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Examining Disaster Management
Bridgett Reilly
Liberty University
HLSC600: Introduction to Disaster Management
Dr. Jimmie Johnson
July 20, 2024
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Examining Disaster Management
What do floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, nuclear power plant explosions, and wildfires
all have in common? Each one of these events can be considered a disaster. A disaster is
commonly defined as the occurrence of a natural catastrophe, technological accident, or
human-caused event that has resulted in severe property damage, deaths, and/or multiple
injuries. (FEMA) A disaster can strike anywhere at any time. Occasionally, a disaster can be
prepared for ahead of time. For example, a major tropical storm system turns into a hurricane
and is tracking to hit landfall in a certain spot in the United States. Other times, these natural or
human-caused phenomena happen so quickly that there is no time to prepare. The disaster
management system has been designed to provide an outline of steps that can be taken to help
prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
History
Over 60 years ago, the emergency management system was known as civil defense. This
consisted of primarily part-time employees who were employed by local governments. Since
that time, the emergency management system has grown into a larger system with branches in
the local, state, and federal governments. President Carter signed Executive Order 12127,
effective April 1, 1979, establishing FEMA. Shortly after, in signing Executive Order 12148 on July
20, 1979, President Carter gave the agency the dual mission of emergency management and
civil defense. (FEMA.gov, 2023) FEMA’s mission statement is “helping people before, during, and
after disasters. Our core values and goals help us achieve it.” “A secure and resilient nation with
the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate,
respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.” Within
FEMA's national preparedness system, a “whole community” approach is called for. This asserts
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that there are many stakeholders in disaster preparedness, not just the government. The
stakeholders include individuals, families, businesses, faith-based and community organizations,
nonprofits, schools, and media outlets (FEMA.gov, 2023). Over the years, FEMA has helped in
the aftermath of countless disasters, like Hurricane Katrina and the attacks on September 11th.
A little-known fact is that FEMA also helps in almost all the stages of disaster management.
Structure
When a person thinks of a disaster, several different things come to mind. Most people
think solely about the preparation of the disaster and coming out of it. Disaster management
takes those pieces and adds several other pieces, creating a functional management system.
“The basic structure for disaster planning includes the four phases of comprehensive emergency
management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Mitigation involves preventive
measures to reduce vulnerabilities. In healthcare, these include structural hardening and
nonstructural measures such as laws, guidelines, and surveillance. Preparedness builds
capabilities to manage the impact of hazards and includes drills and exercises, education, and
stockpiling supplies. A response is an action to reduce adverse actions during the disaster, such
as triage, treatment, and management of patient flow. Recovery involves actions to restore
areas affected by the disaster to pre-disaster operations, such as normal surgical schedules and
billing procedures.” (Chartoff et al., 2023) Each one of these stages is just as important as the
next.
Mitigation
The first step in the disaster management process is mitigation. Disaster Mitigation is the
foundation of emergency management. The goal of mitigation is to lessen the impact disasters
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have on people and property. When it comes to the human population, we as a population do
not think about the dangers that can occur with building a house on the coast of Florida or
making a home in the middle of a tornado alley. We think more about the positive side.
Mitigation is “sustained action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property
from natural hazards and their effects.” It describes the ongoing effort at the federal, state,
local, and individual levels to lessen the impact of disasters upon our families, homes,
communities, and economy. Through the application of mitigation technologies and practices,
our society can ensure that fewer Americans and their communities become victims of natural
disasters. For example, mitigation measures can be applied to strengthen your home so that
your family and belongings are better protected from floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other
natural hazards. They can be utilized to help businesses and industries avoid damage to their
facilities and remain operational in the face of catastrophe. Mitigation technologies can be used
to strengthen hospitals, fire stations, and other critical service facilities so that they can remain
operational or reopen more quickly after an event. In addition, mitigation measures can help
reduce disaster losses and suffering so that there is less demand for money and resources in the
aftermath.”
(Disaster Mitigation and Emergency Management, City of New Bedford Official Website, n.d.)
Preparation and preparedness
The next and most important step in the disaster management process is preparation or
preparedness. “The goal of emergency preparedness programs is to achieve a satisfactory level
of readiness to respond to any emergency through programs that strengthen the technical and
managerial capacity of governments, organizations, and communities. These measures can be
described as logistical readiness to deal with disasters and can be enhanced by having response
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mechanisms and procedures, rehearsals, developing long-term and short-term strategies, public
education, and building early warning systems. Preparedness can also take the form of ensuring
that strategic reserves of food, equipment, water, medicines, and other essentials are
maintained in cases of national or local catastrophes. During the preparedness phase,
governments, organizations, and individuals develop plans to save lives, minimize disaster
damage, and enhance disaster response operations. (Phases of the Disaster Management Cycle
(with Diagram) | Disaster Management, 2017) When any type of emergency happens, it is
easier to deal with it if you are prepared. A large part of preparing for a disaster is knowing what
kinds of disasters are prevalent in the area that you are in. Someone living in the middle of the
United States is more likely to prepare for a tornado, whereas someone living on the coast is
more likely to encounter a hurricane. Although the core of preparation is the same, there are
minor differences. One of the things that people tend to forget when preparing is that a disaster
can strike at any time, and you can be anywhere when it does. Most people tend to prepare the
most in the area of their own home, and rightfully so. What most people do not prepare for is
being out in the community when a disaster strikes. Taking the extra steps to prepare for a
disaster outside of your house is as important as preparing for one inside your home. Check
with your employer or local business to see if they have made any preparations for these types
of emergencies. Practicing a fire drill or a tornado drill periodically will increase the level of
preparedness. Some other important steps you can take during the preparation phase are:
•Prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days by putting together an emergency kit,
including non-perishable food, water, a flashlight, a portable, battery-operated radio or
television, batteries, medicines, anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel, a first aid kit, money,
seasonal clothing, and sanitation supplies.
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•Learn first aid and CPR from your local Red Cross chapter or other community
organizations.
•Compile an inventory of home contents. Take pictures and/or video. Store it in a safe
place.
•Learn how to shut off gas, water, and electricity in case the lines are damaged. (National
Institute of Health, n.d.)
Planning
Someone not familiar with the disaster management cycle would assume that
preparation and planning are the same. The planning phase of disaster management is an
ongoing process that involves individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations preparing
for disasters. The goal of disaster management planning is to identify potential emergencies and
establish procedures to prevent or address them. These plans also include periodic reviews and
tests to ensure the procedures are effective. (Chartoff et al., 2023) In the planning phase, it is
important for officials to remember all the unique groups within their communities. For
example, if there is a nursing home in the community, personnel may want to consider how to
make sure they have enough supplies to last through the event and recover from it. The same
goes for places with high homeless populations.
Response
The response phase of disaster management may be the longest and is often one of the
toughest. Response is defined as “the provision of emergency services and public assistance
during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure
public safety, and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.” (Disaster
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ManagementTerminology 8, n.d.) This phase involves responding to the disaster and following
through with the plans made in the previous phases. A large part of this process is completed in
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Emergency Operational Center (EOC). The emergency operational center is the “central hub” for
all the separate agencies working together to produce a plan for the imminent disaster about to
occur. Inside the EOC, you will likely find representatives from different departments such as
emergency management, local law enforcement, fire, and rescue, as well as individuals from
local counties’ offices. Each of these agencies brings a different aspect to the table during this
process. Like with any system, there are distinct levels of “management.” Incident command is
one of the most important positions in the management system solely because he or she is in
charge of all aspects of the planning process. All of the different agencies involved will have
their own representatives, and they will work closely with incident command to ensure that
their respective departments know their roles. This is what is considered a unified command. “
Unified Command is a team effort process, allowing all agencies with geographical or functional
responsibility for an incident to assign an incident commander to a Unified Command
organization. The Unified Command then establishes a common set of incident objectives and
strategies that all can subscribe to. This is accomplished without losing or giving up agency
authority, responsibility, or accountability. Unified Command represents a crucial element in
increasing the effectiveness of multi-jurisdictional or multi-agency incidents. As incidents
become more complex and involve more agencies, the need for Unified Command is
increasing." (ICS 300—Lesson 4: Unified Command, n.d.) Included in the planning phase are
alerts. A person in the EOC is closely monitoring different things to help in the planning process.
For example, one person may be assigned to monitor all media coverage with regard to the
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disaster; someone else may be assigned to monitor and issue the appropriate warnings and/or
watches associated with the disaster. It is important to remember during the planning process
the difference between a watch, a warning, and an advisory. “A warning is issued when a
hazardous weather or hydrologic event is imminent or likely. A warning means weather
conditions pose a threat to life or property. People in the path of the storm need to take
protective action. An advisory is issued when a hazardous weather or hydrologic event is
occurring, imminent, or likely. Advisories are for less serious conditions than warnings, which
cause significant inconvenience and, if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that may
threaten life or property. A watch is used when the risk of hazardous weather or hydrologic
events has increased significantly but its occurrence, location, or timing is still uncertain. It is
intended to provide enough lead time so those who need to set their plans in motion can do so.
A watch means that hazardous weather is possible. People should have a plan of action in case a
storm threatens, and they should listen for later information and possible warnings, especially
when planning travel or outdoor activities.” (US Department of Commerce, n.d.) Evacuation
plays a large part in this phase as well. Similar to warnings, evacuations have several different
tiers that are ranked depending on the immediate need for evacuation. Triage, if needed, also
falls into this phase.
Recovery
The final phase of this cycle is recovery. Recovery often begins while emergency
response activities are still in progress. The disaster recovery process focuses on restoring,
redeveloping, and revitalizing communities impacted by a disaster. (U.S. Department of the
Interior, 2018) This is the phase of the cycle where a community attempts to get back to a sense
of normalcy. Recovery is defined as those activities that continue beyond the emergency period
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to restore lifelines. Examples include providing temporary shelter, restoring power, critical stress
debriefing for emergency responders and victims, job assistance, small business loans, and
debris clearance. (Baird, M. (2010). This is the phase where the local government begins to
understand the damage done by the disaster to their citizens, as well as the burdens of the
physical damage and the monetary stress. A lot happens following a disaster, and recovery can
last anywhere from a few days to a few years, depending on several factors. There are several
diverse ways that agencies help with recovery. For instance, local authorities may offer crisis
counseling to anyone who needs help processing what has happened. Another large part of
recovery is the role of both faith-based and public or private agencies. Most often, these
organizations offer things like food, water, clothing, etc. There are some religion-based
organizations that hold church or religious services throughout the area affected. Often, you will
see members of these types of organizations helping with debris removal.
Biblical Reference
Each of the phases of disaster management is important in its own way. One thing that is
not discussed in any of the cycles is the role of religion. Religion tends to be at its strongest
when a person is going through a rough time. Throughout the Bible, you can find passages that
refer to each cycle of the disaster management system. One of the most significant Bible
passages is the story of Noah and the ark. This is one, if not the first, example in history of a plan
to mitigate disaster. The word prepare appears in the Bible over 125 times. One of the most
prominent verses that comes to mind is Proverbs 24:27. There are over one hundred Bible
verses that speak about planning. One of the more well-known verses in regard to planning is
from the letter of the exiles, Jeremiah 29:11. Although there are not many Bible verses that
focus on response, there are several that focus on the recovery of one thing or another. The
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Bible says that we should make the Lord our refuge at all times, but especially in times of
disaster and crisis. The one Bible verse that sums up the whole disaster management system for
me is Ecclesiastes 3:1: "For everything, there is a season and a time for every purpose under
heaven” (American Standard Version Bible, 2024, Ecclesiastes 3:1).
The disaster management system has come a long way from where it began. Like the rest of
society, it has changed and evolved. The world is changing, and if these programs were to
remain the same, it would be an injustice for everyone involved. Although the foundation and
core benefits of the system have stayed the same, over the years it has been revisited and
changed to keep up with the ever-changing world.
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References
American Standard Version Bible. (2024). Star Bible.
Baird, M. (2010). The Recovery Phase of Emergency Management Background Paper.
https://www.memphis.edu/ifti/pdfs/cait_recovery_phase.pdf
Chartoff, S. E., & Roman, P. (2023, August 28). Disaster planning. PubMed; StatPearls
Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470570/
Disaster Management-Terminology 8. (n.d.). https://nidm.gov.in/PDF/Disaster_terminology.pdf
US Department of Commerce, N. (n.d.). Watch Warning Advisory Explained. Www.weather.gov.
https://www.weather.gov/sjt/WatchWarningAdvisoryExplained
Disaster Mitigation - Emergency Management - City of New Bedford Official Website. (n.d.).
www.newbedford-Ma.gov.
https://www.newbedford-ma.gov/emergency-management/emergencies-disasters/mitigation/
#:~:text=Mitigation%20is%20defined%20as%20%E2%80%9Csustained
FEMA. (2020). Home | FEMA.gov. Fema.gov. https://www.fema.gov/
ICS 300 -Lesson 4: Unified Command. (n.d.).
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ICS300Lesson04.pdf
National Institute of Health. (n.d.). Disaster Preparedness Tips. Ors.od.nih.gov.
https://ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dem/emergencyPrep/Pages/Disaster-Preparedness-Tips.aspx
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Phases of Disaster Management Cycle (With Diagram) | Disaster Management. (2017, June 20).
Geography Notes. https://www.geographynotes.com/disaster-management-2/phases-of-
disaster management-cycle-with-diagram-disaster-management/4776
U.S. Department of the Interior. (2018, September 4). Natural disaster response and recovery.
U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.doi.gov/recovery
