When we think of emergency planning, it’s usually in terms of response to a sudden and unexpected crisis, such as a fire or earthquake. Such crises, while often devastating, are of relatively short duration and the response is straight forward. However, there is another type of crisis that can have a devastating long-term impact, known to emergency managers as a “slow-onset” crisis. These are the crises that start small and increase in intensity over time and whose effects aren’t always recognized until it’s difficult to respond.

This is the situation we find ourselves in with the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, in ...