Are You Prepared?

Long before an emergency occurs, first responders, national emergency management agencies and national/local medical teams must have adequate ways to prepare, train and measure if they are to be truly ready to respond. These groups also need to make their response plans based on accurate, reliable, real-­time information, data analysis and decision support capabilities. In most countries there are a wide array of state agencies dealing with emergency management and utilizing a wide variety of people and resources. Information Technology systems and operating protocols from both government and private sources often cause confusion.