Emergency Management Forum Response

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Melanie McBride

All of us have watched in movies the reaction described as myths in chapter 8 of our assigned reading this week. It would be interesting to know if there is truth to the root of this myth, as this is so often the case in other myths. (Lindell, Michael K, 2006, p. 222) For the purpose of this week’s forum question I am going to pick a few myths and explain if I would act any different if put in that same situation. I have some experience with disasters and reactions to it but they are not really something I want to share. However, I will use my experience to gauge what my reactions would be.

Panic and fleeing the scene would be the first myth mentioned in the chapter. Depending of the situation and my understanding of it at the time would determine if I stay or flee. I will use the example of a tsunami a disaster that is preceded by a significant amount warning. I would likely panic for a few minutes on the inside but follow up right away with making a plan in my head. However, I would most definitely flee the disaster scene to get to safe grounds and take as many people with me as I can. In this case thou it would be a calculated decision not one made in panic therefore panic and fleeing would be right just from a different angle.

Another myth mentioned is disassociating oneself from the scene also named Disaster shock. (Lindell, Michael K, 2006, p. 223) I can see that this can happen to a number of people I have seen it happen to someone in my family. I can describe it as an involuntary reaction from the brain if the emotional influences are simply too much to deal with. So the brain chops the information down and lets in only what it can handle at the time. As for me I am a kind of protector for others, at no time assuming it is weak to be in shock or block the information. Yet, finding it easier to care for others if all the emotions that come with the disaster are let in and dealt with so that I can be recovered and help when others come to terms with what happened.

This trait of mine can be applied to many different situations in life but in the end, all my reactions will revolve around helping others and making the situation easier to get thru for them. And I believe that a great number of people around us have the same exact trait, to protect others. It may be naïve to think this way and honestly I have learned the hard way many times that there is lots of people out there ready to stand by and watch but in the end they are a small number.

References

Lindell, Michael K. (2006). Fundamentals of emergency management. Retrieved from FEMA website: https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/aemrc/booksdownload/fem/