Emergency Preparedness: Scope and Length of Emergency

When planning for emergencies, it is important to consider both the scope and the length of the emergency.

The scope relates to how wide-spread the emergency is. If it is only your facility that has loss power, for example, there are many nearby resources that you can call upon. If you have contracts developed in advance, you could call local grocery stores, schools, banquet halls, and even other facilities to see if they could store some of your food for you.

If the scope is wider and includes your community or city, then these resources will be in the same situation as you. You would need to reach out further for assistance. If the scope is county or state wide, you may not be able to receive assistance. So what are your plans if you can get help and what are your plans if you cannot?

The other major consideration is the length of the emergency. We can survive anything for a couple of days! But what happens if the length of the emergency stretches beyond that? What are your plans if you do not have electricity for a week or longer? What are your plans if you do not have a kitchen for a month? Short-term and long-term plans differ.

In developing emergency plans, consider both the scope and the length of the emergency.

Are there plans that you have that you would like to share?