Emergency Preparedness
Sonia Peyrassol
Objectives
• To better understand what is Eprep :
Why, Who, How, When
• To know what is your role as Watsan /
Logsan
What is Eprep ?
Stock
Emergency Preparedness
PLAN
Based on
SCENARIOS
Emergency Preparedness
Why ?
Be ready to react quickly and adequately to
emergencies
Reduce mortality and morbidity linked to
emergencies
Emergency Preparedness
Why ?
We have the choice :
Prepare OR not
Not to prepare is not a “neutral” act :
• It will have consequences
• It is a state of denial leading to poor practice and big mess
• A little consideration & practical steps go a long way.
To fail to plan
is
To plan to fail
Emergency Preparedness
Who ?
YOU !
To reach our objective we have to react quickly
To react quickly we have to be quickly where the emergency occurs
You are in the field
You are the one that can start to react immediately !
Emergency Preparedness
How ?
Step 1 : Identify the risks
Hazard : Emergencies which recur or are most likely to
happen in the country
And
Vulnerability : Socio-economical
Physical-environmental
Political
Capacity of the authorities,….
If no vulnerability no need for assistance
Natural disasters
Man-made disasters
Nutrition
Outbreaks
Sources for risk identification
1. National Staff
2. MSF History – Good luck !!!
3. MoH and other national authorities
4. National websites
5. International websites
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters
http://www.emdat.be/
CBS News Disaster Links
http://www.cbsnews.com/digitaldan/disaster/disasters.shtm
HEWS Humanitarian Early Warning Service
http://www.hewsweb.org/home_page/default.asp
Earthquakes
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
Vulnerability tools
Top 10 Disasters Pak from 1900 to 2009
sorted by numbers of people killed
Disaster Location Date Killed
Earthquake Kashmir 08/10/2005 73338
Earthquake Quetta 31/05/1935 60000
Cyclone Karachi 15/12/1965 10000
Earthquake Hazara and 28/12/1974 4700
Swat district
Earthquake + Makran coast 27/11/1945 4000
Tsunami
Flood Makran coast 1950 2900
Flood AJK/NWFP/ 08/09/1992 1334
Punjab
Flash - flood Balochistan – 02/03/1998 1000
Turbat district
Flood Makran coast Jun-77 848
Storm 14/11/1993 609
Emergencies calendar
When Where Who
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Zone Pop. at risk Total pop.
Qtr Qtr Qtr Qtr
Natural
disasters
Floods
Cyclones,…
Epidemics
Cholera
Meningitis,…
Risk mapping
R
Zone
Ch olera
R
C Zone
M eningitis
C
R
R Refugee cam ps
C Conflicts
Emergency Preparedness
How ?
Step 2 : Early warning system
To react quickly, we have to be aware quickly !
How will we be informed that there is an emergency
outside of the location where we are working ?
How to know what is happening ?
In our areas of operation and Outside our areas of operation
• Other NGO’s, UN, INGO’s
• Media: paper, electronic, TV, radio
• Government
• Medical data
• Weather patterns
• Military build up
• Gossip,…
Emergency Preparedness
How ?
Step 3 : Decide in which case we will intervene
(type of emergency, location,…)
The decision will be based on :
• Hazards + vulnerability
• Indicators
• Reactivity of other agencies (?!)
and
• MSF Capacity
Different decisions possible :
• Surveillance but no intervention
• Exploratory mission followed by an intervention if necessary
• Exploratory mission and intervention
Emergency Preparedness
How ?
Step 4 : Write the scenarios (the story of what we think
that could happen)
For each type of emergency:
• What are the possible/probable consequences
• Target population: which population group is vulnerable
• How many victims can we help
• Location: where will we focus our response and in what kind of
facilities
• What will be our general and specific objectives
• What will be the expected results
• What activities should we implement to reach our objectives
Emergency Preparedness
How ?
Step 5 : Prepare the response
To be able to do this, what do you need ?
• Human resources
• Information
• Tools (protocols, leaflet for the population,….)
• Material (Medical, Logistic, Watsan)
• Storage space
• Check-lists
• Contact lists
• Rental contracts (houses, cars, …)
• Etc.
Example of TO DO LIST
Transport of wounded people
What Who
Check with the Red Cross and ICRC their capacity (ambulances and
HR) and if we will have to support them or not.
Decide who will be in charge of the transport of wounded :
• Which drivers
• Who will go with the drivers ? (nurse, trained stretcher bearers,…)
Organise a training on « how to transport wounded » for drivers
and stretcher bearers
• Check if the Red Cross could organise this training
• Look at sheet 13 in the pocket guide « Influx of Wounded »
Prepare 1 or 2 cars for the transport of wounded
• Good identification
• Stretchers or mattress
• Kit ambulance (gloves, blanket, survival blanket,..)
Emergency Preparedness
How ?
Step 6 : Identify the constraints
What will be the major « problems » ?
• Problem of access, lack of trained HR,….
• No road access when flooding
• Not recognised by actors
How will we overcome the constraints ?
• Train the human resources,
• Buy a boat, engine, life jackets
• Make contact with all actors and explain who we are
• Etc.
Eprep check-list
• 1 : Identify the risks : hazards and vulnerability
• 2 : Early warning system
• 3 : Decide in which case we will intervene
• 4 : Write the scenarios
• 5 : Prepare the response
• 6 : Identify the constraints
Don’t Panic but Don’t Forget…..
To fail to plan is to plan to fail !
Common mistakes
Or
MSF’s bad memories !
Preparation
No preparation or weak preparation
The Titanic spirit
No need to be prepared, it will not happen !
What is Eprep ?
Stock
Focussed on stock and not on scenario
(up-dated… the context is changing all the time)
Often a « one-(wo)man » job
while it should be team work
Not shared with the team : lack of « emergency culture »
and/or « mission awareness »,
When the emergency is there, the team runs like headless
chicken !
Your worst enemies
Very theoretical, or even virtual, and not practical
No regular physical check-up of the stock
Lack
Lack of
of concern
concern for
for
the essential
THE essentialmeans
means
HR !
red organigramme, trainings,
where to find extra HR locally,
special rules / regulations in case of emergency
Not shared with the other sections, other organisations
NGOs in Liberia – Aug. 2009
Not taking into account the constraints and how to get rid
of them, if possible (HR, access, security,…)
No real Early Warning System (EWS)
No tools in the appropriate language(s) of the target
population
No up-dated list of all the necessary phone numbers
Delegation : how will we work together (who will be
responsible for what, communication lines,…)
Follow-up
What follow-up !?
Who is in charge of what ?
Where is the documentation (guidelines, tools, maps,
track of the previous emergencies,….) ?
Everything is lost when there is a turn-over
Use
Does it work, does it help ?
Yes !
In case of emergency you will save energy :
To find solutions for the real unpredictable problems
And of course to coordinate = to make everybody
work together in the same direction and to adapt the
strategy to the situation
What is your role as Watsan /
Logsan ?
A non exhaustive list….
• Participate actively in the preparation with the
coordination
• Share the plan with your team : we need the
overall appropriation from everybody
• Know the skills of your staff ; identify the key staff in
your team (could be a driver,….)
• Train you staff (organise team-building afternoons !)
• Make sure that the equipment and material in your
location is ready-to use at any time
• Make sure that the tools are available
• Know the other actors
• Analyse the context and forecaste predicable
scenarios - EWS
And once the emergency is there….
Just do it !
