The recent incident on the Washington, D.C., Metrorail should have you asking – what can I do to prepare my community for a major incident or natural disaster?  Most experts believe that the impact of the Washington incident was minimal due to a few key factors, which any manager can employ in his or her community.

Thomas J. Wieczorek, senior manager of Public Safety Programs for ICMA Consulting Services, is a nationally recognized expert on the subject of emergency management. He helped design the curriculum for an emergency management course offered through the National League of Cities and is currently teaching the course as a pilot program nationwide. According to Wieczorek, any community can effectively handle an incident or natural disaster by following these three steps:

I.  Assess Your Risks
According to Wieczorek, it’s important to look at the potential risks and hazards within your unique community. This will involve examining which populations may be at the most risk, and what events or natural events are likely to impact your community.

II. Develop an Action Plan
The first step in developing an action plan is identifying a chain of command. The command structure should involve police, fire, and EMS personnel, and should identify how departments work together. Another part of the plan should involve the recovery efforts, including who is designated as the “spokesman” for the community.

III. Practice Your Plan
Having a plan is no good unless it’s put into practice. Those involved in a disaster plan should have the appropriate training to be able to complete their assigned functions, and should practice not only within their department, but departments should get together and cross-train as well. Additionally, it’s important to fix those portions of the plan that did not run smoothly.

By most accounts, the impact of the recent incident in Washington, D.C., was kept to a minimum due to local officials practicing the three steps outlined by Wieczorek. Following these practices in your community will make you better prepared to handle a situation if it hits close to home.