What is the goal of the Response phase in disaster management?

• A. To assess economic impact of the disaster.
• B. To perform immediate actions such as triage, rescue, and first aid.
• C. To train volunteers for future events.
• D. To develop long-term recovery plans.

Answer: (B)

The goal of the Response phase is to act immediately to save lives and reduce suffering. This means carrying out urgent on-the-ground actions that stabilize the situation: triage to determine who needs care first, rescue operations to reach people in danger, and on-site first aid to stabilize injuries before professional medical help arrives. This phase also focuses on rapid scene safety, meeting basic needs, and coordinating initial emergency operations so that life-saving efforts can proceed smoothly. Activities like assessing economic impact are typically part of later analysis or the recovery process, while training volunteers sits with preparedness, and developing long-term recovery plans belongs to the recovery phase.