The world is as fearsome as it is beautiful. It is full of hazards, man made and natural alike. Florida, of all the states in the United States, is positioned at a prime spot where it is vulnerable to natural disasters. Hurricanes, floods, and thunderstorms are frequent flyers to the state (Haddow & Bullock, 2007).
Despite being able to predict some of them, the nature of disasters is a mystery, and so too are their after effects. However, with disaster management, the government can warn the community of the impending disaster, take precautionary measures, and respond accordingly.
Disaster management, to put it simply, is the process of preparing for what to do during and after disasters, assessing the problem effectively, and quickly responding to the disaster (Schneid & Collins, 2000).
Dealing with disasters can be divided into three categories: Emergency response, during the disaster, and disaster recovery. Emergency Response Authorities should be informed immediately about disastrous events while the people involved in the disaster should be adequately informed about their current situation.
Citizens should also do their part in disaster management and at least inform their neighbors about an approaching disaster (Florida Division of Emergency Management [FDEM], 2009).
During the Disaster Evacuation is the best way to solve and cope with disasters and should be considered an option at the first signs danger. Most disasters are unpredictable, placing the citizens’ safety at risk. Thus, the unpredictability of disasters should prompt citizens to be familiar with their surroundings for possible alternative routes (Wisner, Blaikie, Cannon, & Davis, 1994).
The Term Paper on Disaster Management The Role Of Students
... the most well informed branch of community. They can spread awareness about disaster management. Also they can ... a battery-operated radio for the latest emergency information.Stay out of damaged buildings.Return home only ... plan for reuniting after the disaster. Ask an out of state / district relative or friend ... responsible citizens of our country should be a part and parcel of the disaster preparedness ...
Disaster Recovery Setting priorities is an important aspect of disaster management. The damage done to people’s emotions can be every bit as severe as the damage to infrastructure and human physiology. Post-traumatic stress recovery as well as infrastructure recovery should be one of the priorities. The victims themselves, more than anyone else, should help themselves in the recovery process, but expert services would also be significant in rebuilding the victims’ lives (Birkland, 2006).
Financial and emotional support are important post-disaster actions.
Recommendations The introduction is good; it introduces the location of the subject well. Except for a small mishap about Florida being a country, it should be changed to Florida being a state in the United States. Also, there are no known volcanoes in or near Florida, so “volcanoes” should be deleted in the list of the introduction. New residents should be informed of the possible disasters they may encounter upon moving, and old residents should be reminded constantly of these possible dangers.
An annual meeting about this or at least some informational material like flyers, posters, or letters should be distributed regularly. Regular road advisories should be available for the public whenever there are impending or already happening disasters. It is true that evacuation is the best solution, but there are some disasters that are too unpredictable that it would be better off for residents to stay put, like sudden storms and hurricanes. There should be groups organized that specifically deal with post-traumatic stress after a disaster apart from the basic aid that people receive.
Residents should have battery-powered radios and extra batteries all the time so that they would be well informed even if there is a mass power outage, as information is vital during disastrous times. The bottom line is that communities should be prepared all the time even if there are no apparent dangers felt.
The Research paper on Florida Department of Management Services
Introduction In the early 1990s, the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS) had built up a large information systems network that served state government agencies in 10 regional sites and connected these to the data center in Tallahassee. The network was based on the use of the proprietary Systems Network Architecture (SNA) from IBM and a mainframe at the data center that housed most of ...
References
Birkland, T. A. (2006).
Lessons of Disaster: Policy Change After Catastrophic Events. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Wisner, B. , Blaikie, P. M. , Cannon, T.
, & Davis, I. (1994).
At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability, and Disasters. London: Routledge. Florida Division of Emergency Management. (2009).
Response section. Florida Disaster. Retrieved May 11, 2009, from http://www. floridadisaster. org/Response/index. htm. Haddow, G. D. & Bullock, J. A. (2007).
Introduction to Emergency Management. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Schneid, T. D. & Collins, L. (2000).
Disaster Management and Preparedness. Boca Ranton, Florida: CRC Press.
