Prioritization in Disaster planning

The Thumb Rule

The objective of a well-prepared disaster planning is to save the entire organization that is both the human and the material resources. Though the disaster planning need to assign priority with regard to the materials, records, equipments, or other inventory of the organization, there cannot be any dispute with regard to the question, what comes first, for the priority of any rescue operation is to save the precious human life at the cost of any other materials. The disaster planning therefore needs to give the first priority for the human safety. You may be well aware in some cases however valuable the materials, machineries equipments or records stored in the building the may be cordoned off from approach to salvage the trapped lives. The disaster planning therefore irrespective of the type of organization or region gives the top most priority to the human life.

A few tips in prioritization

Once the human safety is assured which item is to be assigned the next priority in the disaster planning? It would be very difficult to answer the query without knowing the type of the organization or valuables in the building. For example in the case of a Banking institution it can be the currency or the safe vault, since the electronic revolution has made possible the customer data to be stored with its corporate or head office or any place of its choice. The choice in a museum may be the most precious collections of antiques and the most vulnerable machinery in a manufacturing organization.

Whatever may be the type of organization there need to be a precise and concrete prioritization of the valuables to be salvaged in any disaster-planning document? In the absence of a prioritization list considerable time would be wasted and more damage to the precious items would be the end result. Not only prioritization need to be done but also the same should be known to all the work force. The hard copy of priority list need to be made available in many places so that at least a few copies would be come to the rescue if considerable damage is done to the building in the disaster.

The priority of the equipment record or collection need not be based on the value alone though this is also a factor to be considered. It is the possibility of the damage to that material that has to be considered first. To cite an example certain type of items may be damaged immediately on contact with salt water or dampness certain other items may not have much vulnerability to these threats. It is there fore prudent in a disaster planning to consult a professional to determine the priority in your organization.

The objective and Spirit

The prioritization outlined in the disaster planning document should help minimize the irreparable losses and also to ensure the smooth functioning of the organization in the post recovery period so as not have a permanent crippling in its function. One need to give utmost importance for the prioritization procedure in the disaster planning since it may not be possible to salvage all the material or valuable items in a building and whatever is salvaged need to be the most deserving and essential to the functioning of the organization.