Introduction
Effective incidence response requires a proper planning methodology that is based on the disaster situational assessment. This requires a feedback on the strategic emergency management process deployed by the organization or community to ensure that critical organizational assets are protected from potential hazards (Jensen, 2011). Prior to response performance and planning, disaster situational assessment offers the required data for analysis in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the current emergency response strategies deployed by an organization. Situational assessment prior to response planning and feedback involves determining the needs and priorities of the emergency response strategies deployed by organizations in order to mitigate the potential disasters and reduce the hazards. Situational management is an essential management task that is required for an effective decision-making process, planning and control of the disaster response measures (Paton & Moore, 2006). Disaster situational assessment should be undertaken on all the phases of disaster that are identifiable in order to ensure that the planning and recovery strategies are effective. This memo discusses the key success factors in managing large, multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response programs and the various ways that the success of response can be measured. In addition, the memo discusses how to design drills and tests that specifically evaluate the key success factors for response.
Key success factors in managing large, multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response programs
Key success factors in response programs serve to ensure that emergency response operations meet the anticipated goals and objectives of incident mitigation, response and recovery. The main objective of incident response is to facilitate a quick and efficient recovery from a security incident. It also aims at reducing the impacts imposed by the threat, or a critical disruption of the functionality of the facility or resources in cases whereby an incident has taken place. The plan of approach is systematic in accordance with the standard procedures of physical security in order reduce the possibility of reoccurrence (Rodriguez, 2007).
A critical success factor when managing large, multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response programs is inter-agency communication on a universal framework. Interagency collaboration during emergencies is vital in ensuring disaster response. Flexibility is an important aspect of interagency communication, which ensures that the communication framework that is supple, dynamic, consistent that can facilitate collaboration between the government, and the private sector at all levels in order to ensure that there is effective management of domestic disasters irrespective of the geographical location, causation and magnitude. The Joint Information System also helps in enhancing public communication through offering the public with disaster information that is accurate and delivered in a timely manner (FEMA, 2006). Interagency communication and collaboration implies incident communicators can meet for the purposes of developing, coordinating and delivering a unified incident related message. This helps in eliminating the delivery of conflicting messages by the various government and non-government agencies during disaster scenarios. Interagency communication and collaboration does not only facilitate coordination of the efforts from various jurisdictions, but also offers and guarantees joint decision-making framework based on the goals and objectives, outlined strategies and planning, public communications and the priorities during cases of emergency (Rodriguez, 2007). This helps in enhancing the effectiveness in disaster preparedness and readiness entailing numerous agencies responding to a disaster. Multi-agency coordination is an important strategy that helps in ensuring that incident response and disaster recovery is successful, especially in situations where such operations are likely to require more manpower and equipment to curtail the emergency (Rodriguez, 2007).
The second critical success factor in managing large, multi-jurisdictional agency response programs is effective incident reporting and procedures. Incident reporting procedures are also an important aspect of response programs that enhances the effectiveness of response operations in the event of emergency or security threat. Effective incident reporting procedures should be based on the fundamental aspects of effective communications that ensures that it reaches the largest audience as possible. Incident reporting should be fast enough in order to reduce the potential loss that may be accrued from the disaster. It is important to ensure that there are effective reporting channels and procedures with minimal constraints. Incident response procedures should be in line with the evacuation policies and procedures, which are usually deployed in cases whereby the physical security parameters have been completely overwhelmed. Incident response entails communication of the incident, containment of the damage imposed by the incident and minimizing the potential risks through protection of critical assets against potential attacks within the organization (Jensen, 2011).
The third key success factor in response programs is resource management. Efficient incidence response program requires effective resource management, which primarily entails the identification of the resources that are accessible at all jurisdictional levels. Resource management primarily entails categorizing, ordering, dispatching, tracking and recovering of resources. This facilitates a timely access and unimpeded reach to the resources in order to facilitate preparation, response and recovery. Resource management should also incorporate the mutual-aid agreements between the various agencies, using special Federal, State, Local and community incident response teams various protocols for resource mobilization. Resource management makes significant contributions to the effectiveness of the entire incidence response and recovery strategies. An effective response program facilitates interaction among the various agencies that are responding to the incident (FEMA, 2006).
Public communication is also a key success factor in incident response programs. Communication during critical incidents is important in ensuring that response and recovery is successful. This implies that an emergency response strategic plan must have the required structure for purposes of managing and enhancing effective communication in the event of an emergency. Despite the fact that safety issues are always given the primary consideration, the response program should not underestimate the significance of effective media relations capability since it plays an integral role in enhancing the effectiveness of security operations. During the initial stages of the response and recovery operation, the response teams must establish communication channels that have the capability of reaching as victims of the disaster as fast as possible (Jensen, 2011). The realization of this goal is usually done by deployment of low-cost and low-tech communication channels because they are most effective and easily accessible by the victims of a disaster. High-tech communication channels are not effective because of the limited number of the target audience. Some of the communication systems that can be deployed include Public Address Systems, megaphones and community radios (Jensen, 2011).
Measuring the success of incident response
Various variables can be deployed to determine the success of an incident program. The underlying success of an incident response is that it attains its primary goals and objectives, which is to reduce the potential harm associated with disaster on human life and property by reinforcing safety. This section discusses how the success of an incident response operation can be evaluated (FEMA, 2006).
The first method to measure the success of incident response is to analyze the extent to which the disaster imposed loss of lives, fatal injuries and minor injuries during the response initiative. For the purposes of complimenting this, the extent of the property damage is also analyzed during incident. It is also vital to identify the priorities of the people affected by the disaster and the entire magnitude of damage associated with the disaster. This is vital in the risk analysis of an area towards disaster. In addition, it can be used in determining the effectiveness of the current disaster mitigation approaches. An effective incident response attempts to minimize the impacts of the disaster to the maximum level possible. In an ideal situation, the response plan should serve to mitigate the impacts of the disaster, which is core in guaranteeing safety from the hazards imposed by the emergency. Mitigation entails the deployment of a sustained action with the principal objective of reducing or eliminating the risks that disasters impose to people and property (FEMA, 2006).
The second way to measure the success of an incident response is to evaluate the extent of collaboration among the various response agencies, government institutions and the public. Effective emergency operations depend on the collaborative effort between the responders and the public. Each of the entities have to play their part in order to ensure that emergency management operations turn out to be successful, in the sense that there will be minimal damage to property and that human life is protected at high standards. This is determined by the implementation of effective information management processes, systems and standard procedures that can be used in addressing the diverse incident management operations across the various agencies and jurisdictions (Jensen, 2011). A successful incident response implies that all emergency responders will be having a common picture of the incident operation, which is a core requirement for fostering an incident response that is both efficient and effective. Interagency collaboration is vital in ensuring that response operations are successful. This means that interagency communication should be given a serious consideration during incidents because they offer an avenue for exchange of resources and ideas, which are vital in making incident response and recovery successful. It is important for interagency communication to be conducted on a real time and regular basis in order to update the external entities on the status of the situation for the incident response to be successful (Jensen, 2011). The principal argument is that organizations should rely on interagency communication and collaboration to ensure effective resource management and disaster management and planning. Resource management is also a significant benefit because of using multi-agency communication during incident response. Efficient incidence management requires effective resource management, which primarily entails the identification of the resources that are accessible at all jurisdictional levels. Resource management primarily entails categorizing, ordering, dispatching, tracking and recovering of resources. This facilitates a timely access and unimpeded reach to the resources in order to facilitate preparation, response and recovery (Jensen, 2011).
The third method to measure the success of incident response is to measure the time of disruption of normalcy during the incident. A successful incident response ensures that there is minimal disruption of the functioning of the critical facilities during the incident. This is usually determined by effective resource allocation and management during the incident. Critical facilities require the deployment of more resources compared to facilities that are relatively less critical. This implies that a successful incident response operation takes into account the needs and priorities of the incident response plan to ensure that normalcy is restored within the smallest time duration possible. This also aims at ensuring that the recovery strategies are effective during the incident (Jensen, 2011).
Designing drills and tests that specifically evaluate the key success factors for response
Drills and tests are primarily used in the evaluation of the critical success factors during an emergency response operation; this implies that the drills and tests have to be tailored in accordance with the goals and objectives of the incident response program. This section of the memo discusses how to design drills and tests that specifically evaluate the key success factors for the response (Jensen, 2011).
Evaluating interagency communication during incident response requires an analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies involved during the incident. This means that their resource contribution and personnel involvement has to be taken into account when evaluating the success of interagency collaboration and communication. It is also important to evaluate the communication platform, that is, whether the various agencies were using a single platform and a universal Standard Operating Procedures or each agency was using its independent communication and participation framework during the disaster. Under a universal framework, emergency responders will share a universal focus, implying that this will facilitate the prominence on incident management in cases whereby incidences associated homeland security such as terrorism and natural disasters (Jensen, 2011). In addition, the disaster response readiness and preparedness is improving owing to the fact all the state-level emergency response teams and relevant government authorities are making use of a universal language and a single set of procedures. The aspect of standardization lays more emphasis on a set of universal organizational procedures, additional process requirements, and information systems that are designed to enhance operability among the various entities during incident response, this serves as a methodological strategy that is deployed to facilitate effective management of field-level disaster operations during cases of an incident. Evaluating the effectiveness of interagency collaboration and communication significantly depends on flexibility, when implemented appropriately, which relies on the development of a chain of command that government and non-government agencies can adopt during incident management (Paton & Moore, 2006).
The evaluation of effective incident response procedures and policies during incident response is through assessing whether they are based on effective forms communication and whether they are in line with the evacuation policies and procedures. In addition, incident reporting should be based on a real time manner and emphasizes on the accuracy of the reporting procedures and the information being conveyed during the incident. The evaluation of this key success factor is based on the number of the target audience that the threat reporting procedures reach. This requires an assessment of the communication channels that were deplored during the incident response and their relative effectiveness in reaching the target audience (Rodriguez, 2007).
Testing the effectiveness of public communication involves assessment of the public response during the disaster and the accuracy of the information conveyed during the disaster. This also entails assessing the establishment of effective media relations during the disaster and ensuring that the reporting procedures are based on accuracy and real time update of the progress of the incident response (Jensen, 2011).
Conclusion
The paper has discussed the key success factors in managing large, multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response programs, measuring the success during incident response and designing of drills and tests that can be used for evaluating the success factors for response. It has been established that the key success factors for response programs are inter-agency communication on a universal framework, effective incident reporting and procedures, resource management and public communication. The variables that can be deployed to measure the success of an incident response include an analysis of the extent to which the disaster imposed loss of lives, fatal injuries and minor injuries during the response initiative; the extent of collaboration among the various response agencies, government institutions and the public; and the time of disruption of normalcy during the incident. Evaluating interagency communication during incident response requires an analysis of the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies involved during the incident. The evaluation of effective incident response procedures and policies during incident response is through assessing whether they are based on effective forms communication and whether they are in line with the evacuation policies and procedures. Testing the effectiveness of public communication involves assessment of the public response during the disaster and the accuracy of the information conveyed during the disaster.

References
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