Emergency management entails putting in order all prerequisites, including resources and responsibilities needed to handle all humanitarian emergency aspects. These necessities include disaster preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery to reduce harmful effects caused by disasters. Jacksonville region, located in North Carolina, has a history of disaster occurrences, prompting the need for measures and risk mitigation strategies to reduce the resultant harmful effects caused by disasters in the region. Earthquakes and Hurricane Katrina are a huge threat for Jacksonville's people due to the resultant harmful hazards; this prompts the need for advanced emergency management strategies for faster response during times of need and adequate preparedness.
Emergencies and disasters have their roots in ancient history. According to Fugate (2010 ), disasters have existed since the pre-historic times depicted via cave dwellers' efforts strategizing means to prepare and handle disasters when they strike. The numerous incidents involving disasters have shaped the evolution of disaster management, recovery strategies, and led to amplifying concepts of emergency management differently. As early as 1803, congregational was already passed and provided financial assistance to Jacksonville town after some of its parts were torched down by the fire.
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Disaster management and response are crucial elements of disaster hazard management. According to Radford (2001 ), Jacksonville authorities established the Jacksonville Authority to produce hydroelectric power, and reduce flooding in the region. Following, The Flood Control Act was also established in 1936, and enabled the strategizing of efficient disaster management and recovery options for the Tennessee region. Since the Act was passed, locals have experienced a significant and long-lasting impact on emergency management in Jacksonville ( Radford, 2001 ). The major emergencies likely to occur in Jacksonville are earthquakes and floods resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Depending on the emergency's intensity, the results are at times devastating as it causes fatalities and many left injured.
Jacksonville region is highly vulnerable to disaster attacks. For instance, the North Carolina Hurricane Dennis that passes in-land covering an area of 72 miles in the North of North Carolina Coast is a huge threat to the region and causes vulnerability due to unpreparedness. Besides, the high risk of hurricane exposure in North Carolina raises the region's vulnerability to frequent attacks. In addition to Hurricane Katrina, other hurricanes experienced in the region include Hurricane Floyd, and Hurricane Dennis associated with the coast of mid-Atlantic states.
Several measures and efforts, including planning, intend to prepare the region of Jacksonville for future emergencies and provide a prompt response when needed. Existing plans include shutting down schools when nearing the periods of strong winds. Some major highways are also shut down, and people are advised via educators to stay home and take precautionary measures while at home ( Lea et al., 2021 ). Judgment calls are made based on the available information concerning disasters; people are also evacuated from the danger prone areas where the emergency is likely to occur. Shelter areas are made available for people who do not have strong homes to seek refuge. Low-lying coastal areas touching Jacksonville are majorly affected, thus necessitating evacuating people who dwell in those areas.
There are several agencies in the area of Jacksonville that are expected to respond in times of emergencies. For example, the Jacksonville Community Council ought to employ a team of experts to engage in recovery and helping to maintain the aftermath, perhaps helping the injured and wounded people ( Johnson & Glascoff, 2021 ). The Federal Emergency Management Reform Department (FEMA), is also expected to take part during the emergency response by establishing reforms that align with risk mitigation and promote the safety of the people.
There has been training for the on-ground response team for emergencies, carried out on the educator, and the immediate response team. For example, the response team is trained to assess the aftermath of an emergency and handling the victims, including any fatalities included. Members of the response team undergo substantial training to prevent panicking as they conduct a recovery operation.
References
Fugate, C. (2010). Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations [Ebook] (2nd ed., pp. 1-8). Federal Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved 2 February 2021, from https://www.fema.gov/ .
Johnson, H., & Glascoff, M. (2021). The Experience of Public Health Educators During the North Carolina Floods [Ebook] (2nd ed., pp. 331-336). Sage Publications. Retrieved 2 February 2021, from.
Lea, S., Littleton, H., & Allen, A. (2021). Resilience, Self-compassion, and Mental Health Outcomes: Rebuilding Eastern North Carolina After Natural Disasters [Ebook] (81st ed.). Invited Commentetary. Retrieved 2 February 2021, from.
Radford, J. (2001). Anticipating the Worst of Times [Ebook] (4th ed., pp. 42-50). Retrieved 2 February 2021, from.