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HM510
Unit 6 DQ
TOPIC #1
Cultural Changes in the Community
Focus on cultural changes within the community and discuss that which is necessary to create a hazard resilient community. In your discussion address:
· How can you change the way you manage and plan to address hazards to avoid recurring issues?
· What should the role of emergency management be in the ongoing process of hazard mitigation planning and implementation?
Respond Kindly to Student #1
Travis Reed
Good morning Y’all
Culture is among the factors that are involved in hazard mitigation measures. One of the ways to change the management and planning of hazards mitigation to evade recurring issues is by eliminating the impression individuals have that they can only thrive economically by residing in areas vulnerable to disasters. For instance, the coastal region of Texas is highly populated since people living in this region subscribe to the notion that it is the only way they can earn a living (Anderson & Al-Thani, 2016). As aforementioned in this course, vulnerability is a crucial driver of the occurrence of hazard events. Therefore, there should be a change in the perception of communities living in vulnerable areas to address hazards mitigation effectively. Besides, I will change the belief communities have towards the safety of structural mitigation. These structural structures do not guarantee the security of the communities upon the occurrence of a disaster event. Therefore changing the perception will enable communities to respond effectively to early warning signs of hazard events, thus supporting the success of mitigation measures.
Emergency management facilitates the response, preparedness, recovery, and mitigation actions, thus aiding humanitarian emergencies. One of emergency management roles is establishing a hazard mitigation framework, which communities rely on in reducing vulnerability to hazards and coping with threats (Samuel & Siebeneck, 2019). Thus, emergency management promotes safer and less vulnerable communities characterized by dealing with disasters and hazards. Additionally, emergency management makes adjustments and prioritizes particular necessary actions based on the stage of the recovery process. These actions include conducting rescue missions, establishing public shelters for the displaced victims, or ordering evacuations. Lastly, emergency management ensures the communities are aware of the risks based on their vulnerability to specific disasters.
References
Anderson, F., & Al-Thani, N. N. (2016). Case Study: Reviewing Methods of Assessing Community Adaptive Capacity for Jefferson County, Texas. American Journal of Climate Change, 5(1), 8-14.
Samuel, C., & Siebeneck, L. K. (2019). Roles revealed: An examination of the adopted roles of emergency managers in hazard mitigation planning and strategy implementation. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 39, 101145.
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Reedez
Respond Kindly to Student #2
Timothy Brenneman
The way the society handles mitigation can have a major impact on cultural change depending on the circumstances at play. In my community, I have noticed a couple of big cultural changes due to trying to mitigate certain hazards. There has been a change in structural construction and policies revolving around pollution. Being in Baltimore, there is an issue of flooding that affects many buildings in the area and cause havoc for the community. Recently, I have noticed more and more buildings having certain construction and mitigation in them to avoid this disaster. Older building will have sump pumps, drainage and piping updated to help combat the flooding. The other cultural change with pollution is the negating of plastic bags. It recently became illegal for stores to use plastic bags in stores without a fee and recommend using your own. In order to use plastic bags, you must pay 10 cents a bag. This cuts down on the overall pollution not only in the community but also worldwide. Emergency management allows for roles of mitigation to expand and expand the safety of a community in a vulnerable area.
Canton, L. G. (2020). Emergency management: Concepts and strategies for effective programs. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Haddow, G. D., Bullock, J. A., & Coppola, D. P. (2021). Introduction to Emergency
Management (7th ed.).
Respond Kindly to Student #3
Keith Hamilton
Hey class,
There are a lot of ways in which you can change the way you manage and plan to address hazards and avoid issues that tend to reoccur. One thing is to get away from the “prehistoric” way of thinking. Today there is so much new technology and different ways to relate to people and address issues. You must be able to adapt to the current regime or you will always be behind. Emergency management should play a huge role, since they are the ones who develop and implement these plans, as well as setup and run the command centers when a disaster takes place.
-Hamtaro
TOPIC #2
Reflect and Discuss
Now that you have completed this course, reflect on the outcomes as well as your personal goals for the course. This is not intended to be a mere recap of the course. The emphasis here is what you have personally learned and how it will affect your professional goals. Discussing what you have learned during the term will not only help you better process the information but will help you enhance each other's learning experience. Please reflect on the previous units and post a response that addresses the following questions:
· What prior knowledge did you bring to this course?
· What were the most important new ideas you encountered and how did they change your understanding of this class?
· Do you feel you have met the outcomes in your work on this course? Is there any outcome with which you feel you still need support or assistance?
· What have you learned from your discussions and collaborations with your fellow students?
· In what specific ways can you use the knowledge you have gained in this course in your chosen profession? What are your strengths and opportunities for growth in this area?
· What questions or concerns do you have about what you have studied?
· What areas of the subject would you like to continue to explore, and why?
· Respond Kindly to Student #1
· Hector Chamo
· I had some knowledge from previous classes on emergency management planning and how agencies in your area, state plays a role in the process. The important idea I learned is how to adapt to multiple crisis and how it changes your planning. Prepare is great but if you don’t learn or implement changes to your planning then it might hinder your planning for future events. Example if you don’t change or implement anything after you conduct AAR with your team, organization and other agencies then you’re planning is not effective. I don’t need any further support, I grasp the understanding of mitigation and preparedness. One way I can use this class for future careers and classes is saving my FEMA corticates and used them as a refresher. There is no concerns or anything I would need to explore. Overall this class had sufficient information, discussion topics and assignments tailored to the scope of the class.
Hector
· Respond Kindly to Student #2
Jeryme Stine
What prior knowledge did you bring to this course?
I am midway through the Master in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. I have had a couple of classes that broadly covered the emergency management process. In those studies, prevention and mitigation were covered but not in detail. I have been a first responder for about 14 years and in that time I have learned a lot from experience. The concepts of mitigation and preparedness are easier to grasp in the context of field experience.
What were the most important new ideas you encountered and how did they change your understanding of this class?
Utilization of both structural and non-structural mitigation tools. Implementation of structural mitigation tools can be a real challenge, mainly due to the associated costs. Often, non-structural mitigation tools like education, training, and drills can prove to be a force multiplier in building resilience. My thinking was changed to look for ways to implement non-structural tools concurrent with structural proposals.
Do you feel you have met the outcomes in your work on this course? Is there any outcome with which you feel you still need support or assistance?
I am very pleased with what I am walking away with from this class. Grant writing is an area I would like to become more proficient in.
What have you learned from your discussions and collaborations with your fellow students?
It really does take everyone to build resilience. You need input from first responders, secondary responders, community members, public entities, and private-sector entities to reduce vulnerabilities.
In what specific ways can you use the knowledge you have gained in this course in your chosen profession? What are your strengths and opportunities for growth in this area?
As I begin to advance in my career, I will add the tools I have learned from this class to help build resilience in the community I serve. My strengths are I have been embedded in my community for some time and already have inadvertently participated in mitigative tools. The additional education has equipped me with a better understanding of the tools available.
What questions or concerns do you have about what you have studied?
The only question I still have is does anyone have the secret to getting grant money?
What areas of the subject would you like to continue to explore, and why?
Grant writing. At the end of the day, it takes money to implement structural mitigation, and grant funding is a way to bolster this area when city and county budgets fall short.
· Respond Kindly to Student #3
· William Leach
· The completion of this course is officially the second to the last course of my master’s program. Officially marking myself one step closer to my main goal. What this course has taught me is equipping me with greater knowledge on how to implement proper hazard mitigation plans. I learned what it takes to bridge the gap between federal agencies and local agencies. Prior to this course, I understood mitigation, hazards, and emergency management. But proper implementation was vague. I have a career goal of federal law enforcement and an academic goal of achieving my doctoral degree to become a college professor once I retire from my law enforcement career. The overarching goal is to establish a master’s program in this field on the campus where I achieved my bachelor’s degree (Kentucky State University). Thank you, professor, for all of the knowledge you have imparted as well as what you have pushed me to learn.