The needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the few

Disasters have been an unwelcomed companion of mankind since early times. There is nothing new in the concept of contingency planning for an impending disaster. The Bible contains one of the earliest recorded contingency plans:

‘Make for yourself an ark out of wood of a resinous tree. You will make compartments in the ark and you must cover it inside with tar.’

Genesis 16: 14

Religious and cultural issues have always been important factors and in some quarters they are as valid and important in today's high-pressured society. With the dawn of a new millennium, are we experiencing the creation of a new supreme being identified as ‘instant gratification’? Public expectation, driven by technological innovation, especially in the media sector, increases at a rapid pace. Within minutes of a disaster a highly technical and orchestrated news gathering operation swings into gear, with images, sounds and opinions flooding our intellect. With a touch of a button, or in some cases a click of a mouse, the public can access instant information, form instant opinions and pay homage to the new supreme being.

Lifestyles are changing, they are becoming more complex and more dynamic, with an increasing awareness of the social and economic issues that disasters can create or destroy.

As lifestyles change, so must our approach to disaster management, especially the way respective professionals are trained, educated and exercised. Traditional tactically based exercising and training for the blue light emergency services must continue in order to enhance efficiency skills. However, a fresh approach to exercises and training methods needs to be developed in order to address the needs of the ever-increasing integrated strategic level of disaster management, thus improving their collective effectiveness.

The needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the few, especially at the strategic level of crisis management.