Disaster Preparedness

The Four Phases of Emergency Management

Mitigation

Preventing future emergencies or minimizing their effects

• Includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies.
• Buying flood and fire insurance for your home is a mitigation activity.
• Mitigation activities take place before and after emergencies.

Response

Responding safely to an emergency

• Includes actions taken to save lives and prevent further property damage in an emergency situation. Response is putting your preparedness plans into action.
• Seeking shelter from a tornado or turning off gas valves in an earthquake are both response activities.
• Response activities take place during an emergency.

Preparedness

Preparing to handle an emergency

• Includes plans or preparations made to save lives and to help response and rescue operations.
• Evacuation plans and stocking food and water are both examples of preparedness.
• Preparedness activities take place before an emergency occurs.

Recovery

Recovering from an emergency

• Includes actions taken to return to a normal or an even safer situation following an emergency.
• Recovery includes getting financial assistance to help pay for the repairs.
• Recovery activities take place after an emergency.