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Mitigating the effects of an event takes responsive coordination, clear, concise direction and result oriented communication.  This is not the time to impede disaster relief by bolstering your position of authority, citizens lives are depending on the response of its emergency officials.  This is why its so vital to know the organizational structure of disaster management before events happen.  For this discussion I will expound on the now the Federal, State and local authorities coordinate their efforts to mitigate the response time of events so that they can be that sign of relief for citizens who look to them to help In a timely manner.  Also, please note as I mention events, I’m referring to all disasters that could occur at any given time and how emergency official response to them.

Canton (2011) observed that responding to events are how emergency responders are judged, because people lives are at stake (262).  This is why its vital that we use specific characteristics to responses as operational, strategic and tactical (p.263).  Operational response is designed to meet the immediate need of the affected citizens, like rescuing a child from a collasped building.  Strategic response leans more to directives from officlas who are sending the responders to areas most affected bases on that immediate need.  For example, officals have to decide whether to send firefighters to extinguish a vacant chemical plant full of non-toxic materials or rescue live victims from a collapsed bridge.  On the other hand, you have this schemic of tactical response that allows you to coordinate your resources and first responders as a means to battle both fronts, because managing officals have full insights about what’s happening in real-time (p. 262).  So, the question is, how do we get to the point that officals have knowlegde about what’s happening in real time?  This is why both state, local and federal agencies develop these planned structures  or incident managing systems, to coordinate the flow of information, hierarchy, and resources to the event areas.  

The Incident Command System (ICS) is set of rules that imply agency autonomy, unit integrity, functional clarity and mangement by objectives (Canton, p.269).  These are salient characteristics, because it establishes a point of contact for information sharing and networking to be able to respond effectively (Jesen, Waugh, 2014).  However, research suggest that critical elements in implementation of ICS are leadership and their understanding how to use it (MCLennan et al., 2006).  Why would this be an issue?  I suggest that people want to help, save lives as fast as they can, but if your not seeing the bigger picture, of knowing what’s coming behind you before you walk in just cost more time an more lives.  Being able to communicate effectively on all fronts are what make implementaction of ICS possible.  

The most important aspect of disaster relief, on all fronts are the allocation of resources (p. 298).  Being able to dispactch, emergency responders to the immediate affected areas are sign of excellent emergency management characteristics, coordinating these resources effectively helps mitigate the response effort and bring a since of normalcy back to the lives of a stressful situation.  Even though both state and local authorities work together under this system, its import to understand that the local systems proper usage are key because they relay Information back to the command centers, so additional resource can be diverted to the proper locations to reduce waisted time trying push all the need resources in one direction.  Finally, being able to maintain order in a catastrophe is one thing but, being a first responder and hearing that responders and resources are being appropriately applied to your location in a timely manner to help mitigate the loss of life and it’s valuable resources (p.274).

References:

Canton, L.G. (2011)  Emergency Management: Concepts and Stargeties of Effective Programs, Chapter 9 pp. 261-301

Jensen, J and Waugh JR., W.L. ( 2014) The United States’ Experience with the Incident Command System:  What We Think We Know and What We Need to Know More About, Retrieved from Walden University Library

MClennan, J., Holgate, A., Omodie, M. And Wearing, A (2006) ‘Decision Making Effectiveness in Wildfire Incident Management Teams’ Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Volume 14, Number 1 pp. 27-37