Note to readers: For more than a decade I’ve used this platform provided by the Center of Excellence for Homeland Security /Emergency Management to discuss issues of import to the emergency management profession. In upcoming blogs I intend to emphasize two government initiatives that local and even state governments can undertake, absent a coherent federal policy regarding disaster management. The first of these focuses on public preparedness.

“Bringing Resilience Training Home to the General Public“

By Jim Mullen

How can we really know if our constituents are taking basic steps to sustain themselves and those they care about in the event of a major disaster? Most disaster exercises are government – centric; general public-centric exercises are rare. The purpose of this proposal is to close that gap with a direct, on-line approach to citizens, creating an exchange between government and its constituents that could narrow the growing “trust deficit” that makes essential government messaging difficult to transmit in normal times and potentially impossible in time of emergency. Exercise scenarios initially could be kept quite simple and basic depending on the jurisdiction conducting the exercise, and the information that is desired to be acquired and disseminated.  A generic, pilot exercise might begin with the statement “it is winter, all your loved ones are home, and… (“something bad”) has happened. All power is out. In the next 12 – 24 hours it appears that you must remain at home. What will you eat? Could you keep warm? How will you acquire reliable information about the crisis? Once all the required questions are answered, participants should be able to access suggestions from emergency management “like eat the perishable food first” and other common tips for readiness. Participants could essentially self-grade on their current readiness, anonymously, and access suggestions for improved readiness.

A progressively challenging set of circumstances could be presented in subsequent exercises (as in, the kids are in school, you and your spouse are at work…). Or, a scenario might pose the challenge of evacuation, as in a wildfire situation, where participants are asked to determine what critical documents and items they need to be ready to take with them. Thus the series could cover a variety of circumstances that might confront individuals and families, sparking broader attention to preparedness while providing emergency management officials with a reliable measurement of the overall disaster preparedness of its population.

This type of dialogue between government and general population is rare but is sorely needed. The need is there; the tools exist. And we don’t need the federal government’s largesse to initiate this program!