Emergency Management is the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all aspects of emergencies, particularly preparedness, response and rehabilitation.

Emergency management involves plans, structures and arrangements established to engage the normal endeavors of government, voluntary and private agencies in a comprehensive and coordinated way to respond to the whole spectrum of emergency needs. This is also known as disaster management.

Phases of Emergency Management

Mitigation

Mitigation efforts attempt to prevent hazards from developing into disasters altogether, or to reduce the effects of disasters when they occur. The mitigation phase differs from the other phases because it focuses on long-term measures for reducing or eliminating risk.

Preparedness
In the preparedness phase, emergency managers develop plans of action for when the disaster strikes. Common preparedness measures include the

• communication plans with easily understandable terminology and chain of command
• development and practice of multi-agency coordination and incident command
• proper maintenance and training of emergency services
• development and exercise of emergency population warning methods combined with emergency shelters and evacuation plans
• stockpiling, inventory, and maintenance of supplies and equipment

Response

The response phase includes the mobilization of the necessary emergency services and first responders in the disaster area. This is likely to include a first wave of core emergency services, such as firefighters, police and ambulance crews. They may be supported by a number of secondary emergency services, such as specialist rescue teams.

Recovery