Emergency management incorporates the effective management and organization of responsibilities and resources associated with all aspects of humanitarian emergencies: Recovery, mitigation, prevention, response, and preparedness (Dyjack, 2017). In this context, prevention relates to the capabilities necessary to stop, deter, or avoid an imminent disaster. Mitigation refers to the capabilities necessary to reduce or eliminate property damage or the loss of life by reducing the impact of an emergency or an event. Response relates to the capabilities necessary to enhance the stabilization of an emergency after its occurrence or when the certainty of its occurrence in an unpreventable way is high. Recovery incorporates the capabilities necessary to restore the learning environment initially affected by an emergency. Lastly, preparedness relates to the steps taken to ensure one’s safety prior to, during, and after a natural disaster or an emergency (Veenema, 2016). Emergency preparedness is an initiative that demonstrates an institution’s commitment to its stakeholders, employees, and students. Additionally, effective emergency training procedures aids in the establishment of emergency prepared proficiency. The paper will present a proposal delineating the need for the funding of EPS (emergency preparedness support) in higher education.
Statement of Need
Over the years, Colorado has been faced with various natural disasters; they include floods, earthquakes, blizzard, Windsor tornado, Woodstock avalanche, and hailstorms. These previous incidences generally compromise the state’s safety against the probable occurrence of natural disasters (Weiner, Irwin, Gordon, and Trangenstein, 2015). The most recent natural disaster incidence in Colorado was in the year 2013. During this particular year, the state was impacted by floods which caused the death of eight individuals and property destructions which amounted to approximately one billion U.S dollars. There is, therefore, an increasing need for emergency preparedness support in the society. Through EPS (emergency preparedness support) funding, the institutions will be able to invest in technologies aimed at monitoring the probability of natural disaster occurrence, for instance, seismic monitoring. Monitoring strategies provide around three major elements of emergency response; they include response readiness, rapid recovery, and natural disaster management strategies. Response readiness reflects the capacity to respond effectively to natural disasters. Rapid recovery incorporates hazard mitigation strategies, the restoration of the established environment, and the community’s timely return to their normal life (Weiner et al ., 2015). The management of natural disasters reflects the institution’s capacity to mount an effective and timely response aimed at minimizing property damage and the loss of life; it further maintains or sustains operational capabilities.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The funds directed towards EPS will also facilitate the implementation of emergency training procedures which will subsequently improve responder confidence, the effective use of safety equipment by responders, and the effective implementation of the emergency plan. Lastly, through investing in emergency preparedness support, the community will be able to minimize the impact of disasters, for instance, through flood proofing and evacuation, and this will subsequently aid in reducing loses, anxiety, and fear among the community. The Metro State University of Denver will be well suited for the project due to a number of reasons. First, the university is centrally located in Denver. Metro State University is located in Auraria which is typified by a mix of industrial and residential areas (Lucchini et al ., 2017). Secondly, the institution is largely known for its wide array of science and liberal arts programs; students under these departments may combine efforts to ensure the success of the program.
Program Description
The implementation of the program will assume a twelve-step process. The first step is the authorization process. Here, we will seek the authorization to initiate the establishment of an emergency preparedness support plan. The authorization ought to be worded to enable the council to create an emergency planning committee, allocate financial resources aimed at supporting an emergency, and designate an emergency preparedness coordinator (Gamboa et al ., 2012). The second step will involve the appointment of an emergency council committee. Two members of the council will be designated as members of the emergency preparedness support committee; they will be tasked with the duty of overseeing the emergency preparedness plan. Thirdly, we will designate an emergency management coordinator and create an emergency planning committee. The ideal individual to assume the duty of the emergency management coordinator in this particular program is the chairperson of the LSD. His duties will include advising the council on the plan’s updates or changes, coordinating the tow’s operations with regards to natural disasters, and directing the EPS’ operations.
The emergency planning committee will constitute representatives from the municipal council, police department, service agencies, regional health department, human resources department, and works and transport department, the emergency preparedness coordinator, and the representatives from the ground search and rescue team. Fourthly, we will initiate procedural consultations with the fire and emergency services. Fifthly, we will assess the vulnerabilities, risks, and hazards within the region. Sixthly, we will ascertain and assign tasks and activities. Seventhly we will analyze the available resources and the tasks at hand to make the necessary arrangements for the plan. The evaluation process will involve the assessment of the community’s capacity to respond to more than emergency, the need for additional equipment, the availability of the medical team, and the presence of effective communication and transportation system. Eighthly, we will execute a detailed planning process. The plan will outline our agency’s immediate responsibilities and actions, list the available resources, and outline the duties of every involved individual. The ninth step will involve the consolidation of detailed information. The tenth step will involve the reviewing of the plan (Gamboa et al ., 2012).
We will subsequently seek the plan's approval to facilitate its adoption. Lastly, we will educate, train, and allow the participants to exercise the concepts learned. The EPS program is aimed at reducing or eliminating the impacts of emergency incidences and preventing exposures from developing into significant emergency incidents, preparing the community's response to emergencies, and activating, mobilizing, and coordinating the necessary activities and resources to manage the immediate consequences of the emergency. To achieve these objectives we will ensure the effective training and educating of the participants (Veenema, 2016). To evaluate the EPS program's impact, we will adopt the analytical techniques from the field of risk assessment and reliability analysis, the FMECA. Our collaboration plans will be based on the following considerations: the assessment of the potential partner's organizational goals and its effectiveness towards the agency's mission, the roles, governance, and responsibilities carried out by the organization, and the agency's need for a partnership.
References
Dyjack, D. (2017). Long Overdue: Environmental Health and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Collide. Journal of Environmental Health , 80(2), 58–57.
Gamboa-Maldonado, T., Marshak, H. H., Sinclair, R., Montgomery, S., & Dyjack, D. T. (2012). Building Capacity for Community Disaster Preparedness: A Call for Collaboration between Public Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs. (Cover story). Journal of Environmental Health , 75(2), 24–29.
Lucchini, R. G., Hashim, D., Acquilla, S… … & Stazharau, A. (2017). A comparative assessment of major international disasters: the need for exposure assessment, systematic emergency preparedness, and lifetime health care. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1–12.
Veenema, T. G. (2016). Expanding Educational Opportunities in Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness for Nurses. Nursing Education Perspectives (National League for Nursing) , 27(2), 93–99.
Weiner, E., Irwin, M., Trangenstein, P., & Gordon, J. (2015). Emergency Preparedness Curriculum in Nursing Schools in the United States. Nursing Education Perspectives (National League for Nursing) , 26(6), 334–339.
