Conservation districts and emergency management: New partners for tight fiscal times

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Jason Weinerman, MPA

Declining state budgets and pressure on the federal budget are likely to leave local emergency management efforts in a precarious position. During these challenging times, all government agencies will need to reach out and establish new partnerships to accomplish their missions. Emergency management situations, such as blizzards, fire, floods, and drought, are likely to originate in rural areas, and finding a partner who has a good working relationship with rural landowners is critical. Conservation districts are special- purpose government units that have a long history of working with rural landowners and getting active management installed on the ground. In addition, conservation districts have existing partnerships with other state and federal agencies, which can bring additional financial resources into the emergency management arena in a multipurpose framework. Although conservation districts are unlikely to be able to work in preparation and response planning, they can provide valuable assistance in mitigation and recovery operations. By including these special-purpose units of government in the emergency management planning and implementation efforts, emergency managers can extend their reach while not having to add additional resources.

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
Kevin Kupietz, PhD ◽  
Lesley Gray, MPH

Introduction: The greatest enemy of a global pandemic is not the virus itself, but the fear, rumor, and stigma that envelopes people. This article explores the context and history of fear and stigma relating to pandemic, summarizing key actions to mitigate the harms during an active pandemic.Method: Our article draws from accounts in literature and journalist accounts documenting the relationship between infectious diseases and major disease outbreaks that have garnered fear and stigmatization. Results: Fear, stigma, and discrimination are not new concepts for pandemics. These social effects run the risk of diverting attention from the presenting disease and government responses. Reactions to fear, stigma, and discrimination risk sabotaging effective efforts to contain, manage, and eradicate the disease.Conclusion: Emergency managers have an important role in dispelling myths, disseminating appropriate and evidence-based information without exacerbating fears. Knowledge about the roots of fear and bias along with a good understanding of historical plagues and pandemics is vital to ensure those in the field of emergency management can effectively manage irrational fears.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Jennifer Marshall, PhD, MPH, CPH ◽  
Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, PhD ◽  
Elizabeth Dunn, MPH, CPH ◽  
Kelsey Merlo, PhD ◽  
Joshua G. Behr, PhD ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new workforce considerations for emergency management community in addressing cumulative and cascading disasters. This research identifies how emergency management planning for both the changing dynamics of COVID-19 and the upcoming hurricane season may change under a compound threat. Many jurisdictions have faced challenges in providing adequate staffing of shelters before the pandemic. Now, fatigue among staff further exacerbates these challenges as resources are stretched thin. Six workshops, involving 265 national, state, and local leaders, staff, experts, and advocates from 22 states, and a range of disciplines (disaster planning, public health, social services, academia, and healthcare), were convened to identify concerns and potential strategies to address staffing, training, logistics, and support. Strategies proposed to increase the number and skill set of staff available involve increased reliance upon volunteers and nonprofit organizations. Mental health resources, personal protective equipment, sanitation supplies, and defining roles within emergency shelters were recommended to reduce fatigue and redistribute responsibilities. Findings illuminate additional research avenues regarding assessing the underlying stressors contributing to the planning process and effective means of implementing these interventions to bolster emergency management shelter operations during a prolonged pandemic and in the future.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Timothy S. Wallace, BS ◽  
Jonathan L. Katz, PhD, PMP

The authors wished to identify available guidance for local emergency management agencies (LEMAs) on the use of aviation resources in local emergency management (EM) planning. If handled properly, aviation is a proven asset that can be effectively used before, during, and after emergencies.The authors determined that literature on LEMA planning provides little evidence of local governments systematically addressing the role of aviation in their planning for emergencies. Most localities could improve their response capabilities if they integrate aviation into their planning. To provide ideas and to spur discussion in the LEMA community, this article addresses the current position of aviation in local emergency planning, what aspects of the role of aviation in emergencies that LEMAs should take into account including federal and state authority in EM aviation, and possible means and templates to assist LEMAs in incorporating aviation into their planning.


2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Gooden ◽  
Dale Jones ◽  
Kasey J. Martin ◽  
Marcus Boyd

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared Bly ◽  
Louis Hugo Francescutti ◽  
Danielle Weiss

Disaster management involves the pillars of emergency management: planning and preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery. Emergencies are serious events that threaten health, life, and property and can be managed within the capabilities of the affected organization. Disasters, on the other hand, are hypercomplex emergencies, requiring resources not immediately available. Disaster management follows the principles of emergency management, and emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and teamwork. Lack of resources will challenge people and organizations both in effects of disasters and the ability to manage them. Poverty, climate change, governance, and education are foundations to improve capacity. Hospitals play an important role in disaster response and can prepare accordingly. Plans, to be effective, must be implemented through appropriately-targeted exercises. Building on an all-hazards approach, to more hazard-specific considerations can improve disaster preparedness as well as day-to-day efficiency. Disaster management is complex and crucial. These principles are explored through the fictional tale of 1Tucci, a coastal city in the worst flood anyone can remember. Well, almost anyone…


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 203
Author(s):  
Heather A. Allen, PhD, MPA ◽  
Kiana Moore, MS

While the explicit connection has not yet been made in the literature, the systematic incorporation of agricultural and animal demographic data can help to prioritize and inform preparedness and response planning. This article reviews related fields that have used similar data, presents sources of these demographic data, offers examples of existing uses in preparedness and response planning, and details specific ways in which emergency managers can incorporate this data in their policies and plans whether at a local, state, or federal level, and in both the public and private sector. Through multidisciplinary partnerships, emergency management can be improved through the incorporation of demographic information, helping to mitigate the consequences of an animal health emergency, regardless of source, via the incorporation of empirical data.


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