Partnerships and the Emergency Response Plan SLP1
.docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Trident University International *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
509
Subject
Health Science
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by Dr.Sprague
Running head: PARTNERSHIPS AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
1
Partnerships and the Emergency Response Plan
Dr. John Sprague
Trident University International
23 May 2021
PARTNERSHIPS AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
2
Partnerships in an emergency response plan are vital for providing for the safety and
security of a community in the event of a disaster. These partnerships not only save lives but
provide the services required for a community to recover from those disasters. The National
Response Framework or NRF contains guidelines for non-government organizations and
volunteer involvement in the aftermath of a disaster. Many organizations can be called to provide
assistance after a disaster occurs, including the American Red Cross.
As a vital part of the National Response Framework and the emergency support function,
the Red Cross provides specially trained liaisons to work at designated DHS and FEMA regional
locations to support the agencies when a mass care disaster occurs. The American Red Cross
works closely with local, tribal, and State governments to provide mass care services to victims
of every disaster, large and small, in an affected area. As the largest non-government mass care
service provider, the American Red Cross provides sheltering, feeding, bulk distribution of
needed items, basic first aid, welfare information, and casework, among other services before,
during, and after a disaster (Emergency Support Function #6 – Mass Care, Emergency
Assistance, Housing, and Human Services Annex, 2008).
When a disaster strikes, first responders and emergency management officials work to
save life and property once this emergency phase of response has been completed. The red cross
provides the resources for the community to recover, and the agency provides additional support
to addressing any lingering community needs in the aftermath of a disaster. Emergency managers
and first responders must make moral and critical decisions in a crisis environment. Even non-
government organizations must utilize ethical decision-making when responding to disasters.
Ethical decisions during a disaster and emergencies involve numerous elements, including
PARTNERSHIPS AND THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
3
communication, education and training, awareness building, resource acquisition, and planning
and resource allocation.
Responders to a disaster must respond in a timely and effective manner
while also ensuring that those decisions are made, considering cultural sensitivity in mind, and
ensuring appropriate decisions during the response. Disasters have three phases: pre-disaster,
during, and post-disaster, which all have their ethical dilemmas that emergency managers must
be able to make decisions like triaging patients and informed consent (Aung et al., 2014).
Government and non-government organizations that are involved with planning and
responding to disasters have an ethical obligation to saves life and property while doing no harm
to the community. This ethical obligation exists in all phases of response, including the planning
phase, which focuses on lessening the harm to citizens in a disaster. The disaster phase itself,
where the ethical obligation is to saves lives much like health care professionals; first responders
commit to an ethical code to do no further harm during their response. During disasters, there are
limited resources and mass casualty situations where not only health care providers but first
responders may be required to limit the care given to mitigate any potential harm (Aung et al.,
2014).
All responding agencies, no matter if they are government, non-government, nonprofits,
or volunteer organizations that respond to our assist in the planning for disasters, must use ethics
in not only their decision making but their planning and critical thinking. These agencies have a
duty to the community to be transparent about the information they know and to work to ensure
the safety of the community. Disasters cause situations that can be extremely stressful on
everyone involved, including those responding, but there must be ethics applied in all phases of
disaster mitigation, response, and recovery.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help