aspects of emergency preparedness and response

aspects of emergency preparedness and response

Throughout the course, we have learned different aspects of emergency preparedness and response. One intriguing fact is that emergencies arise at any time, and people must be prepared at all times to provide consistent support and even save themselves at the time of need. Hence, preparedness is emphasized at all echelons of the society since the skills are essential during times of emergency. Therefore, it crucial for all the people to be prepared in case of any emergency. During the course of my EOC visit, I had an excellent time with the head of operations at the City of Dublin Emergency Operations Center.

Emergency operations center (EOC) is a central facility that controls all emergency operations within a specific region. The center is involved in emergency readiness as well as disaster management during times of emergency. EOC seeks to make sure that those disruptions are minimized at all facets of society whenever there is any form of emergency occurrences. EOC management has crucial role of not only ensuring that the people are safeguarded and protected during emergency situations, but they must also develop measures to train all the people on all matters of emergency such that should there be emergency, the effect will be minimal since people have relevant skills to respond appropriately to the situation (Donohue, 2016). I had a chance to visit the City of Dublin Emergency Operations Center, and managed to learn different aspects of emergency operations at the center. I also learned about their mission, structure, and the forms of communication employed at the center.

I was particularly amazed by the excellent functions of the station. During the interview, I learned the various functions of different departments in the station. I was particularly amazed by the exceptional communication system set up in the department. The City of Dublin Emergency Operations Center uses a cellular system that consists of a multi-brand radio and wireless system that connects and operates over the satellite. The main reason for setting up a robust communication system is to facilitate easier communication and coordination among the field personnel and the station’s management.

Crucial information is collected and disseminated to the contact center. It is then disseminated to other emergency personnel and all EOC centers in the country. The aim of disseminating the information among the EOC centers is to alert them of the emergency and prompt them to get prepared in case support is required by those affected by the emergency. Additionally, during times of emergency, most communication channels are destroyed; this includes the mobile network systems, road networks, and all other forms of communication. During this time, key infrastructures are affected, yet people need to get in touch with one another and get updates on various occurrences, particularly regarding the emergency (Donohue, 2016). The satellite communication systems come in handy during such times, and it ensures that people get crucial information relevant to their situation. Additionally, once the information has been disseminated to the central processing station, the data is analyzed and sieved based on the criticality of the reported information. The aim is to ensure that there is adequate security and that properties are protected. The ultimate aim is to ensure that there is continuity in various operations in the country.

The Dublin EOC management conducts training on a regular basis both within and outside the city. It also collaborates with other agencies across the state. The move is informed by the fact that during times of emergencies, all sectors are affected. Hence, there must be proper recovery measures in place should any emergency arise. Therefore, involving other departments is essential since it not only ensures an improved response, but it guarantees that there is continuity in the society in the event of a disaster. I also liked the response measures put by the department, particularly among all the crews.

From time to time, employees conduct different drills and schedule training at different times. The aim is to empower all the people with relevant response skills; this is essential, particularly when the lead personnel is not within site to provide support. Training empowers other people and ensures that there is permanence in case of emergencies, and the lead personnel is not at the site. Running disaster response center is not easy since it involves extensive balance on various aspects within the command center. For example, in an emergency center, different calls come in, all these must be routed to the right departments.

Emergency preparedness is significant in the sense that it equips the citizens with essential skills that will come in handy during times of emergency. Past events are used as learning points in the sense that people would want to improve on those experiences and possibly come up with more innovative means to handle each situation (Meyer, 2016 ). With technological advancement, people can leverage the available technology in providing a solution to issues facing society. This is essential in the sense that technological advancement is designed to provide easier means in dealing with various situations. This ensures improved response and minimizes the damages that could occur. It also ensures faster response time to those affected.

For example, today, innovative technologies have been designed to predict changes in the weather. This is important in predicting occurrences such as storms. Additionally, it is possible to foretell the speed and levels of storms, thanks to technology. Another crucial factor in technology is that it can determine the “eye” of the hurricane (Donohue, 2016). Understanding where the eye is situated is important since it allows people to prepare well for the impending storms. Additionally, it is essential to set up proper emergency response during storms because storms are usually destructive and damage all the things on its path. Being prepared ensures that there are minimal damages during the storm.

Additionally, storms destroy virtually everything on its path. Hence it is essential for people to prepare adequately. This includes stocking enough food, getting medicines, keeping clean water, and putting in place backups that cover various aspects such as communication, battery backs, and flashlights. It is also important to mark specific sites that will be used to disseminate crucial information and updates to the people. Moreover, it is essential to have a contact person outside disaster zones such that in case of any unforeseen occurrences, one will be in a position to know what is going on outside the disaster zones. Hence they will be able to make informed choices based on the obtained information. Key institutions such as hospitals must setup power backup by the organization for a generator in case there is a power outage. This ensures that key functions proceed without being interrupted.

The hospital requires a highly developed operation plan that enumerates what and how the facility will respond during times of emergency, in case of any hazards and to recover fully from any dangers (FEMA, 2011). Therefore, it is essential for the hospital to ensure that there is an excellent communication plan in place and ensure that there are adequate resources and assets that can be required during the time of emergency. Additionally, the hospital should ensure that the welfare and safety of its staff are covered. Moreover, hospitals must provide adequate clinical sustenance. Any emergency requires a response of varying scales, length, and cause. Therefore, appropriate steps should be put to ensure that support is provided to all the people. Moreover, in case the facility is overwhelmed, alternative sites should be identified to support those affected by the calamity.

Emergency preparedness covers different forms of disasters and requires that people be prepared for any form of emergency. The forms of emergencies include acts of terrorism, cyberattack, and technological hazards (National Mitigation Framework (n.d.). It is, therefore, essential for all people to be prepared for any form of emergency since no one knows the kind of emergency that can arise. However, the main aim is to halt, protect, ease, and improve from all actions that can harm ordinary people. Therefore, supporting emergency disaster management functions is essential in the sense that it imparts relevant skills to the people on how to be prepared for any form of emergency. Hence, extensive studies should be done, and the results applied so that individuals at national levels become ready to deal with any form of emergencies regardless of the magnitude and extent of the emergency.

The whole community approach on preparedness is essential in the sense that it prepares all people and involves them in matters of disaster management. Additionally, society is continuously evolving. Therefore, as people continue to increase, it implies that more strain is put on available resources. Hence, the more people become prepared, the more the facilities are utilized properly. Therefore, it is essential to support the people by teaching them what to expect and what to do in case of any emergency. When people are educated and understand what is expected of them plus knowing what to do when called to actions is beneficial in the sense that it ensures that there is minimum destructions or damage (Whole Community. (n.d.). Hence better response is guaranteed, and fewer damages are experienced.

Structure of emergency operations

The functions of first responders, including the police, medical personnel as well as firefighters, are guided by laid down regulations and procedures designed to the agency. Most emergency operations agencies have put in place appropriate policies that can be used not only within the agency but also across society (Shouldis, 2010). The aim of using the same policies and stipulations is to ensure uniformity and consistency in how operations are carried out. Most societies have set up emergency plans that can be incorporate with emergency procedures and rules for consistency and community-wide preparedness.

In all instances, community preparedness must identify the roles as well as the duties of all the local response agencies that covers several aspects of disaster and emergency response preparedness. At the local level, emergency preparedness is coordinated under one command station called the incident command center. The center defines all essential duties and controls different functions in the center. It also seeks to ensure that proper control is maintained during times of emergency response. These procedures are followed regardless of the magnitude of the size of the response required to address the event. The procedures are standard and are followed across the nation.

Nationally, emergency strategies are not well integrated and coordinated in the event of any disaster. The creation of the National Response Framework was designed to ensure that all emergency response agencies operate uniformly and under one authority. Nonetheless, the national response framework focus on the risks and mitigation strategies at the national level. The purpose of assessing risks is to prepare well in case of the occurrence of emergency events. The national response frameworks are responsible for training and preparing the people to assist during times of emergency and to minimize the impact of disasters.

The main target is to avert, protect, alleviate, and recover from any form of an emergency situation. Hence, there have to be prior preparations, so that in case of any emergency, the impact in the community will be minimal. Alleviation ensures that there is a well-versed approach towards prevention and ensures that there are adequate preparations for addressing all emergency matters. This is true, considering that there is prior information on what should be done to lessen the effect of the disaster.

Identifying threats and risks allow the understanding of all risks that are likely to occur during times of emergency. Hence, it is essential for people to understand the risks and know what should be done in case any occurrence of such nature arise. The step is informed by the fact there are a lot of risks during times of emergency, and proper plans should be set to ensure adequate response in case of any emergency.

Disaster preparedness budget is designed to cover large scale emergencies. Additionally, the budget is designed to assist the management in approximating the required resources by different departments during an emergency. Budgeting allows an agency to set up adequate money reserves that can be required during times of emergency. The funds are required to facilitate day to day operations while waiting for compensation from insurance or government agencies.

Conclusion

Emergency operations center (EOC) is a central facility that controls all emergency operations within a specific region. The center is involved in emergency readiness as well as disaster management during times of emergency. Emergency preparedness seeks to ensure that the people re-prepared adequately to respond to all aspects of the emergency. The response is nod done only by the authority, but it also involves all the citizens. During my visit to the City of Dublin Emergency Operations Center, I managed to learn different operations in the center. I also learned about the functions of different departments. Training is one of the activities that the City of Dublin Emergency Operations Center engages in. The move is informed by the fact that education empowers people with adequate knowledge required during times of disasters. When people understand what they should do, they are better placed to take appropriate steps to prevent and avert any looming dangers and minimize extensive damages. Additionally, emergency preparedness ensures continuity of different functions in the community, and minimize the impact of disasters.

Donohue, D. (2016, May). The care and feeding of the EOC. Fire Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-169/issue-5/features/the-care-and-feeding-of-the-emergency-operations-center.html

Furey, B. (2009, September). Emergency operations centers: The ultimate command posts. Firehouse. https://www.firehouse.com/home/article/10470014/as-emergency-response-agencies-realize-the-efficiencies-of-the-incident-management-system-ims-more-emphasis-is-being-placed-on-the-tools-required-to-effectively-manage-emergency-operations-centers-eocs-are-nothing-new-in-fact-they-date-back-to-the

Meyer, C. (2016, July). A winning strategy: Building a permanent EOC at UCF. Security Magazine. Retrieved from http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=317568&article_id=2525115&view=articleBrowser&ver=html5#{%22issue_id%22:317568,%22view%22:%22articleBrowser%22,%22article_id%22:%222525115%22}

Shouldis, W. (2010, May). The emergency operations center: A vital preparedness tool. Fire Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-163/issue-5/Features/the-emergency-operations-center-a-vital-preparedness-tool.html

National Mitigation Framework. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/national-mitigation-framework.

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/threat-and-hazard-identification-and-risk-assessment.

Whole Community. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/whole-community.

FEMA. (2011). National Disaster Recovery Framework, Strengthening disaster recovery for the nation. (p.5-13).Retrieved from https://edge.apus.edu/access/content/group/394361/Weekly%20Readings/Wk3-4/National%20Disaster%20Recovery%20Framework.pdf