Introduction
The emergency response program allows the government to prevent, mitigate, respond, recover, and remain resilient in the phase of adversity that it might face. In disaster management, preparedness refers to possible sets of activities that enhance the ability of the community or a country to respond effectively during calamity. It encompasses developing a mutual memorandum of understanding to guide the exercises. In addition, it includes training for teams that acquire relevant skills and capabilities in critical incident management in the process. The response is a set of actions taken before and during a disaster to reduce the impact on society. Consequently, the response is designed to reduce economic and human losses and prevent people from suffering from the effects of a disaster.
Mitigation refers to approaches directed towards preventing the likelihood of an emergency before and during the hazards’ occurrences. It entails zoning requirements to enable the government to respond swiftly. Recovery entails the activities and measures undertaken to make society resume its everyday life. Standard undertakings include financial aid provision, debris removal, and medical services provision. Resiliency is the ability of people to remain socially connected and thus able to manage possible hazards. Similarly, the aspect (of resiliency) connotes emergency management teams’ ability to remain pliable to respond quickly to unexpected changes during disaster control.
Levels of Administration Corporation
The disaster management cycle involves multiple players collaborating to mitigate emergency effects and restore normalcy as soon as possible. Each critical element in the calamity administration process exhibits a leader or team whose ability to lead the other players determines the degree of success. Disaster management focuses on the organization of resources, their allocation, and the delegated coordination of those responsible. Disaster Management Leaders, whom FEMA may appoint, are responsible for essential functions. The leaders’ job is to organize disaster response teams: private organizations and the private and non-profit sectors play a significant role. In addition, the cyclical nature of disaster management processes involves working with participants such as donors, volunteers, and individuals from religious institutions to organize the response better.
The preparedness phase involves intensive training on people’s reactions in case an emergency of whatever form develops. The Disaster Management Leader notifies individuals from organizations that cooperate in dealing with the effects of disasters on time. The leaders acquire information from the disaster preparedness team, including weather forecasting establishments and persons studying economic and social aspects. Interaction between organizations is carried out through the work of the Crisis and Communication Centers. These centers deliver information in a coordinated manner and determine its relevance. During the response stage, stringent cooperation remains between the disaster management team and the responding groups’ leaders.
The Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication office dispenses all the official information regarding the emergency to the world, as cleared by the leader. Implementing structural and non-structural measures to counteract the impact of the disaster on society occurs during the mitigation phase. Not only the leader himself but also specialists from other organizations develop and implement actions. Lastly, all the relevant government and non-governmental agencies work with the disaster management leader and professionals during the recovery and resiliency stages to restore all the essential and secondary services to the affected areas for normal life continuation.
Alterations To Disaster Management Since 1917
U.S. response mechanisms continue to be inadequate due to various constraints. Despite a relatively large number of disasters (floods, hurricanes, tornadoes), policies in this area remain weak. Among the earliest notable post-disaster devastation is the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635. There have been several other significant hurricanes since then, for which risk management remains inadequate. The 1900s hurricane in Galveston left about 8,000 people dead and property worth billions of dollars wasted. All these incidences saw neighbors and faith-based groups rush to save fellow humans without federal government involvement. The first reforms in risk management were made only in 1917, after WWI. Retired officers had the skills and abilities to deal with disasters and took on the responsibility of dealing with the aftermath of the floods. The federal system took an active role in organizing these procedures, and by the 1950s, the Federal Disaster Relief Act was passed. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes was recorded in the United States, which caused a great deal of destruction. This incident prompted Congress to create FEMA, but the organization’s focus was flawed and continues to be so.
Process and Procedures of Putting Presidential Decree into Place
The current American emergency response law requires American states and local governments to contain and manage an emergency using the available local resources before seeking the federal government’s intervention. State and local governments receive centralized aid through funding, which is not a sufficient resource. The governors of states affected by catastrophes write to the president through the regional FEMA offices for such support. However, not all applications go through, as the president exhibits exclusionary authority to turn down some, even without an explanation. The aspect subjects America’s federal emergency response to substantial politics as some presidents and governors use such for partisan mileage.
The presidential decree’s application follows the Stafford Act of the 1990s. The law dictates that only the governor exhibits the right to apply to the president for federal emergency relief during a calamity. The application takes place with the help of the responsible FEMA coordinator and must follow specific elements for consideration. A preliminary damage assessment (PDA) process is the first undertaking for the state intending to seek support from the central government. Such assessment drafting involves officers from FEMA’s regional offices and the state leadership, especially the governor. The PDA states the disaster’s extent, its effects on humans and public facilities, and the necessary federal backing required. The report’s purpose is to show that the emergency’s severity beats the local state’s response capacity, thus the need for supplemental aid.
Emergency declarations, major disaster declarations, and fire management assistance grants are the three primary declarations that an American president can make upon receiving an emergency support request from the governor through the regional FEMA office. The first type primarily characterizes catastrophic incidents that cannot be resolved without a federal response. In such a case, the outreach plan provides crisis services to the public. These include life, health, and safety preservation, which is implemented through the provision of material and psychological support resources. Property protection and tragedy risk reduction include legal and financial support. However, the limiting factor is the amount of one-time financial support for the consequences of the disaster. It amounts to at most $5 million, which can only sometimes cover enormous destructions affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
Similarly, the governor and the tribunal making the application must comply with all the requirements for their application to be considered. On the other hand, the major disaster declaration program covers natural events whose adverse effects beat the combined efforts of state and local governments. Accordingly, a significant disaster announcement delivers a wide range of central government assistance courses for individuals and public infrastructure, comprising funds for crisis and enduring work.
Presidential Decrees Concerning Massive Floods
Large-scale floods are natural disasters characterized by extensive consequences for people in the form of threats to life, safety, and property. Declarations of such disasters are categorized as significant incidents, and the response must be immediate. States that encounter such large-scale disasters contact the president directly through the governor. Organizations with regional FEMA staff then handle the request. The governor confirms recognition of the tribunal law, provides an estimate of the damages incurred, and describes the local state resources involved in dealing with the disaster. In addition, the governor indicates the amount of Stafford Act assistance required and confirms that the state will comply with applicable cost-sharing provisions. The application then goes to the president, who may or may not approve it, with politics often playing a significant role.
Conclusion
Wildfire calamities fall under the Fire Management Assistance Grants’ (FMAG) docket controlled by the president. When wildfire management and control measures are required, the FMAG package is available to local governments. However, the FMAG package is only available for wildfires in private or publicly maintained forests or grasslands. Similarly, the applying state must prove that the declared fire’s total eligible costs meet or exceed the individual fire cost verge for consideration. On the other hand, earthquakes and Pandemics, such as COVID-19, belong to the major emergencies category. Applications for federal help when such happens follow the same system as the emergency or major disaster declarations.