain the plan. Select the missing Step 3 from below | A. Step 3. Submit an outline for Federal approval B. Step 3. Conduct a hazard analysis C. Step 3. Determine goals and objectives D. Step 3. Assign responsibilities for mission assignments | C. Step 3. Determine goals and objectives |
| An emergency plan element that focuses on special planning needs generated by a bioterrorism attack is an example of a/an | A. Basic plan B. Threat/hazard/incident-specific annex C. Implementing instruction D. Supporting annex | B. Threat/hazard/incident-specific annex |
| In the emergency planning process outlined in CPG 101, generating, comparing, and selecting possible courses of action to achieve desired outcomes is part of | A. Step 2, Understand the situation B. Step 3, Determine goals and objectives C. Step 4, Develop the Plan D. Step 6, Plan implementation and maintenance | C. Step 4, Develop the Plan |
| Responsibility for emergency preparedness | A. Is divided between the Federal and State governments B. Rests solely at the local jurisdictional level C. Is shared by the whole community D. Falls strictly to individuals and households | C. Is shared by the whole community |
| Select the TRUE statement | A. Jurisdiction information is not relevant to threat/hazard analysis because it doesn’t reveal anything about capabilities B. Each time an emergency plan is updated, the team should discard the existing information and start from scratch to be sure the analysis is based on current data C. Analyzing threat/hazard and jurisdiction information enables the planning team to identify capabilities needed to manage associated risks D. When developing an emergency plan, only information from Federal government sources should be used, to ensure the plan is based on reliable and universally applicable data | C. Analyzing threat/hazard and jurisdiction information enables the planning team to identify capabilities needed to manage associated risks |
More answer: https://quizlet.com/781092581/posc-391-midterm-flash-cards/
Relationship Between Preparedness and Planning
The Cycle of Preparedness includes four key stages: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. These stages help in reducing the risk and impact of disasters, enhancing response capabilities, and improving recovery processes. Here’s a brief description of each stage:
- Mitigation: Actions taken to eliminate or reduce the chance of the event, or reduce its impact if it does occur.
- Preparedness: Activities to develop the response capabilities needed in the event of an emergency. Training, exercises, and education are key components.
- Response: Immediate actions to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of a disaster.
- Recovery: Actions to restore normalcy, including repair, rebuilding, and reinstatement of community infrastructure.
Planning is a critical element of preparedness and serves as the cornerstone of an effective response to any disaster or emergency. Here are a few ways planning contributes to preparedness:
- Identifying Threats: Planning helps in identifying potential threats and understanding their possible impacts.
- Resource Allocation: Planning helps in determining the required resources, their allocation, and prioritization.
- Protocol Establishment: It aids in developing protocols and procedures to ensure a well-structured and coordinated response.
- Training and Exercise: Planning lays the groundwork for training programs and exercises that increase awareness, build skills, and assess preparedness.
- Continuity of Operations: Planning includes continuity of operations provisions that help ensure essential functions continue during and after a disaster.
- Community Engagement: Planning also involves engaging with the community to encourage awareness and participation, which can significantly increase overall preparedness levels.
Therefore, while planning is an aspect of preparedness, it also serves as a facilitator for all other stages of the Cycle of Preparedness.
Steps in the Emergency Planning Process
The first step in the emergency planning process involves identifying potential hazards. This involves conducting a risk assessment to understand the types of emergencies that could affect a specific region, organization, or community.
These could include natural disasters, technological or industrial accidents, and intentional acts. Each hazard is evaluated for its potential frequency, magnitude, and impact on people, property, and the environment.
After identifying potential hazards, goals, and objectives need to be defined to guide the planning process. Goals provide a general direction for the planning effort and express what needs to be accomplished. They are broad, general statements that indicate the desired outcome in response to a hazard.
Objectives, on the other hand, are specific, measurable actions that need to be taken to achieve the goals. They provide detailed, actionable steps that can guide specific response efforts.
Plan development involves the creation of a comprehensive emergency operations plan (EOP) that outlines how an organization or community will respond to and recover from the identified hazards. This includes:
- Identifying resources: Identify the human, physical, and financial resources available to support the response and recovery efforts.
- Defining roles and responsibilities: Determine who will do what, when, where, and how during an emergency. This also includes identifying a chain of command for decision-making.
- Developing procedures: Outline the specific steps to be taken in response to each type of emergency identified in the risk assessment. This should cover everything from initial response actions to long-term recovery efforts.
- Creating a communication plan: Determine how information will be shared before, during, and after an emergency. This includes both internal communications among response personnel and external communication with the public.
After the plan is developed, it needs to be implemented. This includes training personnel, conducting exercises to test the plan, and educating the public about their role in emergency preparedness.
Plan maintenance involves regularly reviewing and updating the plan to ensure it remains effective and relevant. This includes making adjustments based on changes in hazards, resources, or personnel, as well as lessons learned from exercises and actual incidents.
Regular training and exercises should also be conducted to ensure everyone is familiar with the plan and capable of carrying out their roles and responsibilities.
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