Final Research Paper

The national response framework

Joshua Rodgers

HSM 101 Introduction to Homeland Security

Instructor: Raymond Edwards

04/14/2019

The national response framework is a guide which is developed to assist the local, state

and federal governments in the identification of resources and development of functional

capabilities based on risk assessment (​Walsh et al, 2011)​. Disasters may occur expectedly or

unexpectedly depending on their nature. The National Response Framework facilitates effective

and strategic response to emergencies and disasters but however, there have been concerns

regarding its applicability and the role of local, state and federal governments in disaster

management.

Natural disasters are major adverse events which may affect various aspects such as

economic aspects and the overall well being of a nation. Personally, I have been indirectly

affected by a natural disaster. I had family members and friends who were affected by the

Woolsey fire which was a destructive wildfire that burned down many properties leading to loss

of lives and properties. I had family members and friends who lost their properties during the

incidence. This affected me psychologically because I was really concerned about the well being

my loved ones and it was a disturbing moment. Therefore, I tried to encourage the affected

members and also offered some financial and psychological support to them. For this disaster,

the National Response Framework and National Incident Management Systems were used in

various ways to bring the wildfire disaster under control. The NRF and NIMS were used to

coordinate communications about the incidence, search and rescuing of victims, firefighting,

transportation of victims from the incident spot and provision of medical services.

The National Response Framework is a critical tool that is used in effective policy

creation. This framework helps in the establishment of approaches which coordinate non-federal

and federal entities and resources ((​Walsh et al, 2011)​. According to the Department of

Homeland Security, improving the existing response structure to the one being used today is an

essential step. First, changing the structure of the National Response Framework was an effective

step in helping address the challenges and problems that were associated with the National

Response Planning. Moreover, the changes helped in broadening the aspects covered by the

National Response Framework and as a result, this promotes the effectiveness and applicability

of the framework which promoted reliable planning ((​Walsh et al, 2011)​.

The initial aim of developing the National Response Framework was to use it as a

national strategy to aid in effective response to disasters. However, the initial structure widely

faced many criticisms especially due to its difficulty in understanding ((​Abbott, & Hetzel, 2010)​.

There was various complains about the technical language used in the framework and failure to

clearly define the roles and responsibilities of government agencies. To some extent, the

framework was misleading and hence why it needed some changes. There was a need to also

make the structure and make it shorter for easier understanding. The National Response

Framework being used today is clearer in terms of its articulation of the roles and responsibilities

of both deferral and non-federal entities. In response to the raised concerns, Bush Administration

saw the need to develop a National Response Framework that took into consideration the

coordination of non-federal and federal entities as a way of enhancing the reliability and

effectiveness of approaches set to deal with natural disasters and terrorism (​Abbott, & Hetzel,

2010)​.

The NRF and NIMS in use today, are more effective and reliable in dealing with natural

disasters. In regard to the wildfire disaster, the NRF and NIMS approaches improved due to the

implementation of concerns that were raised from the incidence. Therefore, if the disaster

occurred today then better measures would have set and therefore, the disaster would not have

caused major damages as it did. Responses that arise after a disaster are critical since they help in

the identification and creation of effective measures that are integrated into emergency plans.

This would have been achieved by utilizing both federal and non-federal entities and resources to

respond to the disaster. The level of preparedness has also improved and which would have been

beneficial.

From my personal view, I think a lot has been done to ensure that the government at all

levels have done a lot to ensure that relevant agencies are fully prepared to respond to

emergencies. Nevertheless, I think that there is still room for improvement and therefore I think

that states should take a more active role in emergency management at the local level. If states

are more active at the local level, then I think it would be easier to respond to some emergencies

on time before they become worse. States need to consider working more with the Federal

Emergency Management Agency as a way of improving the ways in which emergency are dealt

with. The implementation of NRF and emergency plans could be effective if states are involved

more. If states are more active, then this may facilitate the expansion of disaster planning efforts

mainly because it would enhance the provision of resources and relevant information.

In conclusion, changing the NRF is a good measure that seeks to improve the reliability

and efficiency of response planning. However, the structure of NRF has been hanging because

there have been many concerns regarding its applicability and how the local, state, ad federal

government should play certain roles. Therefore, it is important for all stakeholders to set better

measures that would improve the reliability of emergency planning.

References

Abbott, E. & Hetzel, O. (2010). ​Homeland security and emergency management : a legal guide

for state and local governments​. Chicago, IL: Section of State and Local Government

Law, American Bar Association.

Walsh, D. W., Christen Jr, H. T., Lord, G. C., & Miller, G. T. (2011). ​National incident

management system: Principles and practice​. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.