Running head: Training
Emergency Management Training
Training and maintenance are essential in keeping up with the four phases of emergency management. The four phases are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. All of these phases can overlap at any given time. Training becomes important due to the fact that no incident is going to be identical to other incidents of its kind. In addition, many incidents differ greatly from one another. Training for these phases can greatly increase the chances of successful recovery.
Many think that mitigation is a difficult phase to train for. In fact, the training itself is a mitigation practice. Training for preparing, responding, or recovering from a disaster is, in reality, ensuring that the real thing is going to go closer to plan. Training should be scheduled for those issues that occur frequently in the Emergency Manager’s area. This ensures that the most frequently encountered emergencies are going to be dealt with efficiently and effectively. However, training should also occur on the High Risk/Low Frequency incidents that represent a high risk to emergency responders and the public, even though it has a low risk of occurring. This will ensure that the responders are familiar with the emergency if/when it occurs (Graham, 2002, p. 3).
Training is also synonymous with preparing. Communities are constantly urged to prepare themselves for the threats that are indigent to their areas. Some communities are even forming and training Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). These teams receive training in first aid, fire safety, and light search and rescue in order to help their neighbors when an emergency strikes (Citizen Corps, 2008). This program has helped communities nationwide become better prepared for disasters of any kind.
Emergency responders train to respond to disasters all the time. Many communities in coastal regions have annual hurricane drills. Many agencies practice an...