Surat Flood August-2006 Disaster management

Some suggestions to perform still better

As observed during emergency service in public relation department & Flood control room as coordinator.
1/ at the time of preparing disaster management the involvement of key officers/ employees who have performed the duties in P.R. & control room becomes inevitable. Their experience sharing will be certainly valuable.
2/ On receiving the message of flood at least minimum manpower & machinery might have been called on well in time from likely high affected area to better utilize in less affected or negligible affected area to avoid shortage of manpower at critical time & problem of non performing assets.
3/ During the period of crisis Public relation & control rooms are expected to performed on war Footing to play crucial role but care has not been taken to well equip the both with proper infrastructures & machineries like Uninterrupted power supply/ D.G. set/ computer/ fax/ extra mobile phones/ wireless sets & vehicle to manage staff as well as media management.
4/ when round the clock duties are expected to both the dept. at least food packets & water requirements should be taken care by nearest teams looking after the needs to relief centers
5/ In the period of post crisis when massive manpower becomes inevitable especially from amongst affected themselves & when private & public transportation is affected adversely severely the arrangement of staff transportation at common circular route with public notice will work very effective mean to generate & fulfill the immediate requirement. In case of flood boat service can also be utilized. This can be done in coordination with RTO & police authority by requisitioning even private vehicles. This will certain be panacea to address nuisance of .unwanted such vehicles on public roads.
6/ Close circuit camera to capture the in house functioning of emergency department will also be useful for better future planning & to observe any mismanagement.
7/ Control Room I/c should be empowered to exercise all needed administrative executive powers of course under supervision control of CEO to address crisis management desperately. As cases have been noticed either seniors or remote HODs may not follow the system/ instructions passed on from control or P>R> department as received from upper management.
8/ When any system is adopted from the control room the reciprocal response should be received from the field offices well in time like receipt of man power & machineries relief materials sent to them, their other needs, utilization of the same immediately, if found excess to return in return to better utilized elsewhere or divert at needy.
9/ Regular data statistics As well as compliances of complaints they received & sent to them are very much essential but looking in to experience neither accuracy nor time was maintained. Even many a time con HOD Or chief were not accessible on communication. this is very important issues to attend for PR as Well managerial info, media management point of view.
10/ even as observed from the staff diverted from their experiences in some of the offices neither the staff nor the machineries were promptly used at optimum level. To manage the crisis earliest this should be address quickly.
11/ When multi authorities Or are coming to manage the crisis & expecting simultaneous service from the same emergency department it becomes difficult to divert & satisfy at a time some times this hampers ongoing work of critical nature rather the liaison or coordinating officer allotted to such department should take care himself in coordination with control I/c or as per order of CEO.
12/ When trainees are coming it becomes quite difficult to not only their accommodation but also to take care of receiving at odd hours & later on to accompany them while their itinerary with limited man power especially under the circumstances when they have been not permitted to even receive their family members. At least at this juncture if visitors are managing rest of the things except accommodation infrastructure can be better utilized.
13/ Last but not the least such desperate service with killer instinct should be recognized in true letter & spirit rather putting them in to oblivion.