federal state and local first responders earthquake

Local, state, and federal organizations and agencies offer resources for responding to natural disasters like earthquakes. In the event of an earthquake, as many first responder resources as are necessary can be mobilized to provide effective and cost-effective interventions. Depending on the severity of the quake, the extent of the damage to both property and human casualty, and the location of the event(s), various first responders may be called in for assistance.

Most first responders will be from local organizations like law enforcement and fire departments as well as emergency medical technicians who will arrive on the scene for triage and medical intervention for saving lives and reducing the extent and severity of injuries. Local branches of the Red Cross may also be involved as first responders. Then, each state will have its own list of governmental and non-governmental first responder agencies that can deploy more resource-intensive needs requiring specialized equipment or personnel.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, 2018), which is part of the United States Department of Labor, manages a list of state-based agencies that provide first responder solutions in the aftermath of an earthquake. Besides first responder agencies, then, a plethora of organizations would be responsible for providing response and information services.

Many of these organizations, like the United States Geological Survey (USGS), also offer the necessary tools and resources for earthquake preparedness, which should include the empowerment of individuals to become their own first responders via first aid kits, stocked food and water supplies, and knowledge of basic first aid. In fact, OSHA, the USGS, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are among the most important national clearinghouses for information and first responder coordination resources. Responding to an earthquake requires the coordination of resources between local, state, and federal agencies.

Local organizations provide the immediate first responders because of contingencies like logistics, time sensitivity, and knowledge of local geography and population needs. However, local organizations do not have the financial or human resources that are available at the state and federal levels. State organizations therefore provide some of the most valuable interventions, particularly in earthquake-prone states like California. With state resources, rural and remote areas have the support they need.

Rural and remote areas lack the local first responder resources that might be taken for granted in more densely populated regions of the same state. Federal agencies like FEMA, OSHA, and the USGS are helpful in providing earthquake preparedness tools, for coordinating response efforts, and for resource management and allocation. State and federal agencies play diverse roles during the response phase of a crisis. The role state and federal agencies play during the response phase is actually predetermined through emergency preparedness and contingency planning.

Response services are mobilized at the local and state level through the effective allocation of resources and the allocation of emergency funding. Communication and coordination services are the main responsibilities of state and federal agencies, who encompass managerial and administrative.