Emergency Operations: Sinking to the Level of Your Systems

The popular myth about crisis is that you "rise to the occasion."

The reality is that you sink to the level of your systems.

In the high-stakes reality of the first 24 hours of an emergency—whether a natural disaster, a public health crisis like COVID-19, or a major operational failure—the effectiveness of your response is determined by the infrastructure and relationships you built before the sirens went off.

My 25 years in disaster response leadership, including work during Katrina, Michael, and COVID-19, and seven years on the Mass Care Task Force, taught one universal truth: you don't have time to build a network in a disaster. You only have time to activate one.

When disaster strikes, you don't rise to the occasion; you sink to the level of your systems.

THE NON-NEGOTIABLES OF THE FIRST 24 HOURS

The clock is ticking. You are under immense pressure. The systems that survive are those built for redundancy and clarity:

1. Clear Decision Rights Speed of decision matters more than perfection. Your Incident Command structure must be clearly defined, so one person is authorized to act without seeking consensus.
2. Activated Partner Network The logistics, cold storage, and emergency volunteers you need will only materialize if you have a pre-existing, trusted relationship with the people who own those assets.
3. Tested Communication Protocols Phone trees, group texts, and backup plans must be in place for when the internet fails. The plan must work when the most reliable systems are down.
4. Staff Cross-Training When a third of your team cannot get to work, only a cross-trained staff can absorb the surge capacity. Specialized teams break under pressure; flexible ones survive.

THE RELATIONSHIP IMPERATIVE

When I was on the Dallas County Mass Care Task Force, I learned that agencies coordinate in a disaster the way they have practiced—not the way they do on paper. Building relationships with your local VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) or Mass Care Task Force now is your best form of insurance later.

WHERE TO START

If your emergency operations plan is stale or your partner network is just a list of contacts, here is where to start:

1. Run the Disaster Preparedness Scorecard This free tool is a self-assessment that tells you exactly where your readiness gaps are. Download it free at wendlingconsulting.com.
2. Map your first 4-hour partners Write down the names and cell numbers of the people you need to call in the first four hours of a crisis. If you don't have them, build the relationships now.
3. Get into the room Find your local county emergency task force or VOAD coalition. Show up before the sirens go off.

Your emergency response is only as strong as the relationships you built before the emergency.