PPA 573 – Emergency Management and Homeland Security

1. PPA 573 – Emergency Management and Homeland Security Lecture 4a – Organizing for Emergency Management

2. Introduction • Simply put, a disaster is a sudden and dramatic emergency. • When disaster strikes, the demands facing threatened communities are obvious and compelling.

3. Introduction • An affected community must respond immediately and vigorously. • Fortunately, such immediate response is precisely what occurs most of the time. • Local individuals, groups, and organizations respond quickly, not always predictably or efficiently, but in such a way that important demands are met in a timely manner.

4. Introduction • But responding to an event is very different from responding to the possibility of an event. • To most people, natural, technological, and civil hazards are not major concerns – until they occur. • The probability of occurrence for any particular citizen is very low as is public knowledge of disasters. • This is why public education is required.

5. Introduction • It is local communities that must deal directly with the immediate problems of disaster, and yet it is at the local level that a readiness posture is most difficult to sustain. • From a national perspective, disasters occur more often and create higher total damages and costs.

6. Introduction • Thus, the push for emergency planning comes from the top down. • Grassroots support for disaster mitigation and preparedness is hard to maintain. • The challenge for the emergency manager is somehow to overcome indifference about, and sometimes outright opposition to, disaster planning and preparedness.

7. Foundations of Emergency Management • Emergency preparedness – even if it is modest – can make an important difference if a disaster takes place.

8. Foundations of Emergency Management • Those with responsibility for emergency management never have to start from scratch. • Although disasters are nonroutine events, communities and regions are remarkably adaptive in meeting disaster-related demands, regardless of their level of preparedness.

9. Foundations of Emergency Management • Communities are adaptable because: • Most (including federally declared) disasters are far from massive in comparison with the remaining human and material resources. Most communities and individuals are remarkable resilient. • Most of the problems posed by disaster are at least partially organizational and informational in character. • Offering solutions to them is a major objective of emergency management.

10. Foundations of Emergency Management • When there has been very little planning for an emergency, the ability to improvise assumes singular importance. • However, even a modest level of preparedness clearly makes a difference and enhances any improvisation. • Two sidebars (pp. 31, 32 of ICMA).

13. Foundations of Emergency Management • Both operations show a functioning organization. • Both are able to respond to the basic demands of the particular disaster situation. • Both have legitimate domains of responsibility.

14. Foundations of Emergency Management • Both have mobilized human and material resources and have clear action plans. • Each on its own terms is successful. • The key difference is that the first was improvised and the second was based on a preparedness plan.

15. Foundations of Emergency Management • Overall, however, the second is superior because: • Less confusion over responsibility. • Mobilization of resources is faster and easier. • Improvisation will be more successful because of initial clarity in roles and responsibilities.

16. Principles of Emergency Preparedness • The goal of emergency preparedness is the rapid restoration of normal routines. • Preparedness and improvisation are foundations of emergency management. • Preparedness is clarity about what may be needed, what should be done, and how it will be done. • Improvisation implies that flexibility will be critical.

17. Principles of Emergency Preparedness • Preparedness is a continuous process. • Preparedness reduces unknowns during an emergency. • Preparedness is an educational activity. • Preparedness is based on knowledge (myths and realities). • Preparedness evokes appropriate action.

18. Principles of Emergency Preparedness • Resistance to emergency preparedness is a given. • Modest planning is a reasonable goal.

19. Emergency Management Checklist • It is wise to plan for disasters generally (comprehensive emergency management).

20. Emergency Management Checklist • Preparedness is a process: • Convening meetings to share information. • Conducting drills or exercises to go over specifics. • Updating plans and strategies as conditions change. • Formulating understandings and mutual aid agreements. • Maintaining standby human and material resources. • Engaging in public education. • Engaging in disaster training. • Maintaining a current, practical understanding of present and future hazards. • Coordinating and integrating organizational disaster plans.

21. Emergency Management Functions • Mobilizing emergency personnel and resources. • Mobilization should occur on detection or notification of a threat. • Warning the public and taking protective action. • Timely messages that are authoritative, accurate, and precise. • Protective action will vary on type and magnitude of threat, but will be most complicated in technological disasters.

22. Emergency Management Functions • Caring for the victims. • Search and rescue, care for the injured and dead, temporary services to the displaced population, ensuring access to relief programs. • Principal problems are organizational: how to coordinate so many responses. • Assessing the damage. • Should be a continuous process.

23. Emergency Management Functions • Restoring essential public services. • Utilities, communications, transportation, public safety, legal and govt. Programs. • Informing the public. • Plans should contain definitive procedures for communicating with the public to avoid overlapping and confusing communications.

24. Emergency Management Functions • Record keeping. • Information retrieval can be a problem, but needed for assistance eligibility and post-disaster evaluation. • Planning the recovery. • Requirements for aid, community development, repetition of vulnerability.

25. Emergency Management Functions • Coordinating emergency management activities. • Effective emergency management should not be based on command and control but on emergent resource coordination. • Goal of coordination should be: • Efficient mobilization of personnel and resources. • Timely communication within and between organizations. • Timely communication with the public. • Resolution of conflicts over goals, tactics, and resources. • Effective interaction with regional and national government. • Effective exercise of authority when needed.

26. Types of Emergency Management Organizations. • Cities (main emergency management coordinator). • City manager (23%). • Part-time coordinator (19%). • Full-time coordinator (14%). • Fire chief (16%). • Counties (main coordinator). • Full-time coordinator (44%). • Part-time coordinator (33%).

27. Types of Emergency Management Organizations. • Larger the jurisdiction, the more likely it is to have a dedicated unit. • Organization can be independent (free-standing) or embedded (part of another unit). • Independent. • Advantages – central location between elected officials and responders. • Disadvantage – Lack of legitimacy and credibility.

28. Types of Emergency Management Organizations. • Embedded. • Advantages – organizational culture and existing networks. • Disadvantages – competing goals and objectives.

29. Program Implementation and Review