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  • Essay / An Emergency Management Coordinator and Their Responsibilities

    The emergency management field is a rather unique and sometimes very stressful field. An emergency management coordinator can play many different roles within the emergency services community. An emergency management coordinator must create plans such as mitigation and how to prepare the community for a potential disaster. Successful emergency management requires specialized skills. EMCs help communities by assessing potential hazards and training emergency response teams. They also work in conjunction with government entities that handle cleanup efforts and medical assistance after a natural disaster, dangerous accident, or terrorist attack. As society has become more integrated, these skills include coordinating an increasingly complex set of organizations, resources, and personnel. Add to this the high expectations that citizens tend to place on emergency managers, and the challenge can seem very insurmountable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Now that we have a basic understanding of who and what an emergency management coordinator is, I want to examine the realities of their duties in dealing with disaster/emergency situations. Whether faced with hurricanes, earthquakes or bomb threats, emergency management coordinators (EMCs) must assess the situation quickly, brainstorm possible solutions and delegate their tasks accordingly. Some of the primary duties of EMCs include overseeing search and rescue, obtaining food and shelter for survivors, and organizing other relief efforts. And depending on your geographic location, this work can mean different things depending on the quantity and severity of these threats. An EMC is not on leave when things are calm and there is no emergency situation to deal with. The long list of duties and responsibilities that an EMC assumes is quite extensive and includes, but is not limited to, the following: Oversees, coordinates, and maintains the daily operations of the local emergency management agency (EMA). Maintains emergency operations. Center (EOC) in a continuous state of preparedness. Maintains coordination with local and state government departments and agencies, utilities, and industry during any type of emergency. Prepares and reviews the emergency operations plan ( EOP).Assists local government departments/agencies in the preparation of departmental SOPs in support of the EOP. Reviews and makes recommendations to businesses, industry, hospitals and nursing homes on the preparation of their emergency plans to ensure they are feasible within local and state plans. coordinates mutual aid agreements with other agencies and adjacent counties. Prepares and manages the local EMA budget. Prepares required budget and staffing documents for GEMA, which qualifies the local EMA for GEMA and FEMA funds. Organizes and coordinates local training for public safety and first responder volunteers. Supervises and monitors the actions of the volunteer search and recovery team. Prepares scenarios and procedures and coordinates training of local government, industry, utility and volunteer representatives in conjunction with the exercise of emergency plans. Ensures that the EOC is staffed with qualified and competent staff and provides these staff withtraining and exercises. Through newspaper articles, radio, television broadcasts, conferences and seminars, educate the public about emergency plans and procedures in place and the role of the public in the operation of these plans and procedures. In collaboration with the Red Cross and DFACS, ensures that adequate facilities are available to shelter citizens when needed. Coordinates with school system officials in the development of tornado warnings and school shelter plans. On a 24-hour basis, responds to hazardous materials incidents, bomb threats, severe weather alerts and other natural or man-made emergencies. Manages the daily operations of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and responds to citizen inquiries regarding hazardous materials. Responds to water and land research and recovery efforts. using the EMA Volunteer Search and Recovery Team. Interprets and applies all federal and state directives that apply to emergency management and departments supporting EMA. Responds to citizen inquiries regarding emergency plans and procedures. Ensures that all citizens with special needs, registered with the Ministry of Health, are evacuated if the need arises. Also coordinates the transportation needs of retirement homes. Using computer models and various weather service products, maintains awareness of current weather conditions and advises city/county administrators and/or department heads of any actions that may be necessary. EMC has quite a lot of expertise, and it is because of it that in the event of a disaster, we are able to get the help and services we need to start the cleanup and recovery process. reconstruction. Due to the importance of this position, I believe that the person responsible for developing emergency plans must be focused and motivated with the best interest of the community at heart. But besides being focused and motivated, there are other qualities that make a great EMC. "One of the most essential qualities an emergency manager must possess is professionalism. According to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training, professionalism is imperative because emergency managers must work with a wide variety of people to coordinate, organize and get things done effectively in a crisis situation. They must treat others with fairness and kindness, and strike a balance between cordiality and a sense of urgency. be able to show empathy while respecting federal emergency assistance rules and guidelines (FEMA) Another important point is to have great communication and organizational skills. It is also important to be a good listener so that they can quickly understand all the facts about an emergency situation and be able to communicate effectively and delegate tasks to their subordinates and community leaders. It may also involve the appropriate use of a wide variety of means of communication. and efficient. These types of leaders must perform well in highly stressful situations and remain calm at all times. This is not an ideal position for someone who loses their temper quickly. In addition to essential professional and personal qualities, the emergency manager must. understand and master actual management activities. For example, he must plan and coordinate emergency procedures with local contacts, such as the police and fire department. He mustAlso know the process for contacting state or national officials for additional assistance if needed. Other types of emergency management activities include collaboration with weather offices, transportation authorities, and criminal law agencies” (EHow). How an EMC responds to a disaster is highly dependent on the source of the disaster and the level of damage it caused. . Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes, require very different actions and solutions than those caused by war. Spills of toxic or hazardous materials or malfunctions of nuclear power plants require different approaches to minimize negative effects. No two disasters will be entirely the same, so the response may not be managed in the same way. The key concept of an EMC is PPRR which stands for: Prevention/Mitigation – Assessing and reducing disaster risks. Activities include research into natural and "man-made" disasters, construction of physical mitigation works (such as dikes and firebreaks), establishment of warning systems, planning of land use (e.g., preventing people from building on flood plains) and building codes (e.g., mandating fire-resistant building materials). Preparedness – Prepare emergency services and the community for disasters. Activities include preparing emergency plans, training first responders, educating the community on how to prepare and what to do in the event of a disaster. Response – Actually responding to a disaster and ensuring emergency services have the appropriate resources (equipment and people) to do their job. Emergency management professionals are generally not tasked with responding to a disaster, but act as executive managers, providing expert advice to someone with decision-making authority. Recovery – Getting a community back on its feet that has been affected by a disaster. . Activities include collecting and distributing donations and goods, distributing government aid, assisting with reconstruction tasks and much more. There is no single model for emergency management, either in terms of organization or size. Nationally, there is a lot of variety. For example, emergency management may operate as a separate organization. In an ideal situation, the emergency manager responds directly to the jurisdiction's chief executive officer, giving him or her direct access to the emergency manager's unfiltered information. In many communities, emergency management is the responsibility of fire/rescue, public safety, or law enforcement. He is often part of a voluntary service. Staff size can run the gamut from a single part-time or shared position, to a full-time employee, to a full-time manager with a large staff, each with assigned areas of responsibility. In any community – no matter its size – people turn to emergency management for certain things. For example, they expect: A safe and resilient community. In most jurisdictions, this involves community-wide preparation; up-to-date emergency plans and a training and exercise program to support those plans; and strategies to prevent, protect and mitigate the effects of disasters. Effective response and recovery when incidents occur. Information on the risks facing the.