Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Not only were better public safety communications systems as well as interagency communications systems necessary, then, but these systems needed to be more clearly outlined and presented to the right individuals.
Response to Noted Problems
The issues that arose during the response to Hurricane Katrina did not go unnoticed by the media, the public, or the officials involved in responding to disasters and coordinating relief efforts. Through the reactions of these officials and the legislation that was proposed and/or enacted in the wake of the hurricane, other specific communications problems that occurred during Katrina as well as more general public safety communications concerns can be identified. Direct technological inadequacies and a lack of physical infrastructure within the state of Louisiana were among the earliest problems identified, and legislation was introduced almost immediately after the hurricane to improve communications infrastructure and to ensure greater interoperability between existing and expanding/newly constructed communications systems and procedures (Moore 2005).
Another issue that has been noted is the emphasis placed on federal communications and military agencies in the wake of the September 11th attacks (Perini 2007). While it is true that the intensity of these attacks and of several subsequent scares requires the ability to quickly accumulate and communicate information, many of the systems and protocols that have been put into place have focused on military and security communications at the expense of communications systems for other non-militaristic threats (Perini 2007). The development of such an exclusive and narrowly-focused communications schema has been detrimental to overall public safety communications (Perini...
Responses to Hurricane Katrina have included broadening the focus and the scope of existing communications systems and integrating emergency and disaster response systems in order to counteract the detriments noted in this more exclusive communications focus.
Conclusion
Hurricane Katrina did not create any communications problems, but it certainly highlighted many issues confronting communications infrastructures and demonstrated the need for effective public safety communications systems. Without these systems in place, the unavoidable problems that were created by Hurricane Katrina were allowed to become much more intense and widespread than they needed to be, and other problems that could have been avoided were created. There appears to have been a fairly comprehensive response to the issues identified, however.
References
Moore, L. (2005). Public Safety Communications Policy: Before and After Hurricane Katrina. Accessed 7 October 2011. http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=457862
Mountjoy, J. (2005). Broken Connections. Accessed 7 October 2011. http://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/docs/sn0510BrokenConections.pdf
Perini, M. (2007). Public Communications: Vital Link to Maintaining the Public's Trust During Crisis. Accessed 7 October 2011. http://www.carlisle.army.mil/DIME/documents/Public%20Communications.pdf
US Congress. (2006). Protecting Infrastructure; Public Communication; Role of the Media. Accessed 7 October 2011. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/pdf/sr109-322/ch20.pdf
White House. (2007). The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned. Accessed 7 October 2011. http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/report/2006/katrina-lessons_wh_060223_ch5.htm
Communication Challenges in Response to Disasters Communication Communication and response to disaster The United States has been hit by several disasters ranging from natural ones to man made. Some of them have included flooding, winds, and terrorism among others. In response to these disasters, the law enforcement agencies have been met with several challenges including communication problems due to failure of early preparedness or poor equipment. The most known natural one was Hurricane Katrina
The inability of the local government to evacuate the city days before the storm arrived and then heed warnings from various federal officials underscores his complacency. As the largest part of Mayor Nagin's evacuation plan was to go to the Superdome or the Convention Center. Once at these locations, the overall amounts of suffering would continue as the break down in communication, would mean that supplies and first responders
Public Health Incident Command Structure Action Plan Command staff and General staff Positions Three Major Problems Resources Needed Public Health Confusion and chaos are something that is something commonly experienced by the hospital whenever there is medical disaster going on in the city such as the case in this scenario. Nevertheless, these negative effects can be diminished if management steps up and responds quickly with a focused direction of activities and structure. The Hospital Emergency Incident
According to the Congressman, there is a basic lack of interoperability across more than 80% of the United States' first responders. They are not able to communicate with each other, and are therefore also not able to launch adequate rescue operations, particularly during times of large-scale emergencies. According to the report, it was found that at least 121 of the 343 fire fighters who died could have been saved had
Crisis Communication: Overcoming Barriers When Crafting an Effective Risk Communication Strategy When a disaster strikes, there is no time for planning, and what is already in place must therefore suffice. One of the most important factors to emerge from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was the need for more effective communications between the relief agencies, U.S. military and civil law enforcement. Effective communications between these agencies and the people that needed
Katrina The problem with the response to Hurricane Katrina was not that a National Response Plan (NPR) was not in place or that a National Incident Management System (NIMS) did not exist. It was that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had been in decline for years, was suffering from significant turnover among top leaders, and the individuals who were in charge lacked the appropriate leadership experience and knowledge to oversee