Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

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April 2004                                                                            Volume 6 - Number 3

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Perspectives...

Mitigation Perspective

By Andrew Case

Topic #2: How can mitigation be “mainstreamed” into local strategies through inserting it into non-emergency management disciplines (such as planning, natural resources, finance, public works, etc.)?

Following the March 11, 2004 terrorist bombings in Madrid, Spain, which claimed the lives of over 200 commuters during the morning rush hour, emergency management and contingency planning have again gained prominence in Europe and throughout the world. Although this horrific event was not a natural event – officials now link the carnage to an Islamist terror group with ties to al-Qaeda – strides must be taken to improving a nation’s ability to avert both terrorist acts and natural disasters before they occur. Additionally, since many of these events are inevitable, an effort must be made to reduce the impact of all hazards, in terms of human and economic impact.

Although Spanish security forces were successful at thwarting a similar attack only weeks before the March 11 bombing, the attack caused significant damage to the commuter train system. This incident should serve as a warning to other communities worldwide that a more comprehensive effort must be made to mitigate risks before they become emergencies. The post-event reaction is essential, of course, but this response is by no means sufficient to reducing the impact such an event will have on a community. For this reason, once an educational, public outreach campaign is underway to convince communities of the importance of disaster prevention and impact mitigation, state-run emergency management agencies and security forces must assist non-traditional groups to prepare for and reduce the impact of future disasters through their operations. Some organizations that deserve special attention include private sector entities such as local chambers of commerce and utility-providing agencies and public sector agencies such as transportation and development planning organizations.

In order to reduce risks in a community, government agencies at national and local levels should encourage private companies to include hazard-reduction efforts in their building and operation plans, not solely in their emergency response initiatives. One of the major concerns currently is that private organizations simply abide by building codes in the construction of new facilities, but an intense resistance remains in terms of including additional hazard mitigation efforts. Although many companies are required by law to train their employees in proper responses for multiple emergencies, including natural disasters and terror acts, multiple entities balk at the opportunity to secure their facilities further due to budget constraints. Government agencies should, therefore, encourage private companies to establish pre-disaster, impact mitigation strategies through economic incentives and public outreach. Once the general public understands the importance of hazard mitigation efforts in their daily lives, a nominal increase in prices for services rendered would most likely be tolerated in most communities. Especially when privately-run utility-providing agencies are involved in this effort, the public will likely provide some additional funding to reduce the risk of utility interruption following an emergency event.

Also, the planning and transportation agencies at all governmental-levels need to include innovative efforts to reduce the impact of hazards to the general community. As the tragedy in Madrid illustrated, a more fortified train system may have reduced the number of overall casualties by protecting bystanders and neighboring-car riders from shrapnel dispersion from the blasts themselves. In the case of natural hazards, a comprehensive study of at-risk regions would prevent the construction of highways, airports, harbors, and train tracks in hazard-prone areas.

Hazard mitigation efforts can reach across all sectors of a community through public outreach, government encouragement, and private-sector participation, which will reduce the overall impact of disasters when they occur. Consequently, emergency management officials throughout the world will effectively upgrade the essential task of mitigation and risk reduction to the forefront of a community’s daily routine.