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Catastrophic Event Response Planning

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The Leader You Want

By nature, a catastrophic event will be chaotic and stressful. In these types of events, damage will occur in the form of lives and property can be lost. Some of the damage will come directly from the event, while additional damage occurs during the response to the catastrophic event. The abilities and guidance of the Catastrophic Event Response Team Leader can either mitigate or aggravate the impact of the event. The Response Team Leader is the single most important position during a catastrophic event. Not everyone has the abilities necessary to perform as the Team Leader. The ability to make sound decisions is not enough for a Team Leader. He must be able to make decisions under a range of conditions. On one hand, a Team Leader needs to be able to meticulously analyze a situation to determine the best outcome and on the other, he must be able to “think on his feet” and determine a quick and sufficient decision when time is a factor. During a catastrophic event, a Team Leader must be able to do more than make good decisions; he must be able to lead the members of the Catastrophic Event Response Team. The Team Leader must be able to supervise and manage personnel with a variety of backgrounds, skills, jobs and personalities. He must keep them motivated and on task regardless of the conditions. The Event Team Leader must also have the ability to organize projects and manage time effectively. As FEMA demonstrated, it is easy to lose track of resources and personnel. On a general scale, a Catastrophic Event Team Leader must be able to keep track of who and what resources are available for an incident, in order to utilize them in the decision making process.

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