The importance of planning and training for emergency crises cannot be stressed enough. Personnel who plan and train are much more ready to respond to the incidents in a timely manner. Time is important when emergencies arise. Trained personnel are ready to respond in less time knowing what action needs to be taken. There always those crises that arise that you have not addressed in training. But in those incidents you have an idea what should be done. This can help you evaluate the situation quickly.You have to ready to be flexible and adapt to the situation.

It all start with pre-planning and conducting table top exercises. Without it, you are thrown into a crisis expecting positive result which may or not be possible. I would want someone who is battle tested and ready. If you have the right training and planning, you will understand the situation and plan your resources accordingly.

Triage the incident, and find out as much information quickly Delegate to trusted people. Know your people before the crisis. Take command with authority. Listen to what people are saying, and use that information to make effective decisions. Don't waffle. Stick.with the plan until that plan no.longer works, and pivot. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Ater action debrief. What could we have done different? Better? Be humble.

Identify the problem. Identify the resources and personnel needed/required to resolve the problem. Communicate with both internally and externally. Follow your preplanned response, now is not the time to freelance. This is why plan review pre event communication and networking are important as well as training

In a crisis, I prioritize resources by first assessing the situation to identify the most critical issues and their potential impacts. I ensure clear communication with stakeholders to gather real-time information and align on priorities. Resources are allocated to address immediate safety concerns and high-impact areas, while balancing short-term needs with long-term goals. I continuously monitor progress and adjust allocations as the situation evolves, maintaining flexibility to respond to new developments.

Always being able to think on your feet as the situations change is the key. When emergencies happen things are very fluid being able to multi task as well as switch gears quickly can be the key to getting through whatever crazy situations you may have to adopt to .

* Resource Prioritization: * Life Safety: Focus on immediate threats to human life, prioritizing search & go rescue efforts * Property Protection: Allocate resources to protect critical infrastructure and prevent further damage. * Environmental Protection: Consider potential environmental hazards and take steps to mitigate them. * Communication: Establish effective communication channels * Resource Allocation: * Personnel: Deploy personnel based on their skills and expertise * Equipment: Allocate equipment to support immediate needs * Coordination: Collaborate with other agencies and organizations * Flexibility: Be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances * Evaluation: Continuously monitor the situation

This is a loaded question. The biggest thing I could drive home is to be able to have a universal and structured response plan to fall back on when everything has gone to complete chaos, in my role, something like a universal incident command system or chain of command for a major incident like a large scale fire or mass casualty accident. However, on the other hand to be able to adapt to unforeseen challenges and situations. The ability to shift between a structured response and a “on the fly” approach is key. Gauging what even requires attention in a crisis situation is also super important. The ability to look at a laundry list of problems, and pick out what needs to be addressed now vs later can make or break the success of a response.