Four Keys: Prioritize Risk, Prioritize Counter-Measures, Coordinate Information, Inventory Resources and Contacts

Preparing Our Communities Before a Disaster Strikes

There are four key things FEMA needs to do to prepare our communities before disasters strike:

  1. Create a system that analyzes and prioritizes potential risks by geography, demographics, and infrastructure based on the likelihood of the disaster occurring, the risk of human life and infrastructure damage.
    • This has to be independent, non-partisan, and as scientific as possible.
    • This needs to be done down at least to a County level, preferably a City or Town level (possibly zip code). The potential risks and resources needed need to be matched to an emergency response group that can respond (a police department, fire department, medical team, or if none are available, National Guard or armed forces).
    • Aggregate the data and determine which risks have the highest threat to either the most people or most infrastructures. Focus on those problems first.
  2. Determine most effective counter-measures for the highest aggregate threats.
  3. Coordinate information nationally and distribute down to local level (everyone gets threat assessment, common threats and counter-measures shared as appropriate)
    • Website
    • National radio frequency for emergencies
    • Training and hard-copy  information to local responders (police, fire, medical)
  4. Keep inventory of emergency response resources and contacts. In the case of an emergency, activate the national radio frequency and direct resources to responders in the area if possible, if not National Guard.

If FEMA has additional resources:

  1. Purchase and distribute appropriate response resources in key areas via National Guard per geography and priority of risk in advance of disaster. Keep inventory of response materials in each area.
  2. Provide local emergency response groups with some basic resources for most likely risks.
    • Most importantly website access and national radio for emergency access.
    • All firefighters, police, and medical teams should be using standard radio frequencies.
  3. Encourage areas with unique, not-common threats to share plans for response in advance, publish that information on the website.