4 Classical Phases of Disaster Management
The four classical phases of disaster management are: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Mitigation phase entails reducing the effects of a tragedy. Practical examples include establishment of zoning and building codes, analysis of the vulnerability of the public, and educating the public regarding the best way to avoid calamities. Consequently, the preparedness phase relates to planning on the best way to respond when disasters occur. For instance, an organization can train the public about emergency exercises and warning systems. The response phase entails the reduction of the risks that have emerged following a tragedy. Some of the practical efforts during the response phase include search and rescue as well as emergency relief efforts. The last phase of disaster management is the recovery stage, which basically means restoring the affected community to normalcy (Warfield (n.d.)).
Collaboration between the private and public organizations can be very helpful, especially during the third and fourth phases of disaster management. Take for instance a disaster such as an explosion in a busy city building. The private organizations can provide a fast response because they are near the disaster scene. Before the arrival of the public organizations, the private organizations may engage in search and rescue efforts (Albtoush, 2011, p. 53). Further, private organizations can provide emergency relief to the victims as part of their corporate social responsibility. For instance, the private organizations can provide ambulances to provide first aid to the victims and transport them to the nearest hospitals.
Regarding the recovery phase, the private organizations can provide temporary shelters. Such organizations can also pay for the medical expenses for the victims of the disaster. On the other hand, the pubic organizations can provide grants to the affected persons to enable them restart their businesses afresh.
In the biblical perspective, disaster management is a way of being mindful to others. The bible provides that God is always mindful of the unfortunate, the suffering, and victims of natural disasters. The Ten Commandments call for care and concern for the neighbors and encourages people to be merciful and benevolent to the unfortunate. As God is merciful and mindful of the human kind, so should people be merciful and helpful for the needy and helpful in times of disasters. The benevolent spirit is rekindled in the disaster management cycle.
References
Albtoush, R., Dobrescu, R., Ionescou, F. (2011). A hierarchical model for emergency
management systems. U.P.B. Sci. Bull., Series C, 73(2), pp. 53-62.
Warfield, C. (n.d.). The Disaster Management Cycle. Assessed From
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/disasters/1-dm_cycle.html
