Emergency Management Systems Range From Informal Arrangements Essay

Ensuring Resilience to Disasters has more tasking’s than another mission and involves many different agencies to accomplish those tasks. The four tasks are to mitigate hazards, enhance preparedness, ensure effective emergency response, and rapidly recover. The main agency that is responsible for these tasking’s is FEMA. FEMA’s mission is to “reduce the loss of life and property and protect communities nationwide from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters” (FEMA, 2017, p.2). FEMA works with federal and State services to assist them in accomplishing their goals. They also assist local services by assisting in setting up emergency management agencies (LEMA) and set guidance for Emergency Operations Planning (EOP). EOP’s are “plans that provide an overview of the jurisdiction’s preparedness and response strategies. It describes expected hazards, outlines agency roles and responsibilities, and explains how the jurisdiction keeps the plan current.” (FEMA, 2010,

As such, there is a need for mutual support among all the stakeholders. There are some National Policy Guidance on emergency management response to disasters that encompasses government at all level together with other private stakeholders and non-governmental organizations. Some of them include Stafford Act, HSPD-5 Domestic Incident Management, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, HSPD-8 National Preparedness, just to mention but few (U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration n. d). All these policies emphasize the importance of collaborations and mutual supports among the stakeholders. For instance, the Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act) provides the legal framework on mutual and level of assistance from the Federal government to states and local governments during

Usually disaster response was traditionally ran by State and local governments with the Federal government performing in a support role, but after such events as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the application of the principles to the threats need to be better tailored to meet the demands of today’s society and needs. In other words, the federal government needs to continue to build upon the foundation of disaster relief and prepare for a more significant role in the response to a cataclysmic event.

The public do not all heed emergency protocols the same way. Even programs that help the very same community has potential to hurt the community. “While these public programs are effective in mitigating the disruptive impacts of disaster after-effects, they may provide perverse incentives for individuals exposed to hazards” (Davlasheridze, 2017, p. 95). Individuals who are given aid, resources, and other means to support their way of life may solely depend on these programs and not take steps to care for themselves. Low income groups on government welfare have tendency to remain in these programs for longer duration. “Personal emergency preparedness is emerging as a complicated behavior that emergency

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the lead agency when responding to disasters from a federal perspective. In a large-scale disaster such as a strong hurricane, FEMA will oversee the response operations and assist the local, county, and state emergency management agencies as needed. FEMA will receive regular updates on the status of the hurricane and broadcast the information out to the affected states in order to provide a prompt response. In case of evacuation, previously established evacuation plans would be utilized to remove people from the impacted area. The state and local emergency management agencies will assist in disseminating the information to the affected areas. In general, plans should be implemented to call in all emergency responders to be ready for response and recovery operations.

On April 1, 1979 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emerged in the United States. The purpose of this agency was to coordinate the response to all types of crises in America to help alleviate local and state government crisis management. In the case of a major crisis in a state, the governor must declare a state of emergency, and request to the president that the state is in need of assistance from FEMA. In addition to assisting states in crisis management, FEMA also provides training of response personnel in the United States, ensuring that people are equipt with the knowledge and skills to assist in case of a disaster (fema.gov).

The basis for emergency management lief in “The Congressional Act of 1803 contained the first piece of national disaster legislation ever to be passed by a United States Congress.” (Anna Maria College, 2014). This paved the way for the original system that we utilize today. As with many formations of programs and funding analysis citizens contribute to the process in which we formulate a response. “A series of massive hurricanes and earthquakes during the 1960s and early 1970s served to focus public attention on natural disaster relief.” (Anna Maria College,

From the Portsmouth fire of 1803 to Hurricane Sandy of 2012, every major disaster that has occurred not only in the United States, but in the surrounding countries, has shaped how emergency management progressed over the last few centuries. Not only did natural disasters played a role in this evolution, but the U.S. presidents as well because each president had a unique mindset towards the relationship between the federal government and emergency management. As we progressed towards the future, there is no doubt that this field is continuing to evolve. Whether it is a natural disaster or a U.S. President, emergency management only has room for improving. Although it will have its times of failure, the history of emergency management has shown that failure is only one step closer to

critical to have the right data, at the right time, displayed logically, to respond and take

The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan outlines the response and recovery operations that are to take place upon the declaration of a state of emergency by the State Emergency Response Team. Rivera and Kapucu (2015 stated that the State Emergency Response Team is responsible for coordinating the state-wide emergency response led by the state’s coordinating officer. Florida uses a “closest appropriate responder” concept. This means that when responding to any threat, including hurricanes, first responders will most often come from local areas. Because of this concept, Florida has mandated that every county have an emergency response plan that provides disaster management to local residents. The State Emergency Response Team works in a coordinating role in regards to local needs (Rivera & Kapucu, 2015). In an attempt to be more compatible with FEMA, Florida has adopted an emergency support function approach, meaning that a state agency is made the lead agency for all support functions (Rivera & Kapucu, 2015). Many state agencies can fill this role and the appropriate one is selected based on authority, available resources, and the ability to fulfill needed emergency management functions (Rivera & Kapucu,

In the study of emergency management theory, there are many definitions at issue that we must discuss. I would like to give you a quick overview of some terms to the study of Emergency Management in the United States. The terms are fact, theory, opinion, expert opinion, thesis, hypothesis, and experiment. We will explore more into detail of their meaning and how these terms relate to Emergency Management.

The United States emergency management communities are psychologically unprepared to deal with the loss of lives and property from catastrophic disasters; a price of overwhelming death and destruction affecting the international first response community. Many first responders lament to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (bostock, Matusko,Emp, Paterson & Bryant, 2013) and whereas, the global community has tried for decades to prevent such mental injury, the U.S., since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and hurricane Katrina, is only beginning to understand the cost of sending emotionally unprepared personnel to national disaster front lines.

The profession of emergency management attracts a diverse group of professional and students. Critical skills were recognized as having political contributes to the community, military experiences, and management capabilities. The evolution and expansion of EM is currently growing Undergraduate and advance degree were being offered at over 65 national colleges and universities. (appendix 1.1)

In order to understand the historical context of the emerging discipline of emergency management and how it is a continuing evolving process we need to look at our past. Throughout the history of mankind there have been disasters, with them being either man-made or by Mother Nature. In each of these instances we have taken what we have learned and tried to apply it, to make sure that a disaster on that scale doesn’t happen again. One of the early examples that explains why there is an emerging discipline of emergency management happened in 1803. In this year a congressional act was passed to help a small town in New Hampshire that was devastated by a fire, and was an early example of the federal government becoming involved in a local disaster

The efforts of response and recovery have proven to be key in helping those affected by emergencies. This paper will examine some of the roles and responsibilities that are taken to first time responders and mangers. It is important for emergency management to make sure that the team around them are given the right tools and knowledge to help assist people in emergency situations. Next, the discussion of the role of the state government has in dealing with emergency management. When there are organizations that volunteer themselves in disaster response what roles do they possess? It is important to what the president’s role in declaring disaster response. What exactly is the process and system that is in play that he must go through? The National Response Framework and the National Incident Command System is very important in responding to emergencies so giving the overall meaning to what it is that they do will give a better understanding of their goal in response and recovery. Anytime you hear of a disaster or emergency you have to think about FEMA and their role along with the role that other government agencies have in disaster recovery. The National Disaster Recovery Framework has to be examined as well to address their part in helping in the recovery. Finally, the discussion of how the community can develop a long-term recovery plan will be addressed.