Final answer:
The four phases of emergency management are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These phases address the reduction of harm, readiness for disasters, immediate actions during emergencies, and restoration of affected communities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four phases of emergency management are crucial for ensuring public safety and preparedness in the event of disasters or emergencies. These phases are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Mitigation involves taking steps to reduce the harm caused by future disasters, such as implementing building codes and creating public awareness campaigns. Preparedness includes activities like emergency drills, planning, and stocking supplies. The response phase encompasses the immediate actions taken during a disaster, like search and rescue and providing emergency assistance. Lastly, recovery involves restoring the affected community to its pre-disaster condition, which can include rebuilding infrastructure and providing psychological support to victims.
Considering emergency management in the context of a specific threat, like a tornado, we see different costs and outcomes associated with varying levels of preparedness. In a scenario where a tornado is possible, effective emergency management would likely entail boarding up windows and seeking shelter, rather than doing nothing (Plan A), in order to minimize potential damage and harm.
Overall, these phases work in a cycle to not only deal with immediate needs during a disaster but also to improve upon previous strategies for better handling of such situations in the future, including the implementation of civil defense and ensuring the resilience of critical national infrastructure.