Review Questions
1 Explain the difference between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
2 What are the responsibilities of the emergency manager?
3 If local resources are limited after a disaster, who could you contact for assistance?
4 How can the State Department of Public Safety help after a disaster?
5 What is the Emergency Management Assistance Compact?
6 What is the National Response Framework and how can it help you when a disaster occurs?
7 How is a tribal government similar and different than a state government?
8 What is the role of the National Weather Service in disaster response?
9 What are the general roles of the local, state, and federal government?
10 What businesses could you contact in the private sector if you had to evacuate thousands of people from a city?
11 What functions can be performed by the American Red Cross when a disaster occurs?
12 How could a CERT save lives and protect property?
13 Why is it necessary for an emergency manager to be aware of emergent behavior?
14 What is an established organization?
15 How can the DRC typology benefit those working in disaster response and recovery operations?
Applying This Chapter
1 The National Weather Service predicts the arrival of severe weather in Chicago, Illinois. Your mayor is questioning who would be involved in response activities should a disaster occur. What are some of the participating organizations from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors?
2 An earthquake has damaged many of the homes and much of the infrastructure in Anaheim, California. What businesses from the private sector would logically be involved in the response to this disaster? How could you work with them to facilitate recovery?
3 A tornado has struck your community in the Midwest portion of the United States and left many people homeless. As a result, you have had to open up a shelter at a local church. Who could assist you with feeding and mass care issues?
4 You serve as a volunteer emergency manager in a small, rural community in Montana. Your town has been adversely affected by a major winter snow‐storm—one that has shattered all of the prior records. Roads are impassible and you are worried about the elderly individuals in your jurisdiction. Could the state government assist you? Could faith‐based organizations help? How would you call up their services?
5 Major events such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami generate impressive amounts of volunteerism. What do we call this type of behavior? Is this type of citizen involvement good or bad? How could you deal with it effectively?
YOU TRY IT
1 What Is a Local Emergency Manager? Consider the position of an emergency manager. Write a one‐ or two‐page paper that addresses the following questions: Where could it be located in the local government? Could it fall under the city manager’s office? Fire department? Police department? What would the local emergency manager be in charge of? Who would he or she work with? What would he or she do on a daily basis? How would this change when a disaster occurs?
2 The Need for Mutual AidA major fire has broken out at an industrial complex in a major metropolitan area near Los Angeles. Local firefighting resources are stretched thin and crews are beginning to tire. What could you do to get more personnel to the scene? What is the name we give to the sharing of such resources among neighboring jurisdictions or states? Why is this necessary?
3 How Can a Business Help You?Suppose a major hurricane swept over your community in Florida. The strong winds and storm surge downed power lines, deposited 2 feet of sand on roads, scattered boats blocks from the coast, and damaged thousands of homes. Who could you contact in the private sector to help you resolve these problems created by the disaster?
4 Have You Participated in or Witnessed an Emergent Group?If a disaster has affected your city or state recently, did you participate in or see citizens respond? What did you or the others do? Did you or others perform a valuable role? What would have happened if you and others were not involved in that function? How important are citizens when a disaster strikes? Do you see any mistakes made or problems result from emergent groups?
5 Consider How Organizations InteractA terrorist attack has just occurred in a busy down‐ town area in Denver, Colorado. The police have cordoned off the area for safety. The Red Cross would like to provide snacks for firefighters, and business owners would like to return to their buildings to retrieve their belongings. Spontaneous volunteers are arriving in the hundreds to donate blood and help remove debris. Are there any potential conflicts among these organizations? Can they be resolved? If so, how?
References
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15 FEMA. (2012, October 25) Glossary of terms. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved August 7, 2013. Available at http://www.fema.gov/vii‐glossary‐terms. Accessed June 18, 2014.
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