Many organizations that respond to disasters plan and operate according to a four-phased approach to emergency management. Phases of emergency management include mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Mitigation (Prevention)
Mitigation includes activities that will help reduce the chances that an emergency will happen or reduce the risks associated with known hazards and unavoidable situations.

Preparedness
Before any disaster comes preparedness, a continuous cycle of planning, training, and improvement. All of these activities increase our ability to respond to emergencies and disasters.

Response
The response phase includes responding safely to disasters, including putting your preparedness plans into action to save lives and property.

Recovery
Since disasters affect communities a great deal, the goal during the recovery phase is to return systems and processes back to a new normal through restoration, clean up, and repair.