Natural and Technological Disaster

Natural and Technological Disaster

Introduction

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze steps taken by public health at all levels of governments (county, state and federal), hospitals, military, private sector as well as communities in taking measures prior to, during or after a disaster in mitigating the impact of a disaster. The paper also provides a brief overview of the existing infrastructure, the response capabilities, and the problems of responding to disease agents. According to Drabek, emergency management is the discipline and profession of applying science, technology, planning and management to deal with extreme events. Such events can injure or kill large numbers of people, do extensive damage to property, and disrupt community life. (McEntire, 2007).Should a bioterrorist attack on U.S. civilians or major epidemics occur, hospitals would be frontline institutions for dealing with the response, regardless of the type or scale of the attack.

Discussion

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate were built around FEMA which includes the Strategic National Stockpile and National Disaster Medical System of the Department of Health and Human Services, Nuclear Incident Response Team from the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice's Domestic Emergency Support Teams, and the FBI National Domestic Preparedness Office. Also the Science and Technology Directorate This incorporate the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures Programs and the Environmental Measurements Laboratory from the Department of Energy, the National BW Defense Analysis Center from the Department of Defense, and the Plum Island Animal Disease Center from the Department of Agriculture. The emergency management is embedded in this process by identifying undesirable risks, assessing vulnerabilities, and devising strategies for reducing unacceptable risks to more acceptable levels.

To effectively respond to an emergency or disaster, health departments must fully engage in preparedness activities. Achievement will depends on the following activities prior to an incident is crucial to a successful response effort: By establish close working relationships and mutual-aid agreements with: Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs); Emergency Medical Services (EMS); Medical/health/behavioral care providers Fire; law enforcement, and other federal, state, local, and tribal response Organizations Local Emergency Planning Committees(LEPCs) State, regional, and tribal public health response coordinator Neighboring health jurisdictions. Additionally humanitarian/non-governmental Public health response activities will be especially essential to shaping the scope and outcome of a bioterrorist attack or any mass casualty situations. With other organization as Volunteer organizations Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs); Medical Reserve Corps (MRC); Private businesses; Academic institutions (schools of public health, medicine, nursing, etc.); other pertinent agencies/organizations; Participate in hazard vulnerability and risk assessments for your area(s). We do recognize that preparedness requires a coordinated national effort involving every level of government, as well as the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens. Control of infectious disease outbreaks at present society is a formidable undertaking. Public health agencies at the municipal, county, state and federal levels are central participants in efforts to recognize and respond to any catastrophe` related to natural or manmade disaster including bioterrorist attacks. The mobility of urban populations, the global availability of ...