Using the theory of competence awareness that you can apply to any skill, or knowledge based discipline i.e. cooking, auto repair, etc. I am taking a writers license to make a revision to Dr. Abraham Maslow’s conscious competence theory, and apply the theory to Disaster Preparedness.
Unconsciously Incompetent: The UI represents approximately 90% of the population of the nation. Using Hurricane Katrina as an example, hundreds of thousands of people felt it was the role of the government to make sure that individual citizens would have food, water, clothing and shelter. These same people believe under no circumstance, the individual (UI) was responsible for ones lack of preparation. In fact, some people even blamed the President of the United States for the UI’s unwillingness to become ready for a disaster.
In a study commissioned by the San Diego Department of Emergency Services in 2006 a year prior to the largest fire storm in California’s history, showed that out of those that did not have a plan 50% stated that they have just not taken the time. The UI will most likely react to an event instead of planning. Then the UI will need assistance from government and NGOs such as the American Red Cross. The UI places tremendous strain on the response system. People that otherwise are not a “victim”, will still expect heroic measures to be taken by the community, to “save” and help them, and recover from the event. The UI does not know where to start or get services. The UI will demand that those that are prepared for the event help them, the classic “crab in the bucket” reaction pulling down individuals who were ready for a disaster.
The “crab in a bucket” syndrome is: When a single crab is put into a lidless bucket, they surely can and will escape, however, when more than one share a bucket, none can get out. If one crab elevates them self above all, the others will grab this crab and drag ’em back down to share the mutual fate of the rest of the group. Crab bucket syndrome is often used to describe social situations where one person is trying to better them self and others in the community attempt to pull them back down
Consciously Incompetent: If the UI is the “crab in the bucket” the CI is the provable “grasshopper” from the fable of the “Grasshopper and the Ant.”
The fable concerns a grasshopper that has spent the warm months singing away while the ant (or ants in some editions) worked to store up food for winter. When winter arrives, the grasshopper finds itself dying of hunger, and upon asking the ant for food is only rebuked for its idleness.
The CI knows that they need to get ready. The CI may even have some gear and supplies. The supplies that the CI does have are not located in any order or state of readiness. They still believe that if the “big one” hits that the government or someone will come for them, or that things will be back to normal soon. They are the people that say to the Consciously Competent “I am coming to your house if anything happens.” The CI also thinks that they have time to get ready later. This is supported by the San Diego study. Around 20% of those that were not ready stated the “nothing serious is going to happen.” The CI will have excuses for not being ready; they “live in an apartment,” “it is too expensive,” “they are going to a family member’s home if it gets bad here” and so on.
Consciously Competent: Of the 10% of the population that are ready most fall into this level. The CC has the 72 hour bag that FEMA recommends; they have some extra water and food. Their items and tools are located in one spot in the home and ready to go. The CC will go through their supplies once in a while making sure that tools are in working order and the food fresh. Their papers are in order for the most part. They have a family plan and everyone in the family knows how to respond incase of an event. For the CC this is a laborious undertaking but completed with care. The CC is always looking for items to make their family and themselves better prepared at the super market, online, hardware stores and alike. Being ready is almost a hobby to the CC.
Unconsciously Competent: The UC falls into a special category, they are sometimes called a survivalist. The UC has programmed their mind and body to being ready. However the UC is not always a militia, gun toting anti-government far on the right person, some UC’s fall far on the left of the political spectrum.
Subsistence farmers for example are UC’s. They know how to grow and harvest their own food. Making butter, jelly and canning food is not a conscious effort like it is for the CC, it is a part of their daily lives. The idea of having food to last the winter is not foreign to them. The UC knows how to work the land, fish, and hunt, repair anything for the most part and need little from anyone else. The UC life style is the way people lived until the 1950s. Today the UC maybe looked down upon by some and even demonized by others however when it comes to being Disaster Resilient the UC is king. UI and the CI may try to take things from the UC and the CC; however unwanted guest may be greeted with a barrel of a gun when approaching the UC’s home.
I have taken the opportunity to share with you the different attitudes toward Disaster Preparedness today in this article. I hope your eyes are open toward being ready and will take it seriously. Don’t be a crab or a grasshopper, be the Ant!