My initial response was just about the actual responding to an emergency, but you're right, the other side would be the preparing and being ready to respond, and then knowing whether the response is one that meets the community's needs. We definitely found that there were sometimes no emergency management plans in some of the regional offices. Those that were there were long outdated.
The department was unaware if every community actually had an emergency response plan, and then when they did receive response services, they weren't monitoring whether they were timely, culturally sensitive and met the needs of the communities. Did they meet more than just the physical needs of coming in and moving individuals? Did they meet the mental health needs and the ongoing health and education needs?
There is a lot missing on the preparedness and planning side that the department has as a responsibility that it hasn't yet addressed.