Las telecomunicaciones y otras preparaciones para la respuesta en situaciones de emergencia

El Servicio Nacional del Meteorología fue fundado por resolución del congreso en 1870. Desde entonces, el Servicio Nacional del Meteorología ha aprendido que el pronóstico de meteorología, del agua y del clima son temas críticos para todo residente de nuestro planeta cuando está enfrentado con emergencias nacionales, regionales, locales o personales.

Nota del editor: artículo no disponible en español.

The National Weather Service was founded by congressional resolution in 1870.  Since then, the National Weather Service has learned that weather, water, and climate forecasting are critical inputs to every resident of our planet when confronted with personal, local, regional, or national catastrophic emergencies. 

Emergencies place the National Weather Service at the center of disaster preparedness and response, before, during, and after any local, regional, or national emergency or disaster.  In response to such events, the National Weather Service must continue to provide time critical observations, forecasts, and watches and warnings of severe weather and hydro-meteorological and electromagnetic events.

One example is the continuous production of weather information regarding tropical storms and hurricanes. The National Weather Service  provides tracking, watches, and warnings concerning the evolution of tropical depressions as they become hurricanes.  Whenever a depression appears, advisories are issued at least every six hours and more often when the storm threatens land.

Information concerning such storms is provided by all available forms of communication: radio, Weather Wire Service satellite system, and the Emergency Managers Weather Information Network or EMWIN.  We strive to support every communications medium required by all countries in the Americas.  The widespread communications channels that disseminate weather information before disasters occur, give us the ability to help avert or minimize the potential for loss of life and economic impact caused by severe weather.

My experience has taught me that the most important part of disaster management begins well before the crisis.    The following are the steps that I consider to be the most important in preparing for a disaster before it happens. 

1.  PLANNING

Successful disaster or crisis management begins well before the crisis.  Overall objectives have to be established.  The capabilities necessary to attain those objectives must be identified.  These objectives and capabilities have to be evaluated in light of realistic budget projections.  All three of these issues are at least in part defined by the degree of risk that must be countered and what risks will be accepted. 

2.  PREPARATION  

No plan, however good it may be, can be effectively implemented without appropriate preparation in several areas. A legal framework must be established for its implementation.  Policies must be prepared.  Planned capabilities must be developed.  Logistical support must be identified or created.  Communications methods must be assembled.  Facilities must be prepared.  Effective leaders must be identified and educated.  Personnel at all levels must be identified and trained.  Funding sources must be readily available.

3.  TRAINING AND EXERCISES

There is a folk saying in the United States that “practice makes perfect.”  The more sophisticated a crisis management capability is intended to become, the greater the need to train and practice.  This is particularly true in those instances where multiple government agencies or departments are involved.  Emergency planners must engage all government and private sector organizations that will support a post-disaster recover with an on-going series of training, tabletop exercises, and full field exercises. 

Among the most important outcomes of training is the ability to observe, assess and prepare tomorrow's leaders.  The resolution of critical incidents or crises does not necessarily require the leadership of a technical expert, but it does require someone well practiced in the process and uncertainty of critical incident response.  In my experience, the required skills are both innate and acquired. 

4.  CRISIS COORDINATION

In the confusion surrounding the first reports of a critical incident, local police, fire, medical, and rescue teams are often the first to arrive.  Even in comparatively small crises, confusion and conflict among the first responders on the scene can be enormous.   Training and exercises reduce this confusion and conflict.

Practice and preparation help prepare the communications discipline and communications processes necessary for successful management of what otherwise could become competing organizations at the crisis scene. 

5.  RECOVERY AND RECONSTITUTION

As I have emphasized previously, much of what must be done to recover from any critical incident depends on what has been done before the incident took place.  One of the most important areas to carefully consider is the process of providing for the continuity of operations after an emergency. Each business, industry and government should consider these three areas.

• First, what exactly are the key processes for which continuity plans and preparations must be prepared? 

• Second, what are the people, facilities, and technology needed to support those functions?

• Finally, what is the minimum acceptable level of functionality required to support the key processes?

If you say, "everything is essential," you will never succeed.   Advance planning and preparation through training and exercises that teach crisis coordination and disaster recovery principles, to include the exercise of multiple means of communications, is the key to saving lives when disaster strikes.

Adrian R. Garner
Chief Information Officer
United States National Weather Service