Definition of the Emergency Management System - Essay Example

Emergency Management Abstract Emergency Management is a process by which the communities get in the position to reduce their vulnerability in case of hazards. In relation to Hurricane Katrina, United States of America failed in addressing the catastrophe, leaving more than 1800 people dead, and several others displaced. The decisions made as a means of managing the adverse impacts, did little to reduce the damages. The failure led to the devolution of the emergency management system (FEMA) with the director losing his powers. The funds and personnel issued to FEMA were reduced. Most of the resources were channeled directly to the disaster preparation and mitigation for the local and state agencies. In Chicago, OEM under OEMC, access funding from the Homeland Security Grant Funding. Besides other avenues of financing, OEMC has developed more capabilities when it comes to resource allocation and capacity development. The funding has enabled OEMC to increase its impacts in protecting the public and critical infrastructure in Chicago, in case of a disaster or emergency. Availability of personnel and funds has improved the disaster response coordination at the local level. It has led to improved technology and increased public engagement in catastrophic events. The same kinds of improvements are also experienced at the state level. The grant has enabled IEMA and its related agencies to be more effective and efficient. The resources have made the agency capable of investing more in training, planning, equipment and organization activities. The result of investment has been the improvement in the activities that relate to protection, prevention, response mitigation and recovery from emergencies. Introduction Emergency management is the planning process that entails the involvement of communities in the reduction of their vulnerability towards the hazard. It also involves the mechanisms through which the community can cope with disasters. Emergency management does not eliminate or avert threats, but instead aims to decrease their impacts on the society. Disaster management covers events like fire, industrial sabotage, terrorist acts, natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, communication failures, industrial accidents and public disorder. Its phases include mitigation, prevention, response, preparedness and recovery (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2014). Poor Response to Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a deadly storm whose destructive nature exposed United States of America's catastrophic response weaknesses. It laid open the cracks in the emergency management system in the country. According to the government, after- action reports, Hurricane Katrina management was a failure (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2014). In explanation, the emergency management system had failed in both responding and recovery phases of the incident. The changes that included increased channelization and wetlands loss at Louisiana coast made it and New Orleans more vulnerable hurricane- wise. The decisions made about the design and development of the levee system made some of the contributory factors to Katrina's impact. The storm challenged the United States local and national emergency operation system capacities and capabilities. In addition, making Superdome the shelter of the New Orleans showed the failure in the planning sector. The failure was not only based on human resources but also in other resources and plans. The nongovernmental, business community and voluntary agencies' efforts to fill the deficiency were not enough. It is evident that the local officials and the state did not do much as expected about marshaling resources. The failures could also be blamed on the priority focus on homeland security, and terrorism, thus reducing the capacity and the capability of the federal government to control the disaster. Impacts of 9/11 The September 11 aftermath involved FEMA losing direct access to the president and status as an independent entity. Instead, it was absorbed to be part of the newly formed Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA director’s powers were reduced to be lower than those of the cabinet secretaries. It, therefore, meant that the director could not direct or task the secretaries in case of disasters. States were forced to create their homeland security offices that addressed emergency management issues, thus making the process more complicated. FEMA funds and personnel were further distributed to support the DHS priorities at the highest level. The funds included the money that was meant for the disaster preparation and mitigation for the local and state agencies. The result was further hollowing of FEMA. In an attempt to accommodate the DHS, the National Response Plan replaced the federal response plan. The DHS also played the oversight role of the operations of department’s secretary. There was an additional bureaucracy together with the development new disaster coordinator post known as Principal Federal Officer (PFO). The creation of the post led to conflict since the FEMA director was still in existence. There was, therefore, no clear distinction in relation to authority and accountability in the management levels (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2014). The result was failure to deploy adequate military and civilian assets to enhance the evacuation process and provided the needed supplies for the shelters before the Katrina hit. Emergency Management Agencies in West Town- Chicago My local jurisdiction is West Town in Chicago, Illinois which is one of the seventy- seven community areas in Chicago city. The City of Chicago has got the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as the agency that acts in the public capacity. The agency is found at the city's emergency management and communications department. OEM helps the city in emergency preparation, prevention and mitigation of disasters and emergencies. Besides, it is the Chicago's liaison to the state and federal emergency management agencies, Illinois' 'Emergency Management Office', and the 'United States Department of Homeland Security'. OEM is an office under the Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) whose main role is to coordinate events, manage incidents, provide relevant technology and control the communications systems (Kapucu & Knox, 2013). Its mission is to ensure that the property and the lives of the Chicago citizens are protected. To achieve its success, OEMC partners closely with the federal, state, regional and local partners so as to ensure seamless complementary and integrated missions. It recognized that both the residents and resources need to be complemented by the state resources to ensure efficiency. It knows the importance of the county and state machinery complementation in the achievement of security and safety of both residents and their property in the city. As a result, OEMC has ensured that its activities are flexible and innovative to ensure ease in adjustments for mission achievements. The vision that guides OEMC is "Integrated Operations, Safe and Secure Citizens." (City of Chicago, 2015) It aims at ensuring that the department is guided by the values of accountability, professionalism, communication, integrity, collaboration and preparedness. In addition, OEMC hosts Notify Chicago that ensures that the subscribed residents receive alerts in major relation incidents, health, traffic disruptions and severe weather. The changes in OEMC are that it can now access funding from the Homeland Security Grant Funding. For example, in 2012, OEMC, Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and Cook County Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management (DHSEM) received $ 47 million from Homeland Security Grant Funding (City of Chicago, 2012). Therefore, it has more capabilities when it comes to resource allocation and capacity development. The funding has enabled OEMC to increase its impacts about protecting the public and critical infrastructure in Chicago, in case of a disaster or emergency. Additional funding to OEMC comes through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). The increased funding system has ensured technology improvement when it comes to disaster management. Also, the efficiency has been improved through the advanced training to the disaster response team of Chicago. In return, the improvement of technology has made it easier for the OEMC to partner with the stakeholders like the Cook County's DHSEM. Courtesy of successful partnership, programs like the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) has managed to be effective. The adjustments in the emergency management systems have made OEMC and Cook County’s DHSEM to be able to meet the National Department Guidelines and Department of Homeland Security threshold. In specific, the funding has enabled the two entities to be able to implement the National Incident Management System training courses and the HSEEP projects. In general, the capability of the Chicago to disaster or emergency protection, prevention, response, and recovery has been improved. The recent changes have also seen to it that the City of Chicago trickles the resources down to the county level efficiently. It has ensured that the disaster is significantly improved in the local jurisdiction. According to Schenkel (in City of Chicago, 2012) the adjustments has enabled the “emergency management personnel the opportunity to maintain our ability to prepare for coordinated disaster response, utilize technology and provide effective outreach to the public in the event of a catastrophic incident.” Illinois Emergency Management Agencies The State of Illinois has agencies that deal with emergency management at the local level. First, Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) manages emergency at the state level. Its primary responsibility is to prepare the state for technological, man- made or natural disasters, hazards or terrorism acts. IEMA coordinates the State of Illinois’ disaster preparedness, mitigation, recovery and response activities and programs. In addition, IEMA functions as the State Emergency Response Commission. It also maintains the twenty- four hours Communication Center Response and State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). SEOC's roles include being a lead agent in consequence or crisis management operations or response. It notifies, activates, employs and deploys the state resources in reaction to a threat or terrorism act. The other role of IEMA is to assist the local governments in the development of the multi- hazard emergency plans and their implementation. Besides, it is also entitled to the protection of residents against ionizing radiation effects. In reference to radiation, its roles include capacity building of locals; planning and responding to radiation emergencies; and regulating and inspecting radioactive materials licenses. Other functions include registering and inspecting statewide facilities and equipment that produce radioactive materials, certifying mammographic machinery and accrediting the technologists in the medical radiation field. Besides, IEMA monitors eleven nuclear power plants that generate Illinois electricity. Lastly, it escorts and inspects the nuclear shipments (IEMA, 2014). Second, the State of Illinois at the village level has a volunteering emergency like the Plainfield Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). The agencies’ role is to ensure that the emergency management measures are conducted at the village level whenever appropriate. The volunteering agencies help the IEMA in meeting its goal that is to ensure that the residents are secure, and their properties protected. PEMA has got trained weathermen, rescue and search team. It also engages in activities like public awareness and capacity building, traffic control and updating the public about special events. The IEMA activities have been boosted due to the increase in grant funding from the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The grant has ensured that the functions of IEMA have endured that IEMA meets its goals. It also has made the agency to involve in additional activities as stipulated by the donor. The grant has enabled the agency to be more effective and efficient. That is, the agency has been able to invest more in training, planning, equipment and organization activities. The result of investment has been the improvement in the activities that relate to protection, prevention, mitigation and recovery and response from emergencies. It also has improved the relationship and management of the county emergency management agencies under IEMA (Cook County Government, 2015). Conclusion In conclusion, poor response to Hurricane Katrina and the Impacts of the September 2011 incident ensured that the emergency management is devolved. It ensured that the emergency management is conducted at the national, state and county level. The issuance of grants to the state, regional and local entities has ensured that the response easily gets to the public. For example, the development of OEMC and IEMA has enabled improvement of the emergency activities in the public domain. Availability of resources has ensured improvement on emergency protection, prevention, response, mitigation, and recovery. The boost on the emergency management at the local level has been possible due to the grants offered by the government. References City of Chicago (2015). Chicago and Cook County Receive $47 Million in Federal Funding to Provide High Level Preparedness Capabilities to Protect the Public and Critical Infrastructures. Retrieved from http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/oem/provdrs/emerg_mang/news/2012/nov/chi cago_and_cookcountyreceive47millioninfederalfundingtoprovideh.html City of Chicago (2015). Office of Emergency Management. Retrieved from http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/oem/provdrs/emerg_mang.html Cook County Government (2015). Board of Commissioners. Retrieved from https://cook- county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2342436&GUID=EBED5A59-BD62- 4C93-AD61-79CAD4DB23A7&Options=&Search= Haddow, G., Bullock, J., & Coppola, D. (2014). Introduction to Emergency Management 5th Edition. Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann IEMA (2014). About IEMA. Retrieved from https://www.illinois.gov/iema/About/Pages/default.aspx Kapucu, N. & Knox, C. C. (2013). Utilization of Service Learning in Emergency Programs in the United States. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 19 (1), 31- 51 Read More