Comprehensiveness in Emergency Management: Embracing All-Hazards Approach

1. Comprehensiveness A Vital Principle in Emergency Management

2. Comprehensiveness • What does this principle mean to you? • “of large scope; covering or involving much; inclusive” (Dictionary.com) • Is broad, expansive and in-depth. • Implies a holistic approach or view.

3. Why Comprehensiveness? • We can be affected by many hazards and vulnerability • Disasters have diverse causes and consequences • There are many phases and functions in emergency management • A variety of actors participate in disasters

4. Assumptions • We will be affected by many different hazards • There are more causes than poor land-use planning and more consequences than physical damages • We can reduce disasters and react to them • Emergency managers do not act alone

5. The All-Hazards Perspective • Is important to comprehensiveness • Meanings • Including all types of hazards that may affect us • Acknowledging functions that are common to most hazards

6. Group Project • Discuss types of hazards

7. Points to Consider • There are many different types of hazards • Hazards may be natural, technological, or man-made • Each area is affected by unique hazards • There are no hazard-free areas • Source of hazard can be hard to distinguish • You must understand hazards

8. Functions Common to Hazards • Land-use planning • Construction • Planning, training and exercises • Warnings • Evacuation • Sheltering • Medical Care • Special populations • Public information • Donations management • Volunteer management • Damage assessment • Debris removal • Disaster assistance

9. Importance of All-Hazard Approach • Emergency managers must be experts • Emergency managers must network with others • Emergency managers may work in other communities, states or nations • Emergency managers may provide mutual aid • Emergency managers must anticipate resource requests

10. Importance of All-Hazards Approach (cont.) • Emergency managers must anticipate the broad spectrum of hazards • Emergency managers can counter public apathy • Emergency managers must know that hazards will interact • Emergency managers must understand that the nature of hazards is changing

11. Importance of All-Hazards Approach (cont.) • Lessons from one hazard are transferrable • Financial investments have greater return • An all-hazards approach helps emergency managers anticipate what needs to be done locally in light of distant disasters • May prevent dramatic policy swings (e.g., natural hazards, technological, civil defense, Y2K, mitigation, sustainability, terrorism)

12. Assignment • Reflection paper

13. Vulnerability • Is important for comprehensiveness • We need to focus on vulnerability, and not just hazards • Vulnerability relates to structural and cultural causes of disasters

14. Examples of Vulnerability • Minorities • Disabled • Environmental degradation • Construction of buildings • Unplanned urbanization • Carelessness in industry • Neglect of emergency management • Poor decision making • Deteriorating health • Foreign policy decisions and cultural misunderstandings

15. Examples • Peru • Dominican Republic • Case Studies in Emergency Management

16. Impacts • Is important for comprehensiveness • Disasters produce deaths and injuries • Disasters damage and destroy buildings and the infrastructure • Disasters cause harm to animals, farmland and the environment • Disasters generate direct and indirect economic losses • Disasters lead to political changes

17. Impacts (cont.) • Disabled • Loss of bread winners • Homelessness • Impaired transportation • Business, school and hospital closings • Ceasing of HVAC, lighting and cooking • Loss of agriculture • Food shortages • Uninhabitable environment • Insurance losses • Increased taxes • Declining politician approval ratings • Other consequences

18. Power Point Presentations • The impacts of disasters

19. Disaster Phases • Is important for comprehensiveness • Emergency management includes mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery

20. Mitigation • Efforts to reverse the rising trend of disasters or minimize impact

21. Preparedness • Activities to increase the readiness of a community for disasters

22. Response • Implementation of life saving measures

23. Recovery • Steps to overcome impacts and minimize future vulnerability

24. Points to Consider • What has emergency management traditionally focused on? • Are there problems with this approach? If so, what are they? • Should emergency management focus more on mitigation and recovery? If so, why? • Should we give complete attention to mitigation and recovery? What are the consequences (both positive and negative) of doing so? • What does this imply for the importance of each phase of disaster?

25. Functions • Are important for comprehensiveness • Are relevant to each phase of disasters

26. Examples of Functions • Hazard and vulnerability assessments • Land-use planning • Structural mitigation • Industrial regulation/code enforcement • Planning • Training • Exercises • Mutual aid • EOC establishment/activation/management • Decision/policy making • Hazard detection • Warnings • Evacuation • Sheltering and mass care • Search and rescue • Medical care/surveillance

27. Examples of Functions (cont.) • Criminal investigations and prosecution • Mass fatality management • Critical stress management • Critical stress management • Media and public relations • Donations management • Volunteer management • Damage assessment • Disaster declarations • Debris management • Public and individual assistance

28. Stakeholders/Participants • Is important for comprehensiveness • The emergency manager needs to get others involved • Examples from the Round Table discussants

29. Other Stakeholders/Participants • Public • Private • Non-profit • Citizens

30. Working with Others • See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6ilz3tl5Vw.

31. Conclusion • Emergency management is a comprehensive profession • It includes all types of: • Hazards • Vulnerability • Impacts • Phases • Functions • Participants