Homeland Security Management - Essay Example

Homeland Security Management This essay is a based on self understanding of the references I gathered. The topic Homeland Management Security or simply known as Emergency Management. It talks about the 4 phases of emergency management and the process involves within each phases. It also delves into the importance of emergency managers in the success of emergency management effort and the personal attributes that a good emergency managers should have to possess. It also discusses some basic but significant functions of some government & private sectors. 1. The four phases of emergency management are very important to ensure effective protection for life and property in a community before, during, and after the occurrence of a disaster. It is a cycle, and it should not be viewed as a linear process. Why? Because each phase need to be reviewed based on variations of evaluation results of all components of risk management on, before, or after the disaster occurs. A disaster will inflict major damages when the member of the community is unaware of its occurrence, and of the things that should be done. Preparedness phase involves rigorous planning. It is where countermeasures are properly designed. It is done by an emergency team usually composed of selected government officials, government agencies, volunteer groups, representative from medical groups, representatives from the private sectors such as businesses and contractors, or from any interested member of the community. Emergency team is organized during this phase. To come up with good countermeasures, it involves a rigorous process of risk analysis where possible risk or hazards are to be studied. Conducting intensive reviews and revisions of the previous emergency plans, and inventory of resources that are needed to carry out the emergency operation successfully are also done at this phase. The next step is formulation of well designed operational plans which will be operated during the onset, upon impact, and after the occurrence of the disaster. Conducting public awareness campaign (i.e drills, introduction of alert systems) so that the people will know how to react promptly and effectively during emergency situations, and trainings for organized emergency teams that will respond directly during emergency. Mitigation phase involves application of some countermeasures to deflect the possible damages when a disaster occurs. This is usually done by construction of appropriate defense systems to locations where the possibility of the occurrence of a disaster is high. Some examples of mitigation approach are digging big canals, and installation of proper drainage system to places where floods are likely to occur. It also involves strict implementations of laws and guidelines for acquiring permits to different construction companies to ensure the safety of the structures to be built (i.e checking the level of the structures resistance to possible disaster). Response phase is the proper application of emergency operational plans designed in preparedness phase, and deployment of the resources that suits the need in order to preserve life and property within community during the impact of the disaster. It involves provision of relief goods, medical assistance, providing shelter or evacuation sites, conducting search and rescue mission. Emergency Management team should act responsibly to evaluate the amount of damage, conduct inventory of resources from time to time, seek out mutual emergency aid when required, and should remain in contact with the victims to attain their needs. Composition of reports of number of casualties affected, in terms of death, injured, and valid estimates of the actual cost of the damage caused. Recovery is the most crucial part, the bigger the damage, the harder the recovery will be, this is true on developing countries. Reconstruction of damage structures, construction of new residential sites, repairs of damaged transportation facilities (i.e roads, bridges, railway systems.) When the actual cost of the recovery is greater than its own income, it took a very long time to do the recovery phase, forcing the nation to owe big amount of cash to neighboring communities. After the recovery phase, it will go back again to preparedness phase, re-evaluation of the operational plan to check for weak portions so that when the same disaster occurs, a new and well-defined operational plan can be operated. 2. Proper risk analysis is vital in preparing an emergency management plan. It involves identifying possible risk. When risk are identified, they are weighed based on the frequency of its occurrence (i.e does it occur rarely, is it unlikely to occur, or does it frequently occur). It also involves the projection of how much damage it could inflict to a community, it refers to the identifying the severity of the risk. It also involves the projection of the geographical scope of the damages it could possibly inflict. This are to be done to help emergency planners determine which risk should be given the highest priority. In my experience, the impact of the risk is bigger if it happens unexpectedly, and it is hard to find ways to respond, or recover when the impact of the risk has caused you to panic. Staying calm really helps while responding to unexpected risk. Risk should be evaluated based on valid assumptions; it could be done by conducting investigations of what is going on around your community. During this days, where man-made risk (i.e terrorist attacks) commonly happen, each member of the community should coordinate with each other by disseminating information they have heard, either by communication media, or on actual experiences. Police officials should be more vigilant, more prompt and effective in handling information. There are cases when confidentiality is of great importance, especially when it could cause too much panic that could lead to total chaos, at situations like this, it is the role of the officials to determine how they should keep the confidentiality of the risk and act as if nothing is happening, but most of all provides contingency plans if ever the public becomes aware of the risk. But the confidentiality is not allowed to a vigilant community, why? Because a vigilant community could easily detect possible threat, and at some situations, it is even the reaction of the community that had call the attention of the officials, or sometimes vice-versa. That’s how difficult risk management is. 3. An emergency plan helps members of a community respond legally, promptly and effectively, upon warning, during the occurrence, and during its aftermaths. It tells every sector of the society what to do in order to prepare for the possible occurrence of risk and minimize its possible damages both in terms of life and property. It provides guidelines of how to respond during its occurrence. A community with poor emergency management plans is more vulnerable to the damages that could be inflicted by the risk. The member of the community, representatives from different sectors, existing resources, raw data based on actual and valid assumptions, laws providing the legality of every emergency plan, and mutual relationship with neighboring communities. All of these are the main components needed when crafting new or revising emergency management plans. During and after the provision of this plan, each member of the community, especially those members of the emergency management team should be acquainted or be informed of its provisions. It helps them learn what legal actions are to be done as a response to every given condition. 4. During mass casualties, emergency managers personally or appoints a responsible individual of informing all possible sources of relief and aids required. Their role is to inform medical sectors of the community of the number of casualties, the location of casualties, and describe their physical condition and situation. Safety agencies helps by providing facilities like vehicles for evacuation of the victims to evacuation sites, carrying of relief goods to different places affected by the disaster, providing facilities that could be used for search and rescue operations, and provides clear and safe access roads. Police officers and military officials helps maintain PEACE by providing protections to all facilities, to all places, and to all individuals who are working to make the effort successful. Further needs required are then reported to regional or national government officials and agencies when required. 5. The role of emergency managers is very crucial to the success of emergency management effort. They are responsible for managing the four phases of an emergency management effort. To be effective they should be self-motivated persons, one who acts even without giving orders, with good reputation, and a good leader to follow. They should be vigilant, aware of possible threats, maintain networks of communications and mutual aids, has the ability to review plans and look for areas where improvements are needed, one who could motivate all sectors of the community to work together, make sure the public is always educated on emergency management. Emergency managers make sure every sector of the community is informed, and are working coherently with each other. Aside from personal attributes, they also need other resources such as financial support for purchasing required resources, and majority support from every member of the community. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_management http://www.dps.state.vt.us/vem/emd/chapter_3_05.pdf http://www.richmond.edu/~wgreen/Ecd4phases.htm Read More