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

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.