Develop a Leadership Plan for Addressing the Issue Identified in the Case Study - Research Paper Example

Develop a Leadership Plan for Addressing the Issue Identified in the Case Study The Catastrophe The region of Massachusetts during June was struck by a large scale disaster owing to the striking of a tornado which in terms of magnitude is known as the F-3 Tornado. The region struck by a tornado of such high magnitude reflected large scale destruction in many community areas. Localities like Monson in Massachusetts being struck by the tornado reflected large scale destruction of buildings in which around 300 structures fell down. Moreover, several neighbourhood regions adjacent to the area of Monson suffered a huge loss of trees due to the striking of the tornado. The downtown areas of Monson largely populated by local government and municipal buildings suffered heavy losses of government property owing to the large scale destruction of government buildings and offices. Apart from the large scale destruction of residential and government properties the central and downtown areas of Monson also suffered from potential damage of several commercial properties. Many business offices operating in such regions had to close down or were bound to switch over to other areas by opening up newer branches. It is observed that the downtown region of Monson which was once largely populated with trees now was completely barren after being heavily struck by the tornado. Large scale destruction of residential properties in the downtown region were observed after the tornado strike ruined around 290 houses thereby claiming both properties and lives in a devastating fashion. Thus, it is found that the region of Massachusetts became struck by a tornado of deadly potential. In the light of the above case the paper tends to evaluate the leadership issues in regards to the conduct of emergency operations to save both life and property and thereby in citing an effective plan to help enhance the efficiency of the emergency plans. For Massachusetts the year of 2011 was quite a disaster as the state was struck with one of the largest tornadoes across around 18 community regions that claimed around 550 lives and made a huge chunk of the population homeless (Town of Monson, 2011, p.1; Earth Observatory, 2011). Leadership Pitfalls during the Disaster A large number of faults were observed in regards to leadership issues to render effective emergency services to the victims of such tornado devastated regions. Firstly, it was observed that there were huge communication gaps between the government authorities and the agencies that were working to promote emergency related services. There were also communication gaps where the people pertaining to the agency operations were not adequately briefed in regards to the potency of the devastation and failed to optimally use their capabilities to render the service needed. Moreover, in the second case the employment of different agencies to fulfil emergency operations also worked in enhancing the complications. It was observed that people pertaining to different agencies worked on different plans to render emergency services which overlapped one another thereby adding to confusion of events. In the third case there was evidence of absence of communication between different cross-functional teams engaged in the emergency operations. The government medical team was observed to be deprived of any potential and effective data pertaining to loss and damage from the agencies that further led to increasing the potency of the disaster. Fourthly, the presence of ineffective communication practices led to the inability to make optimal utilisation of the resources required for meeting the objectives of the emergency plan. It is observed that owing to the existence of inept communication systems the ambulance services could not be properly connected leading to their late arrival. Fifthly it is observed that the emergency operations in the area failed to get the due potency owing to the lack of proper technological resources pertaining to communication. The communication practices as a whole depended on the use of telecommunication devices like telephones and cell phones. However the lack of proper technological and communication equipments like Information Systems directly connected to satellites failed to render any prior warnings and also in enhancing the aspects of the communication. Development of an Effective Leadership Plan to Address the Disaster In regards to the above incident where lack of leadership potential is reflected in tackling emergency operations it is required by the local government authority in relation to different agencies to formulate an effective emergency plan. The department of homeland in regards to internal security reinstates that it is required to define the roles and actions of the different people and the agencies involved in the emergency programs. Such a direction would certainly help in the avoidance of confusion pertaining to emergency related actions by the agencies involved. Moreover chalking out an effective plan would also help in the optimal utilisation of the resources involved both pertaining to logistics and human resources and thereby help in rendering required actions thereby helping in the reduction of loss of lives and property. The department of homeland security through the organisation of a team can work out an effective assessment and emergency fighting plan to counter the threat imposed by emerging natural disasters like tornado. Directions pertaining to such emergency related operations need to come from one superior body like the commander or the superior officer. Directions coming from a single source or a single directional approach help in aptly reducing the level of complications related to the actions of the agency bodies (Iafc, 2011, p.189). The plan developed by the department of security which is in charge of homeland operations in the United States have adequately drafted a plan that first requires the active cooperation of local and regional operating bodies like non-government organisations to actively cooperate in rendering support to the areas devastated by such natural disasters. Similarly the local organisations are also required to mutually work with other local agencies in formulating effective plans for countering such disasters. The local organisations in that are required to formulate policies and standards in regards to effective training programs related to handling of equipments and management of services aimed at rendering quality support to the individuals. Moreover, specific assessment plans are also required to be put in place to assess the level of damage that can occur in the light of an emerging natural disaster so as to enhance the optimal utilisation of the resource base to render effective infrastructural support. Similarly in regards to the section of communications and information the department specifies the need to resort to such communication instruments and systems that are reliable and portable in nature. The information and communication systems in regards to drawing the views of different agents and parties to the relief operations process can effectively make use of video conferencing facilities. Such facilities would help the different parties engaged in rendering relief operations get an effective view of the potency of the disaster and thereby plan to take required actions. Moreover, the communication systems can also work based on internet medium where the transmission of information from one region to another is very fast. The level of communication and information practices is also required to use highly developed systems based on satellite communication to adequately track and inform the emergence of any upcoming natural disaster. This policy would rightly enable the different parties to the emergency operations to effectively align the required resources in order to counter the emerging threat. Effective command and management operations are required to be rightly initiated in regards to countering the emergence of such natural disasters. The disaster management teams are required to work based on effective hierarchies where the different units of operation pertaining to finance, logistics, human resources and intelligence would report to a unified command authority. This process would help in the effective management of resources financial or otherwise required for the countering of risks that would arise from the emerging natural disasters. The financial and logistics department of such agencies are required to work based on the objectives outlined in regards to the planning functions in regards to countering such impeding threats. Thus there should be an active relation between the different functional units to help achieve the objective of countering the threat imposed by emerging natural disasters like tornadoes. These units are also required to align their different functions incorporating the actions of other external sources like non-government bodies working in the regions. This objective can be achieved through effective liaison functions by the liaison teams working in the agency involved with other external stakeholder groups like the government and other non-profit bodies. Moreover, the policies of the agencies in regards to effective management of disaster operations are required to be rightly disseminated to the other public authority bodies operating in the region. Again the people residing in the different areas are required to be trained accordingly to help fight the threats rising from such disasters. Effective training rendered to the people by the liaison and information services of the agencies would thereby help in building of trust. Continual logistics support is required to be reached to the people in such natural disasters impacted regions in terms of food, water and support elements like merchandises owing to their clothing and shelter thereby helping the people to survive the harsh conditions resulting out of such natural disasters. Moreover, right intelligence support is required to be rendered by the agencies to the regions in order to alert them of the coming threats rising out of the emerging natural disaster conditions. In the ground level again another organisational hierarchy of the emergency staffs should be maintained that helps in the incorporation of the functions of different multi-task forces or multi-task agents pertaining to sectors like health, transportation, and essential resource management bodies. This strategy would help to organise effective disaster management activities in the region. In total the disaster management teams and agencies are required to operate as a unified whole to enhance the potential of the actions rendered and thus to effectively reduce the threat imposed out of the natural disasters. Leadership patterns followed in such respect would help the agencies and the organisation countering the threat rising from emerging natural disaster to effectively resolve problems or issues pertaining to the communication, logistics and other infrastructural paradigms. This policy would help the different regions to gain additional competencies to counter the impacts of such natural disaster like tornadoes in an effective manner. Effective management of resources by the agencies working at the multi-task level would help the people gain the continual benefit of both food and water resources in addition to clothing and shelter leading to reduction of loss of potential lives than in the previous cases. These functions rendered both in the ground level and at the upper level would thereby help in enhancing the potential of the relief operations carried out by the agency bodies in regards to the regions devastated by the natural calamities (Homeland Security, 2008, p.53-72). Recommended Actions Study of the outlines and policies rendered by the department pertaining to homeland security it is understood that the regional people of such tornado prone areas needs to be trained and informed effectively before hand by the relief rendering agencies. Such training and information rendered would help the people understand their roles and positions in regards to the different agency bodies involved in the emergency programs. Moreover, the chain of command and direction should come from one single direction to help avoid the element of confusion. The element of confusion tends to rise out of flow of commands from several directions that in turn jeopardises the activity of the personnel working in the agencies to render relief activities. The above situation also reduces the productivity of work of the different units and creates dissatisfaction in the minds of people residing in relief zones. Working in the technological front the incorporation of systems like web based technology, video conferencing, and even the information systems related to satellite communication systems can be rightly incorporated for helping the region effectively counter such rising threats. Incorporation of such information systems help the several multi-tasking bodies to effectively understand each other’s position in relation to the situation posed by the natural calamity and thereby can work accordingly. Moreover the team designated to manage the threat imposed by the natural calamities is required to work based on a definite hierarchy such that the functions of the different operational and support units like infrastructure, finance and logistics can be enhanced to help in rendering required assistance to the different people residing in such calamity prone areas. In a similar manner the human resources pertaining to the different relief agencies are required to be effectively trained to render the right support function to the people residing in the calamity prone regions. Roles and capabilities of the people being defined accordingly would thereby help in reduce confusion in regards to rendering support activities and thereby would help in enhancing the level of trust of the people on such relief organisations. Such roles and capabilities defined would also help resolve the differences arising between the multi-tasking agencies like such involved in rescue operations and health and care services. This reduction in the level of differences between the multi-tasking bodies would thereby help in enhancing the positive nature and effectiveness of the relief operations rendered in such calamity prone zones. Enhancement of the effectiveness on such accord would rightly help in the saving of large number of lives in such regions. Finally, the level of alertness in regards to the people living in such calamity prone regions needs to be effectively enhanced through the liaison and public relation activities of the different agencies to help save more number of lives and property. Enhancement in regards to public relation activities can be rendered by the different government and non-government agencies through role plays conducted in public areas through the creation of hypothetical emergency situations (WRHSAC, 2012, p.12-22). References Iafc. (2011). Chief officer: Principles and practice. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. WRHSAC. (2012). June 1, 2011 tornado response: After action report and improvement plan. Retrieved from: http://www.wrhsac.org/frcog/Mass%20Tornado%20AAR%20IP%20Jan%202012.pdf Earth Observatory. (2011). Tornado track near Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Retrieved from: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=50854 Town of Monson. (2011). Monson visioning workshop results. Retrieved from: http://www.monson-ma.gov/public_documents/MonsonMA_Relief/Visioning%20Summary%20Report%20FINAL.pdf Homeland Security. (2008). National incident management system. Retrieved from: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf Read More