GOOGLESCHOLAR: Module 5 assignment
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crj_145_module_5_overview.rtfModule 5 Overview
Response
When a disaster event such as a flood, earthquake or hurricane occurs, the first responders to this event are always local police, fire, and emergency medical personnel. Their job is to rescue and attend to those injured, suppress fires, secure and police the disaster area and to begin the process of restoring order. They are supported in this effort by local emergency management personnel and community government officials. In this module, you will outline the many roles and responsibilities of local first responders and emergency managers. You will examine how states are involved in emergency management. The contribution of volunteer organizations to disaster response efforts will be discussed. The Incident Command System (ICS) and its functions will be identified. In addition, you will investigate how the federal government provides assistance in the aftermath of a declared disaster.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:
7B
Outline the many roles and responsibilities of local first responders and emergency managers.
8B
Explain the presidential disaster declaration process.
7C
Explain how states are involved in emergency management.
8C
Illustrate how the federal government provides assistance in the aftermath of a declared disaster.
7D
Discuss the contribution of volunteer organizations to disaster response efforts.
7E
Understand the Incident Command System (ICS), including how it functions.
7F
Explain how the National Response Framework guides agencies and organizations at all functional and organizational levels in emergency and disaster response.
Module 5 Reading Assignment
Haddow, G., Bullock, J., & Coppola, D. (2011). Introduction to emergency management. Burlington: Elsevier. Chapter 6.
The Disciplines of Emergency Management: Response
When a disaster event such as a flood, earthquake or hurricane occurs, the first responders to this event are always local police, fire and emergency medical personnel. Their job is to rescue and attend to those injured, suppress fires, secure and police the disaster area and to begin the process of restoring order. They are supported in this effort by local emergency management personnel and community government officials. If the size of the disaster event is so large that the capabilities of local responders are overwhelmed and the costs of the damage inflicted exceeds the local government capacity, the Mayor or County Executive will turn to the Governor and the State’s emergency management agency (and possibly the State National Guard and other State resources) to provide this assistance to the stricken community. Should the Governor decide that the disaster event exceeds the State’s response capacity, he or she will make a formal request to the President for a major disaster declaration. The Governor’s request is analyzed first by the FEMA Regional Office, then by FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC, and finally by the President, who makes the decision to grant or refuse the declaration.
If the President grants a major disaster declaration, Federal government departments and agencies involved in the response effort would follow the guidance provided in the National Response Framework in working with State and local officials, emergency managers, nongovernmental groups and the private sector. The Presidential declaration also makes available several disaster assistance programs through FEMA and other federal agencies designed to assist individuals and communities to begin the process of rebuilding their homes, their community infrastructure, and their lives. In the 1990s the emergency management system in the United States was tested repeatedly by major disaster events. In each instance, the system worked to bring the full resources of the Federal, State and local governments to produce the most comprehensive and effective response possible. However, the September 11 terrorist attacks have caused all levels of government to reevaluate response procedures and protocols.
Local Response
Minor disasters occur daily in communities around the U.S., and local fire, police and emergency medical personnel generally respond to these events in a systematic and well-planned course of action. Their job is to secure the scene and maintain order, rescue and treat those injured, contain and suppress fire or hazardous conditions and retrieve the dead. Local officials are also the first responders to major disaster events such as large floods, hurricanes and major earthquakes, but these efforts are often supported by the State and Federal governments. The actions of local first responders are driven by procedures and protocols developed by the responding agency. Most U.S. communities have developed emergency plans incorporating these procedures and protocols, as well as identifying roles and responsibilities for all responding agencies and personnel for a wide range of disaster scenarios. The roles of responsibilities of first responders are often detailed in the community emergency plan. It is usually the responsibility of the local emergency manager to develop and maintain the plan.
State Response
All U.S. states and territories maintain an emergency management office. Funding for these offices comes principally from FEMA and state budgets. For years, FEMA has provided up to $175 million annually to States to fund State and local government emergency management activities, which is used to hire staff, conduct training and exercises and for purchasing equipment. The principal resource available to Governors in responding to a disaster event in their state is the National Guard, which can provide personnel, communications systems and equipment, air and road transport, heavy construction and earth moving equipment, mass care and feeding equipment and emergency supplies such as beds, blankets, and medical supplies. In early 2007, with the passing of the John Warner National Defense Reauthorization Act, the authority of Governors to deploy the National Guard was severely eroded because the president was given the authority to effectively commandeer total control of the Guard.
Volunteer Group Response
Volunteer groups are on the front line of any disaster response. National groups like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army roster and maintain local chapters of volunteers trained in emergency response. These organizations provide shelter, food and clothing to victims of disasters large and small. There are numerous volunteer groups across the country that provide aid and comfort to disaster victims. The National Volunteer Organizations Against Disasters (NVOAD) is comprised of 34 national member organizations, 52 State and territorial VOADs, and a growing number of local VOADs involved in disaster response and recovery operations around the country and abroad. NVOAD helps member groups to coordinate and communicate to provide the most efficient and effective response. Hurricane Katrina changed the response landscape in terms of the involvement of voluntary agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), and the private sector in disaster response. NGO’s and the private sector provided many of the support services to help Katrina victims to get back on their feet.
The Federal Response
FEMA is responsible for coordinating all Federal activities in support of State and local response and recovery efforts in a presidentially-declared disaster. In such an instance, FEMA activates the National Response Plan (NRP). FEMA has developed a number of factors it considers in making its recommendation to the President including individual property losses per capita, level of damage to existing community infrastructure, and insurance coverage. But in the end, the decision to make the declaration is the President’s alone.
FEMA developed the Federal Response Plan (FRP) in 1992 to maximize available Federal resources in support of response and recovery actions taken by State and local emergency officials. Following the absorption of FEMA into DHS, HSPD-5 was created authorized the design and development of a National Response Plan (NRP) to align Federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources into a unified, all-discipline, and all-hazards approach to domestic incident management. The NRP was designed around the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to ensure a consistent framework exists for incident management at all jurisdictional levels regardless of cause, size, or complexity. NIMS was created to integrate effective practices in emergency preparedness and response into a comprehensive national framework for incident management. In January 2008, DHS replaced the NRP with the National Response Framework (NRF), which currently serves as the guide for response to major disaster events in the United States. The NRF is based on five key principles, namely the following:
- Engaged partnership
Tiered response
Scalable, flexible, and adaptable operational capabilities
Unity of effort through unified command
Readiness to act
Through the NRF, the Federal Government organizes resources and capabilities under 15 Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). ESFs align categories of resources and provide strategic objectives for their use. During a response, ESFs are a critical mechanism to coordinate functional capabilities and resources provided by Federal departments and agencies, along with certain private-sector and nongovernmental organizations. ESFs may be activated to support headquarters, regional, and/or field activities.
Other FEMA Response Resources include 28 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams and a cadre of nearly 4,000 temporary Disaster Assistances Employees (DAEs) who support FEMA response and recovery activities in the field in areas such as logistics, facility management, public affairs, community relations, and customer service.
The Incident Command System (ICS)
ICS establishes a set of planning and management systems that help agencies responding to disasters work together in a coordinated and systematic approach. The step-by-step process enables the numerous responding agencies to effectively use resources and personnel to respond to those in need. There are multiple functions in the ICS system, including common terminology, integrated communications, unified command structure, resource management and action planning. In most instances, it is the local fire chief or fire commissioner who is the Incident Commander. There are five major management systems within the ICS. They include the following:
- Command
Operations
Planning
Logistics
Finance
Required Web Resources:
CDC Response to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Required Presentations:
Chapter 6
