Four Key Elements of Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example

About 80 per cent of New Orleans was flooded in water and thousands of citizens were left homeless. The economic costs of the disaster were estimated to be more than $ 150 million since the disaster impacted more than 90,000 square miles destroying property in Mississippi and Louisiana (Schneider, 2011). The key four elements of disaster response showed incapacity in addressing fire outbreaks, engagement in haphazard evacuation, and inappropriate assembly points of the victims. The state and federal agencies lacked coordination and proper communication systems for identifying hazards and coordinating the response and recovery efforts after the disaster (Cooper & Block, 2007).

The state and federal agencies were not adequately prepared for the disaster since the collapse of man-made levees led to the destruction of more than 90 per cent of utility infrastructure and lethal pollution. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacked adequate emergency response mechanisms and proper chains of command. FEMA experienced multiple challenges including deployment of personnel, deployment of the command system, poor communication, and coordination of search and rescue efforts (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009). FEMA did not establish a joint field office and failed ito assistin the deployment of medical assistance teams. Both the New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LOSHEP) lacked enough personnel and experience in disaster management (Cooper & Block, 2007). New Orleans Police Department was trapped in water thus making it difficult to provide communication and warning signs to the citizens. Existing laws also limited the Department of Defense's authority isinesponse. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was slow in the response and coordination of public health services following the disaster. The department lacked enough personnel in the treatment of ill citizens, assuring citizens of the safety of food and the environment (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009).

Most of the first responders were local citizens who just watched the disaster from rooftops and trees. The first responders failed to communicate or switch off the electricity. There was a breakdown in communication systems due to damage to the cell phone towers and radio antennas. The available police officers had to communicate on two radio channels thus delaying the issue of critical information (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009).

Most of the secondary emergency services entailed National Guard troops and other secondary emergency response units such as NGOs like Red Cross contributed to the clean-up and relocation of the victims (Schneider, 2011). The NGOs were instrumental in offering food relief, medication, and shelter to the evacuated victims. Humanitarian organizations also provided blood donations, cocounsellingervices, and logistical supplies.

The private sector resources responded adequately to Hurricane Katrina. The private sector resources were utilized in all operations including evacuation, search and rescue, temporary shelters, and medical response (Schneider, 2011). Private fire-fighting companies and security companies helped in evacuation, rescue, and search missions. In addition, pharmaceutical companies assisted in providing cheap medicines (Levitt & Whitaker, 2009).

In the future, the state and federal agencies must acquire communication systems that are essential in coordinating the response to disasters among various state and federal agencies. Disaster planning and health information technologies are essential in providing expedited services to displaced citizens (Daniels, Kettl, & Kunreuther, 2006). FEMA must have the capability to quickly deploy national emergency response teams and urban search and rescue teams. FEMA must have adequate personnel to deal with instances of fire outbreaks and provide immediate evacuation to the victims of disaster (Brown, 2005). FEMA must be capable of establishing integrated command and comcommunication scenereso coordinate search and rescue plans. The Department of Homeland Security must ensure coordination in future disaster response by integrating the services of the military who have more capabilities. The state and federal emergency units must engage in continuous training and exercises in to able to combat imminent disasters (Daniels, Kettl & Kunreuther, 2006). The first responders must communicate and create public awareness of the disaster. Emergency preparedness agencies must ensure all public communications are working and install an integrated incident command system (Brown, 2005). The secondary emergency services must be prepared to provide support in evacuations, search, rescue, and medical support. It is essential to first secure the critical infrastructure and prevent environmental hazards like street lighting that may cause fire outbreaks. The private sector resources actively participated in the response efforts and should offer similar support in case of future disasters (Brown, 2005).

The state and federal disaster preparedness agencies such as FEMA, the New Orleans police department, and the Louisiana disaster preparedness agency failed in ensuring a coordinated incident command system and responding immediately to Hurricane Katrina. FEMA had inadequate personnel, poor firefighting equipment, and showed inefficiency in evacuation processes. The military delayed their search and rescue missions while first responders failed to communicate warning messages. Secondary emergency services and private resources cooperated by offering essential support in the disaster response.