In disaster scenarios, the critical combination of situational awareness and resource management plays a pivotal role in determining the effectiveness of response efforts and the overall survival of affected individuals. Situational awareness, the ability to perceive and comprehend the elements of an environment, coupled with strategic resource management, forms the backbone of successful disaster response strategies. Prepared provides useful strategies for optimizing both of these aspects of successful disaster response.

Situational awareness in a disaster context involves continuously monitoring and understanding the evolving circumstances, including the nature and extent of the disaster, the affected population, available resources, and potential hazards. This heightened awareness enables responders to make informed decisions in real time, adapting their strategies to the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of disaster situations. It requires not only information gathering but also the ability to process and interpret that information swiftly. Glover, through anecdotes involving natural disasters like a tsunami or human-caused disasters like the Virginia Tech shooting, shows how situational awareness is key to keeping not only the individual alive but also the larger community.

Effective resource management is intrinsically linked to situational awareness, as it involves allocating and utilizing available resources judiciously.