Purpose of analysing preparedness resources
There are a number of reasons for analysing preparedness resources (remember that we have defined resources as anything of value or use in emergency management).
One reason is to ensure that we have considered every cost-effective way for preparing ourselves for emergencies. We have all heard of the saying 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'—we could also coin a new saying such as 'a small amount of preparedness is worth a lot of rushing around'. Response and recovery activities that have been inadequately prepared tend to be chaotic. Appropriate preparedness will not totally eliminate the chaos, but it will significantly reduce it.
Another reason is to ensure that preparedness is coordinated. There are a large number of possible preparedness activities, and a number of organisations potentially involved. The act of analysing our preparedness resources will provide these organisations with shared information and goals, and will lead to a greater coordination. Without this coordination, it is likely that many organisations will be ill-prepared, or inappropriately prepared.
Lastly, we need to know which resources are actually available for use in emergencies, and who is responsible for supplying them.
We cannot prepare for all eventualities, but we can certainly prepare for those problems that our experience and the experience of others have demonstrated.
