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Natural Disasters And Attacks By Individuals Or Groups

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Throughout the worlds history, there have been many natural disasters and attacks by individuals or groups, which have done extensive damage to cities, forests, and families within societies communities. The question that remains is, are there systems in place to effectively handle situations accordingly? In Canada, there is a model in place called the Incident Command System, (ICS). According to I.C., (2012), “An incident is an occurrence, either caused by humans or natural phenomena that requires a response to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or the environment” (p.3). Essentially the system is in place to manage emergency situations regardless of the initial cause and is utilized in various events whether they …show more content…

Once New Orleans was declared a ‘state of emergency’ by President Bush, mandatory evacuations began, while one of the largest challenges faced by first responders commenced. The safety and security of individuals was certainly at the forefront of the direction of the response. However, the I.C., (2012), indicated “The response to Katrina featured neither an effective network nor an effective hierarchy. It lacked a clear command and positive working relationships among key actors” (p.14). Although this disaster was devastating for the people of New Orleans, having procedures, and planning in place prior to the event occurring could have limited the various challenges faced once the storm hit. Due to the extensive damage Katrina did to the city, citizens were in desperate need of action in regards to services, which included necessities to life, and search and rescue (Moynihan, 2007). Furthermore, response to the disaster was difficult as due to the size and extent of the damage, coordination, and situational awareness were limited (Moynihan, 2007). Agencies have highly trained personnel, however, regardless of the amount of training and preparation for a catastrophic event like Katrina, first responders only gain experience in dealing with these events upon them occurring. Furthermore, the ICS model was applicably in this situation and there are examples of how it was used effectively and in-effectively during Katrina.
Efficient & Non-Efficient Use of the ICS

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