Emergency Management Test 1 Terms

What are some best-practices approaches?

1. A method of producing knowledge by observing field experience and then created applicable principles. Described as the "practice as the basis for scholarship." 2. What are analytical approaches: Use scenarios to determine proper course of action following a disaster. Allows for disaster managers to prepare in advance for potential disasters. However, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

What are intergovernmental relations?

1. Interaction and exchanges of public and private organizations across all layers of government. 2. Required due to the decentralization of government. 3. Communication is needed across all levels in order to ensure an effective government response. 4. Allows agencies to specialize in certain roles.

What is the reinventing government movement?

A 1990s movement that believed that modern management

What is the National Disaster Recovery Framework?

A collaborative project between FEMA and state and local groups. Promotes management and consultation schemes by which FEMA and its stakeholders can plan disaster recovery long before disasters occur. Allows for the construction of scenarios that can help in the planning of disaster recovery. Creates a flexible command structure that allows emergency management personnel to respond. Focuses on how to best restore effected areas in health, social, economic, natural and environmental fabric of disaster-stricken communities, cumulatively making the nation more disaster resilient.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response

A federal grant program that came into effectiveness late 2003, also applies to local disaster preparedness. The importance of adequate fire department staffing has been well documented by independent studies. However, due to the recession the number of jurisdictions that meet the minimum requirement has plummeted. SAFER grants are more crucial than ever in helping local fire department remain adequately staffed.

Issue-attention cycle

A major problem that disaster relief and policy suffers from. In summary, people lose interest in disasters overtime. 1. A highly undesirable social condition exists. Little attention is given, the issue becomes worse until a disaster strikes. 2. People overreact. Strong pressure from the public on the government and other entities to "fix" the problem. Can negatively impact the response effort. 3. The "cost" for recovery becomes evident to the population. Realize part of the problem are the arrangements providing significant benefits to society. Demand everything goes back to what it is. 4. People lose interest. Three reactions set in. Some get discouraged Others become positively threatened Some just become bored. 5. The issue isn't the center of attention anymore. Lesser attention with spasmodic recurrences of interest. However, institutions have been established to address the problem and aid is still being provided.

What is fragmented government responsibility?

A political challenge for disaster managers. Federal system is highly decentralized. Different amounts of authority are awarded to different levels of government. Different agencies have different but overlapping responsibilities. Different agencies compete for authority. Affect the effectiveness recovery and response. Roles and responsibilities need to be decided well before a disaster occurs to ensure the effectiveness of emergency management response.

What is all-hazards emergency management?

All levels of government must prepare for and be ready to respond to terrorist attacks. The Nunn-Lugar-Domenici Act added to this. Mandated that the federal government train major municipalities with training and equipment in order to respond to terrorist attacks. Problems with this. 1. What types of attacks should we focus on? 2. What buildings/areas should we focus on as potential targets. 3. Cannot devote all resources to emergency response otherwise other areas will suffer.

What are catastrophic incidents?

As defined by the NRF. Any natural or manmade incident that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale or government functions. Results in sustained effects over long periods of time.

Preliminary damage assessments.

Assessments of the amount of damage caused by a major disaster. Problem of need for accuracy vs. limited amount of time. Difficult for FEMA to decide whether an event is worthy of a presidential declaration until a PDA is made. The PDA needs to be accurate in order to insure that funding isn't unsatisfactory. However, the nature of the disaster may require an immediate response so time is limited.

What is civil defense preparedness?

Began in the 1950s in the midst of the Cold War. CDP emergency management was heavily influenced by foreign policy and weapons technology matters. Came about from political and military boiling points. Each president introduced new measures. Focused on nuclear fallout. Later began to expand to all types of disasters.

The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Disaster.

Case study for nuclear disaster. Tsunami water flooded the reactor and caused it to overheat. The explosion of the nuclear cores could have caused the spread of nuclear degree for dozens, if not hundreds of miles.

What is the inclusive-authority model?

Each level of government has diminishing levels of responsibility. The federal government plays a key coordinating role as the states and federal govt. coordinate role as the states and federal government cooperate and interact with each other. Conveys the essential respect to authority. Federal branch has more authority than state, state has more authority than local.

What are incidents of national significance?

Major disasters or emergencies declared by the President or Secretary of the DHS. Eliminated under the National Framework Response. Still, the President and DHS secretary had the power to issue declarations of emergency in order to move vital resources to effected areas.

What is the need-based, means tested model?

Model of emergency management practiced by local governments whose goal is sustainability. The funds for emergency management are largely self generated and has no desire to exploit national taxpayer money in order beyond the minimum requirement to rebuild after a disaster. The national govt. must, in turn, ensure that its aid so that it can keep disasters from producing negative spillovers in the regional or national economy and also ensure it does not borrow money in order to pay for disaster relief.

Homeland Security Act of 2002

Passed by Congress in 2002 to create the Department of Homeland Security. Largest federal reorganizations since the creation of the DoD. Incorporated all or part of 22 federal agencies, forty different federal entities, and approximately 180,000 employees. Included organizations or parts of them with very different structures, missions, cultures, and most importantly, different ideas on how to manage domestic threats.

What is the Disaster Relief Act of 1974?

Signed into law by President Nixon. Sought to fix bureaucratic confusion. Provided direct assistance to individuals and families following a disaster under the Individual and Family Grant program. Before this reform, federal assistance focused more on local and state governments than individuals.

stafford disaster relief and emergency assistance act of 1988

Signed into law by President Reagan. Amended the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. Added wholly new provisions, superseded old ones, an revised others. Marked the beginning of modern national emergency management. Allows the President to issue major disaster and emergency declarations and the type of aid he can authorize. Gave the president a lot of latitude in determining disasters. Some of these powers were passed down to the director of FEMA after H.W. Bush passed an executive order allowing it.

What is the national incident management system?

System ordered in by President Bush through HSPD-5. It's purpose was to enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents by establishing a single, comprehensive management system. All federal agencies were required to adopt NIMS and it was required for adoption for other government entities who received federal aid.

What is the overlapping authority model?

The idea that huge areas of government operations involve national, state, and local governments simultaneously. Allows for a locality to call on federal or state assistance. The governor can then decide on the matter,and bump it up to the national level. However, no higher authority can intervene without the permission of the lower. National cannot interfere with state or local, and state cannot interfere with local.

What is the Disaster Relief Fund?

The main repository for federal post-disaster spending authority. Was often inadequate in having enough funds to help with disasters. Forced Congress to pass emergency supplementary funds within the budget year to replenish the fund's spending authority.

Structural Hazard Mitigation

The use of artificial structures to mitigate or prevent disasters. Flood works, storm drains, dams, levies, coastal infrastructure etc.

nonstructural hazard mitigation

The use of natural barriers like wetlands, coastlines, and barrier islands in order to protect against natural disasters. Emphasized in the Nixon Era and over the 1970s over structural hazard mitigation. Became popular as part of the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Produced a mutually beneficial relationship between agencies. For example, the EPA had an emergency response division which conducted research that helped reduce disaster effects.