Using the Planning P, write an emergency preparedness plan

Running head: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 1

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 4

Emergency Management

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Emergency Management

Federalism is best described by the American government that seeks to harmonize administration duties from the different levels of governance. For instance, different states have specific policies designed to enable the state government to carry out its function. On a larger scale, however, the country expands its horizon and addresses major threats to security at a national level. Through its various departments and units, the federal government has since the beginning of the century overseen numerous reforms in national policies to minimize and control the effect of both natural disasters and terror attacks. Therefore, the national reforms developed at the federal level are designed to uniformly impact the independent states by creating a standard set of steps and policies to be observed in prevention and handling of above-mentioned issues.

National level policy reforms after the 9/11 attacks

The American defense system was put to the test during the fateful year that saw the most powerful country exposed as a potential terror destination. The attack, as it occurred in different phases, challenged nationwide administration due to the inability of the departments to effectively co-ordinate activities to handle the security issues at an early stage such as detection of unusual activities. The federal government, as a result, opted to create different committees such as the 911 commission responsible for conducting research and providing feedback to the Congress for further analysis. The committee was designed in a bid to enhance efficiency by harmonizing the various state agencies into functioning uniformly. As a result, the National Counter- Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was formed in 2004 through the amendment of the Intelligence Reform Act (Simpson, 2005). The center was tasked with the responsibilities of overcoming the challenges associated with abrupt terror activities. Therefore, the NCTC was formed by the federal government to streamline the homeland security through rigid and collective informational processes designed to predict, disrupt and counter-terror activities.

The committee name was later changed in efforts to expand the unit`s horizons. It was changed to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee through The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002. The committee is America`s primary protection reform after the adversity designed to increase overall vigilance at both local and national levels by harmonizing the various state units into a functioning unit of security ("What is the USA Patriot Web", 2016). The committee`s main task was preventing random attacks through carrying out regular checks on prevailing security risks that may escalate into adverse levels if not adequately addressed at the early stages of planning. The committee is responsible for handling disasters through the efficient coordination of available resources to increase the efficiency of the federal administration in handling issues of state concern and emergency.

National level policy reforms after Hurricane Katrina

Similarly, the federal administration`s reaction to the natural disaster, once again, exposed the frailties of the national government as a result of its inefficiency in handling the natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina led to intense criticism on the Federal Emergency Management Agency which was termed as devastatingly ineffective in handling issues of national safety. After the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina, the government modified its policies yet again to increase efficiency at a national level by anticipating adversities through multiple forecasting programs through the SAFE Port Act. The multiple forecasting programs were designed to enable the various agencies to predict and anticipate potential weather patterns at a premature level to enhance the efficiency of federal response to the issue.

Also, the homeland security docket was expanded to cater for additional requirements in the mitigation process under the new Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act. In case a disaster occurred, the federal government intended to improve its overall reaction time by reducing the bureaucratic channels of resources acquisition. According to Simpson (2005), this move helps ensure that the government can react in haste upon the occurrence of either natural or pre-planned adversities. The reforms, however, are in consistent investigation since their respective implementations to increase the effectiveness of the federal level by harmonizing security details from the local levels to the national levels as well.

The reforms made by the federal government are designed to help reduce the effect of attacks and natural disasters upon their occurrence. Through the reforms, the government has been able to set aside a reasonable budget for carrying out necessary research on matters of national security. Additionally, the reforms also enable the government to protect civilians through forecasting methods in a bid to prevent avoidable attacks from occurring. Furthermore, the government`s intent to secure its operations for posterity has led to the formation of numerous integration committees designed to address specific issues such as disaster handling, resource management in case of adversities and most importantly, disaster prevention.

References

Simpson, D. (2005). A Review of Introduction to Homeland Security. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 2(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.2202/1547-7355.1132

What is the USA Patriot Web. (2016). Justice.gov. Retrieved 12 September 2016, from https://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/highlights.htm