CIAG Preparedness Programs

Overview

Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. All areas of society – business and industry, civic and volunteer groups, industry associations and neighborhood associations, as well as every individual citizen and every family – should plan ahead for the potential of a critical incident. During the first few hours or days following an incident, essential services may not be available. Citizens must be ready to respond appropriately and all levels of government must be prepared to alleviate the impacts of the incident.

The Critical Incident Analysis Group’s Preparedness Program strives to analyze the issues that arise during a critical incident. For instance, in April of 2003 CIAG convened its spring conference in order to examine the sniper crisis that had gripped the national capital region during the previous fall. Entitled “Communicating in Crisis,” the conference focused on the collaboration and collision of strategies and tactics during the three weeks of the sniper crisis. Through the analysis of the crisis, CIAG members were able to collaborate on and propose solutions that will help prepare local, state, and national officials in the event of a similar event in the future.

CIAG can go beyond proposing new ideas. Through the active involvement of the groups members, CIAG has been able to merge theory and ideas with practice. The 2001 conference analyzed the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction. The findings of that conference laid the groundwork for the development of a public preparedness strategy known as Community Shielding.