Principles of Emergency Planning and Management - Research Paper Example

Emergency Operation Plan Emergency operation plan refers to a document which describes the steps or measures to be undertaken by an organization or a jurisdiction in case of an emergency or a disaster. An emergency plan helps in minimizing the impact of a disaster to a facility or an area, therefore, it's vital for them to have one (Gallant, 2008, p.15). However, many emergency planners tend to implement emergency plans from other locations and this could not be a good move. This is because of the following reasons.

First, each location differs in size, therefore it is inappropriate for emergency planners to use plans from different areas (Alexander, 2002, p. 114). For instance, an emergency plan for a city may be detailed and require large resources to be implemented. However, a plan for an institution such as a school may be small since it covers a small area and thus requires fewer resources. Although disasters occur unexpectedly some of them can be predicted as a result of past incidences. For instance, emergency operation plans for areas which are prone to natural disasters such as tornadoes or earthquakes may not be the same (Gallant, 2008, p.86). This is because the measures taken to tackle such kind of disasters are different.

Therefore planners should conduct an assessment of their jurisdiction to determine the possible emergencies they may face and how they plan to tackle them (Alexander, 2002, p. 182). Finally, it is important for emergency planners to design their own plans because different locations or facilities differ in terms of the physical design of their premises. In case of an emergency, the plan should outline the escape routes; identify safe areas where people should go and possible sources of medical aid (Gallant, 2008, p.104).