Re: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance [Open Class
[spoilername="OOC"]Material in this course is drawn from a 1997 manual published by the US Air Force, "POSTATTACK & POSTDISASTER PROCEDURES" for civil engineers, FM 19-15 from the Department of the Army, and from post-disaster procedures publicized on the website of the US Centers for Disease Control.[/spoilername]
Rin nodded slightly in response to Kaoru's answer. Kaoru's first and third examples were narrower than what she was looking for, but post-attack procedures were nearly synonymous with post-disaster procedures. The middle, she thought, hit the point Rin was hoping to make.
"Each of these is a terrible thing to happen to any village or organization, but the second example--a mass event--is on the mark for what we will discuss today," Rin replied. "I will define what I am talking about when I say 'disaster'--perhaps that will help cut matters down to size."
At that point, a younger boy came in, obviously trying to regain composure lost from the act of running down the hall.
"This is the beginner's course on post-disaster procedures," Rin answered him. "So it depends on whether you were looking for the ANBU Sennin's course or not."
As if to add more seasoning to the situation, a heavier set of footsteps came to the door. She gave the man a once-over.
"Kizoku-san, it seems we have a lot to talk about after this," Rin replied. "It smells like things went well. We'll debrief later."
She cleared her throat and waited a few beats until the new students settled in their seats.
"Disasters--they are usually natural or man-made events of great magnitude causing immense amounts of death and destruction. There are more complex types of disaster as well, such as what you might see in lesser nations like Bear Country, where it is impossible to determine whether the cause, or causes, of a diaster were either-or. In those cases, the reasons might point to both man and nature. One says 'man,' but the truth is that the lands our nation is founded on have also had a long history with forces occult, known by laypeople as demons and spirits.
"In many cases, disasters may be avoided, or their consequences mitigated. This is part of what I call risk management. However, we will not always succeed. Today, I will teach you what to do if we fail to prevent a disaster. Leadership and followership, each in their turn, are required else all fall into irreperable chaos.
"Thus, our main concerns across the leadership of the village--civilian and shinobi leaders--and branches are actions
during the disaster and actions
after the disaster. We will discuss the transdisaster period first, then postdisaster.
"First you must understand the natures of command and control. First responders are heavily relied upon when disasters occur--not just for their expertise, but also for leadership and morale. Med-nin, ANBU, Main Branch responders, and even civilians who occupy positions of authority and possess needed skills are all under intense pressure and scrutiny during these events.
"Command, or command attitude, is a rational perspective dealing in seeing the situation
as it is, collecting facts, and acting based on reason. This attitude is a leader's attitude. A commander does not act solely for the sake of acting; however, he does not delay out of indecision based on conflicting information. This balance is crucial.
"Control is
efficiency--it is concerned with form; it determines the form that action takes. The classic comparison is that the commander is the rider, the reins are control, the horse is the organization.
"Harmony exists when the commander can use subtle, natural signaling and the horse responds in kind. If the pair are in disharmony, the reins must be used aggressively; a steel bit is necessary, and so on--how long will this relationship be effective? The greater the control the rider must exert, the less effect he exerts over the horse. Or look at it this way: in a harmonious household, the parent can signal children through subtle ways about what is right or wrong, what needs to be done, and so on. In a chaotic household, the parent must threaten, cajole, or punish the child, and each time such a tactic is used, it becomes less effective. Thus ideally, control is used minimally and everyone works in concert towards common goals.
"The greater the control used, the less predictable the behavior of people who compose the organization. From the other side, the more reliable the behavior of the people in the organization, the less control is needed. The greater the understanding of your people's behavior, then, the less need you have to resort to control. The greater the understanding, the better the relationship. Likewise, you could say... Control can be used to compensate for unpredictability during high pressure situations. For ANBU, one should only use one's authority when one perceives her limit for effective command--natural signaling--is exceeded. It should be the exception, then, to lean on your authority as ANBU, rather than the rule.
"What has this to do with disaster? Your natural authority and your ability to lead determine your success or failure on the battlefield and in the event of an emergency. Effective command comes through true leadership. This is the quality we ANBU most desire. Ah, but I will get too far off topic if I keep discussing leadership, so let us move along. Suffice it to say, what you most need after leadership is unity of purpose in your organization--you should all strive together for the same ends." She sat back in the chair and moistened her lips.
"Emergency responders need to know their co-workers, their offical leaders, and informal leaders. Make it a point to seek these people out--you can rely on them. Get to know them before a disaster occurs. You can learn a great deal from not only talking to them, but from observing them as well.
"Take stock of your resources--your supplies, the skills and weaknesses of the people you work with, the type and capabilities of special equipment at your disposal, and the lay of the land--structures, landscape, hazards.
"Ideally, the role of military personnel such as the Deathwatch and the ANBU will be, ideally, minimal. Our concern is the preservation of law and order, custody of any offenders, documentation of evidence, exchange of intelligence, and most importantly the protection of key areas and personnel. For medical personnel, care of the injured, shelter, and feeding are most important. For the main branch, media releases, intelligence exchanges, evacuations, communications maintenance, all of these are part of their duties. Thus, delineation of areas of responsiblity, joint patrols, these are important areas to have a working understanding of. Coordination between responding organizations is crucial to an effective, orderly recovery.
"Some tasks the ANBU and Main Branch may especially cooperate on are things like transport of detained persons, evacuating civilians, conducting searches, supporting civilian detention facilities, operating checkpoints and roadblocks, patrolling and security of sensitive areas and critical facilities, riot control formations, anti-sniping and anti-looting operations, and fire fighting.
"However, perhaps the ANBU's most powerful role is physically and psychologically suppressing civil disturbances--you know us by reputation." Rin quirked an eyebrow. "Before I continue... Questions?"
OOC said:
Next round up in 48 hours.
