Presidential Disaster Declaration Process

Presidential Disaster Declaration Process

Preparedness and Mitigation from Disasters in the Twentieth Century

Numerous disasters have always brought intensive destruction to the environment and human lives over the years. The twentieth century, however, has experienced rather greater disasters, which have called for intervention through ensuring mitigation and preparedness. The presidential disaster declaration process is aimed at fulfilling the ambitions of preparing for disasters. These disasters include both the man-made and natural ones, ranging from the outbreak of fires, contagious diseases that need extreme control, earthquakes and hurricanes, the nightmare of global warming, political instability and many others. The essay evaluates analytically, the need for preparedness through the presidential disaster declaration process, which is a strategy to getting assistance. The evolution of the process in the twentieth century to strengthen hazard management is also discussed in the content.

Outline

Introduction

I. What is the presidential disaster declaration (PDD) process?

II. Importance of the PDD process in mitigation and preparedness

Disasters in the twentieth century

I. Disease outbreaks

II. Fire destructions

III. Floods

IV. Political instability

The process of requesting assistance through the PDD process

I. What processes are involved?

II. Efficiency of the PDD process in mitigation and preparedness for disaster

III. Evolution of the process in the twentieth century

Conclusion

I. Personal opinions

II. Recommendation

Presidential Disaster Declaration Process

Introduction

Though many risk managers present different opinions of the interpretation of presidential disaster declaration, what is required is an absolute definition that leads to intensified understanding of the process. The presidential disaster declaration is an authoritative instrument for the national security purpose, which is implemented to typical address management in emergencies. The presidential disaster declaration (PDD) process has proved to be unavoidable as it plays the crucial role in safeguarding the people's interests that are a priority to any statutory government. The government constitution allows mandate to the president, who possess the emergency power. The managers of emergency planning should appreciate that the president has the general control of the process (Kapucu & Alpaslan, 2011).

Mitigation and preparedness

When disasters appear, and there is no way to reduce or curb the intensity of destruction, it usually leads to adverse, negative outcomes. There is a dire need to prepare for these emerging disasters, for this will help in reducing death rates in case of hazardous events and reduce the destruction of property, which may have economic implications of a country. Strategies must be adopted that will ensure mitigation and preparedness, and one such strategy is the presidential disaster declaration process.

Disasters in the twentieth century

Especially during wars and famine, many states seem to undergo economic instability, which leads to insufficient control of disease outbreaks. Famines have been indicated as one of the causes that affect resistance to diseases. Hence affecting the world's population now and then, due to increased death rates and reduced birth rates. Just within two years (1918-1919), a tragic influenza outbreak led to deaths of over thirty million people across the globe. The economic effects it brought are not measurable. Many blamed the war as it led to reduced resistance of the disease, but the war hardly caused it. These deaths could have been reduced if there was clearly defined protection of preparedness and mitigation (Oliver & Aldcroft, 2007).

Another natural disaster in the twentieth century is fire epidemics. The Cleveland fire, for instance, was one of the major fires in the century, where the entire city caught fire, and the fire department, hard the hardest time in controlling the fire. They were not prepared to take charge, leading to intense destructions and loss of lives (Bellamy, 2009). This was a true indication for necessity of preparedness and mitigation strategies, and Cleveland learnt the hard way.

Floods are disastrous and have always led to inefficiency of food staff and gone to an extreme of causing death. After a statistical study, it was estimated that about a third of the world's human population, was affected by natural disaster. Just floods and intense droughts alone accounted for over 80% of those affected. This is how severe the floods affected the globe in the twentieth century (Veenema, 2003).

Comparative politics, which is also referred to as the comparative public policy, is used to measure and understand the political activities and welfare of nations. Politically instable nations are prone to natural disaster unpreparedness. If the issues affiliated to hazardous management policies are ignored, the power to cope with the frequent disasters experienced will reduce. This is not the expected, as there is a huge opportunity of mitigation from disaster.

Requesting for assistance through PDD

It is through the Stafford Act that the president is given authority to issue the major disaster declarations. After the president makes the declarations, it authorizes the federal agencies to provide help to the most affected states, which are experiencing overwhelming disasters. Mainly the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) turns the executive orders given by the president. Usually FEMA is within the Homeland Security Department (DHS). Any assistance provided by the agency is open to those affected. The affected can be individuals, specific non-profit making organizations, families, both the local and state governments and others.

Funds for relief are appropriated to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), and the ducats, therefore, help in providing care for the affected masses, in restoring the destroyed, and facilities assist individuals who are victims to the disaster and those not insured of their needs.

The president, in most cases, receives requests from the governor of the affected areas (states). The destructions that are considered major, are the explosions of any kind, floods and enormous destructions by fire. In case of emergency disasters, the president is mandated to issue emergency declarations, especially when the disasters are related to the federal government's obligations.

Efficiency of the presidential disasters declaration

The process becomes efficient if the right procedures are followed to the later. All the departments involved have to produce good results, and the entire process is successful. Management of the departments should be well designed to avoid hiccups in the process. The governors, president, federal emergency management agency, DFR and federal government all integrate to make the process a success.