Who is the first responder when the disaster occur?
The following parties are responsible for dealing with a crisis or disaster: the mayor, the fire brigade, the medical and municipal services and the police. The army may also be deployed. Show MayorThe mayor is responsible at the administrative level for ensuring that the response effort runs smoothly. He/she convenes the representatives of the various public services who make up the disaster management team. In view of the mayor's administrative responsibility, the municipal council may call him/her to account for the overall management of the response effort. Fire serviceThe fire service is the linchpin of the disaster response. The fire chief is charged with the operational management of the response effort. Everything that occurs in the disaster area falls under his/her authority. As a member of the disaster management team, the fire chief puts the team's decisions into practice. He/she also coordinates the work of the emergency services. In the disaster area, the fire service's first duty is to save people and animals. Firefighters also put out fires, of course, and conduct tests to find out whether any hazardous substances have been released. Regional accident and disaster medical teamsAnyone injured in a disaster will require medical assistance as soon as possible. Ambulance paramedics will usually provide first aid and stabilise the injured so that they can be taken to hospital. Police servicesThe police will ensure that the fire and ambulance services can do their job. They will cordon off the disaster area, direct traffic and sometimes set up a safety zone around the disaster area. If victims are difficult to identify, the police will deploy the disaster identification team, consisting of experts convened on an ad hoc basis. This team of specialists perform their work in consultation with one another. Armed forcesThe Ministry of Defence can deploy military personnel to respond to a disaster. Their duties include evacuating people. Municipal servicesThe municipality is responsible for the residents' immediate welfare. Municipal services will assist in other practical ways, such as providing food and temporary shelter; they may also offer psychological care. In addition, the municipality will register the victims and may help them attend to uninsured damage. While at first Homeland Security served primarily as a coordinating body, it later emerged as the principal civilian protector of the country inside and outside its borders. Its stated goal is to prepare for, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, including terrorism, human-caused disasters, and natural hazards. One role is to train first responders and prepare the public for emergencies.
What is NIMS?
Incidents typically begin and end locally, and they are managed daily at the lowest possible geographical, organizational, and jurisdictional level. As incidents become larger success may depend on the participation of many jurisdictions, levels of government, non-governmental agencies, and all responders. These instances necessitate effective and efficient coordination across this broad spectrum of organizations and activities. By using NIMS, communities are part of a comprehensive national approach that improves the effectiveness of emergency management and response personnel across the full spectrum of potential threats and hazards (including natural hazards, terrorist activities, and other human-caused disasters) regardless of size or complexity. NIMS is a “whole community” approach, involving community members, first responder agencies, public and private sectors, and non-governmental and non-profit organizations (FEMA, 2015). The National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training Program defines the national NIMS training program as it relates to the NIMS components of preparedness, communications and information management, resource management, and command and management. It specifies the National Integration Center (NIC) and stakeholder responsibilities and activities for developing, maintaining, and sustaining NIMS training. The NIMS Training Program outlines responsibilities and activities that are consistent with the National Training Program, as mandated by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. This program integrates with FEMA training offered through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and United States Fire Administration (USFA). The National Exercise Program (NEP) is the Nation’s overarching exercise program. All interagency partners have adopted the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) as the methodology for all exercises that will be conducted as part of the NEP (DHS, FCD 1, Nov. 2007, p. 7). NIMS also provides for effective resource management and mutual aid across jurisdictions and levels of government. As a condition of receive Federal Preparedness grants and awards, local, state, territorial, and tribal nation jurisdictions must implement NIMS procedures and report using NIMS guidelines. NIMS Alerts announce the release of new NIMS guidance, tools, and other resources. FEMA Regional NIMS Coordinators act as subject matter experts regarding NIMS for the local, state, territorial, and tribal nation governments within the 10 FEMA Regions, as well as for the FEMA Regional Administrator and staff. The Incident Command System (ICS) has been established to provide standardization through consistent terminology and established organizational structures (FEMA, 2015). Interoperability communications can be enhanced by improving, not only equipment and systems, but also human behaviors and relationships. Areas of focus for training, according to Timmons (2007), are sensory overload, cognitive bias, speech center deficit, and suppressed emotions. Sensory overload occurs as soon as first responders arrive at the scene, where they are required to make critical decisions and give commands to others. Cognitive bias occurs when people disregard information that disconfirms their preconceptions. This can lead to an incomplete operational picture. Stress can alter voice pitch and inflection when talking on the radio. This is speech center deficit. Finally, first responders learn to be calm in an emergency situation. This is not always good because suppressing natural emotional responses can lead to elevated blood pressure and increased stress levels, disrupting communications, and inhibiting relationships. What is the difference between an emergency and a disaster?
An emergency is defined as an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action; an urgent need for assistance or relief. Ken Jorgustin (2012) wrote: “When I think of disaster and emergency, I consider a disaster to be widespread, regional, or wider. Examples of a disaster may be the consequences of severe weather such as a hurricane, tornado, or flooding. An economic meltdown followed by a rapid devaluation of currency would be considered a disaster, affecting countless millions of people. An emergency is a situation that requires immediate attention, a situation that could lead to disaster if left alone or unattended. Or, maybe it won’t, although it may seem like it to you nonetheless.” Any disaster that arises from the physical phenomena—hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis—can be deemed a natural disaster. Human-caused disasters may also be the direct result of natural conditions. For example, the floods that devastated New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 were caused by levees that burst, but it was the hurricane’s wind and rain that caused the excess of water. Likewise, fires which may destroy wildlands and communities may be human-caused or could result because of dry conditions and electrical storms. The San Francisco fires in April 1906 were caused by broken gas lines resulting from a major earthquake. While natural disasters can strike anywhere, the poor usually suffer more than the rich, because they lack the resources to rebuild or to relocate. Infrastructure is usually better in wealthier communities and countries. The poor in New Orleans were hardest hit because they built on the low ground and didn’t have the means to evacuate. On January 12, 2010, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing more than 220,000 people and injuring over 300,000. The massive earthquake, the biggest the region had seen in 200 years, left more than 1.5 million people homeless, and resulted in an immense humanitarian crisis. The devastation was compounded by poor building practices and weak infrastructure. In the United States, government agencies can assist those who have lost their homes and possessions. Numerous federal and state government agencies (including non-governmental agencies) provide help to those in need when disaster strikes, but often that assistance covers only part of what is needed. Also, it is difficult to get protection such as homeowner’s insurance in areas prone to damage from floods or hurricanes (US Legal, 2010). Terrorism is a human-caused threat that is unpredictable and can cause great loss of life and property. The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France on November 13, 2015, where more than 100 people died, served as a tragic reminder of September 11, 2001, the worst terrorist attack in history. On September 11, 2001, a succession of four coordinated assaults was launched by the al-Queda in the New York City and Washington DC areas. Four planes were hijacked by 19 men and two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, collided into the north and south towers of the NYC World Trade Center, which collapsed within two hours and led to the destruction of nearby buildings as well. The third plane, American Flight 77, targeted the Pentagon in Virginia while the last one, United Airlines Flight 93 whose aim was the Capitol in DC, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania when the passengers tried to overpower the hijackers. These catastrophic events led to the deaths of about 3,000 people. Terrorism is the systematic use or threatened use of violence to intimidate a population or government and thereby effect political, religious, or ideological change. Terrorist organizations in the United States today use techniques such as hijacking, bombing, diplomatic kidnapping and assassination to assert their demands (US Legal, 2010). What do first responders do in a disaster? Emergencies happen very frequently whereas disasters may occur only once or twice in the life of a first responder. Handling emergencies (like car accidents, house fires, and response to crime) helps prepare first responders to deal with disasters. The role of first responders in responding to a disaster is very similar to the day-to-day role of public safety and supporting the community. Because first responders know their communities and interact with residents on a daily basis they can respond quickly to a heightened crisis situation such as in a disaster. For example, understanding unique community features, like demographic and language characteristics, allows law enforcement officers to help outside emergency management teams in a disaster. Their presence and support in the community in a disaster has a calming effect that helps people respond more appropriately. How are first responders organized in a disaster? What is the Incident Command System (ICS)?
Source: FEMA. 2008, May). ICS Review Materials. The Incident Commander is technically not a part of either the General or Command Staff. According to FEMA (2008), the Incident Commander is responsible for overall incident management, including:
The Command Staff is assigned to carry out staff functions needed to support the Incident Commander. These functions include interagency liaison, incident safety, and public information. Command Staff positions are established to assign responsibility for key activities not specifically identified in the General Staff functional elements. These positions may include the Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, and Liaison Officer, in addition to various others, as required and assigned by the Incident Commander. General Staff The General Staff represents and is responsible for the functional aspects of the incident command structure. The General Staff typically consists of the Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration Sections. General guidelines related to General Staff positions (FEMA, 2008) include the following:
Tobia (2013) says: “Since Katrina, FEMA has dramatically altered its language when speaking to the public. In 2008, when Gustav was approaching Galveston, Texas, the message was loud and clear: “If you choose not to evacuate, you will face certain death.” That is the first time I can recall hearing such blunt and honest language from a federal agency whose mission is to save lives. And that is exactly what they were doing—by educating the public so that they could make the right decisions about their safety. As firefighters, we have a similar obligation to not only echo those words but heed them.” References:
FEMA. (2008, May). ICS Review Material. Retrieved from https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/icsresource/assets/reviewmaterials.pdf Heritage Foundation. (2002, May 14). Feds Must Train "First Responders" in More Organized Manner, Analysts Say. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2002/05/feds-must-train-first-responders-in-more-organized-manner-analysts-say Hylton, Roberto. (2013, August 12). Law Enforcement’s Role in Responding to Disasters. Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/blog/2013-08-12/law-enforcements-role-responding-disasters Jorgustin, Ken. (2012, February 20). Disaster and Emergency, What’s The Difference? Modern Survival Blog. Retrieved from http://modernsurvivalblog.com/modern-survival-ideology/disaster-and-emergency-whats-the-difference/ List25. (2014, February 17). 25 Worst Acts of Terrorism Ever Committed. Retrieved from http://list25.com/25-worst-acts-terrorism-committed/ Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (1997). Hospitals and Community Emergency Response - What You Need to Know (OSHA 3152). U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3152/osha3152.html Rodak, Sabrina. (2012, December 10). 9 Essentials for Hospital Disaster Readiness and Response. Becker's Hospital Review. Retrieved from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/capacity-management/9-essentials-for-hospital-disaster-readiness-and-response.html Sauer LM, McCarthy ML, Knebel A, & Brewster P. (2009). Major influences on hospital emergency management and disaster preparedness. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 3(2): S68-73. doi: 10.1097/DMP.0b013e31819ef060. Timmons, Ronald. (2007, February). Interoperability: Stop Blaming the Radio. Homeland Security Affairs 3, Article 5. Retrieved from https://www.hsaj.org/articles/153 US Legal. (2010-2014). Homeland Security. Retrieved from http://homelandsecurity.uslegal.com/ WHO/EHA. (2002, March). DEFINITIONS: Training Package. retrieved from http://apps.who.int/disasters/repo/7656.pdf Cite this article: Fisher, John. (2015). The Role of First Responders. Community Emergency Preparedness. Retrieved from http://www.communityemergencypreparedness.com/2015/11/the-role-of-first-responders.html Who are the first people to respond to a disaster?Search-and-rescue and emergency medical services come first.
The immediate priority after a natural disaster is providing emergency first aid and medical services to injured persons. Local residents, health professionals, emergency workers, and public-safety officers are the first responders.
Who responds to a disaster?When a disaster is declared, the Federal government, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), responds at the request of, and in support of, States, Tribes, Territories, and Insular Areas and local jurisdictions impacted by a disaster.
What is the name of the first responder?Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), paramedics, firefighters, and police officers are all considered first responders.
What is the first step of the first responder?As a first responder, your first step is to assess the situation to ensure the scene is safe. The second step is to assess the victim's airway, breathing, and vascular circulation. If the victim is not breathing, you should have someone else call 911 while you start CPR.
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