Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 83

County/parish governments and regional governments are also heavily involved in pre‐ and post‐disaster operations (Clarke 2006). Counties or parishes may have their own emergency management offices, and their employees often work with their peers at the municipal level. County/parish emergency management offices are typically responsible for unincorporated areas also. They generally have supplementary resources that can be deployed when disasters prove to be too much for local governments. In this case, a county judge or commissioner (or parish president in the State of Louisiana) may also declare a disaster and work with state and federal governments to acquire disaster assistance. In fact, presidentially declared disasters (those requiring federal assistance) are always initiated at the county level before they make their way up through the state emergency management system.

Those involved in emergency management at the county‐level work perform a variety of disaster functions. The sheriff’s office may help with traffic control or other law enforcement duties after disasters. The Geographic Information Systems Department plots the location of resources when emergency management activities are undertaken. Public Health provides health services after all types of disasters, and they are key players in the distribution of medicines or vaccines to affected communities. The County Economic Development Department performs vital work during recovery. These county entities cooperate with other agencies at the municipal level and often cover unincorporated areas to ensure disaster funds are distributed and spent according to federal policy and regulations. Again, it is worth repeating, that no two county governments are exactly alike when it comes to emergency management.

Regional governments are networks of local and county governments that address collective problems across numerous counties in rural or in large metroplex locations. For instance, there is a regional government representing the eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley as well as the Sacramento Area Council of Governments that is involved with cities in that general vicinity. These organizations focus on daily concerns (e.g., transportation and environmental issues) that affect multiple jurisdictions. However, regional governments also give attention to disasters and emergency management (Kapucu 2012; Gerber and Robinson 2009); Waugh 1994) and may be the conduit by which the federal government distributes grant monies for local governments. In fact, the federal government prefers to award grants to regional governments to avoid duplication of effort and unnecessary expenses. In return, regional governments are expected to share their resources (e.g., hazardous material teams or swift water rescue boats) with local jurisdictions in need when disasters occur.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is one example of a regional governmental organization that is interested in disasters. This particular network of jurisdictions attempts to strengthen local governments by assisting them in cooperative efforts across the Dallas/Fort Worth region. The NCTCOG has a department dedicated to regional disaster planning and coordination. The Emergency Preparedness Program provides leadership to facilitate collaboration across jurisdictions in this geographic area when disasters occur. Even though regional governments like NCTCOG have been around for decades, their importance remains underestimated in emergency management today.