ABSTRACT
Disaster management is the creation of plans through which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management consists of five phases: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set out a basic four-stage vision of preparedness flowing from mitigation to preparedness to response to recovery and back to mitigation in a circular planning process. Effective coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly when many organizations respond, and local emergency management agency (LEMA) capacity has been exceeded by the demand or diminished by the disaster itself. According to the FEMA, "NIMS provides the template for the management of incidents". A mass casualty incident can involve a variety of responders and agencies. National Guard Units have medics specifically trained in mass-casualty triage that may be called in to respond to a disaster-related incident.
