When a disaster threatens a community everyone takes action. Their goals are to save lives, property and help people cope with the chaos.
Professionals have skills and equipment to do their job.
A large-scale disaster is likely to overwhelm local emergency response capabilities. Additional help and resources will be needed. Securing and working together with outside help is a complex operation. Advance planning and preparation is required to successfully respond to a disaster. It is far better to be prepared to meet the challenges of a disaster than to react without a plan after it occurs.