Agency
by Role in the Strategic Plan; A Summary
- Collaboration as the primary strategy for effectiveness in ensuring public safety in response to natural disasters and mass emergency.
A
common thread in emergency management
critiques is that collaboration between agencies responding to
critical incidents is the necessity of collaboration as a planned
strategy. “Collaboration is a necessary foundation for dealing with
both natural and technological hazards and disasters and the
consequences of terrorism “ (Waugh & Streib, 2006, p. 131).
This is due to the nature of catastrophic incident. “The changing
nature of disasters forces organizations from different sectors and
jurisdictions to work together to confront overwhelming problems that
a single organization cannot solve on its own.
Traditional
hierarchical structures and methods have increasingly become
problematic and less effective solutions to disaster management”
(Kapucu, Garayev & Wang, 2013, p. 104). Another method of
describing
this type of situation is 'heterarchical,' i.e. position and
location of
control within the
structure changes depending on altering environments and operations.
Decision-making process is more horizontal because dependence on
vertical links would consume much energy” (Kapucu, Arslan, &
Demiroz, 2010, p. 456)
- Advantages and contrasts of collaborative strategy in the context our CEM
Collaborative
strategy is in contrast to a hierarchical, or bureaucratic,
chain of command. “One major area of criticism of the command and
control model as a descriptive
tool is concerned with its inability to account for the emergence of
new or unexpected groups
and tasks within the emergency response system” (Uhr, Johansson, &
Fredholm, 2008, p.81). Waugh and Strieb suggest that “A lack of
understanding of emergency management is likely one reason why
officials have suggested that the nation's response to catastrophic
disasters needs a stronger command and control system” (2006, p.
131).
- Roles and responsibilities of a DHS and FEMA, in ensuring that relief operation runs smoothly.
The
purpose of FEMA is to provide standardization in training, methods of
collaboration, and a basis for interoperability.
“FEMA, as well as the DHS, lack the authority and the resources to
protect life and property without collaboration” (Waugh &
Streib, 2006, p. 138). This is the common understanding of local
agencies. “According
to National Governor's Association's 2006 State Homeland Security
Directors Survey...90 percent thinks that federal agencies should
coordinate with states in preparing and implementing homeland
security policies” (Kapucu, Arslan, & Demiroz, 2010, p. 458).
- Local Agencies as lead organizations in incident response.
Although
there is a common misperception that FEMA is meant to provide command
and control functions during an incident, “The
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) envision partnerships at all levels of
government in disaster preparedness and management” (Kapucu,
Arslan, & Demiroz, 2010, p. 454). In reality,
“EM networks are built from the bottom up, not imposed by
authorities from top down” (Kapucu, Arslan, & Demiroz, 2010, p.
454). The experience of emergency responses has shown this to be
more effective.
“The
success of Coast Guard operations during Hurricane Katrina led some
scholars to assert decentralization policies should be formalized and
implemented” (Kapucu, Arslan, & Demiroz, 2010, p. 455)
- Strategies
to employ to ensure that all agencies, including FEMA, work in
proper coordination.
Planning
based upon systems analysis shows the necessity of flexibility in
crisis response. “Other emergent phenomena that are of interest
are improvization (Wachtendorf, 2004), self-organization (Comfort,
1999) and boundary spanners (Mulford, 1984;Kapucu, 2006). Such
phenomena are important to identify and analyze
in efforts to understand how an emergency response system adapts to
the circumstances produced by a crisis” (Uhr, Johansson, &
Fredholm, 2008, p.82). Coordination and collaboration relies on
communications beyond formally adapted structure. “Personal
relations, which are not normally incorporated into plans or
bureaucratic structures, can be of importance for a functional
response system” (Uhr, Johansson, & Fredholm, 2008, p.88).
Finally, collaboration must involve the convergence of volunteer and
non-governmental
entities. “The large number of nongovernmental organizations
involved in disaster operations has encouraged the creation of
umbrella organizations” (Waugh & Streib, 2006, p. 134)
References
Kapucu, N., Garayev, V., & Wang, X. (2013). Sustaining networks in emergency management. Public Performance & Management Review, 37(1), 104-133. doi:10.2753/PMR1530-9576370105
Uhr,
C., Johansson, H., & Fredholm, L. (2008). Analysing emergency
response systems. Journal
Of Contingencies & Crisis Management,
16(2),
80-90. doi:10.1111/j.1468-5973.2008.00536.x
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