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How Is Community Resilience Different from Emergency Preparedness?

Shifting the Focus

Community Resilience is a FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE in how the District approaches emergencies and disasters. It is a shift from the traditional disaster preparedness approach.

Moving From Emergency Preparedness to Community Resilience

PREPARED COMMUNITIES Focus on Short Term:
  • Individual households prepare emergency plans & purchase supplies
  • Disaster-specific functions
  • Government responds in the first few days & weeks after a disaster
  • Self-sufficient individuals or households
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES Focus on Long Term:
  • Work together to withstand, respond & recover
  • Merge joint efforts to build social, economic & health well-being
  • Create a diverse network of government & local organizations to prepare for, respond to & recover from disaster
  • Collaborate & engage the whole community in problem-solving
  • Become self-reliant through neighbor-to-neighbor connections & strong social networks
Emergency Preparedness BEGINS WITH INDIVIDUAL:
  • Individual emergency go-kits
  • Individual emergency plans
  • Individual-focused training & education
Community Resilience EXPANDS TO COMMUNITY:
  • Social networks with trusted community leaders & organizations
  • Linking preparedness to routine public health & overall wellness
  • Developing community training & community plans
  • Identifying vulnerable populations in communities with specific needs

 


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