What are the main difficulties in starting an emergency response operation?

Completing a comprehensive plan for handling emergencies is a major step toward preventing disasters. However, it is difficult to predict all of the problems that may happen unless the plan is tested. Exercises and drills may be conducted to practice all or critical portions (such as evacuation) of the plan. A thorough and immediate review after each exercise, drill, or after an actual emergency will point out areas that require improvement. Knowledge of individual responsibilities can be evaluated through paper tests or interviews.

The plan should be revised when shortcomings have become known, and should be reviewed at least annually. Changes in plant infrastructure, processes, materials used, and key personnel are occasions for updating the plan.

It should be stressed that provision must be made for the training of both individuals and teams, if they are expected to perform adequately in an emergency. An annual full-scale exercise will help in maintaining a high level of proficiency.

Every company worth a mention has elaborate emergency identification processes and conducts drills to make its personnel aware of the possible emergencies and the responses thereof. Main hurdle are people who do not take these emergency response drills seriously and cause a panic at the time when an emergency is faced. Another reason is the lack of confidence in the person/s handling/ leading the emergency response. Confidence shall be oozing out of the person who is leading the emergency response so that the people follow the instructions.

First of all an emergency is some thing which happens abruptly, so its un planned, the most common problem faced in an emergency is panicking. But you can avoid this panicking in an emergency if first of all, keep calm, knowing your surroundings and then calling for buck ups.

Every emergency has different response depends upon the situations but the main problem is what kind of emergency is that, the actual initial information about any emergency is the base of difficulties during any emergency.

For Example: There is a fire emergency in the town but the fire department didn't what kind of fire level is this Level1, Level2 or Level3. So here we got the initial and main difficulty for this emergency. 

The main difficulties during the time of emergency response can be1) arrangement of resources specially for the remote sites2) Determination of the root cause within no time3) Tremendous pressure from the customers and higher management.

in emergency you against the time, you have no time to collect data, planning and make a decision, the high risk and uncertainty nature of emergencies makes decision making so critical