Effect of Relief Maneuvers on Staff Preparedness for Disasters

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Investigation of natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes and floods) has a long history due to the lack of knowledge of humans about the severity and strength of these accidents or the time and place of their occurrence. In this regard, it is necessary to develop national plans for the reduction of the vulnerability of people who are exposed to such disasters. Execution of maneuvers can effectively raise the awareness of relief workers and even the society which would result in the reduction of disaster damage. Therefore, the execution of maneuvers is an appropriate response to these needs and a solution to this problem. METHODS: This applied survey study was performed on the staff of the Red Crescent Society of West Azerbaijan Province. The required data were collected using the library and field methods. Finally, the collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version16). FINDINGS: Based on the findings, relief maneuvers had a direct effect on various aspects of staff preparedness. Therefore, it can be said that all research hypotheses were confirmed. CONCLUSION: It can be said that the design and execution of relief maneuvers can help to identify opportunities, eliminate threats, and increase the preparedness and capability of the staff. This increases the individual and organizational preparedness of the employees. Moreover, effective relationships between managers and employees can create strong morale in the employees and increase their preparedness for accidents and disasters.