Planning Cycle Planning can make a difference in mitigating against the effects of a disaster, including saving lives and protecting property, and helping a community recover more quickly from a disaster. Emergency Planning is not a one time, static event that ends with a new binder on the shelf. It is a continuous cycle of planning, training, exercising and revision; it is utilized through all five phases of the emergency management cycle: Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

Prevention

Prevention means identifying, deterring or stopping an incident from occurring to protect property and lives.

Mitigation

Mitigation includes actions that are taken before an emergency to eliminate or reduce the risk to human life and property from natural, technological and/or civil hazards. The goal of mitigation activities is to lessen the impact of a disaster or emergency and to reduce the costs of response and recovery operations.

Preparedness/Protection

Preparedness/protection actions are pre-emergency activities that attempt to prepare organizations to effectively respond to disasters or emergencies. This phase involves training, exercising, planning, and resource identification and acquisition. When these tactics are effectively created and implemented before an event there may be a reduction in the cascading events of a disaster or emergency.

Response

Response actions are taken immediately prior to, during, or directly after a disaster or emergency to save lives, minimize damage to property and the environment and enhance the effectiveness of recovery. Response begins when an emergency or disaster is imminent and/or immediately after it occurs.

Recovery

Recovery includes both short-term and long-term activities. Short-term recovery aims at returning infrastructure systems back to operating standards. Long-term recovery works to return the site to "near normal" conditions after a disaster or emergency. Long-term recovery also includes restoring economic activity and rebuilding community facilities and housing. Long-term recovery can take months or years. In some cases, recovery begins during the response to a disaster or emergency concurrently with response efforts.