In retrospect, too often, we can see that a potential crisis has been building over an extended period.  The warning signs were there; the rats started fleeing the sinking ship.  The smouldering had been noticed.  The red flags had been raised.  Whatever metaphor you want to use, few crises come out of nowhere.  Avoiding a situation is often about seeing trends and identifying that there will be a crisis if you continue in the direction you expect. 

One of the critical things that bedevils crisis response is denial.  You can refuse to confront the unpalatable truth of the circumstances and act as though this is not a crisis.   

I attended a fascinating workshop delivered by an individual who had been working in a crisis service built up from scratch over many, many years.  He and his group of volunteers based themselves at the notorious UK suicide spot, Beachy Head.