Responding to the Emergencies We Wish Would Never Be

The Response Stage of Emergency Management is probably one of the scariest since it entails dealing with an active crisis.

This crisis, whatever it is, may have impacts on yourself, your organization, and even your community.

While we hope to do everything that we can to prepare ourselves for these emergencies, sometimes, situations and issues may arise that we were not expecting.

These emergencies may entail infrastructure damage, financial loss, or even loss of life.

The causes may be caused naturally or by another person or persons.

They may be intentional or unintentional.

They may be major or minor.

They may leave lasting impressions on each of us or they may be lost in the next day's headlines.

No matter what the emergency is that you and your team are encountering during the response stage, here is when your leadership is more critical than ever.

You will need to be quick on your feet and also empathetic and compassionate towards those who are fighting the fire with you.

You will need to be confident in your decisions but also flexible enough to account for complications that arise as the crisis develops.

You will also see the benefits of planning and preparedness efforts in these moments.

Because while you cannot predict every crisis and every scenario that could go wrong during the planning stages, being prepared now will make those difficult decisions that you will encounter that much easier.

Mary A. Pantle

President and Founder

Blue Empress LLC