phases of emergency management

Maybe it is much “to do” about nothing, just like hundreds of years ago it was debated as to “How many angels could dance on the head of a pin?”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) still has Five Phases, as listed next, “FEMA defines five interlinked mission areas (phases) of emergency management—

Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery—designed to reduce the loss of life and property, ensure security, and restore communities following disasters. These stages constitute a continuous cycle of preparation and action against all hazards.”

This was established back during the formation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) when terrorism became all the rage right after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. Up until then, there were only four phases as show on the graphic below. There was even a move at one point to eliminate mitigation as a phase. That was because “mitigation” had been an emphasis in the previous Democratic presidential administration.

I still like the four phases myself. Some have stated that “protection” has to do with counter terrorism activities. I really don’t care for it much. As defined below, it sounds a lot like mitigation to me. Those who established the five phases are long gone from FEMA/DHS.

See the chart below—and yes “Emergency” is not spelled correctly. Where is AI when you need it!