GC: n

S: http://www.dhs.gov/topic/plan-and-prepare-disasters (last access: 7 October 2015); UNTERM – http://unterm.un.org/DGAACS/unterm.nsf/WebView/D6D85AD08E9DC18285257A46004F4678?OpenDocument (last access: 25 April 2013).

N: 1. preparedness (n.): 1580s, from prepared + -ness (word-forming element denoting action, quality, or state, attached to an adjective or past participle to form an abstract noun, from Old English -nes(s), from Proto-Germanic *in-assu- (cognates: Old Saxon -nissi, Middle Dutch -nisse, Dutch -nis, Old High German -nissa, German -nis, Gothic -inassus), from *-in-, noun stem, + *-assu-, abstract noun suffix, probably from the same root as Latin -tudo, see -tude).
readiness (n.): mid-14c., “state of preparation, preparedness;” late 14c., “promptness;” from ready (adj.) + -ness. As “willingness” from c.1400.
2. Preparedness is defined by DHS/FEMA as “a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response.” This cycle is one element of a broader National Preparedness System to prevent, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other disasters.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=preparedness&searchmode=none (last access: 4 September 2014). 2. http://www.dhs.gov/topic/plan-and-prepare-disasters (last access: 7 October 2015).

SYN:
S:

CR: humanitarian aid