("Lynchburg Virginia Emergency Operations Plan," 2012)
Elements of Disaster Response, Recovery, and Incident Command
In the event of a disaster, the City Manager is appointed as the local spokesperson for all issues, events and the coordination of resources. They work directly with the Mayor and the City Council (who sit as an advisory board to the City Manager). In the event that there are any political issues, the Mayor will interact with officials. This is streamlining communication and reducing the overall amounts of confusion. As a result, the incident command is split between the Mayor / City Council and the City Manager. ("Lynchburg Virginia Emergency Operations Plan," 2012)
Professional Accountability
Professional accountability rests with the Mayor serving as a go between for the City Council and City Manager. The City Council has the power of oversight and monitoring for potential abuses as well as where different resources should be utilized. The basic idea is to have three different parties that can work together and watch the activities of each other. This is taking place by having the City Council conducting oversight. While the Mayor, is working with the City Council and is helping the City Manager. They are responsible for spearheading local recovery efforts. ("Lynchburg Virginia Emergency Operations Plan," 2012)
Complete an evaluation of the application of other county responses and policies as applied to Lynchburg. Is it feasible?
Lynchburg has an effective response plan in place that is taking into account a number of scenarios. This is in line with biblical ideals such as Genesis 6:21 which says, "And remember, take enough food for your family and for all the animals. God could have easily provided enough food every day for all people and animals on board, but He had Noah prepare ahead of time." This is illustrating how having a strong foundation can protect against unforeseen events. (Holly Bible, 1992)
When Lynchburg's plan is compared with other municipalities, it is feasible. This is because...
Moreover, there is an emphasis on having continuing training at the local level to deal with a host of challenges. This improves coordination and prepares officials for a variety of threats that are constantly changing. In other areas, many of these plans were created several years ago and have not been updated. This hurts everyone's ability to understand the nature of the threats and how to respond to them. ("Emergency Operations," 2012) ("Lynchburg Virginia Emergency Operations Plan," 2012)
For example, information on Louden County's EOP is unavailable. They have nothing planned for any kind of terrorism response drills. This increases the chances that an incident could take place where no one is prepared for new tactics or strategies. It is at this point when there will be severe disruptions to the economy and increased dangers for the general public. ("Emergency Operations," 2012)
In the case of Lynchburg, there is an emphasis on understanding the changing nature of the threats. This means that local personnel will train and coordinate with state / federal officials. At the same time, regular drills are conducted to prepare everyone for a possible incidents and to ensure that they are ready for a variety of threats. In the future, this reduces the chances of terrorist attacks and it limits any casualties / collateral damage. ("Lynchburg Virginia Emergency Operations Plan," 2012)
References
About Lynchburg. (2012). Lynchburg VA. Retrieved from: http://www.lynchburgva.gov/Index.aspx?page=14
Emergency Operations. (2012). Loudoun County. Retrieved from: http://www.loudoun.gov/index.aspx?NID=729
Lynchburg Virginia Emergency Operations Plan. (2012). City of Lynchburg. Retrieved from: http://www.lynchburgva.gov/Index.aspx?page=5248
Top Secret America. (2012). Washington Post. Retrieved from: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/states/virginia/
Holly Bible (New International Version). (1992). Oak Ridge, TN: Gideon's.
