Presentation by:
EDIDIONG EKPENYONG
WHAT IS EMERGENCY?
The word “emergency” can be defined as “a sudden state of danger, conflict, etc, requiring immediate action.” From this definition, it can be deduced that emergencies are usually unplanned. That is, they strike without warning. If they are not properly managed, emergencies can be disastrous. Therefore, as individuals, in our various families and our work places, we all need an Emergency Management Plan to act as a guide on the actions to take whenever an emergency occurs. To illustrate, while you are carrying out a certain task for example, it probably must have crossed your mind that something could go wrong; and such a thought very likely moved you to consider and put plans in place to avert any perceived danger or potential disaster. That proactive action amounts to an Emergency Plan in its simplest form.
The concept of emergency is also better illustrated with Murphy’s Law which states that “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong” – a law that aligns with the Safety Slogan that “if you can think it, act on it.” To put it succinctly, if you think that something could go wrong while you are carrying out a task, then put measures or defenses in place to prevent it from happening. for these reasons, it is encouraged that at all times, people should:
- be aware of their environment – know all the exits from wherever they are for a quick exit in the event of any emergency;
- be accountable to their colleagues (in the Workplace) – know the people who were on duty with them so that they can easily report them for a rescue exercise, if such ones are not found at the Muster Point during an emergency.
- let at least one person know their (whereabout) movement, so that in case of an emergency where they are not at the Muster Point, they can be searched and accounted for.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Emergency Management as a term, refers to actions taken to be able to respond to emergencies. It aims at trying to predict what could happen in an emergency and proactively proffer solution on what to do to reduce the impact.
PHASES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
There are Four (4) phases of Emergency Management viz: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
- Mitigation
This is usually done before and after emergencies and includes activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies;
- Preparedness
This takes place before an emergency occurs, and includes plans or preparations made to save lives and to help response and rescue operations;
- Response
This takes place during an emergency and includes actions taken to save lives and prevent further property damage; and
- Recovery
This takes place after an emergency and includes actions taken to return to normal or an even safer situation following an emergency.
AIRPORT EMERGENCY INVOLVING PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION AND VIOLENT INCIDENTS
This is largely within the purview of Aviation Security (AVSEC) since they are in charge of crowd control at the airport. For public demonstrations, considering that they do not just happen without an approval from the Airport Management, AVSEC and the team of relevant airport security agencies are usually stationed close by to monitor the demonstration. This is to prevent miscreants from hijacking the demonstration to cause havoc.
That needed coordination of security during any airport public demonstration and violent incident falls within the purview of AVSEC; and is based on the concept of AVSEC as a combination of measures, human and material resources to safeguard civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference. Unlawful interference could be acts of terrorism, sabotage, threat to life and property, etc. If the violent incident is such that threatens life, the Airport Manager in consultation with AVSEC would have to notify ATC so that they can divert flights accordingly. In any case, the Airport Management would always prioritize the evacuation of airport users to safety.
CONCLUSION
An Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) is indispensable to acting effectively and efficiently during emergencies such as public demonstration and violent incidents. Ultimately, it is very important that everyone (especially airport personnel and service providers) is aware of the specific role that he is expected to play during a given emergency. That is the only way that the management of public demonstrations and violent incidents at the airport can be effective.
REFERENCES
- Oxford Languages Dictionary
- https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/planning.html
- Murphy’s Law
- Wikipedia
- https://training.fema.gov
- VAIA Airport Emergency Plan
