Why Plan?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill, questions of local, state, and federal disaster readiness began to be addressed. In that vein, as emergency operations planners, it is important to explore the importance of emergency planning and to answer the question, “why plan?”
Whether you are building institutional relationships, educating the public on prevention, responding to incidents, or investigating crimes, there is a neverending conveyor belt of needs to be addressed for emergency operations planners. There is so much work to be done that it can be tempting to hunker down and plough through it on your own. However, over time, most professionals have become aware that agencies with different mandates each touch different parts of the emergency response process, and must coordinate and work together to be effective.
Topic 1: Rationale for a “Team” Approach in Emergency Operations Planning

State the rationale for a “team” approach in emergency operations planning. What are the benefits and hindrances of working in a team environment? How does a planner bring together the various and disparate partners that form a team?