What are the steps to creating a comprehensive emergency plan for a city or town?

1 Assess hazards and risks

The first step is to identify and analyze the potential hazards and risks that your city or town faces, such as floods, earthquakes, fires, terrorism, pandemics, or cyberattacks. You need to consider the frequency, severity, and duration of each hazard, as well as the vulnerability and exposure of your population, infrastructure, and environment. You can use tools such as hazard maps, risk matrices, and vulnerability assessments to prioritize the most critical threats and inform your planning.

2 Define goals and objectives

The next step is to define the goals and objectives of your emergency plan, based on your risk assessment and your community's vision and values. Your goals should reflect what you want to achieve in terms of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, and aligned with your goals. For example, one of your goals could be to enhance the resilience of your water supply system, and one of your objectives could be to install backup generators and storage tanks by the end of the year.

3 Identify roles and responsibilities

The third step is to identify the roles and responsibilities of the various actors and agencies involved in your emergency plan, such as local authorities, emergency services, utility providers, community organizations, and citizens. You need to establish clear lines of communication, coordination, and accountability among them, and define their tasks and functions before, during, and after an emergency. You can use tools such as organizational charts, action plans, and standard operating procedures to assign and document roles and responsibilities.

4 Develop strategies and actions

The fourth step is to develop the strategies and actions that will help you achieve your goals and objectives, and address the hazards and risks that you identified. Your strategies and actions should be based on best practices, evidence, and local context, and should cover the four phases of emergency management: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and contingency planning to evaluate and select the most appropriate and feasible strategies and actions.

5 Implement and monitor

The fifth step is to implement and monitor your emergency plan, according to your defined roles and responsibilities, strategies and actions, and timelines and budgets. You need to ensure that you have the necessary resources, equipment, and training to execute your plan effectively and efficiently. You also need to monitor the progress and performance of your plan, using indicators and feedback mechanisms, and report the results and outcomes to your stakeholders and partners.

6 Review and update

The sixth and final step is to review and update your emergency plan regularly, based on the results and outcomes of your implementation and monitoring, as well as the changing conditions and needs of your community. You need to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your plan, and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You also need to incorporate the lessons learned and best practices from your own and other experiences, and adapt your plan accordingly.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?