First Responders Activities in Responding to Disastrous Events - Research Paper Example

First Responders Activities in Responding to Disastrous events Student’s Name Institution Abstract Terrorism attacks were the hallmark of 11th September 2001. Extremist Islamic group, Al-Qaeda carried suicide attacks targeting the United States by hijacking four airlines set for California. New York was a major victim of the terrorist attack killing more than 3000 people and more than 400 police officers and firefighters (Paddock, 2011). This attack was a major disaster for the American society. With the Homeland Security standing as the Umbrella to ensuring effective emergency response and improving the preparedness for the disastrous events, it has faced an enormous challenge preparing and responding to the disastrous events. This entails the availability of inadequate information regarding the events, hardships in making the estimates of the victim's demands and the financing aspects of the responses on the unknowns. Through the homeland preparedness frameworks, the American Homeland security is forced to make a quick collection of the vital information regarding the disaster occurrence ensure full understanding of the Disaster being. After attaining full information regarding the disaster status, the Homeland Security responders make crisp estimates on the demands of the disaster victims and enable provision of quality emergency services to the American Society. This entails the provision of paramedic services, shelter, food and clothing with regards to the demands of the victims. Through the funding from different grant bodies such as the Homeland Security grant program (HSGP), the funding has been guaranteed, a being that has seen the effectiveness of the Homeland Security first responders in responding to the disastrous events. Topic; First Responders Activities in Responding to Disastrous events General objective To assess the response activities undertaken by the American Homeland Security’s first responders in responding to disastrous events that they do not understand fully. Research Questions 1. How do the Homeland Security first responders prepare before responding to a disaster? 2. What is the essential information needed to respond to a disaster? 3. How do the first responders make informed estimations regarding the key facts following possession of incomplete information? 4. How are the responses to disasters financed? Introduction When a disastrous event occurs, the instant action of the Homeland Security’s first responders is significant. The first responders have become a critical aspect of any emergency response occurring in the American society. The American society has embraced and appreciated the excellent work undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by financing and supporting it in its preparedness towards responding to disasters occurring in the American society. Paddock (2011) affirms the significance of first responder preparedness and insists that preparation entails having the right information, resources, funds, personnel and tools for disaster management when they fall due. This paper seeks to explore first responder's activities at Homeland Security by examining resource allocation and planning before responding to a disastrous event. First responder planning and preparedness before responding to a disaster event is crucial as efficiency lies on the effectiveness of preparation (Raju & Parthesarathy, 2009). The first responders ought to have all the necessary information regarding the disaster and all aspects surrounding it before making decisions and allocating resources. The following are the critical information needed by the DHS's first responders in making a decision and allocating resources in preparedness and planning to respond to a disastrous event. The magnitude of the Disaster Information on the magnitude or impact of the disaster is critical to the first responders as the responders shall be able to know the people who are most affected by the disaster hence allocate more resources to the most affected victims (Miskel, 2008). This decision shall grant efficiency in the provision of the first responder services as sound equality decisions on resource allocation shall be realized by the first responders (The Royal Society, 2006). Moreover, the magnitude of the disaster is a great determinant in the allocation of resources as the larger the impact of the event, the larger many resources that shall be planned and allocated to the event. This information shall be vital to the DHSs responders in ensuring efficiency in resource distribution (Robert Newell, 2013). History regarding the disaster The effectiveness of resource allocation should not only be based on estimates and information provided but also the historical information regarding an event of the same being (Philpott, 2012). This move shall enable the first responders to have a clue on the past occurrences and what was undertaken to reach a solution to the problem. The first responders shall thereby be able to allocate resources effectively unto the different aspects of the disasters in a bid to ensure an efficient plan (Hawrley, 2013). Location of the Disastrous event Information on location is an imperative aspect to consider when planning and allocating resources to an unfortunate event (Girling, 2013). A first response is all about quick respondent to an emergent event hence, failure to allocate resources such as ambulance effectively, the efficiency of the first responders is compromised. It is, therefore, vital for the first responders to consider allocating sufficient funds onto how they plan to reach the area stripped off by a disastrous event (Paddock, 2011). Their needs and needs of the victims affected by the Disaster This information applies to the instance where the event is highly disastrous to the level that the first responders need to provide them resources as an emergent solution (Randhawa, 2007). For example in the event of floods or bioterrorism, the first responders ought to provide lifesavers and air masks respectively as a quick solution to the disaster effects (DHS, 2005). The first responders should consider allocating resources and planning on how they will solve such needs as the emergency activities. Making informed estimations Upon collecting all the necessary information regarding the disaster being, the first respondents shall still lack all the accurate information regarding the disaster (Perrott, 2007). The DHSs first responders’ team shall be forced to make succinct estimates regarding the resources say the financial or human resources needed for the disaster first response. How then do the first responders make informed estimations regarding the key facts following possession of incomplete information? Uninformed estimation is defined as the process of assessing and making plans regarding an event that is uncertain to the estimator (Flick, 2009). For an effective plan and resource estimation, accuracy in estimation is essential, and it is impossible to make a sound decision on the failure to make accurate estimates on the disastrous event at hand (Miskel, 2008). However, estimation stands in imperative when its helps the first responders make sound decisions. To make an informed decision, the DHS should consider what kind of decision the investment is focusing on informing as a guide to a relevant decision with regards to the disaster. Next, DHS can perform a detailed task analysis of the task to be performed (RMS, 2007). The analysis shall allow the team to outline all the tasks that they have to perform and even enable development of proper parameters to put in place to achieve the desired goals. On providing or developing estimates, the team ought not to concentrate on the historical or data at hand in coming out with informed estimates but can also seek alternative approaches to reaching accurate estimates (Riboud, 2007). For example, the DHS first responders may develop succinct assumptions and limits within which the estimates ought to remain meaningful such that the slope shall only consider the things and aspects to be covered by the assumptions and limits (Miskel, 2008). By this alternative, the team shall be able to reach for more accurate estimates of only the relevant aspects of the disaster are covered in the resource allocation (Blurn, 2009). After setting constraints and assumptions under which the plan is ought to be undertaken, the team can, therefore, prioritize the variables and estimates ranging from the most important to the least to ensure whole coverage in the estimates. At this point, the DHS team shall be able to establish informed estimates that meet the demands of the disastrous event, and the Team is ready to focus on in responding to the disaster to provide the emergency services. Response Financing On the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attack, the American Society attested the unprecedented establishment of the funding programs and mechanisms that focused on enhancing and expanding domestic security. Preparedness for future terrorist attacks was a primary focus for the first responders of the homeland security (Paddock, 2011). Numerous funding organs and programs were established that saw billions of funding aimed specifically at enhancing preparedness for terrorism attacks and distributing sufficient funds to first responders. The funding of the first responders is thereby done through different grant bodies that provide the fund to run the first response practices (Flick, 2009). In this case, we can look at the Homeland Security grant program (HSGP), a funding body that finances the response practices. Homeland security grant program (HSGP) was a product of the transition after September 11th, 2001, a federal agency that focuses on funding first responder in preparedness of attack. HSGP was founded in 2003 by the federal government through the FEMA preparedness grants module and still exists to this present day (Homeland Security, 2015). HSGP provides funding to Homeland Security to enhance the efficiency of the first responders. The core purpose of this funding includes; 1. Maintaining preparedness of the local responders 2. Training first responder at the local level (Drury & El-Shishini, 2005). 3. Provision of equipment required by the first responders to maximize of preparedness and response (The Sphere Project, 2016). 4. To finance policies and procedures of attack preparedness 5. To fund response and to recover of the victims in the event of a disaster at the state or the local level (Lewis, 2013). HSGP funding focuses at financing the first responders at state and local level. Therefore, the first responders based at the local and state level qualify to apply for the funding as the HSGP values their effort and support for the safety of the American Society (UNHCR, 2015). This year, HSGP funding program released $402 000000 to the state homeland security program, $587000000 on urban area security initiative and 55000000 on operation stone garden (Homeland Security, 2015). In 2005, $5226495 was released on urban area security initiative, and $1062285226 was directed by the state homeland security program (DHS, 2005). All these funding were aimed at funding preparedness and efficiency of the first responders across the US. References Blurn, P. (2009). Anger and Conflict Management Pocketbook. NewYork: Routledge. DHS. (2005). The fiscal year 2005 Homeland Security Grant Program. Retrieved from US Department of Homeland Security: https:www.cabq.gov/emergency-management-office/documents/fy05hsgp.pdf Drury, C., & El-Shishini, H. (2005). Divisional Performance Measurement: An Examination of the Potential Explanatory Factors. Colombia: Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Flick, U. (2009). An Introduction to Quality Research. 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