Disaster Protection, Response, Recovery, and Communication Essay

Disaster Protection, Response, Recovery, and Communication
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Disaster Protection, Response, Recovery, and Communication
Disasters are inevitable, and the best thing to do is to facilitate preparedness and readiness. The federal, state, and local governments must respond to natural calamities, such as tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes when they occur to help the affected communities recover. The local government offers the initial emergency response by using its service agencies. Indeed, it initiates the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). When the local jurisdiction lacks enough resources to respond to a specific disaster, it asks for assistance from the state government. Additionally, if the disaster is severe and the state and local governments cannot offer the required resources, the federal government intervenes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) activates, coordinates, and implements the Federal Response Plan (FRP). FEMA's public and individual assistance programs provide resources to the local and state governments to help affected communities respond and recover quickly from significant disasters. The presidential disaster declaration offers aid to individuals and families to assist them in rebuilding the damaged infrastructure. In addition, the Stafford Act authorizes the president to offer emergency declarations before or after the catastrophic event. Such emergency declarations protect public health, safety, and properties by averting or lessening the damage caused by a disaster. The paper focuses on the importance and relationship between the federal, state, and local governments in disaster response and recovery.
The federal, state, and local governments hold significant responsibilities in responding to disasters. In particular, the local government offers the initial emergency response and activates the EOC. In addition, it coordinates the response from public and private corporations, provides mutual aid, and requests for state assistance if the available resources are not enough. When the state government is requested for help, it reviews the disaster, activates state EOC, determines whether the situation is beyond its capability, and requests federal assistance if its resources are not enough to respond to the emergency at hand. The federal government performs the Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) for the local and state governments (Jung & Song, 2015). Afterward, it denies or approves the state request. If the state government approves the request, it activates the FRP, establishes the Emergency Support Team (EST), and comes up with the Emergency Support Functions (ESF) to respond to the situation at hand appropriately. As a result, the local, state, and federal governments collaborate in response to a disaster to ensure that affected communities get proper assistance and recover within the shortest time possible.
The presidential disaster declaration system and the Stafford Act are essential since they provide proper assistance or lessen the magnitude of a disaster. Specifically, the Stafford Act permits the president to declare an emergency before or after catastrophic events....