DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

P.DHILIP KUMAR
LECTUTER
MEENAKSHI COLLEGE OF NURSING
CHENNAI.
Introduction
“Expect the unexpected – plan for it”

Disaster happens anywhere and anytime. It can

strike quickly and without warning. When
strikes you may not have much time to respond.
No community is equipped to handle all the
demands of a catastrophe. Knowing what to do
when a disaster strikes will help you control the
situation better and be in a position to recover
more quickly.
Phases of disaster management

Pre- Disaster or
warning phase

Impact phase
Non-Disaster or
Inter disaster Phase Emergency or
Relief Phase

Reconstruction or
Rehabilitation phase
Meaning of disaster management

Disaster management is the discipline of

dealing with and avoiding risks. It involves
preparing for disaster before it occurs
response as well a supporting and rebuilding
society after natural or human made disaster
have occurred.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT MODEL

PREPAREDNESS
Workforce Training
Planning

MITIGATION RESPONSE
International Agreements Patient
Public Health Infrastructure Communication

RECOVERY
PTSD
Organizational Continuity
MITIGATION
It is the long term measures for reducing or eliminating risk
mitigative measures can be
Structural – use of technological solution.
Non structural – Land use planning.
The precursor activity to the mitigation is the identification of risks
by using physical risk assessment. It is identified by using a
formula.
Rh = H x Vn
Rh = Hazard specific risk
H = Hazard time
Vn = Vulnerability to hazard.
What is disaster preparedness

It is the aggregate of measures to be taken in

view of disaster consisting of plans and action

programs designed to minimize loss of life and

damage, to organize and facilitate effective

rescue, relief and to rehabilitate after disaster.

Disaster preparedness is concerned with

• Forecasting and warning

• The education and training of public
• Organization and management including
plans, training of personnel
• The stockpiling of supplies
• Ensuring the needed funds
Phases of disaster preparedness

• Mapping the potential locations

• Vulnerability analysis
• Inventory of existing resources
• Planning appropriate preventive,
preparedness and mitigation measures
• Conducting education and training
Objective of disaster preparedness

Ensure that appropriate systems, procedures,

resources are in place to provide prompt effective

assistance to disaster victims thus facilitating relief

measures and rehabilitation services.

Principles of Disaster preparedness
1. Flexibility
2. Extended Authority.
3. Agent specific verses all hazard approach.
4. Sharing information with public
5. Disaster drills.
6. Causality distribution.
7. Contingency plans.
8. Crowd control.
9. Expect the unexpected.
10. Mental health components
Elements of disaster preparedness
• Authority
• Communication
• Logistical section

Building blocks of disaster preparedness

• Make disaster management part of development

• Make people disaster aware
• Strengthen community to which stand disaster
Disaster preparedness measures

• Personal preparedness.
• Professional preparedness.
• Community preparedness.
Personal preparedness

• Equipments and procedures

• Rehearse evacuation plans
• Disaster supplies kit
• Stockpiling of supplies
• Survival kit
• Emergency supplies
• Important documents.
Professional preparedness
• Maintenance and training of emergency services
• Development and exercise of emergency population warning
methods combined with emergency shelters and evacuation plans
• Stockpiling, inventory and maintain disaster supplies and equipment
• Prepare a communication plan with easily understandable
terminology and methods
• Train volunteers among civilian population
• Causality prediction
• Participate in disaster drills and community mock disaster
• Train health professionals in first aid& CPR
• Professional identification documents to be ready
Community preparedness

Reason for community preparedness

• Members of the community are the losers
and gainers.
• Those who first respond to an emergency
come from within the community
Community preparedness

• Written disaster plan and yearly disaster drills

• Train faculty of health professional schools, colleges
and other educational institutions in disaster planning
• Development of office of emergency management at
national, state and local levels
• Review of disaster history of the community
• Understand past disasters and performance in mock
disaster drills.
• Adequate warning system and a back up evacuation plan
Assessment of disaster preparedness

• Assessment will aid in augmenting or modifying

existing resources and practices
Assessment should focus on the following area
Medical rescue capacity
Medical transport capacity
Hospital treatment capacity
Disaster preparedness activities

• Early warning systems

• Make evacuation plans
• Establish policies
• Make operational plans
• Secure resources
• Training.
Role of a nurse in disaster preparedness

• Assessment
• Education / training
• Surveillance
• Epidemiology
• Plan development
• Communication
• Performance measurement
Assessment during preparedness phase.

• All hazard approach is preferable

• There are four types of assessments
Risk assessment of the facility and community
Self assessment
Personal risk assessment
Facility assessment.
Education and training during preparedness
phase

• Plan for both education and educational

initiatives
• Train for all hazard approach and specific
disaster
• Select appropriate delivery methods
• Keep informational CD – ROM or written version
ready
• Generate educational material about the
epidemiological risk associated with disaster.
Surveillance during preparedness phase

• Surveillance is collecting and analyzing data to

establish baseline and determine a point at
which there is a change in health of the
population
• Data can be collected through active, passive
and traditional syndromic surveillance.
Epidemiology during preparedness

• Analyze the collective data using

epidemiological tool
• Investigate the epidemiology
• Report to local health department.
Plan development during preparedness
phase

• Develop emergency response plan

• Appoint a multidisciplinary and multi agency
disaster planning committee
• Appoint an individual responsible for coordinating
the writing of disaster response plan
• Additions and updates are made as gaps are
identified and change policies
• make everyone to be familiar with response plan.
Communication during preparedness phase

• Assess the communication networks

• Develop an incident command system
• Develop a frame work for reporting and
communicating that create a chain of command
• List specific roles on job action sheet
• Give accurate information and avoid false
information
• Communicate about prophylaxis options and where
and how to obtain.
Performance measurement during
preparedness phase

• Evaluate the performance of disaster

preparedness
• Develop a subjective evaluation of the outcomes
of exercise and drills to determine disaster
preparedness.
Summary of role of nurse
• Initiate / update the agency’s disaster plan
• Update the record of vulnerable population
• Assess available specific resources
• Help children to re unite with the families
• Recruit staff for help
• Know the community resources
• Join in local disaster action team
• Act as liaison with local hospitals
• Determine health related appropriateness for shelter site
• Plan with pharmacies and other health personnel to
facilitate services
• Plan for needed supplies and keep available
• Teach disaster nursing in the community
Problems and issues of disaster preparedness
• Communication problems
• Triage, transportation and evacuation problems
• Leadership issues
• The management, security of, and distribution of resources at the disaster site
• Advance warning systems and the effectiveness of warning messages
• Coordination of search and rescue efforts
• Media issues
• Effective triage of patients
• Distribution of patients to hospitals in an equitable fashion.
• Patient identification and tracking
• Damage or destruction of the health care infrastructure
• Management of volunteers, donations and other large numbers of resources
• Organized improvisational response to the disruption of major systems
• Encountering overall resistance to planning efforts.
Challenges of disaster preparedness

• Communication
• Distribution of all types of resources
• Advance warning systems and use of
evacuations
• Use of mass media
• Triage and distribution of patients to the
hospitals
• Patient tracking.
Core preparedness activities

• Theoretical foundation for disaster planning

• Disaster planning is only as effective as the assumption upon which it is based
• Core preparedness activities must go beyond the routine. Most disasters
cannot be managed merely by mobilizing more equipment, personnel and
supplies
• Community needs assessment
• Identify leadership and command post
• The first 24-48 hours: design or the local response
• Identification and accommodation of vulnerable populations
• State and federal assistance
• Identification of training and educational needs, resources and personal
protective equipment (PPE)
• Plan for the early conduct of damage assessment.
 Conclusion
• September is national preparedness month sponsored by the US
department of Homeland security (DHS)

• Public safety Canada lead national emergency preparedness week

2009 during May 03 – 09, 2009.

• Don’t wait until an emergency happen. Knowing what to do before a

disaster strike helps to control and recover quickly

• If unprepared it can shattered your life. Help your community by

preparing your self.

“Disaster preparedness begins with you – Get ready”

THANK YOU