7 Ways to Create an Effective Disaster Response Team

Posted on September 26, 2019

Disaster assistance response team plays a crucial role to combat the hazards caused to human life by natural processes of the Earth such as flooding or earthquakes. It is therefore important to ensure that the team can provide an effective response in such risk intensive environments. Some effective ways through which disaster response team can be managed are discussed below:
 

Management Support

To ensure effectiveness and safety, money and time needs to be invested in training the disaster response team and providing them with the right equipment. Disaster response team needs to receive both low-hazard and high risk environment training. Sufficient funding and delegation of authority to the team members should therefore be dealt at a strategic level to accomplish the desired goals.
 

Team Structure

Defining the scope and the type of incidents that team will administer would be effective in establishing the recruitment standards, training goals and equipment required. This should ideally be covered in hazard identification analysis and the scope could be determined in terms of the level of response the team is expected to deliver.
 

Response Planning

The response plans, policies, procedures and team structure should be clear and since most cases are predictable, Incident Action Plans can also be pre-planned. Certain departments such as facilities, technical and security play a more crucial role and therefore members of these teams are necessary to ensure effective response.
 

Need Identification

From basic reflective vests to advanced response-communications system, there is a plethora of equipment that disaster response teams need in place to function effectively. Budget allocation for short to long-term requirements therefore need to be established.
 

Recruiting Members

Each type of incident may require a different set of skills and team members. Members of the participating team will have meet higher degrees of prescreening, medical examination and training. Arranging substitutes for absent members will also be need taken into account. Voluntary members and their incentives should be aligned with the overall goals of the disaster response team.
 

Training Programs

Training must meet the scope of the team’s duties and regulatory requirements. Disaster response team members should be identifiable and trained in their area of expertise such as flooding, hurricane or earthquake. A team lead needs to be put in place to ensure members receive specialized skill training, certification; periodic testing and skill refreshment is also introduced.

It may be necessary to bring in outside consultants and collaborate with local agencies to enhance the quality of training the members receive. Joint drills with public agencies such as the fire department would boost confidence and add to the disaster response team’s skill-set.
 

Internal Marketing

Employees and the community should be made aware of the disaster response team’s existence, efforts and achievements. This will increase employee confidence in the company and boost their moral.

These employees will then cooperate with the disaster response team at a higher level.