National Response Team and Hazards - Term Paper Example

 National Response Team and Hazards Introduction The national response Team (NRT) ensures that the environment, safety of workers, and areas of public health are safe as far as hazards are concerned. The team is obligated to prepare the community in terms of emergencies are concerned. In this regard, they are supposed to furnish the criteria to be used in planning how to deal with hazardous materials. The national response team also has to ensure that those in the transport sector are safeguarded from hazards. Therefore; they are gratified to ensure that mechanisms are put in places that response to hazards is made easier (Raymond, 2007). The composition of the National response team has to consist of 16 agencies of the federal system. These agencies include the environment protection agency (EPA) which is the chair with the transportation department occupying the vice chair position’s. Other agencies that must be included are the departments of Commerce, agriculture, defense, state, justice just to highlight a few. These agencies will be involved in every aspect of planning as regards the activities of National response team. National response teams coordination They have to review the plans regarding emergencies before The NRT embarks on any activity. This improves their team’s ability to coordinate all the activities as per the stimulated plans. In addition, reviewing such plans must ensure that the emergency plans that are in use are not redundant (Raymond, 2007). Their plans have to address any special problems that may be experienced effectively. This is must be conducted by the individual agencies of the national response team at their regional offices. Hazards and risk assessment Hazards expose people to great risks of getting harm. A hazard can be defined as any circumstance that can cause injury to the life of someone. The definition of a hazard extends to the damage that be caused to the environment, as well as property. Each agency has to develop information to be used during the analysis of hazards. They must provide facts that can used to set priorities during planning and hazard response. I require all concepts to be put in place to analyze the scenarios that are prone to dangers. The most important thing is that each agency will have to conduct a process that will be used for hazard analysis. They will analyze the risks the people and property may face when a hazard is manifested to the environment. This is called vulnerability. Conducting an analysis of hazards will help in not only in locating hazards, but its nature as well. The agencies will then locate the location of a hazard. Updating the plan The Federal emergency management agency has take responsibility of leading all the efforts that are concerned with updating the emergency response plan. This is requires to collaborate with the homeland security department. The change in procedures used for notification is has to be done by the various emergency teams in their respective regions. The updating of the plan must also provide room for integrating stakeholders that are not part of the Federal team. In addition, the process of updating an emergency plan must incorporate all organizations. The private sector, nongovernmental organizations and the local governments must participate in the entire procedure. Additional agencies that must be included are the departments of Commerce, agriculture, defense, state, justice just to highlight a few. These agencies have to be involved in every aspect of planning as regards the activities of National response team. This has to be done so that all diverse aspects of the various companies and organizations are captured. The national team must to update Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plans of responding to emergencies. To achieve an efficient update, they are compelled to integrate relevant information from all agencies working on disasters. In particular, they have to incorporate important information from the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) (Raymond, 2009).To add to that, they have to give directives to their to seek consultation from the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO).In doing so, I instruct the national response team to come up with developed plans that are able to effectively handle emergency operations regarding multi hazards. These include floods, hazardous materials and earthquakes. The developed plans have to manage such situations in a competent manner. Federal on scene coordinator (FOSC) must also guide during the updating of emergency management plans. This initiative will ensure that the developed and updated plans are useful in scenes where disasters occur. The Federal scene coordinator must ensure that the plans permit a federal authority in the scene of the incidence The changes of the updated plans must be communicated to all persons involved in emergency operations. To make easy communication of the changes in the emergency plans, they have to be recorded or written down. The changed plans must be scrutinized so that any weaknesses are rectified before they are put into action. For ease of tracking any changes made, the agencies responsible for adjusting the changers must be compelled to number the changes. This will enhance accountability in terms who made the changes. Critical information that must be captured in the up dated plans includes the identity of the personnel that should respond to an emergency. Their telephone numbers must also be well indicated. The amount, name, characteristics and where all hazardous materials are located must also be captured in the plans. For ease of tracing and co ordination, all response maps must be availed too. It also important for the response agencies to be familiar with transportation routes and the available emergency services. Finally, the updated plans have to include new areas of residence that were not previously included. This will help a great deal in hazards identification besides conducting a risk assessment. During a hazard analysis, all conditions that can pose danger to a person must be reported to all the Federal offices for appropriate action to be taken. Physical, chemical and biological hazards Each agency must be in a position to identify physical, biological and chemical hazards. They must be able to cite examples of chemical hazards vapors and fumes of chemicals form manufacturing plant. When a chemical hazard is witnessed, the companies or any relevant agency must use an information system that is set up to handle chemical hazards. This information system must be used to address toxicological effects that are brought about by chemicals (Raymond, 2007). NRT through the agencies ought to respond to the effects of chemical hazards such as thickening of the mucus of the trachea which leads to hypertrophy. Physical hazards such electrical power, machineries and noise must be known by each government through the national response teams. They are obliged to categorize all forms of the hazard. They must demonstrate the people who are at risk of the hazards such as factory workers. Further, they must justify their reasons. The government must put up measures to deal with physical hazards in the work place. Fire extinguishers have to be installed within the factory. The guidelines for putting out fire should be enacted. This includes putting out light before any procedure can take place. Proper ventilation ought to be put in place during construction of houses to prevent a syndrome known as sick building. Constructors must be aware that inadequate ventilation in buildings cause suffocation. The materials used during construction must not also cause suffocation. Thus, occupational health and safety rules must be in place to avoid hazards. The national response team must be able to deal with biological hazards effectively. They are obliged to screen viruses, bacteria, birds, insects, plants besides humans. To prevent such hazards, wastes are supposed to be being properly disposed. The NRT ought to state the sources of hazards clearly. Such hazards are found in wastes, disposed surgical equipments and many wastes. Gabbage with bacteria has been known to cause diseases like dirahhea, typhoid and so on (Raymond, 2007). Plant parts especially pollens is associated with a lot of allergic reactions. Rats are known to cause a lot of diseases like rabies and so on. Rules and regulation must be applied by the national response team for each organization to dispose their wastes properly. Any incidence of the disease ought to be handled urgently by NRT. Process Hazard Analysis There are several concepts that have to be involved during the analysis of materials that can pose a danger. It will require the development of a process hazard analysis (PHA).All organizations are obliged to adhere to the process. The analysis of a hazard has to ensure that vulnerability and risk analysis is done. There is a need to for such analyses to focus on the costs of the materials that are hazardous. A hazard identification step has to adhere to some guidelines. One of them is that such a step has to make sure that the quantities and types of the risky materials are indicated. This must be done during transportation within the community or where they are located (Frank, 2009). The team conducting a hazard analysis is also obliged to let the communal sentient of the nature of the hazards. The zones that are vulnerable to hazardous materials have to be obtained from the green books. I permit the relevant agencies in those zones to conduct observations that are first hand. This will ensure that the credible information of what is happening in the ground is captured. Besides observation, other methods have to be used. This has to include the means like interviews. Such interviews must be conducted on the departments that are responsible during the planning of emergencies, the police and all personnel concerned with emergency. I sanction that other additional means to be used too. This will require a review to be done before on the documents used during the planning of events, land use and population statistics and information on hazard identification. Besides, information regarding toxicity has to be reviewed. The Model city The emergency operations of the model city denote the roles given to individuals, agencies and departments in the event that an emergency occurs in Petrol Chemical plant. The plant is to individuals’ safety in case a hazard occurs. In operations indicated in the emergency plan should be undertaken in case an event occurs. Chemicals that are hazardous are risky when not controlled. According to the plan, such chemicals cause injuries that can lead to death of an individual. Within the petrochemical industries, there are a lot of resources that must be used to help in emergency operations. The requirements of an emergency plan must ensure that it meets the guidelines of the Columbia emergency services. Other organs that the plan has to be in line with include the Liberty county disaster and central city disaster. There are several laws that have been enforced put in place in the Model Petro city company to be in line with the Federal laws. One of the acts included how to enlighten the community in issues of emergency preparedness. This acts delegated the authority responsible for any emergency to respond to both respond and carry out all operations during an emergency. Another crucial element that the Petro plant was indebted to do was to have some competence as far issues of responding to disasters are concerned. In this regard, the responders to a disaster have to be tested, certified and trained at different levels to enhance their skills. The capability of a response team within the Model city is how to deal with disaster has to capture three major issues. This will ensure that all the questions are well addressed. The initial set of questions that the team responsible for planning has to ask a technical representative responsible for capacity assessment is many. Such questions will help in understanding the facilities such teams have put in place to use during capacity assessment. This will determine whether or not they can effectively handle an emergency (Frank, 2009). The second lot of questions has to deal with issues of transportation. This will help in finding ways in which hazardous material are transported between areas. In addition, this question, will determine the ways in which the response team is capable of transporting resources to an emergency area. The resources to be transported must include both the supplies and the humans. The third question which is usually the most important has to concern the agencies. The response team is obliged to provide the numerous response options it undertakes.Besides, the question will also help in finding out the resources within the community that can be used in emergency preparedness. The summary of such information has to aid in the development of emergency plans. Further, it will also help in evaluating additional information that could be needed by the community in initiating an emergency response. The Model city has ways of dealing with the waste operations and standards of making the city clean. The procedures to be used when chemicals spills are also taken into consideration.Further, the company is compelled not to discharge any waste in a river. This regarded as unlawful and the company cannot discharge any waste into the river source. An act is also in place to be followed by the company in terms of pollution of the atmosphere due spillage of oil in the region. Plans should be made so that spillages are not incurred during storage of oils within the plant. CERCLA is responsible for providing liabilities to all companies within the Model city who release hazardous materials without permission to the environment. The Model city Petro chemical plant should not contaminate or pollute the environment with its activities. According to the laws of Columbia, it is the obligation of a country to make sure citizens are safe from all emergencies. This is done so that all the lives are deemed safe and loss of property is also prohibited. The Service of the Columbia emergency also leaves the state and the national response team with the responsibility of ensuring that all measures to handle an emergency are put in place. Such acts delegates authority for the plans to be not only developed but be practiced by the Petro chemical plant in the Model city too. Further, the county laws of handling disasters have enforced crucial laws for handling disasters to be used by the Petro chemical plant. The liberty county disaster has granted authority to the group concerned with emergencies the powers to prevent, respond and prepare itself during an emergency incident. Facility resource assessment has to be the most crucial one. This will help in determining the inventory of chemicals that are deemed to be toxic. In addition, such assessment has to look at the chemical and physical characteristics of the materials .The facilities in the community are endorsed to compile with the safety issues and emergency preparedness concerns. Finally, such a facility has to posses in house equipments that are used for emergency preparedness. This includes but not limited to chemical suits, radios and firefighting equipments (Raymond, 2009). Other equipments include the equipments for individuals to use when protecting themselves and communication equipment.Finally; trained persons have to be in place to facilitate any response efforts when a hazard takes place. The trained person also includes persons that include medical personnel’s. The medical personnel include doctors and nurses who will provide first aid to individuals when a hazard occurs. Such a team is obliged to provide further recommendation on occupational aspects that should be improved. This should be done so that hazards are minimized in the future. Therefore, all facilities should have ways of ensuring that all their facilities are safe. Related Programs and Agencies The national response team is gratified to use current guidelines for hazard analysis. The current guidelines are very important because they replace the previous guidelines that were used as a checklist for harmful materials. For example, the national team had to replace Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) besides incorporating important information from the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) (Raymond, 2009).Further, they are mandated to seek consultation from the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO).In doing so, I instruct the national response team to ensure that they are able to effectively handle emergency operations regarding multi hazards. These include floods, hazardous materials and earthquakes. They have to develop plans on how to manage such situations. For communities to be prepared to handle hazards, they have to be trained. In this regard, I grant permission to the national response team to train the local communities on emergency preparedness. This will be helpful in handling both the simple and sophisticated disasters and incidences. National response team has to ensure that the local communities have tangible evidence that they are ready to handle any disaster that occurs. The communities have to be assisted by the the national response team to ensure that they have an emergency plan. This plan is a tangible tool that can be of great benefit as far response to disaster is concerned. The preparations of the emergency plans will have to go through the major approaches that are incurred in developing emergency plans.First; the national response team has to ensure that the developed response plans have incorporated a multi hazard plan for harmful materials (Raymond, 2009). The developed plans have to be revised before they can be deemed capable of being used to handle any hazard that occurs. However, most communities are disadvantaged in issues pertaining to developing emergency preparedness plans. First, they lack not only the capability but also the resources needed in developing such plans immediately. The communities may not be willing to seek consultation with FEMA.I therefore, make it mandatory for such communities to be assisted by the national response team to overcome such challenges (Frank, 2009). Another major challenge that the national response team has to address is how to effectively manage complex jurisdictional responses. Of great importance, I want to see that the national response team, the state governments and the responsible parties combine efforts in ensuring that any emergencies are handled in a perfect manner. For example, when there is a spill response, the responsible company and the government have to take an immediate action. I give powers to all organizations to put in place a tool within their premises that can be used to during handling of emergency problems. I also accord powers to the Federal on scene coordinator (FOSC) to guide during the management of disasters. Such practices when put in place will be of great importance as far as emergency preparedness is concerned. The Federal scene coordinator has to ensure that they have authority in the scene of the incidence. Such a step is very useful in ensuring that oil spillages that pose great threats to the public are dealt with immediately. The national response team is obliged to assume the role of a supervisor in all matters of emergencies. This capacity allows them to oversee the steps taken by a responsible party and the local government during an emergency scenario. Such steps are useful in many ways. In particular, it ensures that the relevant organization control or prevent any hazard and disasters from happening. Apart from the biological, physical and chemical hazards, the state through the national response team has to ensure that terrorists are a bay. The definition of a terrorist event is diverse. According to the national response team, terrorist events encompass acts both at national or international level by a group of persons or individual that cause harm to members of a society. In the event that such acts are perpetrated by members in a community, there two major consequences that have to be mitigated by the national response team (Raymond, 2009). The large number of people that could either be agitated or injured because of the attack. This is because the community is unable to handle such incidences perfectly if not assisted by the national response teams.Therefore; the state and the Federal are obliged to initiate a response to reinforce the efforts of the community. During the response, the state has to ensure that the required resources can be accessed by the casualties. The national response team has to plan is such a way that the resources are at designated points within the community. This will facilitate easy access of resources when n emergency occurs. For easy access, the resources must be availed at the defense departments and the medical centers in each region. The civil support that is responsible for national security should also have the required resources that are useful in dealing with any terrorist attack. During a crisis case, the Federal Bureau of Investigation must take control of the situation. FEMA, on the other hand, is obliged to have control of the situation during the crisis phase. Another important agency of the national response team is the National Fire Protection Association. This agency is obliged to develop consensus on standards that should be used when there is fire break out. This agency works closely with another allied agencies like the Chemical Hazard Response Information system (CHRIS).The Chemical Hazard Response Information System have to put in place sufficient information that can be used to handle toxicological and chemical effects of over 2000 chemicals that are used in daily activities. The Chemical Hazard Response Team is obliged to provide information to the public on ways of handling emergencies regarding chemicals. They provide information on cargoes. The specific aspects captured in the cargoes include exposure levels, the boiling points and the densities. They also have to caution the passers in the cargo with information on the steps to take when a spillage occurs in a cargo and the safety size where a burning pool is witnessed. At this stage, we realize that a planning team that is responsible for emergency response must be consisting of the following members. First and foremost is the mayor who is also the city manager. The state is usually represented in the planning team by sending officials that have been elected. Other members that have not been previously mentioned include the police department. My directive is that all local governments must ensure that the public health of all individuals is at stake. In so doing, I grant permission to the local government to lead mediations in resolving ideas of varied interest groups. They must also ensure that they well endowed with sufficient resources (Raymond, 2009). Such resources are useful in ensuring that the required data as far as planning of responses is concerned is gathered. Finally, all governments are compelled to raise funds that can assist in hiring an individual to work during the planning of emergencies. The funds can also be used to acquire the necessary equipments that can be used during emergency response. Therefore, the government ought to be supported by both the executive and the legislature. This has to be spearheaded by the leaders of the government. Conclusion I permit all the agencies of the national response team to demonstrate concern with every aspect of the every aspect of planning, risk analysis besides response. They must determine the location, nature and type of risks and their locations. Thereafter, they ought to determine the aspect of the environment that is affected. Finally, they develop measures that must be taken to prevent the risks. These tasks must be clearly outlined in NRT planning guides of the agencies that constitute it. Reference Frank, L. (2009). Lu's Basic Toxicology Fundamentals, Toxic Organs, and Risk Assessment. 5th Edition Raymond, A. (2007). Environmental Impacts of Hazards. Accessed on April 6 2013. Retrieved From Read More