Emergency Management: What It Is and What You Need to Know

Chapter 5 

In contemporary emergency management systems, communication is regarded as one of the essential functions. The media plays a critical role in the dissemination of accurate and timely information to the public and other stakeholders during emergencies. Early communication helps to mitigate the negative impacts of a disaster. Social media has also emerged as a critical tool in the management of disasters in the modern world. There are many people across the world with access to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. In many of 2019, Facebook had approximately 2.38 billion users while Twitter had approximately 326 million users in 2018 (p. 190); these platforms offer convenient communication channels for communicating and interacting with the public on emergency preparedness. Failures in communication have been cited for hindering emergency recovery and response efforts (Bullock et al., 2017). The Hurricane Katrina responders cited communication failure from the government, which resulted in delays in the provision of relief. Collaboration and partnerships between emergency responders and social media platforms, and traditional media is an effective strategy in emergency management (p. 173)The social media offers an opportunity for security agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security to collect huge volumes of data from social media users after during and before an emergency. 

Despite the social media benefits outlines above in managing emergencies, there are several weaknesses associated with the use of social media. In some instances, social media forms the foundation for rumors making it difficult to distinguish facts and rumors (p. 191). Some people are also likely to make insensitive comments which harm the emergence victims. 

However, the traditional communication channels such as television, radio, and newspapers cannot be ignored in emergency management. However, these channels provide a one-way approach to communication. It is difficult to get feedback from television viewers or radio listeners. This hinders the capacity to collect essential emergency data from the public. Modern social network platforms provide an interactive forum where people can read posts, share their data, and share personal information, photos, and videos. This chapter outlines three interesting aspects; the role of social media in emergency management, the significance of communication in emergency management, and the pros and cons of using social media platforms in managing emergencies. 

Chapter 6 

The chapter explores three interesting aspects of discipline during emergency management. It outlines the responsibilities and the duties of first responders, the federal government gave assistance during emergencies, and the presidential declaration of emergencies and disasters. Response is the first activity after an emergency is reported. There are various stakeholders involved in emergency response, such as police departments, local emergency medical services, and fire departments in case of fire outbreaks (p. 215). Disasters are managed at the state or federal levels depending on the size of the disaster. State governors request for intervention of the department of homeland security and federal assistance when the magnitude of the emergency exceeds the capacity of the state by making a formal application. The introduction of the National Response Framework in 2008 outlined the role of individual stakeholders during the response to disasters. 

The federal government departments engaged in emergency response when the president declared a major emergency or a disaster. There are various situations under which emergency response departments have been put to the test in the United States, such as during the Midwest floods in 1993, earthquakes in California, and devastating tornados and hurricanes. Deficiency in emergency response was noted during the terrorist attacks in 2001 (p. 218). The incident compelled government agencies to reevaluate their protocols and procedures to increase efficiency in emergency response. The community is one of the local responders during an emergency. Local individuals such as the police, private and public response teams assess the scene and treat the sick while trying to contain hazards and stabilize the situation (Bullock et al., 2017). State response is the highest level of emergency response. The federal emergency departments in all the sex territories are funded through federal grants. Volunteer groups such as the Red Cross also play an essential role in saving lives during an emergency (p. 225). They also provide psychological care to victims. The incident command system guides the decision-making hierarchy during emergencies. The state and the federal coordinating officers play an essential role in controlling emergencies and emergency response. 

Chapter 7 

The chapter discusses the recovery process after an emergency. There are three interesting aspects of recovery discussed in the chapter; the functions of the National Disaster Recovery Framework and the actions of the federal government and FEMA have also been outlined in the chapter. There are significant differences between response and recovery functions. The response is defined as an immediate action after an emergency. The recovery process starts prior to emergencies through actions such as relationship building (p. 297). There are significantly high costs associated with the recovery process. The recovery efforts can be considered as long-term or short-term recovery. 

On the one hand, short-term recovery encompasses basic safety services such as restoration of interrupted utilities and re-establishment of transport routes. On the other hand, long-term recovery encompasses comprehensive redevelopment of damaged property such as buildings. These processes can a significantly longer duration of time. The process of emergency recovery requires coordination and good leadership since the activities may run many years or decades after an incident has occurred. Coordination facilitates the efficient sharing of information and exchange of resources. 

Disaster recovery, as mentioned earlier, is an expensive process that would be difficult to execute without the interference of the federal government. The federal government declares the long-term recovery needs of the affected population. The National Disaster Recovery Framework offers recommendations for the redevelopment and restoration of community facilities. The recovery levels at the local level are coordinated by the local disaster recovery manager (p. 315). FEMA provides financial support to emergency victims through programs such as IA and the PA. 

From the chapter, the planning of recovery plans takes place at the local level. Recovery plans are guided by the opportunities that arise after the aftermath. The recovery efforts help to make the victims less vulnerable to other emergencies in the future. 

Chapter 8 

The chapter has raised several aspects of the management of disasters at the international level. All people across the world are vulnerable to emergencies and disasters. Society at the local, regional and international levels has become more civilized to address the management of disasters. The developing countries suffer the most detrimental impacts of emergencies and disasters (350). Developing countries have limitations in resources to enhance disaster preparedness strategies. Disasters emanate from technological and natural hazards. The success during emergency response is affected by factors such as coordination, state sovereignty, and other practical implications. The United Nations Disaster Management Efforts are critical in the management of disasters at the international level. The United Nations Charter has approximately 193 member countries (p. 356). United Nations member countries can form international policy and conflict resolution strategies among the member states. During emergencies, food is an essential requirement. The World Food Programme reacts to hunger-related emergencies across the world (373). International financial institutions play an essential role in funding disaster emergencies across the world. The World Bank is one of the financial institutions that fund disaster response and recovery efforts. The international monetary fund also provides funding to respond to emergencies and disasters (p. 393). 

In the modern world, many people are converging to urban settlements due to the availability of opportunities. This poses risks of hazards. In developing countries, the limitation in preparedness results in the loss of many lives and damage to massive property. Limitations hinder the long-term opportunities that arise from recovery in financial capacity (p. 400). 

Chapter 9 

Terrorism is a global problem. The chapter highlights essential aspects of the increasing risk of terrorism across the world, the 9/11 incident, and the impact of terrorism events in the United States. The 2001 terrorism attack in the United States marked a major milestone in emergency response and recovery strategies. Many countries around the world have continued to battle actions of terrorism for many centuries. Terrorists have access to a variety of weapons and tactics, which enable them to succeed in executing terrorism activities in many parts of the world. Terrorist attack results to loss of many innocent lives and destruction of massive property. Terrorism hazards are intentional as the perpetrators aim to launch as devastating attacks as possible. Terrorism is criminalized in many countries across the world, and there are many policies and laws developed to counter-terrorism activities (p. 406). There are various categories of terrorism, such as nationalist terrorism and religious terrorism. 

There are many documented actions of terrorism in the United States that resulted in the loss of many lives and the destruction of property. Some of them include; the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. The emergency killed thousands of people and injuring more than 1000 people. Other attacks include the 9/11 attacks that were carried out in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York. The private sector is a key stakeholder and also a target for terrorism activities (p. 454). The various terrorism activities in the United States have enhanced emergency response and recovery processes. The United States Department of Homeland Security works in collaboration with the community in preventing terrorism activities. 

Chapter 10 

The chapter outlines the future of emergency management. There are several interesting aspects raised in the chapter, such as the impact of climate change, and the significance of the institutional change, and the role of national leadership. The United States has experienced several emergency disasters related to climate change in the last decades. Weather-related changes have resulted in economic losses of approximately $653 billion (p. 467). Wildfires in the United States have become larger by 500% due to the impacts of climate change. The significant rise in rainfall patterns in the United States has continued to increase the risk of floods. Mitigation of climate change is one of the effective strategies in reducing the impacts of climate change and consequent disasters. The Project Impact was established by FEMA in 1990. The program has since enabled many communities to join FEMA even without federal monies. Prior to this project, there were no well-established regulatory mechanisms put in place to mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

The National Flood Insurance Program increased the supply of food maps for communities joining NFIP. The availability of subsidized insurance helped to reduce the movement of communities to areas that were prone to floods. The National Leadership and Institutional Change were developed to address leadership issues in responding to critical disasters. Emergency managers face many problems in the contemporary world due to the changing nature of recovery and the limitation of housing facilities (p. 473). In some instances, a huge number of people are required to relocate after an incident. This is one of the major challenges. The essential function of emergency teams is supporting public health programs and enhancing citizen's safety during disasters. The departure from these functions leaves the people and communities vulnerable to disasters while compromising national security. 

Reference 

Bullock, J. A., Haddow, G. D., & Coppola, D. P. (2017).  Introduction to emergency management . Butterworth-Heinemann.