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Managing Homeland Security (352e1)

Running Head : Managing Homeland Security (352e1

Managing Homeland Security (352e1

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1 . Explain the four phases of emergency planning (i .e . mitigation preparedness , response , recovery ) in detail . Practically speaking , which phases do you think most emergency managers spend time thinking about Which phases should they spend the most time thinking about ? How , if at all , has 9-11 changed where the emphases should lie

The field of emergency management traditionally has focused on the immediate and urgent features of a disaster the response function of police , fire

, emergency medical services , and civil defense personnel the advance planning and training essential for emergency operations and the post disaster recovery period in which damage is repaired . There is , though , a growing awareness that emergency management is much more composite and comprehensive than traditionally perceived . The main function of government is to protect life and property . This entails not just crisis-reactive responses to emergencies , but also finding means to avoid problems in the first place and preparing for those that will certainly occur . An inclusive approach to emergency management considers a four-stage cyclical process , centered on a disaster or other emergency event . These stages include : predisaster mitigation /prevention predisaster preparedness disaster response and post disaster response or recovery (Dombrowsky , Wolf R . 1995

Mitigation can take place through a variety of structural measures , the defensive engineering works such as dams , levees , and sea walls , and nonstructural options including land use regulations , zoning laws building codes , and economic programs (such as tax and insurance incentives ) intended to keep susceptible structures and activities out of the most hazard-prone areas or to curtail the likelihood of structural damage . Post disaster actions such as rebuilding damaged structures in hazard-resistant ways or relocating structures and people are also mitigation strategies due to their disquiets with the long-term reduction of the effects of hazards

Mitigation strategies for technological hazards are essentially dominated by federal environmental legislation (toxic substances laws clean air and water laws , but the lack of a single national agency dealing with technological hazards makes management difficult . Programs are scattered among numerous categorical environmental laws and agencies , as well as those at the state and local levels . Federal laws are not self-implementing , though , and sub national governments play the critical role in the policy implementation process in our decentralized governmental system . Mitigation is integrated among the Federal Emergency Management Agency 's (FEMA ) responsibilities , though this umbrella agency for emergency management has committed most of its efforts toward disaster preparedness and response to major events . The exemption is FEMA 's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP ) which offers regulations , executive s , and interagency agreements as strong support of local land use regulations

The next stage is disaster preparedness . Technological advances present new hazards , require diverse emergency response mechanisms , and require dynamic planning processes to assure that preparedness programs keep pace with change . The more "modern " a society grows , the more delicate it becomes

Emergency preparedness needs do not participate well for either public attention or public resources . Without...

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