Strategies for Crisis and Evacuations - Essay Example

Central to the CCRP is the ability of this program to assist those charged with disaster preparedness to assess their current evacuation plans, and in turn provide a plausible plan in light of bleak scenarios such as resource constraints and other dynamic conditions likely to deter the execution of an optimal plan (Shekhar, Kim, & Lu, 2005).

Question two

Mid-December last year, a hostage situation in Sydney Australia was streamed in major news outlets across the world. According to reports issued by Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, the number of hostages in the café was unclear; however, five managed to flee before the assailants barricaded themselves inside and hoisted a banner with Islamic writings against the café’s window. The police cordoned off the area, called in the emergency response unit trained to deal with hostage situations, and began to deal with the crisis (Mullen, Ford, & Coren, 2014). The first step undertaken by the negotiator was to build rapport and trust with the assailant. This technique helps in information gathering, as the negotiator is able to de-escalate tension while simultaneously helping the assailant ventilate strong emotions (Slatkin, 2014). The second technique entailed employing problem-solving techniques designed to bring the assailant toward rational thinking. Finally, the final technique entailed coordination with the tactical unit to resolve the hostage situation (Slatkin, 2014). In the above case, the tactical unit killed the assailant, as they saw this as the only way to resolve the standstill. Often the techniques used in hostage negotiating are designed to determine the assailant’s motives in order for the negotiator to comprehend what techniques to employ, verbal discourse, or brute force.

Question 3

Failure to share information across agencies charged with the task of preventing terrorist attacks leads to disastrous outcomes. A case in point is the September 11th, 2001 attack on the US. Before the attack, different intelligence agencies worked independently in the assessment of both internal and external risks to the country. The attack highlighted a major loophole in this system forcing Congress to amend regulations with the aim of encouraging collaboration between different intelligence agencies. The laws enacted included:

• USA Patriot Act of 2001
• Homeland Security Act of 2002
• Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA)

Removal of the communication barrier allowed intelligence agencies to coordinate their efforts with law enforcement agencies to prevent imminent domestic and foreign attacks (AFCEA, 2007). The most effective way of dealing with terrorism entails prevention rather than effecting disaster relief plans after the occurrence of an attack.

Question 4

The first issue I would discuss is funding whereby I would propose that all stakeholders should set aside adequate funding for financing disaster relief efforts. Often, financial constraints impede the execution of disaster relief efforts in emergencies. Next, I would propose funding research studies that seek to investigate new intervention strategies, as these will help highlight mistakes in past response strategies, and in turn, recommend viable sustainable solutions.