An emergency situation is, essentially, an accident, a catastrophe, a hazardous natural phenomenon, hostilities or a terrorist act, or any other disaster, which may or has entailed human casualties among the population. Such situations cause damage to the population’s health, significant material losses and disruption of the living conditions of people. The coordination of organizational issues and a timely provision of assistance to the population is the crucial point in successful management of any emergency. The federal structures have been working together to map out possible strategies for immediate resolve of danger the population might encounter during an emergency. According to the USAID Field Guide (2013), “an immediate need for at-risk populations is a secure location where their safety and human rights are ensured” (p. 102). Moreover, the affected population also requires water, food, immunization, proper healthcare, a shelter and a sanitation of their environment – in that concrete order. Establishing the right sequence of action may prove to be of utmost importance when time and resources are limited, and the people are in dire need of government’s help.
In my opinion, the action plan developed by the USAID and other organizations is quite correct, as it covers the most vulnerable aspects of people’s health during or shortly after an emergency. However, I would also like to add the point of quick and secure transportation of population – at least, out of the range of immediate danger. There is a need of covering this aspect as much as possible specifically for the catastrophe management. During massive disaster events, people often have to stay behind in a dangerous area due to their inability to leave. A proper field organization has to take into consideration a multitude of factors affecting the population’s survivability, and it can be hard to include every possibility of harm, as these might be quite unexpected. The success of the emergency management relies heavily on the strategical planning, as well as on a proper deployment of every stage of the plan.
Reference
U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, International Programs, Disaster Assistance Support Program. (2013). Field operations guide for disaster assessment and response.