Does it take a crisis of this proportion to realize how vulnerable the United Kingdom is to extreme weather conditions and how unprepared governments and businesses are when it comes to incident management, business continuity and personal safety? Apparently so, for the flood-hit U.K. is still reeling, trying to come to grips with the disruption caused by the wettest December and January in 138 years.
“Preparation and communication is key; and if businesses, communities, and emergency teams can find a way to cooperate in a coordinated and crucially swift response to a flood warning, disruption and danger could be managed much more effectively,” noted Trevor Wheatley-Perry, of business continuity specialists Vocal.
According to Vocal, successful incident management ensures that key people know exactly what has happened, and when it has happened, allowing for immediate effective response. MeteoGroup noted that 328 percent of the usual amount of rain fell in the South West of England during the first 12 days of February 2014. Such extreme weather conditions left many homes flooded, owners stranded and business premises waterlogged. Clean up and rescue operations had a tough time when it came to ensuring staff safety and effective incident management.
Although troops were sent to deliver fuel, food, and sandbags to the worst hit areas of the Somerset Levels at the end of January, many residents felt that these measures were too little and too late and communications had been rather poor.
Vocal notes that incident management systems can ensure that emergency response teams and local community volunteers are dispatched with a single, live message, sent across multiple channels and devices, and also help designated staff across organizations to monitor and control incidents.
As one never knows when disaster strikes or when an emergency could arise, it’s better to be pre-warned and fore-armed. Disaster management techniques and incident management planning are not incidentals, but “must haves” that will help key responders perform more effectively.