Preparing for Disasters

By CSDA ADMIN posted 05-20-2019 03:20 PM

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By David Fukutomi, Program Director, Center for Homeland Defense and Security

Special districts occupy a unique place in California especially as it relates to disaster response and recovery. In an emergency, you will be faced with serving the public and coping with the impacts to your own organization.

Your organization can do its part to become more resilient or improve your ability to “bounce back” after a disaster. I’ve listed some key thoughts and resources, focused on preparedness, to consider as you develop your own plans, training and procedures and to build a culture of preparedness into your organization.

Keep it simple

Simple is better especially when it comes to training, developing emergency procedures or writing a plan.
It works best when you incorporate preparedness into daily routines and processes.
Make sure procedures (especially contracting) for an emergency are consistent with your normal business practices.
Many plans failed during the actual emergency because they were not well understood or too complicated for staff to initiate following an incident.

You are not alone
In addition to CSDA, there are many other organizations that have information, resources and training available to support preparedness, coordinate response and facilitate recovery. These resources include documents, on line and in person training. Links to a few key resources are listed at the bottom.

Build relationships now
Start with your local emergency management agency, either city or county. Become familiar with where and how your organization fits in an incident. Park and utility districts generally have a closer relationship to emergency management agencies, but every district plays a role. You may need resources, have resources or both. These relationships will also be key to sharing information before, during and after an event.

Impact to your workforce
Government agencies and special districts focus on aiding the public following an emergency, which is great. Often forgotten is the impact to employees and their families. No organization is immune to the impacts of disaster in their communities. Be sure to consider those impacts as you prepare.

Plans and exercises
It’s better to leverage what others have already developed. Talk to your peers and consult with local emergency managers about existing plans, planning

efforts and exercises. Plans that incorporate common concepts with partner agencies will facilitate collaboration. There is safety in numbers when conducting exercises. You will find greater benefit by being part of a larger exercise than going at it alone. Many annual exercises already exist.

Preparedness is a journey. Taking steps now will benefit your organization and the public you serve. David Fukutomi is a former state and federal emergency management official - davidfukutomi@hotmail.com.

Training and information Links

California Emergency Services Association (CESA)

www.cesa.net

FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute (EMI)

www.fema.gov

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)

and the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI)

www.caloes.ca.gov

https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/california-specialized-training-institute

International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)

https://www.iaem.com/home.cfm

Los Angeles Homeland Security Advisory Council (LA HSAC)