CAPACITY BUILDING IN DISASTER

MANAGEMENT
 Definitions
 Capacity is the combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community,
society or organization that can reduce the level of risk or the effects of a disaster. • These
actions can include: resource development, financial management (diversification of funding
sources), organizational learning, leadership development and other activities
 Capacity building is the process through which individuals, organizations and societies
obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development
objectives over time. It is an ongoing process that equips officials, stakeholders
and the community to perform their functions in a better manner during a
crisis/disaster.
 Capacity development – “The process through which individuals,
organizations and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities
to set and achieve their own development objectives over time.
 Disaster risk management (DRM) – “The systematic process of using
administrative directives, organizations, and operational skills and
capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved coping capacities
in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of
disaster.”
 Cont…
 Disaster risk reduction (DRR) – “The concept and practice of reducing
disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and manage the
causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to
hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management
of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse
events.”
 building DRM capacity can be defined as “efforts to strengthen the
competencies and skills of a target organisation, group or community so
that the target could drive DRR efforts, or in a broader sense
development, in a sustainable way in the future”
 Capacity building

 It entails -

 Education on disaster prevention and response. This includes educating

the vulnerable communities as well as the population of state to the
possible hazards and their impacts in their area. It also covers the
preventive measures and response strategies in case of a disaster strike
to the surface.

 · Training to vulnerable communities. This involves imparting basic

training of disaster management to the volunteers and local people. It
aims to teach the people that how they can survive and help others.

 · Collaboration with relief agencies including the collaboration between

different government as well as non-government agencies involved in
the relief work through the state for all kind of disasters
 Cont on capacity building
 · Mock drill , a method of practising how a building would be
evacuated in the event of a fire or other emergency. Here the
building's existing fire alarm system is activated and the building is
evacuated as if the emergency had occurred.

 · Household preparation is conducted to cover the preparation of

keeping all valuable items in waterproof bags, keeping minimum
clothing, and being ready with a plan for evacuation

 · Understanding warning/de-warning messages. Dissemination of

early warning message to the vulnerable communities is the next
task which can be achieved through better training and involvement
of all stakeholders

 · First aid preparedness. Along with all necessary things it’s

important to have a well-stocked first aid kit to deal with minor
accidents and injuries.

Factors influencing the success of capacity building for staff include

 5 priority areas of action capacity building as per
Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015
1. Ensuring that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority with a strong
institutional basis for implementation requires building institutional capacity
through the development of policy, legislative and institutional frameworks;
2. Identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks and enhancing early warning
requires developing scientific, technological and technical capacities to observe,
analyse and forecast disasters, and institutional capacities to integrate early
warning systems into local- and national-level processes and systems;
3. Using knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and
resilience at all levels requires supporting and building technical capacity to assess
impact and vulnerability, improve monitoring and evaluation, and promote
community-based education.
4. Reducing underlying risk factors requires integrating DRR planning and capacity
building into multiple sectors including the health sector (e.g. so that health care
remains functional during disasters), and housing and construction sectors (e.g. to
ensure structures are resistant to disasters through new building codes, standards
and practices);
 Why is Mitigation Training important?
Mitigation training helps reflect real problems and issues. Moreover
questions for instance;
 How can hazard and risk data be used to promote mitigation at
the community level?
 How can hazard prone land be used in ways that are important to
communities but less vulnerable to natural disasters?
 How can a local emergency manager or other official develop a
cost-effective mitigation program?
 How can mitigation policy and practice be moved up on the
political agenda?
 How can local commitment to hazard reduction be developed?
How can historic structures be cost-effectively protected to avoid
expensive salvage attempts following a disaster?
 Why is Mitigation Training important? Cont….

 Training is a functional, operational, and cost-effective tool for risk

management, because trained people can better protect themselves
and others.
 Research is needed to develop cost-effective methods for
strengthening existing buildings and structures, especially unreinforced
masonry and brittle reinforced-concrete buildings.
 Mitigation planning focuses on reducing the impact of such events
when they do occur. Mitigation strategies include actions taken in the
form of projects that will substantially reduce or eliminate repetitive
losses due to the occurrence of the same hazard.
Capacity building techniques (more in powerpoint B)

A drill is a coordinated, supervised exercise

activity, normally used to test a single specific
operation or function.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
 An Emergency Response Plan establishes policies and procedures to
be followed by city, county, and court personnel in order to report and
respond to critical incidents (fire, severe weather, major medical
emergencies, etc.
 It is a set of guidelines for businesses to follow during disasters.
THE EMERGENCY SITE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Consists of two main components:

1) The emergency site team and,
2) The Emergency Operations Centre Group.
The emergency site team makes decisions on mitigation strategies and tactics
to limit the threat to people, property, and the environment at the emergency
site.
The site team works in close cooperation with the Emergency Operations
Centre Group, which is responsible for supporting the site team and making
strategic decisions for the overall municipal emergency response.
Emergency response plan procedures should
include:
• Escape procedures and escape route assignments
• Special procedures for employees who perform or shut down critical
plant operations
• Systems to account for all employees after evacuation and for
information about the plan
• Rescue and medical duties for employees who perform them
• Means for reporting fires and other emergencies.
• Contacts for information about the plan.
 Roles and responsibilities of emergency
review panel
 A Chain of Command and an Emergency Response Team should be set up
to prepare for an emergency before it happens.
 Chain of Command
 The employer should designate an emergency response coordinator and
a backup coordinator. The coordinator may be responsible for plant-wide
operations, public information and ensuring that outside aid is called.
Having a backup coordinator ensures that a trained person is always
available. Employees should know who the designated coordinator is.
 Duties of the coordinator and employer include:
• Determining what emergencies may occur and seeing that emergency
procedures are developed to address each situation.
Emergency Response Team
 Members of emergency response teams should be thoroughly trained for
potential emergencies and physically capable of carrying out their
duties; know about toxic hazards in the workplace and be able to judge
when to evacuate personnel or depend on outside help. One or more
teams must be trained in:
• Use of various types of fire extinguishers.
• First aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
• Shutdown procedures.
• Chemical spill control procedures.
• Search and emergency rescue procedures
• Hazardous materials emergency response.
 Emergency Response Teams are the onsite First Responders and
assigning responsibilities is one of the crucial steps in emergency response. If
your emergency response team members are not familiar with their
responsibilities, important response actions may be missed.
The first person on-scene will typically serve as the Incident Controller (IC), until
relieved by a more senior person.

 Responsibilities for the first person on-scene may include:

• Taking appropriate personal protective measures
• Advising personnel in the area of any potential threat and/or initiate
evacuation procedures
• Eliminate potential ignition sources
• Notifying Supervisory Personnel and/or Incident Commander of the incident
 Supervisory Personnel responsibilities may
include:
• Restrict access to the incident scene and surrounding area as the situation
demands
• Take any other steps necessary to minimize any threat to health and safety
• Request medical assistance, if necessary
• Verify substance released and obtain Material Safety Data sheets, as necessary
• Identify and isolate source to minimize product loss
• Coordinate further response actions with Incident Commander and local
responders
Incident Controller responsibilities may include:
• Activate the Emergency Response team
• Appoint a Safety Officer
• Activate additional response contractors and local resources
• Evaluate the Severity, Potential Impact, Safety Concerns, and Response
Requirements based on the initial information provided by the First Person
On-Scene
• Confirm safety aspects at site, including need for personal protective
equipment, sources of ignition, and potential need for evacuation
• Communicate and provide incident briefings to company superiors, as
appropriate
• Coordinate/complete additional internal and external notifications
• Communicate with Emergency Response Team, as the situation demands
• Direct response and clean-up operations
Emergency,

the emergency site management system,

the incident command system,

mobilization of search and rescue equipment,

alternative communication systems,

evacuation planning.
Evacuation
Prompt evacuation of employees requires a warning system that can be
heard throughout the building. Test your fire alarm system to determine if it
can be heard by all employees. If there is no fire alarm system, use a public
address system, air horns or other means to warn everyone to evacuate.
Sound the evacuation signal during planned drills so employees are familiar
with the sound.

Make sure that there are sufficient exits available at all times.
•Check to see that there are at least two exits from hazardous areas on every
floor of every building. Building or fire codes may require more exits for larger
buildings.
•Walk around the building and verify that exits are marked with exit signs and
there is sufficient lighting so people can safely travel to an exit. If you find
anything that blocks an exit, have it removed.
•Enter every stairwell, walk down the stairs, and open the exit door to the
outside. Continue walking until you reach a safe place away from the
building. Consider using this safe area as an assembly area for evacuees.
Appoint an evacuation team leader and assign employees to direct
evacuation of the building. Assign at least one person to each floor to act
as a “floor warden” to direct employees to the nearest safe exit. Assign a
backup in case the floor warden is not available or if the size of the floor is
very large.

Ask employees if they would need any special assistance evacuating or

moving to shelter. Assign a “buddy” or aide to assist persons with
disabilities during an emergency. Contact the fire department to develop a
plan to evacuate persons with disabilities.

Have a list of employees and maintain a visitor log at the front desk,
reception area or main office area. Assign someone to take the lists to the
assembly area when the building is evacuated. Use the lists to account for
everyone and inform the fire department whether everyone has been
accounted for.

When employees are evacuated from a building, OSHA regulations require

an accounting to ensure that everyone has gotten out safely. A fire,
chemical spill or other hazard may block an exit, so make sure the