Search Virginia.gov:

• TOOLKIT HOME
• HAZARDS & THREATS
• PREPARING
• PLANNING
  • Who's in Charge
  • Vulnerability Assessment
  • Develop Priorities
  • Write Plan
  • Implement Plan
  • Training
  • Sample Plans
• RESPONDING
• RECOVERING
• RESOURCES

Planning: Vulnerability Assessment

Vulnerability Assessment Home • SWOT Analysis • Resources • Capabilities • Impact

Capabilities

A key aspect of your vulnerability assessment is understanding the capabilities that might be required in an emergency. Capabilities are skills, expertise or talents that your employees possess. Again, while many of these capabilities will extend through all emergency types, some might be hazard-specific. For this reason, it is best to conduct a capability review by emergency type.

Capabilities could include any or all of the following:

• Emergency medical training, such as first aid and CPR.
• Ability to use emergency equipment, such as fire extinguishers, communications systems, and power generators.
• Mobilization of evacuation plan.
• Initiation of backup systems for payroll, communications, customer services, shipping/receiving, emergency power, etc. This capability might involve developing a mutual aid relationship with another facility or organization.

Once this list of capabilities has been developed, check your organization’s current capabilities against it. This difference will be the baseline for your emergency plan – you’ll know where you stand, and where you need improvement.