Emergency Management Research Paper

-Introduced in 1988 to take temporary measure for the safety and security during national emergencies of Canadians along with protecting their rights and freedom.

I definitely agree that we have to also include social media outlet along with traditional media outlets with partnership with emergency mangers. It is useful to teach the public during non-disaster event how to share important information. It is also important to build a strong trust with media and EM mangers to make sure there is very little misinformation to circulate.

Getting a staff together to bring in useful information to plan for the release of the information to the news media is a great way to enhance communication to the public. The media will then get the information out to the public by ways of News releases, web sites, news conferences, newspapers and other social media (Hicks, 2012). The advantages of using these types of media are they quickly allows for the public to know what type of crisis has happened, and what kinds of precautions are being taken to ensure their safety. If there were to be any fatalities caused by the crisis event(s), these types of avenues also will give information on that. Some disadvantages can be unreliable technology of the citizens that will not allow for them to get access to the information that is being released by the media, such as no television, computer is not working properly, or they don’t received the local newspaper to be able to read it, etc.

Media partnership is another critical assumption that is used in an emergency situation. The media takes the responsibility of giving information to the public, as well as receiving information from them too. Thus, any emergency response team must work together with the media to give information that is particularly accurate and timely to avert situations that aggravate tension. Emergency managers must have an understanding of the needs and requirements of the media and the value that they come with in emergency response situations (Haddow & Haddow, 2013).

Hurricane Katrina happened 4 years after the attacks of 9/11, 3 years after the succeeding production of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and one year after the DHS had actually produced a National Response Plan. However regardless of the heightened focus on homeland safety, the feedback to Katrina was a failure. The world viewed as government responders appeared not able to provide standard security from the ravages of nature. The titles of 2 congressional reports summed up the sense of failure. A Select House Committee [Residence Report, 2006] determined "A Failure of Initiative" while the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs [Senate Report, 2006] evaluated the United States "A Nation Still Unprepared." (Moynihan, 2009).

Natural disasters pose many complex ethical and legal challenges for journalists. It is critical to adopt an ethical framework to ensure the content published is tasteful and in the best interest of the public. By applying key laws and ethical thinking, the journalist can safely cover an event with authentic and informative reporting that does not breach the law or well-being of

Journalists (reporters) should just observe news events as they happen; they should not interfere in any way. I agree on most parts with this statement and disagree on some. The reporters are at the event to report them. For example, the wild fires in Gatlinburg, it is the reporters job to get the information out to the people watching the channel, and should not interfere. The firefighters and other professionals will handle it. The reporters could help in a way. If a reporter was to interfere or offer help, they could tell others if a person needs help if they are trapped in wreckage due to a disaster. The main priority for the reporter is to get the information and give it to

This paper is intended to demonstrate how following certain principles of Public Administration could be of assistance to Emergency Management. Additionally, it will analyze the reasons of failed operations in Emergency Management.

The humid summer air enveloped them as they trekked through the forest. Twilight flitted at the edge of the sky; night would soon descend. The man glanced back at his brother and mentally noted his labored breaths. Realizing the Appalachian Trail was a short hike away, he decided to forge ahead, leave his pack at the trail, and return to carry his brother’s pack up the mountain. Upon his return, he realized something was terribly amiss. His brother sported a bloody gash on his forehead and could not remember how he received it. Stranded in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, the man knew he needed help. After helping his brother get comfortable, he went to retrieve his phone from his pack. When he finally found his pack where a hungry bear had left it, he called for help. In a stroke of pure

“The consequences of this massive communications failure were both swift and severe, especially I Southern Louisiana” (Miller). This was especially true in the case of emergencies. Some consequences of lost communications were the New Orleans Police Department’s communications system was inoperative for all of three days after the hurricane, and only a few first responders were in the area of the disaster (Miller). The National Guard responders were unable to get a direct link to the Governor or any state emergency agencies for 48 hours after the hurricane made land fall (Miller). Other consequences were law enforcement that had two-way radios had to use different frequencies to maintain contact (Miller). It was impossible for DoD military responders to communicate with FEMA or civilian authorities (Miller).

Over the last ten years the issue of emergency management has been increasingly brought to the forefront. This is in response to a number of different events that highlighted the need for effective emergency management. As disasters ranging from the 911 terrorist attacks to Hurricane Katrina, underscore the need to have effective emergency management in place at all times. However, with the changing nature of the different threats requires that the emergency management system undergo a transformation, where it will eliminate the diverseness and rivalries of the past. This means that the various tools / tactics to change the situation should be examined and how the different silos (rivalries) can be resolved. These two factors together will provide administrators with the greatest insights as to how emergency management can adapt to the various threats in the future.

Reporting the facts helps the listener cope with the situation much faster and can bring a sense of relief because they are aware of what has occurred. If the listener is directly affected by the event they may receive vital information or important instructions they should follow such as shelter in place or evacuate the area. Responsible journalism is also a key factor in gaining the trust of the public. The media must ensure they are reporting truthful and should not be swayed by politics. The media must also be cognizant of the sensitivity of the events with an understanding that words and images will have a huge impact on the viewers.

The term “social vulnerability” describes a fluid concept to the socioeconomic and demographic factors that can affect a population’s ability to mitigate risk. Vulnerability can be represented in a specific physical or geographic location, or those within a certain socioeconomic status, or demographic. The discussion of social vulnerability frequents the field of Disaster and Emergency Management, as it is an important factor in the planning and execution of mitigating possible risks that varying populations may face. Emergency managers in The United States of America use the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) which uses U.S. census data to help identify communities which need aid and support before, during and recovering from a hazardous event (http://svi.cdc.gov). The SVI explains that numerous factors can weaken a community’s ability to prevent risk, human suffering and financial loss in the event of a disaster. Such factors listed include; poverty, lack of access to transportation, and over-crowded housing. These components, among others make up the concept of “social vulnerability” (http://svi.cdc.gov).

The purpose of the article is to discuss the reasons why the news media framed Hurricane Katrina as an unmitigated and unimaginable catastrophe that violated expected norms, while the 2010 Haiti earthquake was framed as an almost routine and manageable crisis, despite the fact that the Haiti earthquake caused much more loss of life and human suffering than Katrina. This purpose is discussed in both the short, nine-line abstract, and the introduction.

Crises are seen substantially as media events. Therefore media coverage whether they have been natural or man-made; is indicative of how important, essential and even at times, how down right frustrating the media has been and will continue to be before, during and after a crisis. Many people tend to turn to the media and various different media sites (such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to gain pertinent information regarding an event that has taken place or that is on-going. But this has not been done without any issues. When a crisis occurs sometimes emotions take over and all other plans go out the window. Communication is nil at best which can mean that others will suffer. Organization and communication is the key to the response and recovery efforts of a disaster.