Disaster Preparedness Essays (Examples)

Training and Disaster PreparednessTo start with, it would be prudent to note that when disasters occur, they tend to have a negative impact on the economic, mental, as well as physical wellbeing of all those affected. Further, disasters could also impact the environment in a largely negative way. For this reason, Naser and Saleem (2018) suggest that it is important to lend the relevant support to those impacted by disasters and deploy the relevant resources towards the relevant interventions. Essentially, the main priority in any disaster is to secure the wellbeing of victims. Stakeholders who are in most cases at the frontline are inclusive of specialized units (such as fire fighters and military personnel) and health care workers. As Naser and Saleem (2018) point out, the said healthcare professionals should have the relevant knowledge and capabilities to be able to respond to disaster scenarios in an effective manner. As a…

Disaster Preparedness Plan:

Georgia has been an area threatened by some of form of natural disaster that has a huge negative impact on the well-being of its residents and the personnel and financial resources of the emergency response agencies. The most common natural disaster that occurs in this area is tornadoes that have terrorized both the rural and urban areas while making everyone in danger of their perils. In the recent years, Georgia experienced deadly tornadoes that caused harm, damages, and deaths in approximately 15 counties within the state. Give the nature of these tragedies, residents of this state need to be prepared and planned on how to respond to such emergencies.

Tornadoes in Georgia:

Tornadoes are regarded as nature's most violent storms since they can generate wind speeds of over 250 mph and appear from nowhere with little warning ("March Marks Start of Active Tornado," n.d.). These natural disasters…

Disaster Preparedness

In the second hypothesis of the proposed research project, disaster management and emergency response are critical areas which can be explored further in terms of the United States' current performance in this area, applied in the context of national security. he second hypothesis of the study states that, there is a significant relationship between performance/competence in disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities and the successful implementation of homeland security in the United States.

o test this hypothesis, the important variables that must be taken into consideration are (1) performance or competence in terms of disaster management and emergency response and (2) successful implementation of homeland security in the U.S. o measure performance or competence in terms of disaster management and emergency response, specific measures that could help determine this variable are the following: competency of individuals in agencies and departments responsible for disaster management and emergency response (on…

Disaster Preparedness Research: Proposed Methodology

Exploring the issue of disaster preparedness in emergency centers and trauma clinics require not only an understanding of the challenges that have been experienced in the past (i.e., lack of supplies and/or equipment, staff shortage, poor management, among many others) and through extant literature on the topic, but also an understanding of how these emergency centers and trauma clinics operate in the event of a disaster or an emergency.

It is only through understanding the operations of emergency centers and trauma clinics that the researcher would be able to fully explore, identify, and determine weak and strong points that is the current situation in emergency and disaster preparedness management. In order to do this, a research into the operations of emergency centers and trauma clinics must be conducted. In line with this requirement, the proposed methodology for the research study on determining points of improvement…

Public Health Preparedness Policies

Accidents and disasters are unpredictable occurrences that may hardly be prevented from occurring. However, their effects can be minimized especially in a public health facility. These challenges are common many public places and many societies. It is the prerogative of all stakeholders to ensure that they have appropriate disaster preparedness mechanisms. Disaster preparedness is a systematic way of averting mishaps before they occur and ensuring that the entire program runs sustainably. It is the role of the management of any public health facility to secure a good place environment for the execution of any necessary precautionary measure that will avert disasters from happening. This is the fundamental rule of safety.

esponsibility

The responsibility of taking care of safety in any public health facility is a departmental head in charge of health safety. This department must be fully equipped with the personnel and the resources necessary for…

Organization:

An emergency and disaster preparedness plan and program is an important aspect for an organization due to its significance in promoting workplace safety. The preparedness program helps in enhancing safety in the workplace through inclusion of initiatives for lessening injuries and loss of lives, minimizing insurance claims, lessening property damage, and improving employee morale. While emergencies still happen despite of measures to prevent them, an organization's preparedness plan is critical in preventing the frequency of their occurrences, minimizing injury and property damage, and establishing ways for mitigating their impacts. This is largely because the plan consists of basic procedures to handle emergencies in the workplace. In most cases, organizations use preparedness plans and programs to protect workers from fire incidents and other emergencies.

Threats and Vulnerabilities in the Workplace:

Since an organization's workplace involves several employees, threats and vulnerabilities are likely to occur both from within and outside the…

EMEGENCY MANAGEMENTEmergency Management: Training and Disaster PreparednessIntroductionFrom the onset, it would be prudent to note that human societies have become increasingly complex as well as vastly connected. It therefore follows disasters and emergencies that are human induced and those that happen to be natural could wreck more widespread havoc today than was the case a few decades ago. This is more so the case in relation to disease outbreaks. Towards this end, the relevance of disaster preparedness cannot be overstated. This text concerns itself with disaster preparedness and more specifically focuses on the relevance of a wide range of factors in preparedness efforts. It should be noted that disease outbreaks have in this case been selected as an ideal disaster in contemporary settings. This is more so the case given that at present, we are in the middle of a pandemic that has affected millions of people from across the…

Disaster Plan

In the modern era, it is important that government from the federal to the local level have risk management plans in place for natural disasters, man-made issues and of course, terrorism. Generally speaking, risk management helps identify, prioritize and put plans in place regarding areas of risk that can impact the community. The overall purpose of risk management is so that agencies can be proactive in their identification and implementing plans for disasters and risks since in the modern world these plans involve numerous agencies and complex coordination. Thankfully, standards have been developed that organize risk management by looking at six general paradigms: 1) Identifying risks in the context of the area (e.g. flood planning is less important in Arizona than in Louisiana); 2) Planning a process to mitigate the situation (who is in charge); 3) Mapping the objectives of stakeholders (who will be involved); 4) Developing a…

isk Management: Disaster ecovery

In essence, disaster recovery has got to do with protecting an organization against events of a negative nature and their effects/impact. Such events include, but they are not limited to, failure of equipment, serious cyber attacks, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. All these put the operations of the organization at risk. This text concerns itself with practical risk management. In so doing, it will, amongst other things, address the need for disaster recovery and highlight the key components of a disaster recovery plan.

The Need for Disaster isk Management

The relevance of disaster risk management cannot be overstated. This is particularly the case given that disasters put the continued operations of an enterprise at risk. It is important to note that in the past, many businesses have had to contend with huge losses when disasters strike. This is more so the case when…

Disasters and Their Management

Disaster Management

egional Disaster Analysis

Both natural and human caused disasters have been an issue in the safety of human beings all over the world. Fortunately, there are international agencies that are created for the purpose of mitigation purposes and assist in the prevention of disaster effects that would be more adverse. State governments also have the obligation of adopting the right preventive and counter actions to assist in cushioning citizens from the effects of disasters. This paper, therefore, analyzes the types of disasters in Africa, and the theoretical approaches in the management of the disasters. Under management of disasters, different factors are discussed including response, preparedness and recovery and mitigation practices. There is also a review of both the International Agencies and Local Governments, relating to their preparedness in responding to disasters. Finally, there is an analysis on the partnership relationships between public and private…

As Nielsen and Lidstone (1998) note,

It is ironic that the public demands safety yet a number of cost-effective and feasible measures to mitigate disasters are not adopted by many... Such a failure of the public to adopt disaster mitigation measures has a long record in Australia

(Nielsen and Lidstone 1998)

This attitude is one of the reasons given for the greater emphasis on public education. In theoretical terms, the view is put forward that an educated public will be able to deal with emergencies and disasters more effectively and that this should form an integral part of emergency and disaster management and planning. This in turn has resulted in a "...renewal of focus, at both a national and global level, upon public education as a means to disaster mitigation" (Nielsen and Lidstone 1998). To this end the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the United States (FEMA) has collected data…

("About FEMA," 2007)

The method followed by FEMA is to lead the country in cases of a disaster, in a risk-based comprehensive emergency management system that would have as its important tenets preparedness, protection, response and recovery, and finally, mitigation of the losses that the people have suffered. These are some of the plans that FEMA has in place, and for which it recruits trainees: the National esponse Plan, strategic Plan, and Annual Agency Performance Plan. The National esponse Plan encompasses a sort of a complete and all hazards approach to the management of domestic incidents. Some of the protocols that the National esponse Plan have established are: to save lives and also to effectively protect the lives and the health and safety of the public, the responders to the calamity, and to the health care and rescue workers at the scene, while at the same time making sure that…

he article goes on to list and discuss many other areas of important consideration when it comes to planning for a disaster and thus carrying to an effective response when a disaster actually strikes. Proper staffing levels need to be maintained at all times, and contact information for additional staff should be organized according to distance from the hospital in order to bring in as many staff members as possible as soon as they can be made available in the unit (Ashcraft 2001, p. 51). Prioritizing inpatient care in the manner that allows for the most effective and efficient use of resources and ensuring that proper follow-up appointments and symptom/pain management techniques are effectively communicated are both essential tasks of acute nursing staff during a disaster response, as well (Ashcraft 2011, p. 51-2). Having procedures in place to speed up standard admissions procedures during a disaster response is also highly…

Nursing Intervention in Disaster

The possibility of occurrence of disasters is a reality. With this in mind there should be efforts made to prevent any upcoming or potentially disastrous events. These efforts are what are known as disaster prevention. Disaster prevention therefore refers to efforts put in place to ensure that adverse effects of events that are potentially disastrous are prevented even when the disaster cannot be controlled. Disaster prevention is done at various levels of the society and is undertaken so as to prevent all types of disasters. Nurses are involved to a large extent when it comes to the prevention and mitigation of disasters. Nurses are involved in institutions that can influence change and due to the unique skills that they posses they can make interventions in disasters. To perform efficiently, a nurse must be always prepared to make changes in plan actions at any time and at…

SAFETY

Hurricane Katrina and the Plan Efforts to educe elated Disaster Impacts in Future

Hurricane Katrina

The hurricane Katrina is one of the deadliest hurricanes to occur in the United States. The hurricane hit Louisiana, Florida, and New Orleans amongst other places. It led to losses, evacuation of people, loss of lives and many businesses came to stand still. New Orleans had flood preparedness systems, which did not help, and floods persisted for weeks. The tragedy was contributed to by the lack of risk preparedness systems. Scientists have estimated lower storm surges and small coverage of wetlands in the 20th century. The winds, surges, and wetlands help to weaken the powerful winds. The areas are still vulnerable to hurricanes and storms in the future due to the geographic location. New Orleans city is also sinking geologically rapidly. Lessons learned from the hurricane Katrina should be used for disaster preparedness.

Federal…

National Preparedness (PPD-8) examines how the nation should approach preparing for threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to U.S. security. It is the view of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that "national preparedness is the shared responsibility of our whole community. Ever member contributes, including individuals, communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and Federal, state, and local governments" (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2011). Therefore, the Department of Homeland Security feels that increasing preparedness across all sectors, public and private, better enables the entire society to deal with potential disasters. Moreover, one of the Department's goals is to increase resiliency; they are aware that not all disasters can be avoided, but want to make sure the country is well-prepared to weather a disaster.

One of the recurring issues with homeland security-geared legislation is that it is seen by many as being somewhat overbroad and unconstitutional.…

Lynchburg Security

Formulating a disaster and risk management is necessary for this jurisdiction. This is based on the knowledge that risk management is a demanding initiative that requires an appropriate and responsive. Satellite units are professionally trained to meet global demands. The Lynchburg, Virginia security system has met federal requirements of quality, and as a result, the system has proved suitable to respond to various hazards experienced in this jurisdiction. This report will attempt to present the Homeland Security apparatus of this jurisdiction. The report will assess the current situation of possible hazards and actual preparedness whilst presenting the elements of disaster management at Lynchburg. This section is a critical analysis of how disaster is managed within this jurisdiction compared to the critical disaster management measures in the United Kingdom.

Homeland Security stakeholders

The Lynchburg Homeland Security system is comprised of stakeholders like administrators, first responders, and the local law…

Natural disasters have the potential to dramatically alter life in local communities. The loss of human life reverberates through the generations, as does the loss of local businesses and the generalized economic and psychosocial strain. Yet there are also larger impacts from localized events, such as changes to public policy and political philosophies resulting from major natural disasters. One of the most impactful natural disasters in recent American history is undoubtedly Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina showed Americans the many shortcomings of federal disaster relief response programs like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which was restructured after the event (Zimmerman, 2015). In addition to the political ramifications from Katrina, the storm revealed weaknesses in local, state, and federal infrastructure: showing that public spending patterns need to change in order to make American communities more resilient in the future. Another reason why Katrina remains one of the most important and impactful…

Session Long Project involve developing a disaster management program a specific country include hazard analysis, prevention, preparedness, response, recovery plans. Epidemiology Disasters espond: 1.

In 2011, Japan was shook by a devastating earthquake which claimed thousands of deaths and led to serious economic casualties. Since then, a number of concerns have been raised in regards to expectations of an even vengeful one in the near future. In fact, Japan has had a history of damaging quakes throughout the years. In 2004, the Ch-etsu Earthquakes, although less serious as to the number of human lives, forced many people to leave homes and injured thousands. It was considered the most vengeful quake since 1995 when thousands were killed in the Great Hanshin Earthquake, hundreds of thousands more were affected one way or another and substantial economical damage was registered. As such, Japanese have become more vigilant in regards to their safety and…

role that technology has played in terms of the genocide in wanda, both before and after.

With the scope and depth of technology, there is an ability to make natural disasters seem even worse -- worse in the sense that a degree of sensationalism can develop, making the incident seem more pervasive and more damaging. One of the major ways that technology has impacted the manner in which we consume news is via the fact that it makes the news more immediate and more accessible. As one theorist has argued, "…sensationalism played an important role in journalism and the spread of news. People would shoot the breeze about this guy getting eaten by a bear or that woman being involved in affair. It's human nature to be curious about things that might affect our own survival -- such as death and sex" (Sanders, 2011). Technology has taken the element of…

capabilities discussed on page 16 of the Government Accountability Office report from this unit's readings. In your view, why hasn't the federal government been able to fulfill those capabilities after the September 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina incidents?

Effective emergency preparedness and response requires coordination across many levels of governmental and nongovernmental institutions. Successful responses to such major disasters, whether the result of natural forces or terrorist acts, necessitate large-scale planning, management and collaboration among well-trained first responder organizations in a wide range of disciplines, including public safety, fire, public health, and social service personnel. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the federal government has endeavored to enhance our ability to handle cataclysmic events by investing at least $11 billion in financial support to state and local authorities for the purpose of improving their emergency preparedness and response systems. In spite of this increased financial investment, the Government Accountability Office…

Disaster ecovery

ecovery: Disaster and Crisis

Disaster recovery has become an important aspect of a company's strategic plan. The main reason for an increased concern can be attributed to the fact that integration and alliances at an international level have increased so that there are more linkages and higher interdependencies that have increased the exposure of people to international risk. This also means that companies are more prone to be affected by a force majeure impacting a vendor located in another part of the world. Some cases that have recently come to light in the spate of the Japanese Earthquake are the impact on General Motors leave alone Nissan. Moreover, giants such as Sony have been impacted in the wake of natural disasters in Thailand where a Tsunami impacted the Integrated Chip provider, making it difficult for Sony to continue to manufacture its products.

In light of these vulnerabilities it…

Disaster Management

Communications and Technology in Disaster Management

The Importance of Communication and Technology in Disaster Management

With the ever increasing chances of disasters occurring in different levels of our societies, the need for institution appropriate disaster management procedures go without saying. The strategic application of processes within organizations and regions, mainly with the aim of protecting the most critical of its assets is a prerequisite (Haddow & Bullock, 2003). With the increasing complexities, in terms of challenges to disaster management, the need for equally complex measures for managing these disasters has been echoed and this has been practically applied in the contemporary world. Generally, the use of communication and technology in facilitating functions like coordination, commanding and control and providing warnings in disaster management has become widespread. A case in point is Australia, a country which since history have implemented and continually developed its disaster management strategies (Healey, 2006).…

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…

Homeland Security and Preparedness, esponse, Activities and Programs in Disaster esponse or Disaster ecovery

The focus of this study is the homeland security issue as it relates to the preparedness of the U.S.A. government and citizens in response to the emergencies that may emerge.

The research question in this study is one that asks in light of the past disasters experienced by the United States such as the events of September 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina among others, are the emergency response agencies and the law enforcement agencies in a better position to handle disasters from preparation to response and ultimately recovery effectively in the event of disasters or terrorist attacks?

Significance

The significance of the research in this study is that the effectiveness of the preparedness of Homeland Security initiatives should be addressed as it is not possible to know where and when disaster will next strike and the…

" hile it is true that some plane crashes cannot be prevented, there are measures that can be taken to ensure that when a crash does occur, the proper help gets to the scene in time.

The first secondary measure for a plane crash is "Foster informed, empowered individuals and communities." hether the witness of a crash is a doctor or a hospital secretary, everyone can play a role in assisting at the scene. If nothing else, the person can call authorities and report the crash. For hospital staff, education in basic first-aid is standard at most hospitals and this includes sufficient knowledge to aid a victim in stopping bleeding or splinting a leg.

The second measure is "Develop and maintain the workforce needed for national health security." ith most hospitals understaffed, there is a real need for more nurses in the event of an emergency. Otherwise, a nearby hospital…

Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness (U.S. Federal Programs: Advantages and Disadvantages)

The confrontations and prospects for the reduction of hazards/disasters have never been greater than in the current period. In theory, the challenge is to do away with all disasters that cause the loss of life or injury to people along with the property and environment damage. On the other hand, such a goal is not possible to achieve practically. Although it is possible to avoid certain risks but the elimination of environmental hazards seems to be an idealistic task (Smith, 2004, p. 268).

The evidence signals that there is a need to do more today for tomorrow. Though investment in hazard mitigation has increased, there are few signs that show the effectiveness of the sustainability plans. In United States of America, several plans are outlined that have lessened the number of casualties and scale of destruction (Smith, 2004, p. 268).…

Planning Efforts to educe Future Disaster Impacts

This paper looks at options for programs to be put in place before to a disaster to avoid major and often poorly-managed expenditures after a catastrophe and to offer suitable protection against the risk of those large losses which do occur. It is important for the government to provide programs that enlightens the citizens on how to deal with the hazards that come with hurricanes. Natural hazards have taken place in America and they have not been well attended to. The response in the Haiti earthquake showed some weakness in response. Hurricane Katrina should have given Americans a lesson on how to prevent major destructions in case of a similar scenario.

Introduction

Katrina was a hurricane that hit the Atlantic in 2005 and was known to be the most dangerous hurricane in history of America. Over 1,836 people died as a result of…

Terrorism Preparedness

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has made a significant progress guiding against terrorist attacks using terrorism preparedness to forestall further terrorism attacks in the United States. Terrorism preparedness exercise is a broad range of response and preparedness program to support communities that might be affected by the terrorist attack. (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, 2004).

Typically, the U.S. government has implemented a range of program for terrorism preparedness and one of the policies employed is the use of wide range of intelligence to investigate the imminent terrorism that might have occurred in the United States. Typically, the U.S. intelligence has collaborated with other intelligences globally to prevent act of terrorism in the United States. For example, the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) has collaborated with Pakistan intelligence to locate the hideout of Ben Laden and killed him.

Moreover, the United States has implemented various military exercises for…

What they did not anticipate was the levees breaking nor were they aware of the level of immediate need of the people. He also says that with Hurricane Andrew, about two million residents were evacuated and only about 10% we left homeless whereas with Hurricane Katrina approximately the same number of residents were evacuated yet over 90% were left homeless (Halton, 2006). This was much more of a burden than FEMA had anticipated and it was a result of poor emergency response at lower levels of government.

Even still, FEMA should have been better prepared to handle the situation. They should have been called in earlier than they were and if this were the case they situation would have been easier to manage. Paulison says that FEMA was not fully aware of what was needed and where. This is a result of poor communication. y the time they were called…

Communication Challenges in esponse 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 which strikes the United States. According to the risk management experts, the storm caused $40-60 billion in terms of insured losses, and the actual losses exceeded $150 billion. egarding the human costs, the effects of Katrina was felt for more than decades, (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration., 2005). Some of the far reaching consequences of this killer storm were permanent population shifts as well as large scale changes in terms of land use practices.

There were…

21). When pressed, the ed Cross said they did not know if any of their recipients had received aid from other agencies, or even actually lived in the affected areas (O'Meara, 2004, p. 21). There was a controversy after the facts became known, and after the controversy hit the news, the President of the organization, Dr. Bernadine Healy resigned in October 2001 after allegations that the organization did not use all the funds collected for victim relief. In December 2005, Marsha J. Evans also resigned her position as the President And CEO, after new allegations surfaced over the terrorist attacks and problems with the relief effort in the Gulf Coast area after the 2005 hurricane season. Today, the organization posts their tax returns and annual reports on their Web site, and has a list of commonly asked questions about where their funding comes from and where it goes.

Funding may…

International Cooperation During Disasters

Discuss how leaders of nations and the international community can strengthen the framework for international cooperation and collaboration in response to disasters

In the contemporary world, there seem be increasing trends of the global weather events or scenarios. This makes it critical for governments to focus significantly on activities that can provide a lasting solution to the problem at hand. This would involve majoring in activities that aid disaster management within the nation. In order to tackle the prospective disasters facing the globe, it is essential to have measures in place to enable organizations to be ready in case of any hit. This notion calls for crucial involvement of leaders of the nations and international communities to strengthen the framework for international cooperation and collaboration in response to disasters.

The first approach by the leaders of the nation to strengthen the framework for international cooperation and…

SAFETY

Disaster Management

Natural and human-induced disaster cause major damages; they are usually concentrated in facilities or areas where they are of great significance to the impacted society. Sudden onset disaster like hurricanes, floods and earthquakes cause more impact socially and economically than slow-onset disasters like drought. Different types of hazards have different consequences and impacts, but to some extent some attributes are common across all types of disasters.

Impacts of disasters

The society has institutions that shape different access to different resources; these institutions determine the social impacts of disaster. Different communities are structured by a myriad of social relationships, competition and obligation that shape social characteristics associated mostly with vulnerability and loss; in disaster prone areas. Some impacts are loss of heritage because of cultural architecture due to floods or earthquake like in Prague university floods caused destruction of books; they erode social networks and community integrity. Disasters…

manmade disasters seen in the United States over the past several years have produced a demand in the public for a higher level of preparedness and competency. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a disaster as "a sudden ecological phenomenon of sufficient magnitude to require external assistance." The Joint Commission Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) has a somewhat different definition, which states a disaster is "an imbalance in the availability of medical care and a mal-distribution of medical resources vs. casualties within a community." Certainly other definitions exist. These two definitions focus on the medical aspects of a disaster, while there are indeed many other aspects of an event which might qualify it as a disaster. It is estimated that 3.4 million lives have been lost and trillions of dollars in related damage have been seen worldwide due to disasters in the past quarter century. It is very imperative…

Federal disaster recovery assistance has long been taken for granted in the United States, embedded in federal laws such as the Stafford Act and the Flood Insurance Act. Federal disaster recovery efforts have been further supported by key organizations including those directly involved in crisis scenarios, such as FEMA. Moreover, a number of ancillary national organizations directly or indirectly provide disaster relief assistance, including the United States Department of Transportation, and most notably the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which offers Community Development Block Grants for Disaster ecovery (Schwab, 2014). If the federal government should one day determine that its role no longer supported disaster relief services, then a number of regional, state, and local organizations would step up to fill the void in resources and management. Some of those organizations would be from the private sector and others from the public sector. In fact, a situation in…

Public Health Preparedness

The concept of 'public health preparedness' (PHP) has been garnering recognition worldwide, given the global-scale threats which are constantly encountered by professional healthcare organizations, including bioterrorism, Ebola, the West Nile Virus, and influenza. Preparedness approaches have brought about improvements in the overall healthcare system, by enabling swifter responses to diverse kinds of hazards across the globe. A majority of PHP measures adopted in America are government-judged; this gives rise to concerns pertaining to militarization. Still, preparedness programs in other country-level settings don't essentially indicate comparable implications. The global significance of health sector preparedness has served to increase governmental need of resolving the concern by means of financing, advances, and maintenance approaches which aid speedy response to every kind of crisis. However, akin to all other ideas, the PHP concept is also accompanied by certain major challenges, like the threat of public health militarization. Yet the associated advantages…

Military Emergency Management/Terrorism Preparedness

It is reported in the work of Prelas, et al. (2009) entitled "Science and Technology of Terrorism and Counterterrorism" that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003, and is charged with the reduction of the "loss of life and property and protect the national from all hazards" including acts of terrorism. FEMA is to accomplish this through providing leadership and support to the national in a "risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation." (Prelas, et al., 2009, p.539) DHA/FEMA is reported to be under the leadership of the secretary and to coordinate "with the Commandment of the Coast Guard, the Commissioner of Customs, and Border Protection, the Assistant Secretary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the NOC and other agencies and offices in the department to take full advantage of…

Role of Specific Air Monitoring and Detection Devices in Terrorist Related Hazardous Materials Incidents.

The term HAZMAT refers to the team that works with hazardous material. Hazardous material and terrorism are closely intertwined since most terrorist attacks obviously involve some form of hazardous material and therefore the HAZMAT team is inextricably involved in investigating, identifying, and dissembling this hazardous material. Their work, in fact, makes the HAZMAT member a crucial and invaluable part of our modern day lives. The following essay is a collection of sources that elaborates on the interconnections between HAZMAT and terrorism and the way that HAZMAT prepares and responds to terrorist incidents.

HAZMAT is an inextricable part of terrorism preparedness and response since terrorism inevitably deals with weapons of destruction that almost always constitute hazardous material. Examples of the hazardous material implicit in terrorist attacks are:

Chemical agents

Biological agents

Radiological and nuclear materials

Explosives (Community…

Implementing Emergency Services
Hurricane Katrina: Disaster Response and Recovery
Disaster response Framework
Disasters always put the emergency response team to the test, and the public members are keen to rate their level of preparedness. In the 2005 hurricane season, the disaster response team was caught unprepared, and the response was rated as low. The United states disaster response team had laid some strategies to respond to the different disaster levels, including issuing emergency call numbers. However, the system was not ready for an active hurricane. The state was blamed for failing to coordinate all entities that are involved in disaster management. With the disasters of Hurricane Katrina's stature, it was important for state and local government to collaborate with the U.S military to ensure minimal damage. The emergency response system should have a way to escalate cases that need the attention of the most powerful entities in the land (Gheytanchi…

Foreign medical teams are comprised of health care professionals in a wide range of fields and areas of specialization. Their primary goal is to treat persons affected by sudden disasters and emergencies. Foreign medical teams may work under the auspices of NGOs, governments, or international aid organizations like the ed Cross. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a set of minimum standards foreign medical teams must meet in order to comply with evidence-based best practices. Those standards are outlined clearly in formal documents (WHO, 2013). Because foreign medical team standards are becoming increasingly standardized, the drawbacks with using foreign medical teams may be minimized. Those potential drawbacks include miscommunication or lack of effective coordination between disparate teams and their presiding organization. Other drawbacks include the inability to provide ongoing or long-term medical services in ways that also help to relieve the burdens placed on the local, regional, or national…

Seaside Tsunami Awareness Program

Preparedness

Saving an indefinite and undeterminable number of lives has proven to depend on effective education and emergency management in tsunami events in the U.S. -- and likely, everywhere else (NAS, 2011). Safety and survival ultimately depend on communities and individuals at risk with the precise knowledge and capability to decide correctly and act promptly and preferably before the event. This knowledge and this capability can only be gained and developed through education before the event. Prolonged shaking of the ground and the drawing down of the shoreline are the natural indications, especially in local communities. These are hints of arriving waves within minutes. No assistance is likely in the early moments or even days, so knowledge and capability are the only things to rely on. There are better opportunities for those communities and individuals at risk to distant tsunamis. Official warnings may be able to…

Lead Federal Agencies

hen it comes to lead agencies in the U.S. government -- designed to respond to an emergency, a disaster, or an attack on the U.S. -- there is one that stands out as having the greatest responsibilities, and that is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Prior to September 11, 2001, there was no homeland security department, but FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the military, and other agencies were responsible for security in the event of disaster or other emergency.

But following the September 11 attacks, the U.S. Congress authorized the creation of the DHS, and a total of 22 different federal departments and agencies were brought under one umbrella. The DHS helps citizens and communities where there is a flood -- which is the most common disaster situation in America -- or a terrible tornado or hurricane, or an explosion in a factory or sudden, unpredictable…

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system that digitally creates and manipulates spatial areas. The system stores, edits analyses and shows topographic information that is critical in decision-making. GIS applications enable creation of interactive queries, analysis and editing and then present results. This is beneficial in management of disasters.

Disaster management signifies preparedness involving a chain of measures incorporating disaster prevention, emergency response as well as reconstruction. Many organizations federal, state and non-governmental as well as businesses, public health benefit from GIS technology. Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is actively involved in improving and publicly availing geo-processing specifications using Web Map Service and Web Feature Service protocols. OGC divides GIS products or software into two categories, compliant and implementing products, based on their level of compatibility with OGC specifications, which aid them in communication. In recent times, an explosion of online mapping applications has given the public enormous geographic information. The…

Coordinating community-wide efforts with representatives and respected leaders from each of the constituent sub-communities and populations will ensure the development of effective strategies.

Specifically, each sub-community needs to be apprised of the likelihood and risks of various types of events, including natural disasters and different terrorist attacks. Care must be taken not to cause undue alarm, but also to provide realistic and relevant information that objectively and directly assesses the situation. Providing such information without causing unnecessary fear is a delicate process even when one is familiar with the culture one is dealing with, and it is near impossible if the culture is foreign to the preparer. This is why coordination with community leaders is essential in the planning and education phases of emergency and disaster preparedness; no emergency management team could hope to develop the proper materials and information without consultation.

Coming to an understanding of the cultural and…

Corrections

Principal Directorates of Department of Homeland Security

Border and Transportation Security

The largest component of the Department of Homeland Security is the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security (BTS). This division is responsible for maintaining the security of the nation's borders and transportation systems. BTS employees about 58% of DHS's total employees, has nearly half of its operating budget, and includes what was formerly TSA, Customs, the border security functions of INS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and FLETC. Just like the other directorates of DHS, it is managed by an undersecretary of homeland security (United States Department of Homeland Security, 2012).

This department brought together several agencies from such departments as the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Agriculture. The mission of this directorate is to secure the borders and transportation systems of the United States and to…

Policies and Emergency Management

ABSTACT/INTODUCTION: As a representative democracy, the United States tries to include as many people and interests into its decision-making processes as possible. Seldom has this practice been more challenged than since the country's intensive focus on emergency planning and preparations because of the rash of high-profile incidents that have brought about death, destruction, fear and critical assessments of our national capabilities, including the 9/11 terror attacks (Perry and Lindell, 2003). For the most part, the main sources of action in this regard have come from the federal government, which has been adopting various mandates and incentives to invite more effective systems of readiness. But state and local agencies and private and public organizations have also found their places in these steadily improving processes even though they continue to struggle with the many complexities they face of being ready for all types of conditions. Large and small…

Terrorism elated Disaster Preparation Exercises

Terrorism-elated Disaster Preparation Exercises

In the recent years, terrorism has changed with the global sophistication, to complex and unmanageable standards. A country may consider itself a haven for its people, only to be surprised by a terrible terrorism attack. From these terror trends observed in different countries, governments must equip themselves with the necessary disaster management skills and equipment. Various disaster preparation activities can be undertaken to fight terrorism attacks. These disaster preparation exercises are meant to avoid or reduce terrorism casualties.

The foremost exercise should involve civic education on terrorism attacks. The public should be aware of what to do on receiving information on a planned terrorist activity, when in the midst of a terrorist attack or when in the aftermath of a terrorist activity (Bloomberg, Scoppetta, & Cassano, 2007). For instance, the public should be aware of the need to avoid an area…

Awareness Campaign

Every individual in this community will face an emergency or disaster that may result in the loss of life, property, or business. Being prepared to react and respond to a natural disaster or emergency is in everyone's interest and that of their community. Emergency management distinguishes the two. Emergencies are " 'routine' adverse events that do not have communitywide impact or do not require extraordinary use of resources…to bring conditions back to normal….what constitutes a disaster depends on…the jurisdiction's size, its resource base, and its experience with a particular hazard….a precept of emergency management that each community establish distinct levels…that define the progression from an emergency to a disaster" (Drabek, xviii). Different disasters have different impacts upon people's responses to them. The "death and devastation of disaster represent the worst of human fears….many costs involved in the various stages of disaster response: the preparatory and preventative, counterdisaster, rescue…

The exercises and training divisions work with similar divisions in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, a Continuity of Operations department designed to work with the federal Department of Homeland Security, and an Office of Domestic Preparedness and Law Enforcement Liaison work with local and federal authorities to coordinate comprehensive disaster planning efforts. (Maryland Emergency Management Homepage, 2006, Official Website)

Different organizations that are involved, how the organizations interact with or are apart of the EOC/What is the responsibilities of each member to the EOC

The federal government, including FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Authority), the Department of Homeland Security, and the state Emergency Management offices of Delaware, Virginia, and Pennsylvania are all involved, as is the National Guard. These organizations do not have specifically delineated legal responsibilities to the state of Maryland's EOC, other than to serve the citizens of the U.S. In the case of the federal government. (Maryland Emergency Management…

Terrorism

There have been various definitions and views of terrorism that have beenfronted over the years. It has been described as a strategy and at other levels as a tactic, some have called it a crime and yet other refer to it as a holy/noble duty; some consider it an inexcusable abomination yet others consider it a systematic reaction to oppression. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point-of-view is being represented, be it theological, political or psychological. Also terrorism can be seen as willful destruction (killing) of people or destruction of property by people not acting on behalf of an established government to redress a real or imaginary injustice attributed to an established government. However it is important to note that not all cases of willful destruction of people or property are acts of terrorism (ed Cross Organization, 2007).

Some of the important definitive characteristics of terrorism include among others;…

Information Technology holds great promise for improving the way a government serves its citizens in various services it conducts to the citizens. This rapid adoption of information technology has produced substantial benefits to the citizens, tax payers, and businesses alike. It is therefore recommended for every particular government to develop digital services to streamline all its operations. One area where governments should enhance its key functions is the establishment of online tax preparation services for the citizens.

It is quite obvious that the government is actively involved in taxation, and this is where the provision of information technology makes the entire process easier and more efficient. Electronic provision of tax forms and other tax information is very beneficial to the residents and falls within the traditional scope of government's activity. This is why government must actively engage tax payers in electronic filing since it is appropriate in boosting the efficiency…

Justification

"It is only by conducting additional evaluations that not only cover these issues, but also involve all stakeholders and address limitations of existing data sources, that policymakers will have the information they need to identify and quantify needs and develop more effective case management programs for future disasters," pointed out the U.S. Government Accountability Office (USGAO) in its 2009 report to Congress after the federal management of hurricanes ita and Katrina (2009a, p. 35). Nonetheless while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) concurred with the USGAO's recommendations, and despite what appears to be some progress at the time of publication (USGAO, 2009a, p. 35), the overall recommendations appear as yet unaddressed, according at least to an undated USGAO Office of Public Affairs Web site describing the findings (USGAO 2009b). The 2009 report lists a variety of areas where performance could be improved, indicating future evaluation may continue to deliver…

AA Sandy

AA for the Course

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the importance of this course becomes clearer than ever. Understanding the institutional supports for and barriers to effective emergency management is critical for all citizens. As Baldwin (2005) points out, healthcare specialists are particularly responsible for arming themselves with knowledge and preparedness. Knowing the principles, types, and forms of health management systems that exist enables healthcare leaders to change or improve those services. We become empowered by this knowledge, and the ability to inform public and institutional policy.

AA for Sandy

Although it seemed like chaos at the time, the emergency response to Hurricane Sandy was and remains an overall success. Not enough time has elapsed since the event to judge it with perfect hindsight vision, but analysts are reporting that the FEMA response, coupled with local response efforts were aptly targeted, and dealt with problems in an…

" (Rosen, 1) in a regard, community health falls within this purview and is a subset to the broader topic of public health.

c. Differences in roles of public and community health nurse and nurse in an acute care setting

The role which is given to the nurse in the public or community health context should be essentially similar to that which is seen in an acute care context. Ethical, practical and medical conditions remain unchanged from one context to the next. However, the nurse will be required to prepare for certain distinctions which do denote a difference. Particularly, nurses in public health settings are less likely to possess the resources and facilities which are afforded those in the acute care setting. This means that in many instances, public health nurses can only function as the front line for consultation, diagnosis and basic treatment. here more serious concerns become apparent,…

RECOVERY STRATEGY FOR SERVER #3 ONLY (LISTED IN APPENDIX 1), WHICH INCLUDES 1 LAN SERVER AND SOFTWARE FOR CITY HALL ONLY. YOUR RECOVERY STRATEGY SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR THE 'WORST CASE SCENARIO,' WHICH MEANS A COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF CITY HALL. JUSTIFY YOUR RECOMMENDATION(S) USING ANY INFO IN THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CLIENT, APPENDICES, ETC.

Since this scenario includes a complete destruction of City Hall it is necessary to have an alternative facility that can act as a backup to the main systems functions of the city. Also, the safety of the citizen base is paramount. The citizens of the city need to have all of the city functions available to them if the need should arise. Because these two extremes are involved (ie, complete destruction of city hall and the continued safety of the citizens), the recovery time frame should be as minimal as possible.

Server #3 has most of…

CIO Interview -- Lakewood Hospital

How were you trained or and how did you decide upon your career?

I received my formal technical training in the Midwest. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Loyola University in Chicago, and completed a Master of Science in Information Systems from Michigan State University several years later. I have held many positions over the years, moving from helpdesk service internships during my college career to IT Director level positions by the time I enrolled in graduate school.

It has been an interesting ride -- I have seen the evolution of technology over the past decade and still find it exciting. My interest and passion for technology has always been there and I landed within the healthcare space and have found that it suits me well. Not just in terms of the types of technology, but also in terms of the…

(Combating Terrorism: FEMA Continues to Make Progress in Coordinating Preparedness and esponse: Participation in Interagency and Intra-agency Groups and Committees)

CIMS: The Office of Emergency Management --OEM who has been collaborating with NYPD & FDNY and other City agencies to develop the CIMS, the adoption of which was declared by Mayor Bloomberg in March, 2004. CIMS makes a uniform incident management structure for every City agency that is broadly based on the Incident Command System model. The setting up of CIMS ensures a system for management of emergencies with a universal understanding of terminologies and roles and responsibilities among all agencies. CIMS makes use of the combined lead agency/unified operations section. In case of the majority of the incidents where multiple agencies are needed to act on several emergency situations, a unified operations post is made. The core competencies of the primary agencies will establish command of authority for immediate…

Phases of Crisis and Emergency ManagementPreparedness is the process of making plans and having the needed equipment and supplies for saving lives when a disaster occurs. Preparedness takes the form of plans or procedures that have been put in place to save lives and to minimize damage when a disaster strikes (Kunz, einer, & Gold, 2014). This is usually a continuous cycle of organizing, planning, training, exercising, equipping, evaluating, and improving activities to ensure that there is effective coordination for mitigating the effects of a disaster. Mitigation is the process of preventing a disaster or taking steps to reduce the impact of unavoidable disasters. In the real sense, mitigation should take place before an emergency occurs. However, mitigation and preparedness mostly occur after a disaster has taken place and repairs are being made. Mitigation is aimed at preventing hazards from developing into disasters or to reduce the effects of disasters.esponse…

FEMA & obert T. Stafford Act of 1988

Disaster relief has been an issue of significant focus for the federal government through the Federal Emergency Management Agency was not created until 1978. The significance of disaster relief for the federal government is evident in the creation of the earliest piece of federal legislation in 1803. The federal government created the Congressional Act of 1803 as its earliest legislative attempt to address disaster relief. Since the enactment of this first piece of legislation, the federal government has prioritized disaster relief and management since the country has been characterized by increased incidents of natural and man-made disasters. Some of these efforts undertaken by the federal government include the enactment of obert T. Stafford Act of 1988 and the establishment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

easons and Events that Lead to Creation of FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Act was established in…