Making the Humber region

Preparedness (preparation) for emergencies is the continuous process of planning (gathering and documenting information) along with the provision of training and equipment, and then testing, exercising, evaluating and taking any necessary corrective actions.

Preparation and testing of site response plans plays a vital role in ensuring that an organisation has suitable resources available to implement the emergency response procedures. Training and exercising are the cornerstone of preparedness and focus on readiness to respond to all hazards, incidents and emergencies. Preparedness activities take place before an emergency occurs.

The response phase is a safe and proportionate response to a catastrophic event or emergency and includes actions to save lives and prevent further damage by putting the plans developed in the preparedness phase into operation.

The response is comprised of the co-ordination and management of resources (including personnel, equipment and resources) utilising the incident command system in a risk-based approach and teams should hold the competencies and relevant accredited training to deliver the level of response required to effectively minimise the impact of the event. Response activities take place during an emergency.

The recovery phase consists of those activities that continue beyond the emergency period to recover critical functions and stabilise the affected area in order to restore business continuity in the minimum possible time, this phase should begin as soon as the threat to human life has subsided.

Effective preparedness and response procedures will minimise the required recovery period and will co-ordinate the reconstruction of physical infrastructure and the restoration of emotional, economic, social and physical wellbeing. The recovery stage also allows organisations to investigate and identify the root causes of the incident and develop any learning outcomes. Recovery activities take place after an emergency.