During which phase of disaster planning is the plan put into action?

The phase during which a disaster plan is put into action is known as the Response phase. This is the critical stage where the strategies and procedures developed during the planning process are implemented to manage the immediate effects of a disaster. The focus during the Response phase is on ensuring the safety of individuals, stabilizing the incident, and mitigating further harm. Tasks may include evacuating people, coordinating emergency services, and providing medical assistance, all of which are essential for dealing with the disaster in real time.

In the earlier phases, such as Mitigation and Preparedness, efforts center around preventing disasters and preparing for them, respectively. Mitigation focuses on reducing the likelihood or impact of potential disasters, while Preparedness involves developing plans and training to ensure that individuals and organizations are ready to act when a disaster occurs. The Recovery phase follows the Response phase and is concerned with restoring and rebuilding after the disaster has been managed, focusing on returning to normalcy in a long-term context. Thus, the correct understanding of where the plan is actively executed is firmly situated within the Response phase.