Emergency response is an action taken in response to an unexpected, and often dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. It is putting your preparedness plans into action. It involves the activation of your emergency management plan, which includes actions taken to save lives and prevent further property damage in an emergency. The emergency response aims at serving lives, protecting properties/environment, and stabilizing the incident; but the matter of top priority is SAVING LIVES.
Some emergencies that could warrant triggering the emergency response are Biological, chemical, or radiation spills; hydrogen/compressed gas alarms; confirmed fire/explosion; bomb threat; escalated violence; building structural damage/collapse; gas leak; natural disaster, etc.
We can also say that an emergency response is a prompt response taken during any emergency. A timely response can make a difference between life and death; between massive destruction and mild effect; between timely recovery and long-term damage.
Components Of Emergency Response
Emergency response is borne out of diligent preparation. Emergency response is one of the elements of the emergency management plan which requires painstaking risk assessment, risk analysis, and risk management strategy.
Hence, emergency response is just about working on your emergency management plan.
READ: Emergency Action Plan
Emergency Responses Actions – How it Works
- Call to emergency service providers: Emergency service providers who were part of the emergency plan may be required at this point, like the fire service, road safety, police, etc.
- Engaging first aiders for first aid and CPR: The first aiders can help injured people by giving them first aid and CPR. This can help save a lot of lives, prevent cases from worsening, and also enhance recovery.
- Integration of firefighters into the scene: Firefighters, fire watch, and other categories of people assigned to different tasks during an emergency will be called to action at this point. In cases of fire, the firefighters may attack it with fire extinguishers or hose reels when the fire is still at the infant level.
- Emergency evacuation: In some cases, the premises may need to be evacuated immediately.
- Sheltering, like in cases of natural disasters like tornado
- Emergency lockdown when there is an act of violence may be the only alternative, etc.
Note that, a successful emergency response is a product of a good emergency management plan. If you want your response to be successful, aim toward drawing out an appropriate emergency management plan.
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