RESPONSE READINESS CRITIQUE

Response Readiness Critique



Response Readiness Critique

Introduction

Planning and management related to emergencies, and catastrophes in the United States are in practice since 20 years. During this process, the emergency managers develop plans and procedures for emergency situations; rather than developing plans focusing on a single threat or hazard. After developing the procedures, the managers, then, identify the gaps and overlaps which exist in these plans and removes them accordingly.

As a result of creating these plans, unexpected events can be managed in a more organized and effective manner instead of creating chaos around the community. Most evidently, these plans are for every state and community after analyzing the dynamics of the region. A number of organizations including National Incident Management Systems, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) participates in formulating plans for emergency situations; while, FEMA is the lead agency for emergency supports and management, not overriding the authority of the state legislature. All the territories of the United States come under by one of the 10 emergency management regions of FEMA.

This paper aims to address the emergency response plans developed for Fairview Heights, Chicago, Illinois. Since, the state legislature developed a number of plans for emergency situations including earthquakes, tornadoes, fires and a myriad of other emergency situations; this paper will analyze a few emergency plans and assess these plans with respect to the tools provided by FEMA and other organizations for assessing the effectiveness of the plans.

“Local governments have capabilities and the primary responsibility for response to and recovery from disasters and emergencies. When these capabilities exceed, State assistance is available” (IEMA, 2010).

In the light of this quote, the forth coming part of the paper will identify the emergency plans developed for Fairview Heights, along with their assessment based on various tools.

Discussion

Emergency Plan for Earthquakes

This plan provides information about unexpected situations of earthquakes. The plan includes general and situational topic including what to do in case an earthquake occurs and the hazards the earthquake might leave. The recent awareness and preparedness guide, which IEMA offers, holds that in cases of earthquakes people should follow the following steps:

Remain calm, expecting the earthquake to last for a few seconds; however, this duration can extend up to few minutes.

Drop or duck on the floor; get under a sturdy desk, or a table and protect the head and neck with the arms. Danger spots such as hanging objects, tall furniture, mirrors and window.

If the person took cover under a sturdy object, he/she must hold it. On the other hand, if someone's driving, then, the vehicle should be stopped as soon as possible until the ground stops shaking. One thing is also worth mentioning that the vehicles should not be stopped on bridges or under overpasses (IEMA, 2011).

In addition to this, the emergency plan also provides information related to which areas are most likely to be hit by an earthquake, on a broader scale, what can happen in the earthquake, how should a person prepare for the situation, and finally, what emergency supplies should ...