Emergency and Crisis Management - Essay Example

Strаtеgiс Еmеrgеnсy Mаnаgеmеnt Рlаn Name University Introduction Emergency and crisis management has become the center of interest in the global studies due to the volatility of the environment and the human nature. For instance, the causes for disasters within UAE are fairly the same as other regions in the world when categorized under human causes and natural causes (Alteneiji, 2015). As a matter of fact, this strategic plan examines the vision and mission of NCEMA and disaster management in UAE at large and how resilient the government and her agencies are. This includes how the government has set up the emergency management to concur with the recent cycle of emergency management that outline the four stages of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery (Yagoub, 2015; Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). Further, the discussion on the various domestic disasters like food shortages, fire outbreaks among others and regional disasters like hurricanes and prolonged droughts demonstrates the challenges NCEMA faces towards the fight against the disasters (Al Hmoudi and Aziz, 2015). The global warming and rising sea levels have been considered as key causes of the forest fires and regular hurricanes that occur in many regions of the world. Moreover, the strategic plan outlines the key goals that should be attained to establish resiliency in emergency management (De Smet, Schreurs and Leysen, 2015). According to the review by Alteneiji, 2015, these goals are further segmented into performance objectives which are to be achieved within a specified time frame. This retrospect paper thus seeks to examine the extent to which the UAE government has invested in emergency management and discussing the possible objectives that should be achieved to raise the resiliency of NCEMA in handling the crises and emergencies. The need and importance of the strategic plan In the UAE, there are a number of disasters that have been identified to be of immense public impact. These disasters range from natural to human caused emergencies. As such, it is important to provide a plan demonstrating the strategies and goals the government has put in place to increase resiliency in preparedness towards the disasters (Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). To begin with, the UAE government follows the stages in the disaster management. These stages include mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This plan is thus essential in that it provides the objectives the government has put in place to effect these stages and the means through which the objectives can be met. In the UAE, there are a number of identified disasters that affect the country and the region within which the country is located. For instance, come of the potential risks include food shortages, earthquakes fire outbreaks, among others which take place on domestic level (Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). However, there are more risks like prolonged droughts, hurricanes, among others that can affect the country on an international level. Globally, the world is facing challenges from global warming as a result of the extreme greenhouse gases that are being emitted into the environment. These risks are the key fundamentals as to why this strategic plan has to be developed (Yagoub, 2015). The government has set up various steps in ensuring that these risks are curbed through various means. However, there is a gap in the manner in which various stages of the emergency management cycle is handled (Alteneiji, 2015). As a matter of fact, NCEMA has developed various goals but most of them focus on other stages and only one of the goals mentions preparedness. This implies that there is need to provide more insight into preparedness in order to realize the vision and mission of NCEMA. Globally, there has been key changes that have been experienced that affect people in UAE and the rest of the world. These includes flooding due to the rising sea levels, droughts as a result of global warming, environmental pollution that result in epidemics among others. Following the recent instances of Mathews hurricane, it has been noticed that globally, people need to be prepared for environmentally related disasters which have been known to be key causes of damage to the people and property (Al Hmoudi and Aziz, 2015). This indicates that the rising sea levels are yet to cause more serious damages to the people and property globally and therefore, it is crucial to generate mitigation measures to ensure that these changes are kept under check. Droughts that are associated with the global warming are realized to be causes of forest fires that lead to destruction of properties and loss of lives. As such, global warming has to be realized and undertaken as key factors that lead to natural disasters (Al Hmoudi and Aziz, 2015). Strategic goal statements and how they demonstrate NCEMA mission statement The discussion in this strategic plan examines the goals set by NCEMA which has resulted in four goal statements which demonstrate the mission statement of NCEMA. Besides, the plan discusses three performance objectives for each stated goal and the time frame within which the objectives can be achieved (Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). One of the fundamental goals of this plan is to establish emergency and crisis law that will govern management of domestic emergencies (Mitigation) (Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). This goal supports NCEMA mission statement by providing the government with the opportunity to put in place mechanisms for informing the public of the likelihood of a potential risk to occur (Al Hmoudi and Aziz, 2015). Prior forewarning and probable evacuation from disaster prone regions will reduce the number of casualties and thus demonstrating the mission for NCEMA (Alteneiji, 2015). Furthermore, preparedness for the possible emergencies to take place allows the government to plan for response and recovery systems besides being in a position to prevent impending disaster and development of unified response in that will demonstrate excellence in emergency mitigation. Moreover, the plan has a goal to organize preparedness conferences within organizations through training and awareness campaigns (Preparedness) (Al Hmoudi and Aziz, 2015). This goal is in line with the mission statement for NCEMA in such a way that by informing the public of the possible risks, the people are prepared both psychologically and physically for the possible disaster (Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). When people are prepared through training on how to handle themselves and properties in such a manner that they can understand the risks of smoking in areas with gasoline, it is possible to prevent the possible fire outbreaks. This will eventually reduce the number of casualties and property damage that would have resulted from the fire outbreak (Alteneiji, 2015). In addition, it is necessary to organize national response team towards crisis and emergencies management for the effective reduction in casualties (Response) (De Smet, Schreurs and Leysen, 2015). Rapid response from relevant teams reduces the number of casualties in many disasters and emergencies (Al Nuaimi et al, 2015). For example, being swift in search and rescue operations in cases of fire outbreaks, building collapse due to earthquakes and flooding ensures that the survivors are salvaged from the scenes and consequently demonstrating excellence in crisis management (De Smet, Schreurs and Leysen, 2015). Therefore, this goal aligns with the mission for NCEMA because it focusses on preserving lives and properties through the various agencies. Finally, the plan targets to establish national coordination center for crisis and emergency management that will provide physiological and psychological support to victims (recovery). Post emergency trauma has been known to be one of the reasons more people die after being rescued from extreme danger (Al Hmoudi and Aziz, 2015). Therefore, it becomes crucial to provide counselling to the victims and ensure that they undergo full healing from the trauma. In the same manner, coordination and collaboration between the stakeholders will ensure that the victims are provided with adequate supplies and semi-permanent residence in cases of destruction of properties through fires and flooding (Alteneiji, 2015). This goal therefore aligns with the mission statement for NCEMA since it demonstrates an alternative way through which business will resume after a crisis and immediate recovery for the nation as a whole. Table 1.0 Summary of the objectives and measurement indicators Goal Objective Task Responsible stakeholder Completion date Measurement indicator Mitigation Establish federal laws on crisis and emergency management Integration of the crisis and emergency management laws into federal law UAE government 4th October 2017. Duration for integration of the laws into constitution Approval of the law by the president Provide the public with the necessary tools for handling minor emergencies Situating emergency kits in public utility areas 15th February 2017. Time for distribution of the emergency kits Number of emergency kits distributed Develop reliable communication means to inform the public of possible disasters Public announcements over the radio, television and newspapers 7th January 2017. Time for scheduled announcements Scheduled announcements Preparedness Distribution of brochures on emergency and crisis management Creating flyers and pamphlets on emergency and crisis preparedness for distribution within schools and public areas School management 12th march 2017 the time for creating adequate awareness through brochures Brochures located in every school area like classrooms and staffroom Integration of crisis management news over social media platforms Creating social media messages targeted at being distributed over twitter, Facebook and Instagram Bloggers and media stations 1st October 2017 enough time for creation of social media site Complete social media site creation packaged with disaster and crisis management information Encouraging citizen participation in creation of awareness of the crisis management Informing the public through conferences on disaster preparedness The UAE government 22nd April 2017 the period for organization of the conference Scheduled emergency awareness sessions over the television and radio Response Locating emergency response teams in every state region Constructing emergency bases for the firefighters within every state for faster response UAE government 3rd November 2017 duration long enough for purchase of materials for firefighters Number of constructed firefighter bases and purchased emergency vehicles Establish stable source of funding for the continued activities of the response team Encouraging sponsors and government support for the emergency response team NCEMA 5th September 2017 time for negotiation with sponsors and government Government sponsorship of the firefighter teams by purchase of vehicles for the team Set up recruitment channels for volunteer members of the society Conducting regular recruitment exercises nationally to get more members from the public willing to participate in voluntary disaster management activities UAE government 19th august 2017 Time for organizing campaigns for public participation in crisis management Number of recruited volunteers for firefighting team Recovery Provision of semi-permanent residence for the victims Constructing tents and camps within secure regions for temporal residence of the victims 6th December 2017 Time for developing camps for temporal residence Number of constructed emergency camps nationally Organization of counseling program for the victims Providing of guidance and counselling sessions for the traumatized victims 21st March 2017 Duration for short training in counselling Number of enrolled victims in counselling centers Establishment of vulnerability reduction in built areas Educating the public on the possible means to prevent future disasters in such areas as emergencies caused by humans 14th May 2017 Duration for public education exercises Complete public education programs over the radio, television and inclusion in the teaching program Source: Alteneiji, 2015; Yagoub, 2015 Conclusion Conclusively, the paper has examined the resiliency in disaster management by NCEMA and the potential risks that exist in UAE and the world at large (Alteneiji, 2015). According to the vision and mission statement for NCEMA, it can be noted that the various goal statements are targeted at saving lives and ensuring continuity after disasters. Therefore, the utilization of the four stages of emergency management cycle depicts a reliable means of addressing crisis and emergencies in the region. This is because many disasters result may at times be impossible to prevent from happening and therefore it becomes necessary to mitigate the damage to property and loss of lives. Through the analysis of the various performance objectives, it has become evident that the impact on the nation’s business can be regulated by putting in place means for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery (Yagoub, 2015). References Al Hmoudi, A., & Aziz, Z. (2015). Challenges for integrated early warning and disaster management in the UAE. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment, 151, 169-176. Al Hmoudi, A., & Aziz, Z. (2015). Developing a framework to enhance early warning response capabilities of disaster resilience in the UAE. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment, 150, 127-133. Al Nuaimi, A., AL KAABI, M., AL SHEHHI, A., & WINTER, D. (2015). Management of Emergencies, Safety and Security Events. Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: Maintaining Continuous Global Control of Sources throughout Their Life Cycle, 559. Alteneiji, H. R. (2015). A strategic approach to emergency preparedness in the UAE (Doctoral dissertation, University of Salford). De Smet, H., Schreurs, B., & Leysen, J. (2015). The Response Phase of the Disaster Management Life Cycle Revisited Within the Context of “Disasters Out of the Box”. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 12(2), 319-350. Yagoub, M. M. (2015). Public Perception on Disaster Management Using Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI): Case of UAE. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2(2), 241. 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