Military vs. Domestic Public Safety Agency Preparedness

Military vs. Domestic Public Safety Agency Preparedness

Military vs. Domestic: Public Safety Agency Preparedness

In the military, critical incidents must be managed. Public safety agencies at the domestic level also have to handle incident management, but the question is whether these domestic agencies handle these incidents with the same level of preparedness as the military. In the opinion of this researcher, the military has a higher level of preparedness. The reason behind this is simply one of use. The military is required to be ready for anything, at all times. They practice incessantly for critical incidents and other problems that may take place in the future. Whatever issues may arise, they make a strong attempt to be prepared for, and that translates into the ability to handle incidents and problems quickly and efficiently when they occur. Naturally, that makes a big difference in how prepared the military as a whole will be when it comes to any problems that may appear.

Domestic safety agencies, however, are different. Yes, they have drills and they practice for the kinds of problems they could face, but they do not practice for these issues at the level of the military, nor do they spend as much time on what they will do if something goes wrong. There are incident drills where there are mass casualties and simulations where people are hurt, trapped, sick, or any combination thereof (Thompson, 1991). Still, these drills are few and far between - and that means that the people who participate in these drills and practice runs are not always as prepared as they could be. They forget things in between the drills, and they do not stay in the kind of shape that military people are required to be in each and every day (Dupuy, 1992). With that in mind, it is not realistic to say that domestic public safety officials have the same level of training, readiness, and preparedness as the public safety officials in the military. They may be comparable in some areas, but they will not be equal in the sense of both having the same level of preparedness for critical incidents every day.

When the military spends each day training for combat, staying in shape, and focusing on what they will do when there is a problem, it is difficult for any domestic public safety agency to come close to that level of preparedness (Dupuy, 1992; Thompson, 1991). Many agencies can make an effort to get close to that level, but this researcher does not see that actually taking place. However, that does not mean that domestic public safety agencies cannot be prepared for critical incidents. Police and firefighters, for example, are more prepared than the average citizen or the average individual who works at a public safety agency. By looking at what specific safety agencies do with their time, talents, and resources, it is easy to see how some can be more prepared than others. Of course, there are some agencies that keep some of what they do "under wraps" for various reasons, so it can be difficult to judge the level of preparedness that they actually have for critical incidents.