The Framework Description
The National Response Framework (NRF) governs the national security and crisis response to dynamic emergencies and natural disasters that occur in the community. The NRF’s main goal is to manage, train and focus on responders to deliver and apply response tactics during a crisis, such as emergency management, first responders, medical teams, and government representatives. The impact of disaster preparedness on the national level is measured according to protection, response, mitigation, prevention, and recovery. Disaster preparedness helps develop strategy systems that enhance organization within the response teams. The NRF incorporates intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other tactical response teams to solve incidences that may affect national security. Natural disasters, for instance, as earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, drought, and floods, are most common in the United States that cause massive damages. The NRF forms strategies to inhibit and minimize natural disaster effects and determine control zones and responder tactics.
Terrorism Incident vs. Natural Disaster Response
The terrorist incident response differs from the natural disaster response in various ways. The terrorism incident response is carried out in two phases’ crisis management and consequence management. In crisis management, the federal response, for example, identifies, acquires, and plans a strategic system to prevent and minimize the impact of the incident. Crisis management and response to terrorist incidences involve law enforcement and other technical teams such as negotiation teams, surveillance, investigations, intelligence, and resource mobilization to govern and regulate incidence. Law enforcements dealing with such incidents also assist in public health and safety. Consequence management provides relief and assistance to the negative implication of terrorist attacks by supplying emergency relief to governments, public health, and safety reassurance, and restoring normal day operations within governmental services.
For example, the response framework to the September 11 attack on the twin towers in the United States was immediate which included investigation, surveillance, and military actions. (Kwan & Lee, 2005) The strategies and responses formed afterward became dynamic to prevent incidents from reoccurring, even though terrorism is unpredictable (US Dept. of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, & Terrorist Research and Analytical Center, 2001). The governments and the national response team evolve in their approach to security in the United States. The NRF identified the need to form different strategies that specialize in various national security threats such as terrorism and natural disasters.
However, during natural disaster response, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responds, governed by the NRF. Natural disasters are majorly focused on the restoration and redevelopment of the people and infrastructure in the community. Natural disaster response developed a strategy that targets a region’s reestablishment to full function; these areas of focus include housing, health, resources, and capacity building. Unlike terrorism incidents, a natural disaster can incorporate members of the community to help rebuild the neighborhood. The NRF identifies the need to form different strategies that specialize in various national security threats such as terrorism and natural disasters.
Control Zones
First responders are highly trained and skilled individuals in the technical team who use control zones to respond to emergencies during emergencies such as natural disasters, terrorism, or any other national security threat. Before responding to an occurrence, first responders create a comprehensive plan that guides and coordinates them throughout the incident. First responders should isolate hazards by establishing three types of control zones in an incident; the control zones are commonly known as hazmat (Hazardous Material) zones (World Health Organization, 2017). Control or safety zones mainly indicate hazardous zones to the safe spaces in an incident, categorized into three main sections; hot zone, warm zone, and cold zone.
The hot spot is also known as an exclusion zone and is handled with caution as it is greatly affected by the incident and requires highly trained personnel to handle the situation. For example, during a tornado, the hot zone indicated would be the areas most affected or likely to be hit by a tornado, like in Oklahoma City Area in 2013 during the Turbulent Tornadoes that caused a $2 billion in damage to the area (Graettinger et al., 2014). The warm or yellow zone is mainly close to the hot spot; in most cases, the response team set up their working station at the yellow site to manage and minimize the crisis occurring in that area. In the yellow zone, the immediate danger is eliminated due to the proximity of the incident, although the zone itself may not be fully safe. The yellow zone acts as a bridge between the hot and cold zones as it rescues victims and ferries them from danger to safe zones.
During incidents, it is common for the warm zone to have several stations set up such as transport, medical services, and other critical information regarding the incident’s state. For example, in the case of terrorism, the yellow zone is used as a first stage of rescuing victims and seeking first aid services before being rushed to the hospitals for instance, during the Boston Marathon in 2013 that injured 270 people (Biddinger et al., 2013). The cold zone or the green zone is stationed away from danger, and in the yellow zone, outside risk of first responders and patients, the likelihood of threat in this zone is minimal. Most operational and tactical teams operate in this zone in the green site and continue assessing patient care, safety, and medical checkups. In all areas, transportation is highly required as it transfers injured people from hot zones to green zones in the incident’s safety sectors. The transport team is regularly the first responders since they must be highly trained to move in between the zone while being safe.
In conclusion, the National Response Framework (NRF) governs the nation in responding to various types of disasters and emergencies. It involves flexible, scalable, and adaptable approaches and identifies the national incident management systems in aligning the critical roles and responsibilities across the country. It describes various principles, roles, obligations, and the coordination of structures to deliver the vital capabilities required in responding to an incident and further explains how efforts made during response integrate with those of the other areas in the mission. First responders are trained to make decisions as fast as possible before the effects of terrorism incidence or natural disasters evolve and become fatal. For example, in the incidence of natural disasters like tornados, the first responders develop the most efficient strategy to reduce damage or fatality by evacuating the particular areas’ residences before the tornado occurs. The three types of control zone established during the crisis include the exclusion, yellow, and cold zone. The hot zone is highly dangerous and only enters highly skilled individuals to deal with the incident; the warm zone is mainly placed between the green and hot spot, although it is not completely safe. The green zone identifies areas far away from the danger and is considered safe to set up a response and tactical team.
References
Biddinger, P. D., Baggish, A., Harrington, L., d’Hemecourt, P., Hooley, J., Jones, J.,… & Dyer, K. S. (2013). Be prepared—the Boston Marathon and mass-casualty events. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(21), 1958-1960. Web.
Graettinger, A., Ramseyer, C., Freyne, S., Prevatt, D., Myers, L., Dao, T.,… & Alfano, C. (2014). Tornado damage assessment in the aftermath of the May 20th 2013 Moore Oklahoma tornado.
Kwan, M. P., & Lee, J. (2005). Emergency response after 9/11: The potential of real-time 3D GIS for quick emergency response in micro-spatial environments. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 29(2), 93-113. Web.
US Dept of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, & Terrorist Research and Analytical Ctr. (2001). Conplan: United States government interagency domestic terrorism concept of operations plan.
World Health Organization. (2017). Emergency response framework (ERF): The Incident Management System. WHO