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Write a 200 word reply to stanley post, provide an appreciative inquiry response. You will not be marked on your opinion but on your ability to present a valid argument and to manage constructive discussion with

 

your cohort while integrating the material being discussed in the course.  When responding to other students please refrain from simply stating “great comment/response”. Offer your thoughts on what he/she may have added to make the discussion more substantive.  Remember to be respectful and focus on only the discussion points and arguments posted.  This forum is intended to provide an opportunity to integrate all of the learning objectives into practice. 

Stanley,

Great leadership realized the potential dangers and risks of natural disasters and decided to take the initiative to protect the American people. Great leadership was a move made by the President John F. Kennedy during his term as President when he created the Office of Emergency Preparedness. On April 1, 1979, another great leadership move was made. This date in history marks when the Office of Emergency Management was created. President Jimmy Carter signed an Executive Order which created the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Executive Order by President Carter combined the many disaster-related responsibilities into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, 2007). FEMA has since joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

From the inception of the offices of Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Management, the underline message has not wavered. The roles of these two offices have always been to protect communities by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters (FEMA, 2007). The mission can only remain true by sticking to its core principles; comprehensiveness, progressive, risk-driven, integrated, collaborative, coordinated, flexible and professional.

 

Principle of Comprehensiveness

Through the principle of comprehensiveness, Emergency Managers have the responsibility to take into account all hazards, all phases, all stakeholders and all impacts relevant to disasters. Knowing this, I believe this principle was not executed during Hurricane Katrina. Hence the Congressional investigation into the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina (History.com Editors, 2009).

 

Vulnerabilities/Impacts

Our community would improve most by focusing on vulnerabilities and impacts. Far too many emergency managers focus on hazards alone and ignore vulnerability (McEntire 2005a). An example of a catastrophic disaster where vulnerabilities were not accounted for was Hurricane Katrina. Emergency Managers did a disservice to people of New Orleans by not focusing on their vulnerabilities. The most vulnerable and marginalized communities are the communities that lack sufficient resources. At times, many of these residents live below poverty level.

By focusing on the vulnerabilities, it can lessen the impact on a community at large. Most specifically, when it is time for evacuation. Many Officials have the false presumption that everyone is able to relocate outside of the evacuation zone. By helping immobile residents, the elderly, and providing transportation, this is a way to mitigate the impact on the vulnerable population.

 

All Phases/Functions

Our community would improve most by focusing on all phases and functions. By communicating the reality behind the hazard and illustrating the many possibilities and what preventative measures are being put into place will allow the community to become more receptive to making necessary changes.

By properly shaping a comprehensive view of all phases, the community and leaders are then able to cooperate and become an active participant of the vital functions. Each phase of the disaster life-cycle is important. By including community members and leaders in the mitigation phase, the proactive efforts to prevent disasters or minimize negative consequences, responsibility would be a shared one.

By including community members and leaders in the preparedness phase, all of the  proactive efforts aimed at increasing community readiness for a disaster would be illustrate much more effectively.

By including community members and leaders in the response phase, the urgent efforts during emergency phase of disasters, would bring the community together as one and make them understand the severity of the hazards. 

Lastly, by including community members and leaders in the recovery phase, long-term activities to react to the disaster and rebuild affected communities, will build the sense of unity in the community to allow neighbors to uplift each other and understand and share the importance of preparedness and the importance of emergency management.

Write a 200 word reply to Mabel post, provide an appreciative inquiry response. You will not be marked on your opinion but on your ability to present a valid argument and to manage constructive discussion with your cohort while integrating the material being discussed in the course.  When responding to other students please refrain from simply stating “great comment/response”. Offer your thoughts on what he/she may have added to make the discussion more substantive.  Remember to be respectful and focus on only the discussion points and arguments posted.  This forum is intended to provide an opportunity to integrate all of the learning objectives into practice. 

Mabel,

Comprehensiveness: What’s Most Needed in Your Community?

As we continue to dive into the learnings of Emergency Management (EM) one can appreciate that is kind of like peeling an onion. One important layer is the need to focus in Comprehensiveness in EM.  It is extremely important for emergency manager to have an understating and inclusiveness interpretation of their occupation. I was able to capture the 4 elements of comprehensives during this week lectures. The 4 elements are All Hazards Approach, Vulnerability and Impacts, Phases of Disaster, and Diversity of Stakeholders. Although all the aforementioned elements are important; I would like to focus on 2 main ones that I know that my community can improve on. Those 2 elements are Vulnerabilities/ Impact and All Phase functions.

The Elements

In the EM profession there are so many details and important factors that should be taken to account that comprehensiveness is key. This is where the comprehensiveness and vigor of an EM program come into play. Vulnerabilities/ Impact and All Phase functions are the two main elements that my current community can improve on. Only by remediating and improving in the deficiencies of those elements -can they really have a more all-encompassing and comprehensive program. As we get to the learn more about EM and also understand that there are many hazards that surround our communities, we begin to see that there is no One Size Fits All. Moreover, the important thing to do is to recognize the impacts that each hazard can have in our respective communities and the vulnerabilities that each pose.

Vulnerabilities / Impacts

One of the main vulnerabilities in my communities are the individuals living in manufacture home/ mobile homes. Many of those residents are elderly or of low-income families. It is important to have focus and bring awareness to these communities; as is very likely that these individuals will not have places to go if there are voluntary or non- voluntary evacuations mandated and shelters may be filled to capacity. It’s significant to work together with community officials to help minimize the impact to these communities during an emergency. Also work with local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) that can perhaps make these communities more informed during Preparedness and Mitigation phases of the hazards they pose and how they can help mitigate them. Is good to note that a hazard will not become a disaster -unless a vulnerability exists and is present (lecture notes pp.6).

All Phase / Functions.  

The second element that my community can continue to improve is the All Phase / Functions. As we read in the lecture there are times that the emergency manager focuses in on phase more than the other. All phases of Emergency Management are important- but at times a focus is lost in Preparedness and Mitigation. In the case of my community- It appears that only the tip of the iceberg is what is touch and the improvement around the city to reduce the impact of rainstorm and hurricane is in need of improvement is push to the back-burner year after year. Necessary implementations of proper street drainage and powerline branch clearance for all areas around the city is needed. In the end, by having a sound Preparedness and Mitigation phases will help to mitigate the severity of the impact the hazard can have in the community.

Conclusion

The comprehensiveness of an Emergency Management program will help to ensure the inclusiveness of all hazards. Mr. David Etkin in The Search of Principle of Disaster Management indicates that “moral theory focused primarily upon duties” and that the Noblesse Oblige- is based on duty that with power and privilege come responsibility (to those less fortunate) (page 9).  

An emergency manager must know all the hazards that could be presented in their community as well as other communities. Furthermore, they must have an understanding of structural as well as cultural factors to be able to understand the vulnerabilities their community can have and strive to address and mitigate them.