Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

What Is the Difference Between Emergency Response and Pre-Incident Plan?

  • By Len Karson
  • 09/01/17

Emergency situations come in many forms. While some are predictable (such as hurricanes and severe winter storms), others (such as tornadoes, active shooters, biohazard incidents) happen with little or no warning. In any of those cases, excellent emergency response is critical to saving lives and property.

We are often asked, or find ourselves needing to clarify, the difference between an emergency response plan and a pre-incident plan. An emergency response plan defines the roles, responsibilities and procedures that need to go into effect during an emergency. It should include evacuation and lock-down procedures, as well as focus on communications processes both internally and with external parties. Regularly scheduled drills also are essential for optimum preparation.

The pre-incident plan (or pre-plan) is a tool that centralizes all critical building and property information required by first responders so they can act with knowledge. This should include site plans, floor plans, hazardous material details, locations of utility shut-offs and fire hydrants, geographical maps and other critical building and infrastructure details. Hosted either by property management or a municipal fire department, an up-to-date plan is essential to reduce the risk to occupants, responders and the property.

A digital pre-plan makes the information highly shareable between property management, first responders and mutual aid stations. This is critical if there are occupants with special needs, such students with cognitive or developmental disabilities. Your pre-plan should supplement and complement any emergency response plan.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Len Karson is an account executive at RealView, LLC, developers of digital preincident plan technology. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • blurry image capturing students navigating crowded hallways between classes

    How Human Behavior Data Is Reshaping Campus Facilities Management

    The ebb and flow of students, faculty, and administrators across a campus have a larger impact on maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability than many realize.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

    Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.