Related Literatures Regarding Emergency Preparedness

Unified command is created when the events expand and more individuals are involved. The emergency manager's’ interpersonal skills are tested versus their technical skills. In smaller districts, individuals may hold more than one position while in larger areas the position are designated to each individual. While, the emergency managers transition into the facilitator and the coordinator, and in the large districts the emergency management director becomes the chief. The Federal position is to save lives and support individual and community efforts to prepare and reduce risks when responding to disasters. Accreditation creates an unpredictable the path for collaboration and cooperation, and at times demands a change in the law at the state or local level. The limits to participation, especially when time is of the essences, however it is also affected by convention and culture. The key ultimately, is the relationships that are established among partners within the community. Fire, emergency medical, law enforcement, and other emergency management service, local officials, and private sectors improves communities, thus making them safer, stronger, and prepared to handle

Inherently the fire service operates in high-risk environments to facilitate the role of preserving life safety and property conservation. How these incidents are managed and safeguarded by our administration

Establishment of a chain of command in a situation such as a severe storm or other disaster is essential. Because there may be a disruption to commonly used manners of communication, such as television, telephones, and the internet, it is important to have a clear outline of where and to whom to report, how to find answers, and who will perform necessary tasks. In the simulation, the Public Health Department is both a link in the larger, county-wide chain of command and has its own hierarchy structure. Within the scope of the county, the Public Health Department reports to the Medical/Health Branch Director who is directly under the Operations Chief. The Operations Chief, who is in charge of managing and monitoring the actions of each department, reports to the Emergency Operations Commander. The Emergency Operations commander is the highest link in the chain, not only overseeing the operations of the various governmental departments, but also the officers in charge of Safety, Public Information, and Legal.

In day to day operations, uncertainties do occur. Henceforth it would be important to have a contingent and well detailed disaster preparedness plan and procedures. Healthcare systems, on a day to day basis, are faced with emergencies in form of disasters. As a result, majority of medical centers have well-structured exit plans in the event of a disaster occurring("Hospital Disaster Preparedness: Your Guide to Getting Started - Emergency Preparedness", 2011). However, this essay will aim at interviewing one of the top disaster preparedness staffat the Houston Methodist Hospital. In the interview, I will seek to identify the top three disasters that the Houston Methodist Hospital is prepared for. Similarly, in the interview, I would seek to identify the top lessons learnt from disaster preparedness at the hospitals.As it concludes it would summarize the findings with regards to the interview stated below. Below is an excerpt from the interview to answer the two aforementioned questions.

Staff and students must be educated to understand how the emergency plan can help them when there is a situation. Training will come from professional developments for the teachers, and is class education for the students with a controlled emergency simulation in the auditorium. Parents will be invited to participate in this simulation.

Our world is complex there has always been and always will be disasters that can happen anywhere anytime. There can be natural disasters, for example floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wild fires and drought. There are also man-made and technology types of disasters from hazardous material spills, biological weapons, cyber-attacks to even civil unrest. According to PEMA, the history of emergency management can date all the way back the first civil defense program which was started during World War I and later during World War II the office of civil defense (OCD) was created by Pres. Roosevelt. In the past emergency management, has always been event driven. With each new crisis that our nation has gone through, the reason for and the avenue in which to accomplish emergency management has changed. No more so than when the terrorist attacked on 9/11. The 9/11 commission report states that the Incident Command System is a “proven framework for emergency response” (911 CR). The incident command system is a proven framework for emergency response by providing clear leadership and organizational structure, improving the effectiveness of resource efforts, and maintaining safety for responders.

Emergency Management preparation involve planning, resources, and training that initialize, bolster, and fine tune operational capabilities before a hazard approaches. This is done by identifying what will be necessary to face a possible hazard and developing plans for delivering those resources when they would be needed. Being prepared necessitates a constant state of readiness and vigilance. Examples of preparedness include the posting of emergency contact numbers, conducting emergency drills, and posting and practicing evacuation

Due to the size and complexity of the Cedar fire, there is not one single agency’s emergency operation plan, but rather several plans from different agencies of all levels that influence the tactical decisions and resource utilization. FIRESCOPE, the Incident Command System, and the National Fire Plan resulted from lessons learned from previous fires and benefited the fire service and citizens of the Cedar fire.

Hospitals are dependent on external support and supplies, which makes them vulnerable institutions in an event of disaster. Any disruption of external supplies or support services can halt essential hospital operations, which can put the community, patients and staff at increased risk during a disaster. Having an emergency preparedness plan that is current along with performing continuous testing and training of the hospital staff ensures that hospital staff can respond effectively and efficiently to any disaster whether it is terrorism, weather or a pandemic

This includes development of written plans and procedures to ensure critical operations are maintained. Preparedness includes identification of essential supplies and actions, critical positions, specific roles, responsibilities, orders of succession and delegation of specific authorities, and communication. The most important aspect of emergency planning is for the safety of the staff during an emergency. One or more secure location should be identified for staff during an emergency. Communication methods must be identified and tested between locations. Mutual aid agreements and emergency aspects of vendor contracts should also be reviewed as part of this process. It is also very important to exercise all sections of your plan (PublicRescourceOrg,

Gebbie, K., & Qureshi, K. (2002). Emergency and Disaster Preparedness: Core Competencies for Nurses: What every nurse should but may not know. American Journal of Nursing, 102(1), 46-51. Retrieved from

In “Wither the Emergency Manager,” Niel R. Britton comments on Drabek's “Human Responses to disaster: An Inventory of Sociological Findings.” Britton describes six positive and negative issues in emergency management as it is today. In this paper, we will discuss the implications on emergency management as a field and on the individual manager.

Disasters of varying degree, natural or manmade, can happen at any time in any area. It is imperative that the necessary emergency preparedness plans are in place and responders are properly trained. While disasters can take on a variety of forms, the plan should be inclusive of all possible threats in the surrounding areas. Public safety and healthcare providers must work together to ensure that they have a cohesive plan of action. They must plan how resources will be delegated as soon as an emergency is announced. Disasters are inevitable but planning reduces panic and confusion, which allows response personnel to react accordingly.

This subject aims to teach students the main elements of emergency management for natural disasters and to a lesser degree terrorist attack. Students will understand the principles involved in emergency

A disaster is generally defined as an event in which illness or injuries surpass resource capabilities of a community or medical facility (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010). Disaster preparedness is a process of ensuring that an organization has complied with the preventive measures and is in a state of readiness to contain the effects of a predicted disastrous event to minimize loss of life, injury, and damage to property. Disaster preparedness can also provide rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and other services in the aftermath of the disaster, as well as have the capability and resources to continue to sustain its essential functions without being overwhelmed by the demand placed on them. The American Nursing