A critical part of handling any serious emergency situation is in the management of the Disaster Recovery Phase. By definition, the Disaster Recovery Phase is likely to involve, to a significant degree, external emergency services. The priority during this phase is the safety and well being of the employees and other involved persons, the minimization of the emergency itself, the removal or minimization of the threat of further injury or damage and the re-establishment of external services such as power, communications, water etc. A significant task during this phase is also the completion of Damage Assessment Forms.

During the recovery period, restoration efforts occur concurrently with regular operations and activities. The recovery period from a disaster can be prolonged. Examples of recovery activities include:

• Preventing or reducing stress-related illnesses and excessive financial burdens
• Rebuilding damaged structures based on advanced knowledge obtained from the preceding disaster
• Reducing vulnerability to future disasters