Alternative Communication Systems... during disasters

Hurricane Katrina has destroyed several of the core communications infrastructure in the area. The storm made it harder for 911 emergency call centers which disturb local emergency services. A great majority of people lost phone service, broadcast communications were also affected. Even through state, federal and/or local agencies had communications plans in place, the plans were not enough to respond efficiently to the storm. The available communications were not fully utilized due to the fact that there was no national or state wide communications plans to incorporate them. The local, state, federal governments haven’t really completed an extensive strategy to improve operability and telecommunications for emergency responders. The Department of Homeland Security should come up with an emergency communications strategy if a disaster like Hurricane Katrina would happen again.

“Disaster is an occurrence that disrupts the functioning of the organization resulting in loss of data, loss of personnel, loss of business or loss of time” (Hiatt, 2000). In this case, we are focusing mainly on natural disasters. This makes our focus shift towards the destruction of physical resources more than other types of crises. Before starting the plan, we should be able to secure the necessary support and resources from top management for the plan to be carried out, have a plan development team and have a disaster recovery coordinator (Hiatt, 2000). All companies, especially ones located within areas prone to natural disaster should allocate budget and effort towards disaster preparedness. If the company has special IT personels that are familiar with the matters, it is best. Otherwise, the plan development team should contain members that know about the business network system as well as the company’s operation. These are the necessary steps before making the actual

Advances in communication technology give the crisis teams the ability to reach out to communities and rural areas using reverse phone calls and the emergency broadcast system. Traditional communication methods, such as television and radio, allows the crisis teams to distribute correct information and help reduce the effects of errors that can be communicated through news spread by word of mouth.

Throughout the semester, I have been able to volunteer for the American Red Cross Disaster Services Team. This has been one of the most beneficial volunteer opportunities that I have ever accomplished. As an American Red Cross of Georgia Major Gift Officer, this volunteer experience allowed me to gain knowledge in a department that serves as the backbone of the American Red Cross.

Innovation is the best defense for being prepared for unavoidable disasters. Intellistreets, which has the design of a streetlight, provides a wide variety of assistance to Haiti during natural disasters. It is wireless technology that provides emergency alerting and public safety alerting. Intellistreet is composed of a dual radio mesh wireless system that microprocessors inside which allows for information gathering. For example, the streetlight structure has the capability of analyzing what the streetlight smells, hearing, seeing and smelling. When accessed on the web, emergency agencies are notified when environmental factors prompt the system. During hurricanes and cyclones, it is important the mass are notified in a timely manner, aid agencies are able to make victims aware ahead of time. Government officials will be able to issue emergency alerts as well as information in regards in to evacuation routes. The system will also give agencies the audio messages. During natural disaster it imperative residents get the help, Intellistreets will allow victims of natural disasters to press a button and talk to authorities and aid agencies. If aid agencies cannot communicate with victims, they cannot help them. During Haiti’s hurricane season Intellistreets could be installed in various that are more prone to be destructed to keep a line of communication with the

Disasters are human made or natural and occur sudden and unexpected. As disasters cannot be prevented, government has to be prepared for any emergency situation. According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2014), there are four stages in the disaster management: Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2014, p 250), public health professionals study disaster effects on populations while American Red Cross work with local and other communities in preparedness, response and recovery phase of disaster.

This paper will define the Emergency Communication Policy for Draper City. Being a government entity, Draper City is occasionally required to address community emergencies. Issues that face Draper City include wild fire, flooding, mudslide, earthquake, and civic unrest, to name a few. Draper City does have a volunteer Emergency Preparedness Committee and has established Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) throughout the city and in designated neighborhoods. The Draper City Emergency Operations Procedures manual provides communication guidance and the structure for an emergency response. (“Draper City, UT - Official Website - Emergency Preparedness,” n.d.). However, consideration of what

In the event of a disaster it is highly likely that telecommunications and electrical systems could be damaged. All surviving communication assets, either local or state, will be needed for an

Soon after Katrina made landfall, State and local authorities understood the devastation was serious but due to the destruction of infrastructure and response capabilities, lacked the ability to communicate with each other and coordinate a response. Federal officials struggled to perform responsibilities generally conducted by State and local authorities, such as the rescue of citizens stranded by the rising floodwaters, provision of law enforcement, and evacuation of the remaining population of New Orleans, all without the benefit of prior planning or a functioning State/local incident command structure to guide their efforts.

It is vital for officials from all levels of emergency management to collaborate and communicate effectively as they strive to deliver timely response services and effective disaster relief efforts. Otherwise, delays can occur from any number of agencies when responding to disasters. In addition, it is vital to maintain updated contact information for each organization that will be part of the emergency management planning and hold regular meetings with the representatives of each organization (Margaris,

On the eleventh of September, two planes flew into one of the most recognizable skylines in the world. Two high jacked planes were flown into the upper floors of One and Two-World Trade Center or more commonly known as the Twin Towers. At 9:50 that morning, Two World Trade came thundering down to the ground and shortly after that, One World Trade Center came crashing to the ground. With debris covering sixteen acres of lower Manhattan, and making it difficult for rescue workers to make it around the site, they turned to satellites, robotic cameras, and small lipstick cameras to look in voids where humans could not reach.

Why were rescue efforts hampered in the first 24 hours? Their backup generator flooded. Communication device were useless. 3/4 of the police force came in to

Emergency management faces many challenges in today’s modern society. In the years prior to 9/11 emergency management was primarily focused on natural disasters. That has since changed; we now face a diverse variety of risks and hazards on a constant basis. As we continue to grow in population current and newer have compounded into more problems that emergency planner must face and find solutions for.

Communication is widely regarded as one of the most essential elements in successfully managing an emergency situation. The dissemination of information, which is both timely as well as accurate, to the parties concerned goes a long way to lend a hand in ensuring that the recovery activities in an emergency situation, together with its management takes place effectively. For that reason, five critical assumptions are used to provide the basis of disaster management strategy.

During emergencies, the importance of our country’s communications systems becomes clear. These communications systems include the wire line and wireless telephone networks, broadcast and cable television, radio, Public Safety Land Mobile Radio, satellite systems and increasingly the Internet. For example, in an emergency, we may dial 911, call our family members to make sure they are safe, and turn on our televisions and radios to get breaking news and important updates (FCC, 2012).