Emergency Management Issues

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, “PTSD can make people feel very nervous or ‘on edge’ all the time. Many feel startled very easily, have a hard time concentrating, or have problems sleeping well” (Association, 2016). These conditions make it hard for first responders to continue working resulting in “overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment to the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment” (Cigognani, 2009,

military’s vast experience in responding to and managing casualties from IED and/or active shooter incidents and from its significant investment in combat casualty care research into the civilian first responder environment” (DHS, First Responder Guide. 2015). In order to improve safety in response to terror events, especially those classified as international terrorism it will require that first responders to further prepare for a vast variety of potential threats. The focus of this increased preparation should not only regard the safe and effective responses of first responders to all potential hazards caused by a terrorist event; but should also include the improvement of first responder’s connections to their communities, the gathering of intelligence, information sharing, and realizing their role in domestic defense of the United States of America.

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, there were an array of confusion, anger, anxiety, fear, and hatred. Police officers and firefighters who responded to the events of 9/11 experienced delayed emotional reactions so they can accomplish their tasks. These first responders develop an ability to contain their emotions so they can deal with it later (Sauter & Carafano, 2012). Video images of two hijacked U.S. commercial airliners plowing into the twin towers were continuously replayed for days on local and national news outlets. The United States was put on the highest state of alert and all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies around the U.S. responded to the crisis. Many innocent lives were taken from the 9/11 incident

PTSD’ is a mental illness, found most commonly effecting the mental state of individuals that have been exposed to confronting and/or traumatic events. Paramedics are people who in their everyday lives deal with low and high key events that can take a huge toll on their mental state ability. They are constantly sighting poor health and health conditions, trauma to another human, and the tragedy of death. (1)Despite being identified as a “high risk” occupational group, there is a lack of data concerning the prevalence of emotional problems among emergency ambulance personnel. The lack of data to support the PTSD levels of Paramedics is concerning especially when their work requires high level of concentration to perform precise procedures that

The objective of this study is to examine a federal agency disaster event organizational response plan that fails to include a response team for dealing with psychological challenges due to significant loss of life. This study will create specific instructions and guidance to the responders on how they need to address the psychological challenges of dealing with this issue.

The final stage in the emergency management program developed and implemented by the Los Angeles Unified School District is represented by the recovery. This phase occurs in the aftermath of the crisis situation and it is focused on helping the community to be restored to the standards that were existent before the emergency, or even higher standards, if this is a possibility.

My bachelor's degree is in psychology, and I have found many lessons learned from psychology to be applicable to emergency management, especially group behavior in disasters.

Performing well under distressing circumstances is not easy. Yet in a few callings, it can be of fundamental significance that one has the capacity do as such. Case in point, when police officers are confronted with a furnished and hazardous attacker, they are required to act rapidly and viably to shield themselves and other individuals from damage. Getting included in such circumstances is unpleasant (Anderson, Litzenberger, and Plecas, 2002). Although police officers are required to perform well under stressful circumstances, a

It is also known that “emotional baggage” can be carried far-past the career of first response personnel, some may fall victim quickly where others may show latent signs of suicidal tendencies or worse yet, become a public danger later in life. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), diagnosed in first response personnel, is growing out of control (Reagan, 2015). The sad cost of losing even one person during or post-disaster is life altering, regardless if it is a disaster victim or a first responder, and it reflects poorly on supervisors and those ultimately in charge. First response personnel should save lives, not lose them or fall victim to the disaster itself.

When it comes to first responders which include, police, firefighters, medics, and other emergency response members are twice as more likely to be exposed to traumatic events than the general population. Most firefighters can recall at least three incidents that play over and over in their mind. Imagine getting a call where dispatch comes over and says there’s a report of a car that hit a light pole and the car is fully engulfed and someone is trapped inside. No matter what you do you don’t seem like you can get there fast enough. Upon arrival you find a vehicle wrapped around a light pole with a 16 year old girl dead on arrival and still stuck inside and you have to cut the vehicle apart to get her out. After the adrenaline is gone and they

Author Ronald Perry in Disaster Exercise Outcomes for Professional Emergency Personnel and Citizen Volunteers, focused on the importance of understanding the effects of disaster management exercises on various groups. Throughout his article it was clear that the perceptions of participants varied parallel to the success rate of the groups involved in the exercise. With each successful completion of an exercise the confidence of all group members increased improving relations within the teams, across multiple agencies, with the public.

An often-overlooked risk that indirectly affects first responders is psychological stress. Exposure to a wide range of victims in various states of medical need, as well as the long hours and stress of various unknown hazards can take a toll on mental health. “Stress could affect responders’ judgment about their own health and safety” (Jackson et al, 2002). First responders may push themselves too hard or place themselves in further harm if they are under immense stress. Furthermore, the social stigma of psychological disorders can exacerbate the risk as many first responders may not seek treatment. Experts believe cases of psychological stress amongst first responders is grossly underreported and understudied hazard (Jackson et al, 2002).

Lack of training and practice will induce the emergency response plans fail. It is not the suitable to rectify the emergency response procedure (ERP) flaws during an incident. In order to minimize the adverse effects of emergencies, training should be provided. This section is to be used for identifying the types of exercises and training for the employees. It is essential to provide training for the staffs of sewage utilities. This system specify the frequency of each training to be conducted, and who should receive the emergency response training. Moreover the system also identify the required training resources. The purpose of training is to:

To identify three principles in emergency management as being more important than others would take away years of research and evolution of current emergency management operating procedures. If I were to pick just three, it would be the ability to be comprehensive, progressive, and flexible. Being able to consider and actively take into account all phases, stakeholder, hazards, and impacts relevant to disasters allow emergency managers to be more successful in disaster mitigation and response. Being progressive is the ability to anticipate future crises and effectively produce prevention and preparation strategies, thus allowing managers and responders to construct disaster-resilient communities efficiently. The third important principle

Various disasters throughout the Nation remain a great threat to our communities. In most cases, many of these disasters catch first responders and emergency managers off guard, and create disruption in the lives and livelihood of individuals, their families, and communities. In this paper, I provide an example and description of the three categories of disasters: natural disaster, accidental human-made disaster, and deliberate human-made disaster. Additionally, I discuss psychological effects of disasters and the differences that distinguish each disaster from each other. Lastly, I conclude with future recommendations for emergency management as it pertains to the three disasters.