Flexibility in maritime assets and pooling strategies: A viable response todisaster

This paper addresses the use of maritime resource options in natural and non-natural disasters on land and at sea. The Macondo oil spill disaster as well as other marine disasters such as hurricanes has triggered a review of responses to disasters. A model of maritime asset response and implementation is developed using three dimensions: the nature of the disaster, natural or man-made; the nature of the responder, government/common environment or private; and the nature of the recipient, an individual citizen or an entity. Each of these dimensions is further impacted by the ability and speed of response; the experience for response and the staging or the strategic positioning of the response. The model shows that disaster decision making options require pre-disaster planning and flexible post-disaster strategies, which encompass the various dimensions. A pooling system of identifying and deploying all available maritime assets to assist in recovery can be an important factor in successful and speedy recovery.

► This research defines disasters and outlines disaster preparedness strategies.
► The disaster response framework presented is determined by the three factors.
► The three factors include disaster type, responder capabilities, and recipient needs.
► An asset pooling strategy is developed for deploying maritime assets for disaster response.