Mission Areas of an Emergency Operation Plan Essay

Introduction

An emergency operation plan (EOP) is a plan that defines the scope of preparedness and emergency management activities essential for that jurisdiction (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2019). The EOP is designed in such a manner that makes it flexible for application in all emergencies. A fully functional EOP constitutes the purpose of the plan, the emergency, assumptions, distribution of responsibilities, logistics and administration, references and authorities, and development and maintenance of the plan. This paper aims to examine the four mission areas of an effective EOP.

Mission Areas of an Emergency Operation Plan

Preparedness

Preparedness is defined as the creation of an emergency management function to respond and recover from an emergency effectively. It requires the involvement of all the key players in the integrated management system from the local to the federal level. Preparation entails plans created to effectively handle an emergency by saving lives and preventing damages, thus helping response and rescue operations. It consists of activities conducted before an emergency occurs. These activities include (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2019):

• Creating an EOP that focuses on identified hazards, risks, and response measures.
• Recruiting and training emergency response teams.
• Identifying resources and designating facilities that may be needed in the event of an emergency.

Mitigation

Mitigation comprises sustained actions that aim to minimize or avert the long-term risks to people and property from the disasters (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2019). It consists of activities that occur before and after emergencies. Mitigation is to be conducted in conjunction with an emergency analysis to help identify the type of events that can happen, the probability that the event will occur, and the consequences of the event. An example is purchasing flood or fire insurance for your home.

Response

Generally, a response is the implementation of the preparedness plan. They include activities that transpire when an emergency event is imminent and extends to after the event occurs (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2019). An Example is evacuating potential victims; provision of food, shelter, water, medical care to the victims; and the restoration of essential public services. It constitutes actions taken to save lives and minimize property damages in the event of a disaster. They include:

• Provision of emergency assistance to victims.
• Restoration of critical infrastructure such as utilities.
• Ensuring the continuity of essential services such as public works and law enforcement.

Recovery

Recovery activities usually take place after an emergency. They assist in restoring to normal operations after an emergency. It extends until the community is reestablished to a reasonable level of functionality. There are two types of recovery, which are long-term and short-term recovery. Classically, an EOP does not constitute long-term recovery (Jefferson County, 2019). It only integrates short-term recovery which will later result in a successful long-term recovery. However, sometimes the EOP provides a transition for a long-term recovery plan. Long-term recovery activities include repairing or replacing public buildings. On the other hand, short-term recovery activities include removing debris and securing supplies and shelters among others.

Strengthening the mission areas

The EOP plan should consider risk management through an integrated socioeconomic lens (Office of the Governor, 2019). This should be facilitated in the preparedness phase where the relevant agencies are to identify geographic areas consisting of populations that are highly susceptible to natural disasters. The data should be paired with the traditional natural risk factors to generate a more accurate assessment of the real human risk, particularly among vulnerable populations. Furthermore, in the mitigation area, the government should modernize the approach through which the state contracts for special technology (Office of the Governor, 2019). It should sometimes source external experts with innovative systems and solutions.

Conclusion

An effective EOP addresses prevention, protection, response, and short-term recovery. Emergencies cannot always be avoided; therefore, the EOP provides the most suitable solution to prevent emergencies, protect lives and property, mitigate damages, effectively respond and recover from a disaster.

References

1. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2019). Mission areas.
2. Jefferson County. (2019). Homeland security and emergency management. Web.
3. Office of the Governor. (2019). Governor Newsom Announces Executive Actions to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response. Web.