Evolution in the Field of Emergency Management - Research Paper Example

Evolution in the field of emergency management Almost all the tangible things around in our environment are prone to mishaps and unforeseen failures.In such situation one feels the need for a system that helps saving the ship in critical times, emergency management is a similar concept that comes to play in times of trouble .Emergency Management act 1986 defines emergency management as “the actual or imminent occurrence of an event which in any way endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person or which destroys or damages, or threatens to destroy or damage, any property endangers or threatens to endanger the environment or an Element of the environment”( Eburn, 2010). The scope of emergency management is very broad and is applicable to every discipline and every individual. For example it can affect the entire system, or the personnel associated with the system or the valuables in the system .in short it applies to all walks of life, ranging from business activities to daily life home errands. The awareness for emergency management arose in mid 20th century amongst the private enterprises and on government level .in the previous century it has become part of company policy plan to maintain an emergency plan .the previous traces can be stretched back to 1830s when disaster management was conducted for fire protection in form of Fire Disaster Relief Act 1803.In the American history the second real attempt at disaster management can be traced back to 1928 in form of Flood control AC .No real evidence of disaster management can be found in between these years .many more agencies and structures came into existence in around second world war and emergency management schemes are consistently visible in different forms since that time on ,namely Civil Defense Planning ( 1948) and Disaster Relief Act 1950 and in late 1970s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)( George D. Haddow, 2010). Other major efforts towards disaster management Federal Energy Regulation Commission(FERC) National Transport Safety Board(NTSB) Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Integrated Emergency Management System(IEMS) Home land security Council Emergency is associated with minor or small scale damages, disasters relatively high scale problems while catastrophe is termed as something beyond human control and have massive damages attached to them .the first modern research into disaster can be traced back to 1920s when Prince conducted extensive study in this field studying the explosion that occurred at Halifax. (Vladimir Shlapentokh, 2002) .the real modern emergency system awareness can be traced back to late 1970s (Ronald W. Perry, 1981). Losses can occur in large number of ways, it could be financial losses, human life losses, losses occurring from disasters of various kinds. All material objects in this universe are prone to losses and disasters, in history many mega projects have come across disasters and some due to proper emergency management have survived while others have crushed completely due to lack of emergency management and contingency planning. Different fields present damages in different forms, countries would need emergency management in terms of attacks on its valuables, multi nationals in form of software producers like Microsoft would need to create a contingency plan against the attacks of hackers, similarly the N.A.S.A satellite crew would need backup plans in order to avoid any emergency situation failures, hence different fields have different parameters and vulnerabilities and proactive measures towards emergency situations . In last two centuries, plans were always made for the seen situation; in recent past, need has been felt for embracing the unforeseen .For this purpose awareness has been created and needs being realized for emergency situations. Fundamental theories of disaster: Over period of time number of concepts have been introduced in bid to present a standardized pattern for fighting the unforeseen situation, a scheme called fundamental theories of disaster is an effective one in this regard and has been long tested and approved. The basic fundamental theories are: Act of God: this theory believed in the disasters being generated and entrusted from the divine source only and termed the sufferers and victims as totally helpless. In this concept the human failures were blamed for the disasters upon them. However with time people realized many more realistic things and came out of the shell and started thinking practically that God is not responsible for every mishap, rather there are many other reasons and forces which result in disasters, in some cases they can be the human efforts failure, in others it could be the natural disaster which strikes not just the victim in subject, rather many more people. Act of Nature: in this concept the natural disasters in form of rains that brought land sliding, earth quakes and, tsunamis Nature and society: in this concept it was assumed that disasters and mishaps occur due to the interaction of naturally system and human created system. It was believed that disasters were the contribution of both, not one of them. Social constructions: to this concept, disasters depend on the demographic location and vulnerabilities .other emergency situations arise due to economic conditions and political decisions in other cases (McEntire, 2007). Types of disasters: Natural vs. Unnatural Natural disasters: These are the kind of disasters that are beyond human control. This could include earthquake, tsunami, floods, or any other calamity, that is out of control for human beings to control .in such cases though the complete prevention and avoidance of might not be possible, though efforts for minimizing the impact are possible Unnatural emergency situations: These situations are created due to the worldly factors; it could be due to any personnel, a policy, supply chain disruption, loss of documents , funds discontinuation , disputes between the partners or other event which stops the flow of a process and puts the entire progress in jeopardy . Need for emergency planning: Regardless of any stage of a project, planning is of vital importance, in case of emergency situations the fact that planning is the most vital part of any project, and cannot be denied. , there are many reasons why emergency situation preparation is needed. It helps in the following areas: Avoiding unrest and panic Reduce the impact of any disaster Avoid instability What is Emergency planning : Emergency planning is defined as the set of measures and procedures that must be taken when confronted with an unforeseen situation .Though the scope of this term is not limited to only aftermath of an incident. Rather pre planning in form of presentation and contingency planning can be performed. Emergency planning is vital part of any organization and adds length to life of a project. Emergency planning is the set of actions that are needed for ensuring minimum damages in cases of tumultuous times. In other words it is acting in advance to avoid any mishap and ensure smooth working. our environment is a constituent of natural gifts and technological inventions, all these have element of risk attached to them and can backfire anytime, for this reason there is a strong need for establishing and making emergency management part of the system and each discipline(Bumgarner,2008) . Reference: Ch-1 Introduction to Emergency Management Emergency Management System: Emergency management system is set of variables that takes into consideration all the possibilities and based on that implement strategy for minimum losses and mitigation of damages. It involves detailed analysis of problem at hand, the obstacles faced, previous history, resources available, the tools and techniques that are adoptable. It consists of set of processes that looks into various factors and different processes and all the pros and cons associated with them. Based on these facts this system generates possible solutions and response strategies, this system aims at creating awareness amongst the stakeholders and enables meeting challenging situations through proper mechanism. Emergency management system clearly defines the roles of individuals, the emergency managers, and all others that are involved and can make any impact in emergency situations. This system contains set of warning signals that are generated at different time periods and based on the intensity of emergency confronted, it takes appropriate actions accordingly. The scope of this system is very vast and is applicable to any discipline that is prone to challenges and emergency situations; it can be applied to construction design, enterprise working, government departments, educational institutes, flood relief systems. The decisions and actions are taken based on in-depth analysis of the situation, and roles are clearly defined based on the ground situation, once the decision is taken, it is ensured that the execution is performed to the plans and challenges and hazards are eliminated completely(K. Bradley Penuel, 2010). Creation of frame work: for any task taken upon, a proper action plan is very vital for success. Since emergency situations don’t inform about their occurrence ,for this reason a proper homework must be done and proper frame needs to be implemented .The frame work helps defining the different entities and modules of a system which are essential for meeting the task and minimizing the losses in case of any disaster. Frame work constitutes of various components and since emergency management is an individual discipline in itself and requires proper planning .certain pre requisites in form of frame work apply to it and none of those can be avoided since all are equally important. . These components of frame work are: Comprehensiveness: the planning should be comprehensive and should take into account all the factors, all the possible loop holes, the vulnerabilities, and all other dimensions which are associated with affecting the system in the course of any turbulence. Progressive: The emergency management scheme should be progressive in nature and should be able to anticipate the coming events, and based on that actions must be devised. Flexible: flexibility is an important factor to meeting the emergency situation .The management must be done in a manner that is flexible and does not fall to pressure. This applies to both the system and its operatives. Professional :professional approach is a must for emergency management, the scheme of actions must be planned in such a way that it looks into the bigger picture and broader prospective .in case of emergency aim should be to attempt at saving the higher value assets. At times the damage might not be avoidable, but a professional team should be wise enough to ensure minimizing the damage, hence professional approach towards disaster situation is vital Result oriented: the management policies should be result oriented, and along with paper work and strategy making, practical implementation and this followed by the results. For any emergency management plan to succeed, results are vital. It can be in form of short scale results or large scale disaster events .The management scheme must deliver results in time of challenge faced and it must not only provide recommendations or strategy, rather execution too, the delivery and results are part of their task success rate(Canton, 2007). Integrated: emergency contingency plan should be fully integrated and it must be prepared with the consent of the all stake holders. The plan should look into all aspects of the situation .it must bring the entities together and create synchronization amongst the responsible bodies. Threats in different forms: Hazards: hazards are possible threats which could create trouble in long run. Emergency: emergency condition is a situation other than normal that needs immediate actions to avoid further loses Risk: Risks are defined as possible threats which could damage the enterprise; it is the existence of the elements which could affect the constructive processes in a negative way. Hazard Vulnerability Analysis: Hazard vulnerability analysis is an approach towards analyzing and mitigating the impact of disaster and emergency situation .it includes a calculated approach towards various factors that can stand as a threat and weakness in the system. It allows separation and highlighting of all those factors that can cause any damage in future. An advantage of this system is its dynamic nature. Since disasters are non static, therefore the approach taken must be dynamic and flexible in order to meet the challenges, hazards and vulnerability analysis process meets these challenges in the best way. . The H.V.A relation takes into account the probability of occurrence of disastrous event, it takes into consideration the geographic location, the vulnerabilities attached with it, the past history of occurrence of any event on large or small scale, impact of any disaster and based on the available facilities and capabilities it helps defining the solution towards the problem and ensures minimum damage to the system and environment concerned. This concept and idea can be taxing at times and requires proper input support system, in other words it deals with number of variables and data must be provided accurately for this analysis system to work well. This process facilities the emergency managers and other concerned departments in a way that allows them ample time to establish any strategy for combating any emergency situation. (Susan B. McLaughlin, 2001) Identification of hazard and risk: For a management team that takes upon the emergency situation management ,the first and foremost task is to identify the possible hazard and risk, a general management rule goes by it that states that the first step to solving problem is defining the problem and identifying the question. in this case it applies aptly and in same paradigm the identification of hazard and possible weak link in the system is vital. This helps the working team in more than one way. It allows concentration of focus to one point, reduces divergences in the work of management team, and helps achieving the desired results. The time spent on objects that are of no interest is equal to the time wasted on the objects that seek attention. All these terms have existed in one form or other before the emergency management concept arose (Christer Hydén, 1989). All these steps are inter-related and provide support to one another. None of these can be avoided in order to ensure minimum or no damage in case of disaster. The management system in general consists of few components, all when grouped together makes up a management unit .these units are namely planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and leading. All these apply aptly to the field of disaster management and each has equal importance that cannot be ignored in any situation. Planning: Planning holds the pivotal role in any organizational task .even for events that are not in one’s control or events that are not part of routine need proper homework. This stage is known as the planning stage. Planning stage can be separated into pre planning state, and post planning stage. The pre planning stage falls before the occurrence of event and the post planning stage falls post occurrence. In case of disaster management, planning before any un even activity must be performed in order to avoid it, in case of post occurrence, the aim is to minimize the effect and impact of disaster. The resources allocation is also part of controlling phase, and even if the resources are limited, the planning should be done in such a way that allows proper utilization of resources. Leading: another important part of the management system is leading criteria. Leaders define what is to be done and how to organize the work force and resources. Leaders ensure placing everything in its place, and bringing out the best out of entire system which includes individual processes .leaders guide by example and assign tasks to the most suitable ones, they play important role in assigning the rule. Organizing: next in line is the organizing category, in other words it is the creation of understanding and synchronization between the entire system, its personnel and its processes. Staffing: this is the most vital part of management process, and is the assigning of right role to the right person. A wrong man at wrong place can prove fatal and cause severe damage to the system and the output desired. Selecting the right person with right knowledge of situation is key to success in overcoming losses in disastrous situations .proper consultations and homework must be done in this area to ensure the right choice of personnel for the task for disaster management .in short the staffing category deals with choosing the best and most eligible in the team and organization and making use of their abilities to help gain profits and mitigate any losses. Controlling: this step like others cannot be ignored and provides support in form of managing everything .the controlling level provides an umbrella for rest of the processes to work under single shade .This step further involves managing and distributing resources and ensuring their smooth transaction .the control phase also includes assigning the right kind of person to the right kind of job specialization (Bartel Van De Walle, 2009). Disaster management cycle: Disaster Management cycle: Four fold topology: Hazard mitigation: Disaster Preparedness: Emergency response: Disaster recovery: These four concepts make up for disaster management cycle and have great importance as individual entities. Hazard mitigation step is the pre occurrence of incident and aims at minimizing the impact. Disaster preparedness enables the ability to understand and embrace the challenge of any threat. Emergency response calls for actions that are most needed to avoid any loss to property and life in case of emergency. Finally the recovery stage is post occurrence and it is related to the rehabilitation and re building process (Shailendra K. Singh, 1998). A common phrase goes about in time measurements and preventions and that states “A stitch in time saves nine”, this phrase applies aptly to the disaster management, and lots can be saved through proper planning and pre-empting the situation. Efforts should be made to ensure making emergency management as part of every organization and each individual must be provided with proper guidance and training over emergency situation management. In modern times awareness has been created regarding unforeseen situations but more needs to be done on departmental level. Bibliography: 1-Eburn, M. (2010). Emergency Law: Rights, Liabilities and Duties of Emergency Workers and Volunteers. Federation Press. 2-George D. Haddow, J. A. (2010). Introduction to Emergency Management. Butterworth-Heinemann 3-Vladimir Shlapentokh, E. S. (2002). Fears in post communist societies: a comparative perspective. Palgrave Macmillan 4-Ronald W. Perry, M. K. (1981). Evacuation planning in emergency management. Lexington Books. 5-McEntire, D. A. (2007). Disciplines, disasters, and emergency management: the convergence and divergence of concepts, issues and trends from the research literature. Charles C Thomas Publisher. 6-Bumgarner, J. B. (2008). Emergency management: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO. 7-K. Bradley Penuel, M. S. (2010). Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief. SAGE. 8- Canton, L. G. (2007). Emergency management: concepts and strategies for effective programs. John Wiley & Sons. 9-Susan B. McLaughlin, A. S. (2001). Hazard vulnerability analysis. American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association,. 10-Christer Hydén, M. D. (1989). Identification of hazards. Trafikteknik, Tekniska Högskolan i Lund. 11- Bartel Van De Walle, M. T. (2009). Information Systems for Emergency Management. M.E. Sharpe 12-Shailendra K. Singh, S. S. (1998). Disaster management. Mittal Publications. 13-Jha, M. K. (2010). Natural and Anthropogenic Disasters: Vulnerability, Preparedness and Mitigation. Springer. Read More