Disaster Management Rules

Sound disaster management takes many forms and can be focused in many different ways, but there are certain unifying rules and ethical practices that most disaster managers share. Science, empathy and clarity of information are all key to disaster management.

Hippocratic Oath

• The words "First do no harm", a part of the Hippocratic oath hallowed by modern physicians, also applies to disaster managers. Long term disaster planning means helping to reduce both the risks and the impacts of disasters. Some planners make an oath that no matter how much good a plan does, it must also do no harm. Even if a disaster manager doesn't swear by an oath, the idea that his efforts should create universal solutions is still at the heart of risk reduction.

Grounding in Science and History

• Disaster managers are not just public planners, they are also scientists, historians and academics. Although listening to the narratives of indigenous peoples is one way disaster planners can find out about ancient earthquakes and wildfires which may occur again, science and recordable data should always be used when available.

Sound Analysis of Variables

• The many analytical tools available today are a strong part of disaster management. As a rule, the best available method of analysis should be used to develop the most complete set of data. Lack of knowledge has caused many disasters which could have been better handled. The 1988 fire of Yellowstone National Forest was never thought possible, simply because the return period of natural wildfire in the area was so long. Disaster managers know that to do their job they must do their best to incorporate all variables into calculations of risk.

Definition of Disaster

• Disasters and the hazards that trigger them are related but very distinct events. An earthquake is a natural hazard, not a disaster. It only becomes a disaster when a building collapses and people are hurt or killed. According to the United Stations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, a disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected people to cope using their own resources. Many natural hazards cannot be prevented, but needless loss of life can be minimized or avoided entirely if natural hazards are planned for when new buildings and social resource networks are created.

Specific Rules

• The rules and regulations drafted by disaster managers that make it to becoming laws contain any number of specific solutions, such as ways to get government funding post disaster, or zoning and laws and building codes to prevent damage and loss of life in the first place. These laws must be transparent, understandable, enforceable, and free of loopholes that could be exploited by corrupt officials. Although the latter is not as much of a problem in the United States, shorting building codes by skipping rebar reinforcement to concrete has caused countless preventable deaths in seismically active countries.