Disaster Management & Risk Reduction: Philippine Laws PDF

NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN DISASTER MANAGEMENT & RISK REDUCTION: sensitive l...

NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN DISASTER MANAGEMENT & RISK REDUCTION: sensitive land use planning, early warning systems, and Effective disaster management strategy involves all these PHILIPPINE LAWS public education, which are vital for protecting phases, not just immediate response. In the context of disaster nursing, understanding communities and reducing long-term vulnerabilities. Philippine laws related to disaster management and risk In the absence of such laws, disaster response “The Philippine government has mandated enabling reduction is essential. Knowledge of these laws ensures in the Philippines would likely be fragmented, laws on disaster management & risk reduction.” that nurses act within a legal framework, upholding the uncoordinated, and less effective—putting millions of rights and safety of those affected by disasters. lives and livelihoods at greater risk. Furthermore, these laws outline the responsibilities of Republic Act No. 10121 – Philippine Disaster Risk various government agencies and stakeholders, The Philippines as a Disaster-Prone Country Data Reduction and Management Act of 2010 enabling nurses to collaborate effectively and advocate ‣ Ranked 4th most disaster-prone country (World ‣ An act strengthening the philippine disaster risk for comprehensive disaster management strategies. As Risk Index 2014). reduction and management system, providing for future healthcare professionals, a solid grasp of these legal ‣ Has an average of 20-30 typhoons each year the national disaster risk reduction and concepts empowers you to contribute to a more resilient (seven are destructive). management framework and institutionalizing the and prepared Philippines. ‣ Has 22 active volcanoes. national disaster risk reduction and management ‣ Had approximately 90 destructive earthquakes in plan, appropriating funds therefor and for other Why do you think laws are needed in disaster risk the past 400 years. purposes. reduction? ‣ primary law governing disaster management in the “Therefore, it is expected that disasters & calamities Philippines. Laws have a great significance in structuring are part of Filipino living and we have to prepare.” ‣ It establishes the national framework and plan for effective disaster management. The question prompts disaster risk reduction and management. us to think critically about the necessity of legal Indeed, the Philippines is vulnerable to disasters. The ‣ institutionalizing a systematic approach to disaster frameworks in saving lives and protecting communities. statistics emphasize the constant threat and the need management Laws ensure accountability, provide a framework for for preparedness. Disaster management and risk action, and help allocate resources effectively. reduction are not just theoretical concepts but essential Purpose of RA 10121 In the context of the Philippines—a country aspects of Filipino life. o “Uphold the people’s constitutional rights to highly vulnerable to natural hazards such as typhoons, life and property by addressing the root causes earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions—strong legal Philippine Government Mandated Disaster of vulnerabilities to disasters.” frameworks are essential for disaster risk reduction. The Management and Risk Reduction Laws o Signed by former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act Disaster management is more than just response—it Primary objective of RA 1012: to protect citizens' of 2010 (RA 10121) is a key example. It institutionalizes includes preparedness, mitigation, and recovery. May I rights by addressing vulnerabilities disaster risk reduction and management at all levels of emphasize the holistic nature of disaster management. government, promoting a proactive rather than reactive ‣ Preparedness: Planning and preparation activities Republic Act No. 10344 – Risk Reduction and approach. This law also emphasizes community-based undertaken before a disaster to increase readiness. Preparedness Equipment Protection Act disaster preparedness and the importance of integrating To include trainings ( BLS, First Aid, Psychological ‣ An act penalizing the unauthorized taking, stealing, DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) into First Aid Training) keeping or tampering of government risk reduction development planning. and preparedness equipment, accessories and ‣ Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce the severity or Moreover, the law ensures coordination among similar facilities impact of a disaster. national agencies, local government units (LGUs), and ‣ this law measures to protect essential resources ‣ Recovery: Efforts to restore communities to civil society organizations, which is critical for timely and for disaster response. normalcy after a disaster. efficient disaster response. It also mandates risk- 1 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN ‣ it penalizes actions that could compromise the Philippine Environmental Laws unreasonable risk and/or injury to health or the availability and functionality of critical equipment. Environmental laws are relevant to disaster environment. management. These laws contribute to disaster risk Declaration of Policy (RA 10344) reduction by promoting sustainable practices and Republic Act No. 9003 – Ecological Solid Waste It is the policy of the State to protect the right of the protecting the environment. Management Act of 2000 people to a balanced and healthful ecology in ‣ An act providing for an ecological solid waste accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature... Republic Act No. 8749 – Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 management program, creating the necessary o protects the environment and promote ‣ The State shall promote and protect the global institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring harmony between humans and nature, this was environment to attain sustainable development certain acts prohibited and providing penalties, signed by former Pres. Benigno Aquino III while recognizing the primary responsibility of local appropriating funds therefor, and for other government. It discusses the importance of clean purposes Republic Act No. 10821 – Children’s Emergency Relief air and sustainable development. ‣ Discusses the adoption of a systematic, and Protection Act ‣ the role of local government units in environmental comprehensive and ecological solid waste ‣ An act mandating the provision of emergency relief management is crucial. management program and protection for children before, during, and after ‣ the State also recognizes the principle that disasters and other emergency situations it polluters must pay Republic Act No. 9147 – Wildlife Resources ‣ focused on protecting children during disasters. Conservation and Protection Act ensures children's rights are prioritized in Republic Act No. 9211 – Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 ‣ An act providing for the conservation and emergency situations ‣ An act regulating the packaging, use, sale, protection of wildlife resources and their habitats, distribution and advertisements of tobacco appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes Purpose of RA 10821 products and for other purposes ‣ Discusses the state's policy to conserve the o to protect the fundamental rights of children ‣ It is the policy of the State to protect the populace country’s wildlife resources and their habitats for before, during, and after disasters...the State from hazardous products and promote the right to sustainability. shall establish and implement a health and instill health consciousness among comprehensive and strategic program of action them. Republic Act No. 7586 – National Integrated Protected to provide the children and pregnant and ‣ It is also the policy of the State, consistent with the Areas System Act of 1992 lactating mothers affected by disasters and Constitutional ideal to promote the general ‣ An act providing for the establishment and other emergency situations with utmost welfare, to safeguard the interests of the workers management of national integrated protected support and assistance necessary for their and other stakeholders in the tobacco industry areas system, defining its scope and coverage, and immediate recovery and protection against all for other purposes forms of violence, cruelty, discrimination, Republic Act No. 6969 - Toxic Substances and ‣ This act discusses the importance of protecting neglect, abuse, exploitation and other acts Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990 and maintaining the natural biological and physical prejudicial to their interest, survival, ‣ An act to control toxic substances and hazardous diversities of the environment notably on areas development and well-being. and nuclear wastes, providing penalties for with biologically unique features to sustain human o the State should take to support and protect violations thereof, and for other purposes life and development, as well as plant and animal children, pregnant women, and lactating ‣ Discusses the regulation, restriction, or prohibition life mothers. of importation, manufacture, processing, sale, distribution, use and disposal of chemical substances and mixtures that present 2 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN DOCUMENTATION IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT ‣ During or immediately after an emergency, critical ‣ Avoid sharing unfounded opinions and stick to Adequate documentation is a lifeline in disaster response detailed information that triggers emergency verified information only. Avoid hearsays and half- as it ensures accurate communication, legal protection, procedures must be documented as promptly as truths. and continuous improvement in emergency preparedness. possible, regardless of the communication mechanism or centralized or decentralized What are some challenges that responders might Why do you think accurate documentation is location. face in maintaining objective documentation? important in emergency situations? ‣ Ideally, documentaion should begin as soon as an emergency is reported and continue until the ❖ Emotional Stress and Fatigue: High-stress Accurate documentation is essential in post-incident review is completed. This entails environments can cloud judgment and make it emergency situations, particularly in nursing and gathering information and pertinent records from difficult to remain neutral and focused when disaster nursing contexts, because it ensures continuity each employee and member of the response team documenting events. of care, legal accountability, and informed clinical Accurate records help ensure effective response ❖ Time Constraints: In fast-paced situations, there decision-making. In high-pressure, rapidly changing and improvement for future events. may be limited time to document thoroughly, environments, multiple healthcare providers may be o Establishes a Clear Timeline of Events: leading to rushed or incomplete entries. involved in a patient’s care, so clear and timely records Early documentation captures the exact ❖ Overwhelming Caseloads: Managing multiple help maintain consistency and prevent errors. time and sequence of events, which is patients or incidents at once can cause details to Documentation serves as a legal record of care crucial for understanding how the situation blur, increasing the risk of subjective or inaccurate provided, protecting both patients and nurses, unfolded and for making timely, informed notes. especially when decisions must be made quickly under clinical decisions. ❖ Bias or Personal Opinions: Responders may stressful conditions. In disaster nursing, where o Ensures Accuracy and Minimizes unintentionally include personal interpretations or resources are often limited and care is delivered in non- Information Loss: Starting documentation assumptions instead of sticking to observable traditional settings, documentation also plays a key role right away helps ensure that details are facts. in tracking the use of supplies and medications, guiding recorded while they are fresh and accurate, ❖ Lack of Training or Experience: Some responders effective resource allocation. Furthermore, accurate reducing the risk of forgetting critical may not be fully trained in proper documentation records contribute to public health surveillance and are information later. practices, especially under pressure. vital for evaluating the response after a disaster, helping o Supports Legal and Ethical ❖ Disrupted Communication: Poor communication improve future emergency preparedness and policy Accountability: Immediate documentation among team members can result in inconsistent or planning. Even in chaotic or makeshift conditions, provides a legal record that protects conflicting information being recorded. maintaining accurate and concise documentation is healthcare providers and patients by clearly ❖ Unstable or Austere Environments: In disaster critical to delivering safe, effective, and coordinated showing what actions were taken and why, settings, limited access to proper documentation care. especially during high-stress, high-risk tools (like electronic records or even paper and situations. pen) can hinder accurate and objective Overview recordkeeping. ‣ Documentation for disaster or emergency Best Practices for Documentation management can take various forms, from written (JensenHughes, 2021) What Should Be Documented? records to digital entries. While some ‣ Record only facts – Avoid speculation. ‣ Incident details: time, location, severity. organizations rely on a central emergency ‣ Never criticize others’ actions, efforts, or strategies When and where did the incident occur? operations center, others use handheld devices of others. ‣ Response actions: evacuations, alarms, to record emergency observations from on-site ‣ Avoid speculating or guessing the cause of an communication efficiency. field sites. incident. 3 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN If an evacuation was necessary, how much an event. This information allows emergency and How does proper documentation contribute to each of time would it take to get everyone out healthcare teams to analyze what worked well and what these phases? safely? didn’t, helping identify gaps in planning, Did the intended alarms sound properly? communication, staffing, and supply management. It Proper documentation contributes significantly Were gathering places suitable? also supports the development of evidence-based to all four phases of emergency management— Were the means of communication protocols, training programs, and policy changes that mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—by efficient? enhance preparedness and efficiency for future serving as a foundation for informed decision-making Were all employees accounted for? incidents. By learning from past experiences through and continuous improvement. Did on-site equipment meet all well-documented reports, disaster response efforts can In the mitigation phase, documentation from requirements? If not, what additional become more coordinated, effective, and resilient. past disasters helps identify risks, vulnerabilities, and equipment was transported to the location, recurring issues, allowing for the development of if any? National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan strategies to reduce future harm. During the ‣ Equipment status: whether it was functional or (NDRRMP) 2011-2028 preparedness phase, detailed records guide training, required replacements. Areas for improvement and drills, and resource planning, ensuring that protocols are recommendations from authorities. based on real-world experiences and lessons learned. In Were the emergency plan’s steps followed the response phase, accurate and timely exactly? documentation ensures continuity of care, coordination Were there any areas that needed among responders, and legal accountability, all while improvement during the incident? Include supporting rapid, effective decision-making. Finally, in details. the recovery phase, documentation helps evaluate the Did local governments offer assistance effectiveness of the response, supports claims for throughout the emergency response? In funding or assistance, and provides insights that inform such a case, did they provide any long-term recovery plans and improvements to recommendations for improvement? emergency management systems. Does the emergency plan require any Overall, thorough documentation across all changes? The Four Thematic Areas and Respective Overall and phases strengthens the entire disaster management Lead Agencies cycle, leading to safer, more efficient, and more resilient An essential component of an emergency plan is the 1. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation- DOST responses. documentation of an emergency. To provide everyone a 2. Disaster Preparedness - DILG clear knowledge of what happened, it is important to 3. Disaster Response - DSWD The NDDRMP goals are to be achieved by 2028 through: 14 record every step of the emergency response in written, 4. Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery – NEDA objectives, 24 outcomes, 56 outputs, and 93 activities, audio, and visual form. with their respective overall responsible agencies. NDRRM PLAN 2011-2028. Under each of the four distinct How does detailed documentation help in improving yet complementary thematic areas, the NDRRMP outlines future disaster responses? the expected outcome, outputs, important activities, indicators, lead agencies, implementing partners, and Detailed documentation plays a crucial role in timelines. The following diagram illustrates how the goals improving future disaster responses by providing a clear of each thematic area contribute to realizing the country’s and accurate record of actions taken, resources used, DRRM vision challenges encountered, and outcomes achieved during 4 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN Incident Response Team and IRT Roles and Specific roles of each member of the incident response Responsibilities team: ‣ A team of professionals known as an incident ‣ Team Leader – Coordinates and leads all incident response team is in charge of planning for and response team activity, ensuring that the team responding to any type of organizational strives toward the same goals of minimizing emergency. An incident response team is damage and recovering rapidly. responsible for creating a proactive incident ‣ Lead Investigator – Gathers and examines all response plan, identifying and resolving system available evidence, identifies the underlying cause, vulnerabilities, upholding strict security standards, supervises the work of the other security analysts, and supporting all incident management and carries out quick system and service recovery. procedures. ‣ Communications Lead – Takes the lead in all ‣ Incident Response Team (IRT) Teams plan and messaging and communications efforts for all respond to emergencies. Functions include internal and external audiences. leadership, investigation, communication, ‣ Documentation & Timeline Lead – Creates a documentation, and legal compliance. Each realistic timeline for each stage of the incident and member plays a distinct role in ensuring a smooth records all team activities, particularly the duties response effort. related to the investigation, discovery, and o LEADERSHIP – coordinates the overall recovery. direction and strategy of response efforts ‣ HR/Legal Representation – Legal advice and HR and ensures the team remains focused on guidance and participation are crucial because an minimizing damages, recovering rapidly, incident might or might not result in criminal and functioning efficiently. charges o INVESTIGATION – combines efforts to ‣ External Consultant – A third-party expert with identify the underlying cause of an knowledge of technical systems, incident accident. It’s crucial to compile as much response, and information security. relevant data as possible. o COMMUNICATIONS – manages pertinent Role of documentation within an Incident Response communications both internally and Team externally that are required for incident response. In an Incident Response Team (IRT), o DOCUMENTATION – keeps record of documentation plays a vital role in ensuring effective incident response measures and activities. coordination, accountability, and continuous o LEGAL REPRESENTATION – ensures that, improvement throughout an emergency. It serves as a to protect the organization, the incident central record of actions, decisions, and resources, response measures are compliant with enabling team members to stay aligned and avoid applicable laws and regulations. duplication of efforts. Accurate documentation supports informed decision-making, as it provides a clear timeline of events and the rationale behind actions taken, reducing the risk of errors. It also ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements by providing a 5 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN detailed record of interventions, which is essential in 2. PREPAREDNESS: Planning how to respond. What phase do you think documentation is most case of legal scrutiny or audits. After the incident, Disaster preparedness programs aim to achieve a crucial, and why? documentation is used for post-incident analysis, satisfactory level of preparedness to respond to helping identify strengths and areas for improvement, any emergency event by strengthening the While documentation is important in all phases which informs future response planning and training. technical and managerial capabilities of of emergency management, it is most crucial during the Furthermore, it tracks the use of resources, ensuring governments, organizations, and communities, response phase because this is when real-time efficient management and allocation. Overall, proper These steps are referred to as logistical decisions are made, care is delivered, and resources are documentation enhances the efficiency, accountability, preparedness for disaster management, and they actively being used. Accurate, timely documentation and effectiveness of an Incident Response Team, can be reinforced by having response mechanisms during the response phase ensures continuity of care, improving both immediate and future disaster response and procedures, practicing them, creating long- supports effective coordination among team members, efforts. and short-term strategies, educating the public, and provides a legal record of actions taken under and constructing early warning systems. pressure. It also captures critical information that can Examples: preparedness plans; emergency influence immediate outcomes and lays the groundwork THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT exercises/training; warning systems. for later analysis during recovery and planning phases. ‣ strives to minimize or prevent potential losses from Without proper documentation at this stage, there’s a hazards 3. RESPONSE: Efforts to minimize the hazards greater risk of miscommunication, errors, and missed ‣ ensures appropriate and timely support for disaster created by a disaster; Implementing immediate opportunities for improvement. victims rescue and relief efforts. The goal of emergency ‣ achieves faster and more effective recovery response is to immediate aid to keep people alive, ‣ exemplifies the continual process by which improve their health, and boost their morale. Such Vulnerability Factors in Disasters governments, non-government organizations, and assistance could take the form of providing VULNERABLE GROUPS civil society prepare for and minimize the adverse targeted but limited relief, such as assisting ‣ The spectrum of economic, social, cultural, effects of disasters refugees with transport, temporary housing, and institutional, political, and psychological factors ‣ respond during and immediately after a disaster food, or it could take the form of building a semi- that influence people’s lives and the environment ‣ take action to recover permanent settlement in camps and other sites. leads to vulnerability, which is the human Examples: search and rescue; emergency relief. dimension of disasters. FOUR PHASES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT 1. MITIGATION: Minimizing the effects of a disaster. 4. RECOVERY: Returning the community to normal. Vulnerability is influenced by the following: The impact of natural disasters is mitigated or the The affected population can carry out a rising ‣ Physical Factors likelihood that they will occur is eliminated or number of tasks intended to restore their lives and o Poor design and construction of buildings reduced through mitigation efforts. Building codes, the infrastructure that supports them as the o Unregulated land use planning, etc vulnerability assessment updates, zoning, and land emergency is curbed. ‣ Social factors use management, building use regulations and Examples: temporary housing; grants; medical o Poverty safety codes, preventive healthcare, and public care. o Inequality awareness campaigns are examples of mitigation o Marginalization Social exclusion measures. These four phases of disaster management do not always, o Discrimination by gender, social status, Examples: building codes and zoning; vulnerability or even generally, take place one after the other or in this disability, age analyses; public education. specific order. The length of each phase is significantly ‣ Economic factors influenced by the intensity of the disaster, and phases of o The uninsured informal sector the cycle often overlap (Warfield, n.d.). o Vulnerable rural livelihoods 6 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN o Dependence on single industries included in drills, and prioritized in evacuation or Proper documentation plays a key role in o Globalization of business and supply response strategies. Ultimately, it enables a more preventing future hazards by capturing detailed records chains equitable and effective disaster response. of past incidents, including what occurred, how it was ‣ Environmental factors handled, and what challenges were faced. This o Poor environmental management Health Hazard Reports information allows emergency managers, healthcare o Overconsumption of natural resources ‣ Employers must identify workplace hazards and providers, and policymakers to analyze patterns, identify o A decline of risk regulating ecosystem document risk assessments. Safety officers ensure weaknesses in current systems, and recognize recurring services preventive measures are in place. risks or gaps in preparedness. By learning from o Climate change ‣ Every employer is responsible for conducting risk documented experiences, they can implement changes assessments to determine the measures that need to infrastructure, protocols, training, and community Because vulnerability tends to imply different things to to be taken to safeguard employees and visitors outreach that reduce the likelihood and impact of different people and is frequently defined using a range of from hazards because the workplace can be similar events in the future. In essence, documentation terms, such as ‘’predisposition,’’” fragility”, “weakness”, dangerous. Where there are more than five persons transforms real-world experiences into actionable “deficiency”, or “lack of capacity”, it can be challenging to working for the organization, the assessment strategies that strengthen prevention and resilience understand. In addition to susceptibility to injury, some should be documented efforts. definitions of vulnerability also include exposure. HAZARD Responsibilities of a Safety Officer/Representative Vulnerability is complex. Although poverty is only one ‣ Hazard refers to an unsafe condition or practice ‣ Investigate health and safety matters; factor in vulnerability, a lot of studies conducted over the that could result in serious injury, disease, or ‣ Be consulted; past 30 years have shown that the poor are typically the damage to property or the environment. ‣ Inspect the workplace; ones who suffer the greatest from disasters. Due to ‣ Hazard reporting is crucial to monitoring the ‣ Receive information, including risk assessments; economic pressures, people are forced to live in hazardous campus safety and health program and is required ‣ Take paid time off to perform functions and environments, which increases disaster risk. to prevent accidents and avoid losses. undergo training. How can documentation help identify vulnerable Risk Assessment INCIDENT populations before a disaster strike? ‣ The process of identifying workplace hazards that ‣ An incident is defined as “an unexpected or already exist or could emerge is known as a risk unwanted event that hurts campus or department Documentation can help identify vulnerable assessment.  It is the responsibility of the work operations.” Work-related injuries, populations before a disaster strikes by maintaining employer to do risk assessments at work, identify occupational diseases, property damage, spills, accurate and up-to-date records on individuals and anything that might be hazardous, and eliminate or fires, and “near miss” events that could have communities who may require special assistance during minimize risks. caused any of these are all examples of incidents. emergencies. This includes data on age, disability ‣ A thorough investigation is required when an status, chronic health conditions, language barriers, incident causes a serious employee injury, Casualty Reports and Recording Key Points socioeconomic status, and geographic location. By significant property damage, a large fire, or a spill, Mass casualty events require structured reporting analyzing this information, emergency planners and fires, and “near miss” events that could have for medical teams. Casualty data serves as an early healthcare providers can anticipate specific needs— caused any of these are all examples of incidents warning system and a tool for advocacy. According to such as medical support, transportation, or shelter Ritchie, et al. (2014), natural disaster deaths can vary accommodations—and develop targeted preparedness What is the role of proper documentation in greatly from year to year; in some cases, there are very few plans. Proper documentation also supports outreach preventing future hazards? deaths before a major disaster occurs that caused efforts, ensuring that vulnerable groups are informed, numerous casualties. 7 NCM121: Disaster Nursing Anna Francheska A. Cunanan, RN 2025 Inst. Bibeth B. Monsalve, RN, MN CASUALTY REPORT Why must casualty recording be both timely and Mass casualty management key points: accurate? ‣ Large numbers of survivors or non-fatal casualties occur as a result of natural, technological, and Casualty recording must be both timely and social hazards-related accurate because it directly impacts the effectiveness of ‣ In an emergency, the health sector’s top priority is emergency response, resource allocation, and managing mass casualties. accountability. Timely recording ensures that ‣ With quick access to medical care, many deaths responders have up-to-date information to make critical following natural disasters can be avoided. decisions about triage, treatment, and transportation, ‣ A mass casualty event’s medical response takes which can save lives in fast-moving situations. Accuracy place in different general locations: on-sites and in- is equally important, as errors can lead to hospital misidentification, duplicated efforts, or missed care for ‣ To save lives and use resources as efficiently as those in need. Additionally, accurate casualty records possible, defined pre-hospital search and rescue are essential for informing families, supporting legal and and triage are crucial. administrative processes, and contributing to post- ‣ Incident management system that are incident reviews and public health data. Together, timely standardized and well-practiced, together with and accurate casualty recording ensures coordinated, Standard Operating Procedures, are vital for linking ethical, and effective disaster management. site operations to health-facility-based care during a real disaster. Documentation is a critical part of disaster response and management. It ensures lessons are learned and CASUALTY RECORDING future responses are improved. It must be factual, ‣ Casualty recording is not just for civilians or even structured, and clear to be effective. for armed conflict; it may also be used in post- conflict settings and circumstances when human rights are being violated. ‣ The casualty recording is frequently regarded as one of the few trustworthy sources of information and is acknowledge as such by all actors due to the strict requirements for verification of casualty information in context that are frequently characterized by mistrust, misinformation, or a combination of these. ‣ Casualty data can be used as an early warning system, a way to spread knowledge of current events, or as direct , evidence based advocacy for certain problems 8