Effective emergency response requires more than getting equipment and personnel to the scene. As important is determining what supplies are available and where they are available, as well as ensuring that required supplies are staged and deployed in a manner that meets the needs of the situation and any contingencies that might arise. Providing this kind of responsiveness requires two important capabilities: an awareness of what supplies are available, and the ability to communicate, easily and comprehensively, the status of those supplies. As any supply chain manager will tell you, inventory planning and awareness is critical to successful emergency response.
