Emergency Preparedness of Estonia

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Emergency Preparedness of Estonia

• Case Study of Performance Audit
• National Audit Office of Estonia
• Alina Undrits

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The purpose of the audit was to assess the
preparedness for high likelihood and serious
consequences of emergencies

• The audit covered four emergencies
• bird flu,
• influenza pandemic,
• extensive marine pollution,
• accident in the transportation of dangerous
  chemicals.

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The purpose of the audit was to assess
the functioning of the emergency preparedness
system

• arrangements for emergency prevention,
• preparations for emergencies.

E preparedness E prevention Preparations for
an E (risk assessment and
(A contingency plan and
risk reduction measures) resources for
fulfilling the plan)
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A state is ready for an emergency if

• it has been identified where, why and when an
  emergency may occur
• a justified assessment of the likelihood and the
  extent of the consequences of an emergency has
  been made
• all risks requiring management have been reduced
• a contingency plan which specifies a clear chain
  of management and determines the roles of all
  parties involved and all resources has been made
  for responding to an emergency (in the case of a
  threat/danger)
• preconditions for implementing the plan have been
  created by ensuring the existence/availability of
  the required resources and conducting training
  events and exercises.

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The assessment of emergency preparedness

• In spite of the serious and recognizable
  efforts of the ministries, Estonia is not ready
  for emergencies resulting from bird flu,
  influenza pandemic, extensive marine pollution or
  transportation accidents involving dangerous
  chemicals.
• The preparedness for bird flu can be achieved
  with rather little effort and time.
• The preparedness for an influenza pandemic takes
  more effort and time.
• The preparedness for extensive marine pollution
  was not at the required level at the end of the
  audit.
• The preparedness for an emergency resulting from
  a transportation accident involving dangerous
  chemicals is inadequate.

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The assessment of the emergency preparedness
arrangements

• The emergency preparedness arrangements are
  inefficient because they do not support preparing
  a quality risk assessment or a contingency plan
  allowing for quick resolution of an emergency and
  the creation of the prerequisites necessary for
  fulfilling the plan.
• Diffusion of responsibilities within ministries
  weakens the readiness to deal with emergency
  situations
• There is no general overview of the resources
  which are necessary for implementing of a
  contingency plan
• There is no complete overview of emergency
  preparedness
• The state has no idea the preparedness for which
  emergencies need most attention and for which to
  first allocate money.

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Recommendations

• Recommendations to the Minister of the Interior
  as regards making emergency preparedness
  arrangements more efficient by adding the
  following principles to the Emergency
  Preparedness Act (EPA) and other legal acts on
  crisis management.
• Recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture,
  Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of the
  Interior for improving preparedness for an
  emergency resulting from an infectious animal
  disease, an influenza pandemic, extensive marine
  pollution and a transportataion accident
  involving dangerous chemicals.

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Nobody has been made responsible for emergency
preparedness and emergency response

• 1. Depending on an emergency, a leading ministry
  should be appointed and that ministry should be
  responsible for emergency preparedness and
  emergency response management. The leading
  ministry has to have the powers, resources and
  support from the parties involved which all are
  necessary for fulfilling this role. An
  alternative would be to appoint the Ministry of
  the Interior the leading ministry for all
  emergencies.

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Nobody has been made responsible for population
evacuation arrangements

• 2. An entity responsible for population
  evacuation should be appointed and that entity
  should carry out an analysis of the need to
  evacuate in the case of an emergency and draw up
  the respective evacuation plan which includes
• evacuation arrangements (duties of all parties
  involved, including the ministries),
• places where people would be evacuated and the
  existence of required conditions in these places,
  
• transportation needs,
• protection of the property of evacuees, etc.

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No complete risk assessment is carried out

• 3. The leading ministry should carry out a
  comprehensive risk assessment, which is necessary
  for planning emergency preparedness, and a risk
  description/assessment form which contains a
  comprehensive overview
• of all implemented risk reduction measures, their
  efficacy and costs from one side and
• measures which need to be implemented and their
  approximate costs from the other
• which would allow for their effect to be taken
  into account in assessing an emergency.

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No complete overview is given of emergency
preparedness

• 4. The leading ministry should draw up a complete
  overview of emergency preparedness. For this
  purpose the involved ministries and counties
  should forward information on emergency
  preparedness (incl. risk assessments, crisis
  management plans) to the leading ministry.
• 5. Periodic analyses of preparedness should be
  carried out to find out the shortcomings in order
  to constantly increase the level of emergency
  preparedness of the state.

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Proper risk reduction measures are not planned
and implemented

• 6. The leading ministry should link making a risk
  assessment of an emergency with the development
  plans of the ministries and the budget so it is
  possible to improve planning and implementation
  of actions necessary for risk reduction.

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No systematic risk management decisions are made

• 7. Emergencies should be prioritised for each
  year on the basis of the assessments given in the
  summary of risk assessments of the ministries and
  financing for ensuring preparedness for the top
  priority emergency (i.e. risk reduction plan)
  should be planned in the state budget.

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There are some differences between the Emergency
Preparedness Act and special acts

• 8. In managing response activities to emergencies
  regulated by special acts (Infectious Animal
  Disease Control Act, Communicable Diseases
  Prevention and Control Act) the control
  committees should function as crisis management
  teams.

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No complete plan is prepared

• 9. The leading ministry should draw up a
  comprehensive contingency plan which
• should contain a clear chain of management as
  regards emergency response,
• specify the roles of all parties involved and
• cover all resources necessary for emergency
  response.

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There is no general overview of the resources
necessary for implementing the plan

• 10. The leading ministry should ensure the
  existence and availability of the resources
  required for emergency resolution
• it should prepare a comprehensive overview of
  necessary, existing and missing, but required
  resources,
• draw up a plan for long-term investments into
  acquiring the missing resources and
• organise coordinated procurement of missing, but
  required resources, e.g. personal protective
  equipment.

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Not all parties involved are taken into account
in training events and exercises

• 11. The leading ministry should draw up a plan
  for training events and exercises on emergency
  response and organise its implementation to
  ensure that the preparedness of the parties
  involved is at the adequate level.

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Audit influence

• Much attention is paid to the problem and there
  is the change of attitude not happend no
  problem.
• Making the emergency preparedness arrangements
  more efficient is the most important task because
  it will improve preparedness for all emergencies,
  not only for inspected emergencies.
• Minister of the Interior, Minister of
  Agriculture, Minister of Social Affairs, Minister
  of the Environment, Minister of Economy Affairs
  and Communications agreed with most of the
  conclusions and recommendations made during the
  audit.
• During the audit and in order to solve the
  problems, the Ministry of the Interior has drawn
  up a concept for changing the legal bases for
  crisis management and formed an interministerial
  task force which should prepare the draft for the
  Emergency Preparedness Act Amendment Act and its
  derivative acts.

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Never let the perfection become the enemy of
good enough!

• Report is available http//www.riigikontroll.ee/
  upload/failid/20033_ka_en_28.06.2007_lopp.pdfFur
  ther informationAlina UndritsSenior
  AuditorNAO of Estoniaalina.undrits_at_riigikontroll
  .ee 372 6400-719 or 372 5044-174

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Thank you for your attention!