1.

Identify information needs and resources

In preparing for disaster assessment, you will need to identify the type of information you need and the resources required to collect the data. The questions to ask about the type of information required for response activities are very similar to the questions you ask when describing the potential effects of hazards in hazard analysis. They include:

• How many people are dead and injured?
• Where are these people?
• Are people trapped or in imminent danger?
• What services have been disrupted (e.g. power, communications, water, sewage treatment, hospitals, etc.)?
• What transport routes have been disrupted?

2.

Collect data

You will need to focus your data collection on those areas that are likely to have sustained the most damage.

Whichever method you decide to use for data collection, you will still need to have it pre-planned. The planning for this will have to be flexible.

3.

Analyse and interpret

Once the data or information is collected it must be further analysed to determine its significance, i.e. it will need to be interpreted. Those who undertake this task should possess a knowledge of the requirements of emergency response, and the ability to sort out the essential information from the potentially large quantities of information that may arrive.

Given that the data is collected, who is it to be given to and how? If the management structure being used for the emergency is centralised, and an emergency operations centre (EOC) is being used, then the data could be sent or given to the EOC. If the data is being collected by individual organisations then the data should probably be given to the managers of each organisation.

Whoever is to receive the data, it must be in a form that is useful for decision-making. This may mean that it has to be turned into information, rather than pure data. By this I mean that it may have to be organised or analysed prior to handing on.

4.

Report conclusions

The conclusions from the information thus analysed and interpreted must be passed on to those who need it. This will include emergency controllers and commanders, emergency workers on the ground, the public and the media.

5.

Design/modify disaster response and recovery

Once the conclusions have been received the disaster response and recovery can be designed or modified.

Activity 11.3

	Consider the need to collect this data. To whom will you assign the task of collecting it?
	Considering the possible need for using a team of people for the assessment, what is the value of using a team of people rather than allowing individual organisations to do their own assessment?
	What are the possible drawbacks of insisting on the use of multi-disciplinary assessment teams?

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