In the past, stakeholders would come together to draft a plan that would then be e-mailed around for input and compiled into a final document. “This particular planning tool provides all that in an online environment where we can collaborate and suggest changes to one another, and then there are approval processes built in,” said Greg Swanson, emergency management director of Gwinnett County.
The tool, Previstar’s CEMPlanner, facilitates the development of standards-based plans using the FEMA Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, Emergency Management Accreditation Program standards, and National Fire Protection Association 1600 standards.
The system uses the standards to generate a table of contents that guide officials through the planning process and reference appropriate federal guidelines along the way.
For more on Web-based emergency planning, go to Emergency Mangement magazine.