Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 82

Local governments – whether towns, cities, or special districts ‐ are among the first official organizations to react to disasters from the public sector (McEntire 2006). Local governments are municipal organizations within county/parish jurisdictions that perform important public functions to address community‐wide response and recovery needs (Henstra 2010). In a disaster, these rely on emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, firefighters, police officers and emergency managers. Some of the EMTs may work for private companies and certain firefighters may volunteer for the departments they serve in rural communities. But, many of these individuals in the public sector are paid government employees—especially in larger, urban areas. Diverse departments and public leaders also play a role in response and recovery operations at the local level.

For their part, EMTs and paramedics provide vital emergency medical care to the injured on a daily basis. However, when larger emergencies or disasters occur, they may also provide treatment to victims and transport these patients to hospitals. Such EMT’s and paramedics often work as or with firefighters. Firefighters therefore provide emergency medical care in some cases, but those employed by fire departments logically extinguish fires and investigate their causes. Firefighters likewise get involved in responses to other types of disasters. They might extract people trapped in vehicles or perform search and rescue operations after floods, for example. Firefighters may clean up hazardous material spills when they occur too. Besides EMT’s/paramedics and firefighters, police officers – and other law enforcement personnel ‐ are also labeled as first responders. Whereas EMTs and firefighters deal with medical emergencies and fire suppression issues, the police oversee traffic control after disasters and close off dangerous areas to the public. Police and other first responders are present at the scene in virtually all types disasters, and they play an even more important role when there are mass shootings or terrorist attacks.

Official first responders – such as police officers and fire fighters – will be present at the scene of a disaster and will work diligently to help those in need. Bryan Dahlberg/FEMA.

If local first responders are not able to cope effectively with the demands of a particular disaster, mutual aid agreements can be activated. Mutual aid is the sharing of equipment and facilities given by nearby local governments. In many cases, this includes personnel and the services of first responders. The activation of mutual aid often occurs through the support of neighboring jurisdictions. However, in major disasters, regional, state and federal government entities will also share resources as well. Mutual aid is clearly essential after major disasters. Cities may not be able to cope independently without the assistance of unaffected jurisdictions. Even affected states may require aid from their counterparts and the federal government to cope with the impact of disasters.

As stated in Chapter 1, emergency managers are employed by local and other governments to help communities and other jurisdictions mitigate and prepare for disasters. When a disaster occurs, emergency managers issue warnings, communicate with leaders who supervise first responders, and coordinate with others to ensure evacuation occurs when needed. These public servants also collaborate with those who are in charge of shelters, help to assemble statistics on damages, and share information with citizens through the media. Emergency managers likewise acquire resources for the organizations that need them after a disaster. These professionals make sure that departments are working together to address response and recovery challenges. The public servants known as emergency managers also help determine response and recovery priorities. They gather information about needs and track expenses so payments can be made. Their contributions are crucial during post‐disaster operations. Emergency managers are in many ways like the hub in a wheel that has spokes. They are central to the coordination of emergency management activities before, during and after disasters. This metaphor is not meant to denigrate the contributions or others or underestimate the complexity of post‐disaster operations, however. Because, in some ways, emergency managers are just one element of a very complicated response and recovery network.

A collection of other departments likewise plays vital roles after disasters, and knowledgeable emergency management personnel are keenly aware of this fact. Public Works reestablishes public utilities such as water and they also manage issues related to sewage, streets and engineering. This department may also clean up disaster debris from public areas (e.g., government land, government office buildings, and parks). The Department of Transportation assists with evacuation and removes debris from roads. This department makes repairs to signal lights and reconstructs damaged roads and bridges. Parks and Recreation has the specific responsibility of caring for its own facilities. However, it is a great asset in disasters as it shares personnel as well as trucks and equipment to other departments for transportation assistance or debris removal. Public Health is in charge of caring for victims who have been infected by disease outbreaks or impacted by a biological terrorist attack. Public Health may also be involved in the health concerns related to natural or technological disasters, and it interacts frequently with hospitals to track patient bed availability. Public Health also issues orders to isolate patients when diseases spread. If there is not a Mental Health Department in the city, Public Health also counsels those who have been affected emotionally by the disaster.

There are many others that are involved in disasters at the local level. The coroner is responsible for gathering, storing and identifying bodies of the deceased. He or she also releases the remains to family members and funeral homes so burial or cremation may take place. The Engineering Department inspects buildings to determine if they are habitable or if they should be condemned. This department also promotes more stringent building codes before reconstruction can begin. Government officials work with The Chamber of Commerce to identify the financial impact of disaster. It helps companies resume normal activities by representing their interests during recovery. The Department of Housing tells tenants if homes and apartments can be occupied after a disaster. This entity also facilitates the building of new housing during recovery. Development and redevelopment agencies may work with Public Works, the Engineering Department, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Housing Department to make recovery decisions, rebuild urban areas, and implement more stringent mitigation measures. As an example, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority has been heavily involved in guiding recovery after Hurricane Sandy.

Elected civic leaders are also logically involved in post‐disaster operations (Figure 2‐1). Mayors declare emergencies and disasters, which is necessary if outside assistance is to be sought and obtained. These politicians work closely with city managers, city council members, emergency managers, and public information officers (PIOs) to establish priorities after a disaster, mobilize personnel and resources, and keep the public informed about ongoing response and recovery activities. Such politicians play a key role in the most important post‐disaster decisions.

Although many cities and their personnel operate as described, it must be reiterated that no two communities are organized exactly alike. Some cities may rely on private ambulance companies but may have a dedicated emergency manager. Others may have volunteer firefighters and no emergency manager. In different jurisdictions, government departments may be organized in diverse ways, and this would require that they have distinct disaster responsibilities. For instance, in some cases, emergency managers are located in the fire department, police department or public works. In other situations, the emergency management office is independent or reports directly to the city manager. At other times, the Building Department and Public Works may be combined. It is therefore imperative that you understand your city organization and that of nearby jurisdictions. This will undoubtedly be useful if you are to harness local public resources after disasters.

Figure 2‐1 Elective officials such as Freeport, NY Mayor, Andrew Hardwick, often meet with community members to discuss ongoing response and recovery efforts. Andrew Booher/FEMA.