2. Preparing for an emergency

A CO that is well prepared for an emergency response should:

Checklist

• Identify high-risk situations and design programmatic interventions based on likely scenarios.
• Have an Emergency Response Team (ERT) in place and members familiar with the CARE Emergency Toolkit and Emergency Protocols.
• Identify at least three high-risk level disaster scenarios and develop mitigation, preparedness and response strategies.
• Have identified capacity gaps and established a Capacity Building Action Plan that includes staff and systems development needs.
• Identify the funding requirements to implement the Capacity Building Action Plan.
• Be able to realistically recognise its capacity and limitations.
• Be able to strengthen community capacities to reduce the effects of identified risk situations and be better prepared to respond.
• Confident enough to ‘raise the alarm’ in the event of an emergency and to provide best estimates of the situation.
• Be able to carry out rapid emergency needs assessment during the onset of emergency and provide timely information to CARE International for decision-making.