Preparedness is the most important part of emergency management as in my eyes, it
encompasses the ideas of mitigation, response, and recovery. To actually prepare for a threat, one
must recognize the ways and locations in which a threat can present itself. From this, the
responders and emergency workers that will be utilized in prevention, response, and recovery are
identified. In my opinion, preparedness equals awareness. To become fully aware of a threat,
emergency service organizations such as the ones under the Department of Homeland Security
focus on the identification and overall understanding of threats. This includes the assessment of
vulnerabilities, determination of potential impacts, timely communication to relevant parties, and
timely communication to the American people (Nemeth, 2016). All of this relates to threat
preparedness. Being prepared to handle a threat means there are planned responses to crises and
the creation of recovery plans that are ready to be immediately implemented and carried out.
The emergency manager and his or her staff should be located directly below the chief official of
the local government. In times of crises and emergency, often times swift and efficient action is
required. By putting the emergency manager directly below a chief official, the chance of being
bogged down by bureaucracy is limited. If emergency funds need to be immediately allocated or
if emergency action needs to be immediately carried out, bureaucratic practice can often times
stand in the way. Many emergency managers are located within the local law enforcement office
but this could be dangerous to the efficacy of the emergency manager position. By putting the
manager within a larger organization such as law enforcement true understanding of the
emergency manger’s mission and responsibilities can be lost, especially when looking at
emergency response. As mentioned above, some emergencies may call for the immediate
provision of emergency funds and when under another department, there is a chance that these
funds could be denied or stalled. There also stands a chance for loss of overall emergency
preparedness funding especially if the department is housed under a larger organization such as
police. Across the United States there are cries to lessen police budgets. If the department of
emergency management is housed under the local police budget, this could mean that funds
necessary for adequate emergency response could be lost as well.
The location, staffing level, and allocated resources can reveal how emergency response is
valued in whatever jurisdiction. An under-staffed, under-funded, and ill equipped emergency
response organization symbolizes a lack of preparedness. By putting an emergency management
department under another administrative agency instead of directly under a chief executive
leaves it susceptible to become lost in the business of other departments and as mentioned above,
may leave it competing for necessary funds to carry out essential planning and training functions.
By housing emergency response within another agency or by providing it limited staff and funds,
it could lead to the emergency response to become more shifted towards preparing for a specific
threat instead of being prepared for a broad variety of threats. For instance, if the emergency
management department was located under a law enforcement entity, there is a chance that there
could be a stronger focus on threats such as terrorism. What is left in the shadows could be
threats to infrastructure and or national disasters. The tools and practices utilized to defend
against and recover from acts of terror are going to be substantially different from the tools and
practices necessary to recover from a natural or man-made disaster.
An emergency operations center and fusion centers are essentially the equivalent to the White
House Situation Room. These facilities are where continuity and communication flourish. These
facilities provide the necessary tools to organize, coordinate, access, and communicate
information to ensure that any threat response is timely and efficient. These facilities carry out
the process of response and ensure that there is a central hub for information sharing, planning,
and communication.
Isaiah 1:17 tells us “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of
the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). This verse makes me think not only of
the organizations and individuals that are responsible for emergency management and response
but of the reasons that I wish to enter the field. Emergency response/management staff do not
work to serve any one race, ethnic group, or population; they strive to help all populations in
case of emergencies. This means protecting every citizen, every neighborhood, and every
community not some of them.
REFERENCES
Isaiah 1:17 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved October 27, 2021, from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201%3A17&version=NIV
Nemeth, C.P. (2016). Homeland Security: An Introduction to Principles and Practice, Third
Edition (3rd ed.). CRC Press. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1201/9781315368467
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