This must address the lack of early warnings for the potential instant devastating events such as Earthquakes and Tsunamis and Tornados, Flash Floods, Landslides.
However this does not mean that the safe build programs are omitted, withdrawn or scaled down or that DR Education is cut back and even not initiated. All approaches to creating a resilient community must complement each other and need to work in parallel with full collaboration
How do we develop a strategy to react to an early warning at administration level?;
realization and perception of risk is a priority. Fact find of the Risk and of the options to mitigate. This may require integrating a variety of systems within one, not in competition but to enhance and maximize the potential of providing early warning
How do we address the challenge to prepare society to receive warnings?;
short , medium and long term approaches are needed. Training and dialogue are key factors, developing a culture within society of acceptance to participate, to take ownership
There will be different preparations for each sector of society, ‘domestic’ to ‘security’ to ‘office’ to ‘industry’ to ‘critical infrastructure’ to ‘administration’
It is needing a totally different approach to how communities drill and exercise each year to anything considered or achieved to date.
As a policy If communities drilled for two days per year on random occasions, then when a reliable prediction was received, administrations could activate a drill, to prepare the community. No panic. Then when the actual event commenced the ‘real time early warning system’ would simply alert them to the fact providing intelligent information enabling communities and individuals to take the best course of action. Again with No panic.
Presently during the past two years reliable prediction systems have forecast and been correct within five days of actual occurrence; consequently:
Emergency services would remain on standby with all drills for upto five days, as a matter of course or until the event, critical infrastructure can prepare, release pressure from dams, ensure maintenance materials are cleared, cancel leave, dispatch satellite groups, strengthen borders and secure facilities, military to go on alert, mothballed logistics prepared, hospitals will be aware to avoid critical operations etc, schools can take advantage to include the students in preparations.
The question is does society have the ‘will’, the ‘need’, the ‘enthusiasm’ to participate? Can we build a truly resilient culture within society?
Or put another way, can society afford not to prepare… what cost is the life of a dearest.
We hear the critique that industry can not afford ‘down days’ of production and service but…….
Can Industry and commerce afford not to participate? The consequences are staggering both in $cost and to society as a whole. £1billion for only 25,000 injured and 33 dead! Not taking into account damage to infrastructure and critical services.
