-Written by David Whittier

“The line between disorder and order lies in logistics.”
-Sun Tzu

In Emergency Planning, as in a great many aspects of our lives, there is an urge to get to and solve the problem, to quickly assess the situation and make sure that everything that is wrong is made right again.  This is completely natural, especially when we are dealing with pressure from customers, dividend holders or voters to get the situation back to the way it was before the bad thing happened.

However, we need to understand that any operational plan we think up, do matter how clever it may be, is useless without a strong logistical foundation to make it happen.  Even understanding that, how do we come up with a logistical framework that will support our operational plan and make sure we consider all the factors that will affect it?  Volumes have been written on logistical support, and people devote their careers to its study, so I will not be able to do the subject justice in one short article.  But here is a short list of items you will need to consider, and any good logistics plan will cover these points.  Remember, good logistical support will make your plan SHiMMeR;

Social Services.  Your emergency plan will likely involve taking care of people, be they in a building, a town, or a region.  These people will have specific needs you will have to take care of.  Some may have mobility issues, some may have trouble communicating, some may have to bring medication with them.  Some will not leave their pets.  All these issues need to be addressed.

HR.  Taking care of these people will be your people: your staff, volunteers, emergency responders, etc.  To provide the best possible emergency response, you need to consider the needs of your own folks as well.  Are they getting fed and watered, do they have a place to rest, how is their morale, to they have the tools and equipment they need, are there enough of them with the right skill sets to do the jobs you are asking of them?

Maintenance.  In any emergency response scenario, your stuff will break down.  You need to consider how you are going to repair and maintain your vehicles, generators, communication gear, and other equipment, so that it continues to work for you.

Medical.  Some emergency plans deal with disasters, either natural or man made.  These disasters will result in infrastructure being damaged or destroyed, with the possibility that people have been hurt.  You need to consider how to find and identify injured people, apply immediate first aid, and evacuate them to a medical facility as soon as possible.  Even non-disaster scenarios will have a medical component.  Think of first aid attendants at a large gathering, especially when the weather is hot.

Replenishment.  People and equipment consume fuel and supplies, and if they do not get them, they stop working.  Your logistics plan will need to address how to get gas, oil, food, water, and other consumables to where they are needed so your people can continue the fight.

Logistics is a complicated endeavor, and luckily there are many experts out there who can help.  The job of the operational planner is to understand the logistical underpinnings of your operational plan well enough that lack of support does not compromise your efforts, because you did not answer the right questions.