United States Emergency Management | Discussion

Question 1

Given that crises around the world are having more international stakes, United States emergency management professionals should be placing more emphasis on training how to respond to global catastrophes that may take place abroad. It is necessary to understand that major disasters caused by climate change have considerable economic, environmental and social effects that lead to tremendous losses (Coppola, 2010).  According to researchers, these losses include losses of human lives, loss of jobs, and the destruction of infrastructure, including homes, public buildings and bridges (Coppola, 2010). Moreover, these losses lead to “business failures, chaos, loss of income and tax revenues, diminished health care systems, public health risks due to unsafe water, lack of sanitation, food shortage and shelter; transportation delays and the spread of physical and mental illnesses” (A National Dialogue About America’s Water Resources Challenges For the 21st Century, 2014, p.14). United States emergency management professionals require professional training that could address a wide range of issues in the field of international emergency management. Due to the evolution of emergency management in the United States, elementary response mechanisms formed at the national level could be included in the programs aimed at responding to the catastrophes at the international level. Effective training should include response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness activities that could be applied to different types of hazards. Preventing global catastrophes requires appropriate training to decrease the exposure of people to the negative consequences of disasters like floods, earthquakes, wildfires, etc. (Coppola, 2010).  In order to demonstrate effective skills, knowledge and experience in international emergency management, the U.S. professionals should be well-trained in various fields, including the use of technical information to assess natural disasters, the use of the proper strategies for applying scientific knowledge, the use of the proper information regarding the cultural and economic diversity of the nations, on-site health care delivery, search and rescue operations, counselling services, and other issues. The U.S. emergency management professionals should have additional training to be able to join formal disaster response teams that may work internationally. When emergencies occur at the global level, the U.S. should send well-trained professional teams of emergency management specialists to the country in need (Coppola, 2010). These teams should develop and implement their own incident command system and policies to effectively respond to global catastrophes that may take place abroad.

Question 2

Some of the many ways United States emergency management teams could respond effectively to international disasters include on-site assistance and media coverage. Emergency management teams are well-trained to provide regular interaction and perform mass care to address the needs of the countries faced by disasters, both natural and manmade disasters. In addition, emergency management professionals “send messages and warnings, protection action recommendations, and preparedness/hazard mitigation information to the public through multiple platforms” (Fagel, 2013, p. 279).  Due to effective and clear public messaging by the United States emergency management teams, people across the world can be informed about the latest disasters and emergencies. On-site assistance provided by the United States emergency management teams includes on-site healthcare operations, humanitarian operations to support recovery and long-term development of the disaster affected areas, assistance in the field of food safety, food supply, and other activities. Physicians, nurses, counselors and other emergency management professionals are well-trained to address the needs of vulnerable population. Some important considerations the United States emergency management teams should take into account may include assessment of cultural issues, assessment of staff awareness regarding possible risks, assessment of technical needs to provide effective response to disasters and emergencies (e.g. search-rescue equipment), establishment of the proper planning, identifying specific training requirements, assessment of administrative support, evaluation of possible costs (wages, staff training, equipment and vehicle costs, and transportation costs) and many other considerations. In fact, the complexity of the crises may create considerable challenges in coordination of the proper response activities (Coppola, 2010). The United States emergency management teams should avoid any communication challenges that may affect the quality of work. The proper planning procedures help teams to perform their duties in future operations and effectively address the needs of victims (Coppola, 2010). In general, the United States emergency management teams should consider response related circumstances, including some significant facts and conditions, which can affect the actions of team members, their behavior and decisions, while responding to disaster or emergency situations. As emergency management teamwork is focused on setting specific goal-oriented activities, team members should be engaged in collaborative work through the use of effective mechanisms. Due to successful implementation of well-planned strategies, the United States emergency management teams could provide large scale response operations and relief activities. As a result of the emergency management team members’ awareness, international disasters like floods, earthquakes, disease outbreaks, and other types of disasters and emergencies could be properly managed and coordinated.

Question 3

It is known that in the United States, the coordination of the response to international disasters lies on the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Some past international disasters where United States emergency management teams played a vital part in responding to and recovering from include West Africa Ebola Outbreak of 2014, Syria Complex Emergency of 2014, Philippines Typhoon Haiyan, Pakistan Floods, Kenya Food Insecurity, Republic of Marshall Islands Drought of 2013, Chile’s Earthquake of 2010, Haiti’s Earthquake of 2010, and other disasters (USAID, Official Website, 2015). The United States emergency management teams of USAID and OFDA have developed response plans to support the countries in need. For example, 2014, the United States emergency management teams provided international response to the EVD outbreak in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Mali. The Logistics Cluster was used the coordinate the work of humanitarian logistics activities, which included healthcare services, food supply for refugees, treatment facilities with ready-to-use therapeutic food, and other activities. EVD is considered to be a severe disease that is “transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, and tissues of infected animals or people” (USAID, Official Website, 2015). There is no effective preventive vaccine for EVD. Therefore, the United States Response Management Team (RMT), called The DART, comprised disaster response and medical experts from USAID/OFDA and CDC—is working to identify key needs stemming from the EVD outbreak, amplify humanitarian response efforts, and coordinate all USG efforts to support the EVD response. In 2013, the United States emergency management teams provided response to Philippines Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). They provided the measles vaccination campaigns in typhoon affected arears, professional health care services to local population, counseling services, health information sessions, hygiene kit distribution, food supply and livelihoods activities, and other humanitarian activities (USAID, Official Website, 2015). In general, the United States emergency management teams are involved in regular disaster response campaigns because of the increased amount of natural hazards in Philippines in the past decade. Another example of the past international disaster where United States emergency management teams played a vital part in responding to and recovering from is Pakistan floods. More than 4.8 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance provided by emergency management professionals, including health care delivery, vaccination, and access to safe drinking water, emergency shelters, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education to local population (USAID, Official Website, 2015).

Question 4

According to researchers, the disasters that may occur in the future include wildfires, heat emergencies, floods, severe storms and earthquakes (Haddow et al., 2013). Climate change is one of the major causes of global catastrophes. Although it is a natural phenomenon, its growth is promoted by human activities. It is impossible to solve the issues caused by the global catastrophes without effective functioning of the International Disaster Management. In other words, the likely future of International Disaster Management is really impressive. There will be considerable changes in the emergency management practices to meet the needs of the countries faced by some catastrophe or disaster. According to George Haddow and colleagues (2013), “there are significant opportunities available now and in the future to strengthen emergency management in the United States” in order to apply it locally and abroad (p. 366). Hence, this area is likely to grow in importance because of the negative effects of climate change, which lead to large disasters, most of which are dependent on changing weather conditions. International Disaster Management should be focused on the study and prevention of disaster-related behaviors that may cause harm to the environment and people. Governments should consider the role of International Disaster Management in order to provide funding and leadership in this field (Haddow et al., 2013). The following issues must be considered by emergency management professionals to improve the system and effectively respond to international disasters in the future: “coordination, minimum standards, sovereignty, capacity building, equality in distribution of relief, terrorism, emerging epidemics, and funding” (Coppola, 2010, p.18). In addition, some future technologies that could affect the functioning of the International Disaster Management include global aerospace monitoring system and other space technologies, new vehicles specially designed to be used in emergency situations, new telecommunication technologies (e.g. improved mobile disaster management system), and other technologies (Coppola, 2010). These new technologies are essential to the proper work of the International Disaster Management professionals. For example, the use of space technology guarantees the delivery of reliable data on managing natural disasters and manmade disasters, as well as provides valuable information products, which help to provide civilian protection, improve rescue operations and facilitate the work of relief organizations (Coppola, 2010).

Question 5

There is a conceivable type of disaster that could happen here in the United States whereby we would be in dire need of international assistance to respond to and recover from. This type of disaster is the floods covered a large area of the country, affecting more than 25 states, 500 cities and millions of people. Actually, huge floods could become a type of disaster that would paralyze American economics. The major rivers of the United States, including the Missouri River, the Mississippi River, the Yukon River, the Rio Grande and some other longest rivers of the country could affect more than 25 states and could drown large areas of farmland. In other words, the floods from these rivers could put many states under serious conditions.  The floods could become an unprecedented disaster caused by climate change. The large area of the United States could be destructed by the floods in short period of time. Some theoretical scenarios that could happen here in the United States that would overwhelm our emergency management abilities and necessitate the call for assistance from other nations include the disruption of railway communication, the destruction of infrastructure, food shortage and the spreads of infectious illnesses caused by the negative consequences of the floods. As many railroads could be destroyed, as well as bridges and trucks, there is a need for international assistance. The floods could smash public building, factories, houses and stores. Thousands of people could be injured. The dams could be ruined and there could be a problem of the lack of drinking water in the areas affected by the floods. Thus, Americans would be in dire need of international assistance to respond to and recover from the floods. International emergency management teams could help the areas affected by the floods in the following way: food supply delivery, drinking water delivery, providing health care services, counselling and vaccination (if necessary). In addition, there could be effective assistance in the field of transportation, engineering equipment and power generation. People in need should be provided shelters as their houses are damaged or ruined by the floods. Moreover, international emergency management teams could assess the health of local population, and disease surveillance to avoid the spread of epidemics. Undoubtedly, the type of disaster as the floods covered a large area of the country can be viewed as a major disaster, which requires international emergency management assistance.

 

References

A National Dialogue about America’s Water Resources Challenges For the 21st century. (2014). United States Army Corps of Engineers. DIANE Publishing.

Coppola, D. P. (2010). Introduction to International Disaster Management. Elsevier.

Fagel, M. J. (2013).  Crisis Management and Emergency Planning: Preparing for Today’s Challenges. CRC Press.

Haddow, G., Bullock, J. & Coppola, D. P. (2013). Introduction to Emergency Management. Butterworth-Heinemann.

USAID. Official Website. (2015). Disaster Responses: Recent Activity. Retrieved from:< http://www.cidi.org/disaster-responses/#.VM4A0bkcRy0>

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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