emergency communications

Since this column is about emergency communication, let’s attempt to define and differentiate, emergency and disaster. Disasters by their nature are large in scope. Emergencies, on the other hand, tend to be smaller. Unless, that is, it happens to you; then it’s humongous! So, what is the definition of an emergency? In last month’s column, we said, “it is any occurrence that presents an immediate risk to life or property, interrupting the normal activities or processes.” In other words, you’ve got to take care of it right now; time is of essence. Disasters seem to evolve over time, and can be defined as an expanding number of individual, interrelated, emergencies. Yes, to the family that just lost their house to a fire, it’s a disaster of great magnitude to them. This is where perception comes in. Also in disasters, as multiple individual emergencies occur, there will often be a shift in priorities by the authority managing the response and the recovery. This will occur because of changes in what’s occurring at the moment. Needless to say, change will frequently create additional confusion in an already stressful situation.

The professional managers who have the statutory authority to direct the response and recovery are the ones from whom we take our direction. We are communicators, not emergency managers. They tell us what their needs and priorities are. We should not attempt to tell them what we should be doing. And, as priorities and directives change, we should smile and say, “on it,” when redirected to another task. You, as a communicator, need to clearly understand your position and role in the local emergency management hierarchy, and “stay in your lane.” The Incident Command System (ICS) now places communication assets wherever they are needed in the command structure for the incident,