Introduction
Building preparedness toward possible disasters is one of the key requirements for ensuring safety of a community. However, to compile an effective emergency response plan, (ERP), knowing the characteristics of the target community and its location is essential (Essential components of emergency management plans at community health centers: Crosswalk of plan elements, 2009). By considering the key geographical, economic, financial, sociocultural, and environmental properties of Philadelphia, PA, and the population inhabiting the specified area, one will be able to create a coherent ERP. Due to the presence of natural threats, such as tropical cyclones and ice storms, as well as anthropogenic hazards, such as unstable structures and pollution, it is advised to increase interagency coordination, as well as support for and communication with Philadelphia citizens.
Analysis
Emergency Types
As a rule, two main emergency categories are typically identified for the risk analysis, namely, anthropogenic, human-made, and natural ones. According to Kolakowski’s (2020a) report, Philadelphia is currently represented by both to a similar extent. Namely, the city is highly prone to cyclones and ice storms, which occur regularly due to the specifics of the local humid subtropical climate (Kolakowski, 2020a).
Specifically, among natural emergencies, Philadelphia is especially prone to floods that are common for the subtropical climate type (National Incident Management System, n.d.). These include the categories of flash floods such as riverine ones, street runoffs, groundwater, and basement backups (Kolakowski, 2020a). Due to immense storms and overflooded sewers, water trickles through walls and into basements of Philadelphia houses, thus causing a community crisis (Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, 2020). Therefore, seasonal flush floods should be seen as one of the major risk categories.
In addition, Philadelphian residents are also prone to anthropogenic disasters. Namely, several instances of fire have been registered lately (Kolakowski, 2020b). Similarly, the city has been suffering from the dangerous waste produced by local manufacturing facilities; specifically, lead poisoning has been the source of concern for Philadelphia citizens for several decades (Dignam, 2019). Finally, instances of mass shootings, terrorism, and similar threats have become a common point of discussion in Philadelphia recently (Abe, 2020). The described issues raise a range of concerns, primarily, regarding the necessity to build preparedness toward a variety of possible scenarios, which suggests a complicated learning process.
Conduct a Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis
Analyzing the hazards mentioned above, one should admit that some of them take priority over others (see Fig. 1). For instance, among natural hazards, the problem of flooding as a seasonal concern needs to be addressed urgently (Hazard Identification Vulnerability Analysis (HIVA), n.d.). Likewise, the problem of dilapidated structures within the city infrastructure, such as old bridges and similar areas, must be managed within the shortest amount of time possible due to the threat that they pose to multiple people’s lives (“Hazard mitigation plan,” 2019). In turn, the manufacturers emitting hazardous substances, particularly, lead also need to change their production process accordingly (Foundation for the Standardized Emergency Management System SEMS California Emergency Management Agency, 2010).
However, the specified change is likely to take a significant amount of time due to the challenges associated with transforming the manufacturing process, the substitution of the hazardous materials with other options, and the search for new suppliers (“Lead paint laws and regulations,” 2020). Due to the presence of the pandemics, the outlined measures are going to be slackened down even further (Marron et al., 2020). Thus, while remaining a priority, the outlined problem needs a long-term solution.
Table 1. Hazard Analysis.
As Table 1 above shows, the focus on the pandemic and the flooding issue must remain a priority presently. Both must be tackled on the community level by promoting awareness and offering citizens a set of rigid, concise, and accurate guidelines. Thus, with due levels of compliance, the threat of an incident, let alone a disaster on a community scale, will be avoided successfully. However, in the long term, revisiting the problem of some of the dilapidated structures that pose a potential risk to the safety of citizens should also be considered an essential goal.
Community Analysis: Potential Impact
The hazards outlined above represent quite significant risks to the Philadelphia population, making it rather vulnerable. Namely, if mismanaged, the problem of the pandemic will entail multiple deaths, particularly, among the aging demographic (“Integrating disaster planning into historic resource survey,” 2020). Thus, compliance with the rules provided by the healthcare organizations, specifically, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is crucial.
The flooding problem, while not being as fatal, also represents a major threat, potentially causing the deaths of residents, especially children, people with physical impairments, the aging population, and other vulnerable groups (Lester & Krejci, 2007). Moreover, once mismanaged, floods will cause massive property damage and, possibly, deprive a large number of people of homes due to the destructive nature of the disaster. Although insurance may help most Philadelphia residents to rebuild their homes, the loss of other property, including valuable possessions, will affect each individual and the community as a whole to a tremendous extent.
ERP Strengths and Weaknesses
It is recommended that the ERP for the Philadelphia residents should incorporate clear and accurate guidelines concerning the prevention and management of both natural and anthropogenic disasters. Namely, instructions concerning social distancing, the identification of key symptoms of coronavirus, and the directions for further testing and contacting the healthcare authorities must be made available to all Philadelphia citizens.
Likewise, an accurate and concise plan for handling the situation that involves flooding must be offered to the target population. Specifically, instructions concerning the reinforcement o basements to prevent water leakage, as well as the guidelines concerning the avoidance of threats, must be offered to Philadelphia citizens. A similar set of instructions must be issued for managing fire. Every building must have a clearly visible and accurate fire escape plan. Moreover, regular drills for using the said plan must be introduced into schools and other state institutions.
Furthermore, requirements concerning the management of the said disasters must also be offered to local authorities. Specifically, Philadelphia officials must be provided with detailed instructions concerning the types of resources that must be supplied to the local community, the vulnerability issues that must be addressed, and the communication channels to be used for conversing with the target audiences (Topic collection: Social media in emergency response, n.d.). Specifically, to reach citizens, Philadelphian authorities may consider using social media (Harper, 2018; Map: Social media monitoring by police departments, cities, and counties, n.d.). The suggested step will also help to prevent misinformation that may spread across the said social media by other users.
The suggested ERP has several weaknesses that are worth discussing. Specifically, the plan is rather loose, which offers certain flexibility, yet does not allow accounting for every possible scenario that may develop. However, there are multiple strengths worth noting as well. For example, the plan takes account of the key hazards to which the resident of Philadelphia may be exposed. In addition, the suggested course of action implies engaging with the community and promoting awareness and active communication between citizens and officials. Thus, vulnerable populations will remain informed and prepared for possible issues.
Overall, the proposed plan has a clear structure and a set of essential goals that make it relatively easy to implement. Thus, it will guarantee increased safety of Philadelphia residents. Moreover, placing the emphasis on communication between the target population and Philadelphian authorities allows increasing the extent of awareness and ensuring that the provided guidelines are easy to understand and implement.
Moreover, the dialogue between the state officials and the city residents will help to ensure that the resources required for promoting safety, including both tools for enhancing physical safety and the sources of information and education for vulnerable groups, are supplied in the required amount. Therefore, overall, the suggested ERP is quite viable and is likely to lead to improvements in the management of disasters faced by Philadelphia citizens.
Conclusion
Since the current Philadelphian environment is represented by a combination of anthropogenic sources of threat, such as collapsing structures and pollution, and the presence of natural issues, such as ice storms, collaboration across agencies is required to ensure safety. Moreover, active communication with citizens is vital for keeping the levels of awareness high and ensure that the target population knows the correct course of actions in case of a particular emergency. Thus, the damage and potential risks can be minimized even in the worst-case scenario. Maintaining preparedness for disasters is a crucial step toward keeping h community safe, which is why the proposed ERP is expected to lead to a significant improvement in security rates among Philadelphia citizens.
References
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