Discussion Board 2
Quandary 1
The fight on terrorism is important, however to solely focus on that one aspect is unwise.
Terrorist attacks are not as common as disasters in the United States. The all hazard approach
within homeland security and emergency management is necessary and are far more frequent.
This allows every community to focus on the hazards that are prevalent to their areas. According
to Kilroy (2008), there are three hazards that contain a higher probability of occurring no matter
what portion of the country or world you are in; natural, accidental, and man-made hazards. In
my community the number one hazard would come from hurricanes and tropical storms that are
produced because of them.
Being only a few miles from Savannah, GA; we suffer the effects from the hurricanes and
they lead to tropical storms in our areas. The Bible states in Luke 21:11 (ESV) 11 There will be
great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and
great signs from heaven. This speaks on the many hazards and dangers that we could face in life
in the form of natural disasters.
Quandary 2
The San Bruno explosion and the 2010 Haiti earthquake gave some takeaways from past
lessons that show the best practices to implement during crisis. The following list would serve as
the best practices that were taken away from each disaster. The first would be the mitigation step
in emergency management. The utilization of effective mitigation can assist in the reduction of
lives that can potentially be loss and the lessening of property damage. Regrettably, the
earthquake in Haiti showed the devastating effects of a lack of mitigation.
The next takeaway would be the requirement for all jurisdictions to include pipeline
explosions in threat and hazard identification (Ramsay & Kiltz, 2014). There is an existence of
pipelines all over this country and not only do they provide a technological hazard but can also
be used as a tool for terrorists (Ramsay & Kiltz, 2014). This is an area that all jurisdictions
should be more cautious toward and handle before it’s too late. The third take-away is that
emergency management is not just for emergency managers and first responder therefore the
community must get involved. Emergency management relates to the whole community from
personal preparedness, local businesses, NGOs, volunteer organizations, insurance companies,
construction companies, etc.
The fourth take-away comes from the Haiti earthquake and evading/decreasing secondary
public health emergencies. Lack of education was shown on local geography, infrastructural
limitations, and cultural practices throughout the response and recovery phases to the Haiti
earthquake. Unfortunately, this led to thousands of more deaths due to a cholera outbreak. Lastly,
the fifth takeaway was the opening to the usage of technology as a method of receiving donations
as a fund-raising tool. When disasters of a larger magnitude occurs, the government cannot and
sometimes will not, provide all funding needed during the response and recovery phase. This is
an area where the community plays a part as well. Donations play a vital role in these phases.
References:
Kilroy, R. J. (2008). Threats to homeland security: An all hazards perspective. Hoboken, NJ:
Wiley.
Ramsey, J. D., & Kiltz, L. (2014). Critical issues in homeland security: A casebook. Boulder,
