The Four Phases Of Emergency Management (FEMA)

Emergency Management is a complex system used to protect the lives and property of human beings all over the planet. In the United States and within the Department of Homeland Security lies the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to the FEMA website this agency is responsible for supporting the citizens and first responders in building, sustaining, and improving their capabilities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards (FEMA.gov, 2015). One of the processes that FEMA focuses on is the four phases of Emergency Management. These phases are the quintessential actions taken during the involvement of an emergency incident. These phases include mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Mitigation is a process designed to prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency taking place, or minimizing the damaging effects of an emergency that cannot be avoided (FEMA, n.d.). Usually considered the first of the four phases to take place, an example of a mitigation activity could be something as simple as buying insurance for a property. However, mitigation activities can take place after an emergency situation has occurred as well. This is why the four phases are sometimes represented as an endless circle. According to a FEMA training guide an example of a post incident mitigation
This is because both activities are designed to avoid an emergency situation before it begins or minimize the effects after one has taken place. However, while a mitigation activity can take place before or after an incident has occurred, a preparation activity takes place before an emergency happens (FEMA, n.d.). Activities included in the preparedness phase include evacuation plans, running fire drills, and having food and water purchased and stored. The goal of this phase is to minimize the ill effects of an emergency and increasing the chance of survival. Preparation saves