Emergency management is a process that protects communities from hazards, or threats to life or property. This process involves four, often overlapping phases:

1. Prevention/Mitigation is the process of preventing a disaster, or minimizing the negative effects of unavoidable disasters. (Enforcing building codes, building levees to protect potential flood zones, etc.) 
2. Preparedness involves actions taken prior to a disaster that facilitate a better response. (Training, conducting drills, developing plans, and acquiring resources to aid in response)
3. Response is the actual action taken during or immediately following a disaster to protect life and property. (Fire fighters responding to a wildfire)
4. Recovery is the long term process of restoring a community to the same conditions that existed prior to an emergency or better. (Providing physical and psychological support, and rebuilding damaged structures)