The onset of a disaster prompts the nation or region affected to depend on the emergency response team. Various types of disasters usually are grouped into two different main categories, which are natural disasters and man-made disasters (Jackson et al., 2004). Naturally occurring disasters are physical phenomena caused by geophysical, climate changes, hydrology, biological, and meteorological events. Man-made disasters are a result of human activities and usually occur near human settlements. According to Jackson et al. (2004), the management of emergency responders depends on the intensity of the disaster that has occurred. Therefore, unlike small-scale disasters, major disasters are characterized by unique safety risks that pose a challenge to their management. This is due to the high possibility of putting the emergency responders in harm’s way.
Some of the unique safety risks or difficulties include the large number of people affected, injured, or killed. When a disaster strikes, persons can be confirmed as dead, missing, or presumed dead. Similarly, direct involvement in the disaster can lead to people sustaining physical injuries, trauma, or developing illnesses that necessitate the emergency medical team to treat them. The affected people by the disaster prompted the need for immediate help. This category of people encompasses the displaced, evacuated, and those homeless. The damage or destruction of the disaster on the housing and other essential properties and infrastructure displaces people by forcing them to leave their homes or evacuating them before striking the disaster. In line with that, the emergency responders are also affected by the disaster as they are susceptible to physical, chemical, and even biological hazards.
Another unique difficulty that characterizes major disasters is that they lead to damage to the infrastructure. According to Jackson et al. (2004), the primary impact of disasters on infrastructure brings about physical damages and losses. For instance, a hurricane occurring in a certain territory would lead to the direct collapse and damage of infrastructure in that there is bound to be an electricity outage. Similarly, the breakage of communications lines, the collapse of buildings, roads, or bridges, the destruction of water and sewer, and oil spillage can be experienced. This, in return, results in negative implications on the associated industries such as transport, construction, and manufacturing industries.
The structural collapse, in particular a building collapse, prompts an emergence response at the scene despite the magnitude and type of event that has transpired. According to Willis et al. (2006), a significant number of emergency response teams is needed to mitigate and manage the disaster, and therefore, in the process, the personnel available may mix in the effort to participate. This poses a challenge to the logistics department mandated with providing personal preventive equipment and other supplies needed. Therefore, to mitigate the challenge of mixing emergency responders and availing of personal preventive equipment, the hazardous environment where the scene occurs is divided into three areas (Willis et al., 2006). These areas are the exclusion zone, the contamination zone, and the reduction zone; all commonly referred to as the hot, warm, and cold zones.
The hot zone is the area very close to the building collapse, which needs primary hazard control. This zone, according to Willis et al. (2006), is where the victims are searched and rescued, and therefore, the zone requires emergency responders to be highly protected. Willis et al. (2006) mention the physical hazards in this zone as falling objects exposure, whereby the emergency responders are prone to be hit by falling materials or at least being crushed by the debris or blocks. This, therefore, may result in cuts, abrasions, and serious injuries such as getting concussions and risking blindness. Another physical hazard in the hot zone is when the work surfaces are unstable in that they are slippery or contain a lot of small hard debris, making it difficult to step on or hold onto. Other associated risks include; being electrocuted, fire outbreaks, sustaining upper respiratory infections through inhalation of the respirable dust particles, and exposure to blood from the casualties.
The warm zone provides an area in which access to the immediate building collapse site is controlled, direct response operations are managed, and decontamination of responders and equipment is being carried out. According to Willis et al. (2006), the physical hazards associated with this zone include; suspended dust particles which, when inhaled, may lead to decreased lung functions, asthma, and obstructive pulmonary diseases. Other physical hazards include the presence of blood from casualties of the collapsed building and chemical hazards such as gases, very fine dust, and aerosols.
The third zone is the cold zone which is defined by the incident scene perimeter, and usually, there are minimal activities related to the collapsed building being carried out. Willis et al. (2006) assert that in the cold zone, there are logistics and other supporting resources aimed at sustaining the response operations being carried out. Some of the physical hazards experienced in this zone are the risk of inhaling respirable dust particles from the dust cloud.
Disaster volunteers and emergent groups have the responsibility of undertaking the initial search and response activities. Poteyeva et al. (2007) concede that volunteers are divided into four categories that are; organizational volunteers, group volunteers, expanded role volunteers, and volunteers taking up new roles. The volunteer and emergent groups provide backup to the rescue teams using their simple tools in activities that require confined space entry and in search procedures that need technical assistance (Poteyeva et al., 2007). The volunteers and emergent groups provide psychosocial support to the victims; they help evacuate and rescue victims before the arrival of the rescue teams and even during the rescue process. They help in the transportation and distribution of relief supplies as well as food and drinks to the victims and emergency rescue team.
The rescue task forces comprise structural engineers, medical and hazardous material units, a wide range of sophisticated tools and equipment, and canine units. However, there is a paradox in the United States, federal and state, surrounding the funding system for the search and rescue task force (Poteyeva et al., 2007). The paradox is that funding of these task forces occurs, although the rescue teams arrive too late to save people. In connection to that, funding is done to the near exclusion of search and rescue teams volunteers who do the majority of the rescuing and saving of victims’ lives in the United States.
References
Jackson, B. A., Baker, J. C., Ridgely, M. S., Bartis, J. T., & Linn, H. I. (2004). Protecting emergency responders: Safety management in disaster and terrorism response (Vol 3).
Poteyeva, M., Denver, M., Barsky, L. E., & Aguirre, B. E. (2007). Search and rescue activities in disasters. In Handbook of disaster research (pp. 200-216). Springer, New York, NY.
Willis, H. H., Castle, N. G., Sloss, E. M., & Bartis, J. T. (2006). Protecting emergency responders, Personal protective equipment guidelines for structural collapse events. Rand Corporation (Vol 4).