Prevention is better than cure!
A natural calamity never comes announced. It’s sudden and dangerous, causing millions of lives to shatter. The areas prone to natural disasters should always train citizens to be ready in such circumstances so that the loss is minimal.
Disaster drill meaning
A disaster drill is a process where people enter into a hypothetical situation of a natural calamity. The natural disaster could be a Tsunami, Earthquake, or landslide. Each disaster has a different set of measures to deal with. However, some general instructions are standard in all kinds of disaster drills.
Below in this video, we can see an example of a Disaster Drill:
How should disaster recovery drills be executed?
Disaster recovery drills should start with a phone call in the middle of the night to all relevant individuals or a surprise announcement during working hours.
Steps to design a successful disaster drill
Collect the resources and create a management plan
Begin with collecting the financial resources you wish to allocate to the drill. Also, calculate the amount of damage the exercise will cause to the facility. Create an organizational structure with an exit gate. Pen down the time simulation will occur and how the events will unfold one after the other. Clarify the drill’s objectives and keep safety measures ready in case of real danger in between the training.
Make the drill inclusive.
Train as many locals as possible. Also, include paramedics, hospital staff, doctors, and responsible authority people so that everyone knows their exact role when danger comes.
Assign and allocate the duties
A disaster situation can lock the mind. Anyone can lose sense, so it’s better to repeat and explain each participant’s duties and roles in the drill to tackle the situation together. Keep the doctors and medical aid ready in case real danger or damage occurs during the training.
Use devices and connectivity tools
Do not hesitate to make communication devices that shall be used in a time of real disaster. Make people aware of how to use them and connect efficiently. Wireless devices work best in catastrophe.
Evaluate, Monitor, and assess
After the drill, makes sure to re-analyze, carefully look at the parts where some shortcoming is there, and rectify it. Also, take opinions from the participants if they found the drill useful or not. Always remember there is room for improvement and betterment.
A disaster is a very complicated and uninvited situation. It makes lives vanish. The places lose their identity, and people die of starvation and hunger.
Being prepared cannot wholly avoid the consequences, but it brings the capability to fight and sustain challenging situations!