In times of crisis one of the most critical and often life-saving things emergency managers can do is evacuate the disaster-stricken area. For an evacuation to be effective there are a number of processes and practices that must be followed, as well as a number of variables that must be considered in preparation for any evacuation. In this essay I will describe and analyze what processes emergency management should follow when carrying out an emergency evacuation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The most critical aspect of any evacuation is planning and preparation in advance. Before any evacuation, an evacuation plan must be prepared. The evacuation plan should establish which areas responders should aim to evacuate and in what order, and should define specific routes that residents should follow and adhere to during an evacuation. When an evacuation is underway, the primary focus of emergency responders should be to ensure that all roads or paths along the evacuation route are free of obstacles for civilians. Secondly, communication is essential and critical during an evacuation. Appropriate communications equipment should be installed in advance as part of any emergency management plan. Mark Sloan, emergency management coordinator for Harris County, Texas, states that “In the heat of the battle, it has become extremely difficult to communicate with so many jurisdictions quickly and effectively. Not everyone was near their phone or looking at email” (Stone, 2012). His community has increased not only the quality of communications, but also the quantity of methods with which they can communicate with both emergency responders and citizens. There are a number of aspects that emergency planners must consider when preparing for an evacuation. The first, and often most important, thing to consider is shelter. Where will evacuees go during an evacuation? Protective shelters on site protect citizens from wind, ground shaking or water-related crisis situations. For example, during Hurricane Katrina officials used the Metro Dome in New Orleans as a shelter for evacuees. Secondly, potential hazards should be taken into account when planning the evacuation. For example, emergency planners must consider any obstacles civilians might encounter during an evacuation. For example, evacuating an island onto a bridge during high winds, both for the evacuated citizens and for public safety police and firefighters, would be incredibly dangerous, so plans should be put in place to avoid such an obstacle during an evacuation, or ensure that measures are taken to minimize the danger of such an evacuation. Different types of disasters justify different types of evacuations. For example, both planning and response aspects of evacuations differ significantly for man-made disasters compared to natural disasters. Since natural disasters are much easier to predict than man-made disasters, it is important for emergency planners to ensure that a shelter is in place for a natural disaster. On the other hand, a key aspect of [planning for potential man-made emergencies is to ensure that adequate escape routes are pre-planned and that such routes are the primary focus of rescuers during an evacuation. Please note: This is just a Get example.