Emergency Management and Operations

Introduction

In this discussion the emergency management and operation plans (2013) for Holderness, New Hampshire is examined. The plans are comprehensive enough but there are a few limitations that should be addressed. The researcher argues that even thigh the plans contains all the necessary Components of an Emergency Operations Plan, the plan can still be improved

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The Plan Include the Components of an Emergency Operations Plan

The plan does include all the components of an emergency operations plan. For example, the plans have components such as the introduction, situation, and planning assumptions, the concept of operations, administrative, finance and coordination, general responsibilities, plan management, authorities and references, acronyms and abbreviations. The plan succinctly explains all the cholents of the emergency operation management plan including when the plan can be operationalized, reviewed and updated. The plan particularly provides a framework that can be used by the local government to provide assistance in the event of a disaster. It outlines how to save lives and property. Never the less, the plans have not clearly identified how other critical infrastructures can be taken care of in the event or disaster.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Plan

The key strengthens of the plans include the clearly delineated duties of each person and agencies that are involved in coordinating the local state and federal response activities. It is also important to note that the plans clearly provide organizational and reporting structures of all the town departments. This way, ambiguity, confusion, and duplication of duties are significantly reduced.

The second strength is that the emergency management and operations plan comprehensively outlines all the risks, probabilities and severities. These include the disasters and hazards types including flood, drought, extreme heat and wildfire, geologic hazards severe wind hazards, human-related events.

The main weakness of the plans is in the training programs. Even though the plan includes an annual training program, the plans should be improved to include departmental emergency training plans that should be conducted monthly. One year is too long for training because new risks and event can occur anytime, and new staff is received throughout the year. It is important to have plans for intensive mandatory orientation programs for all new hires which specifically focuses on emergency management and operations.

The other weakness is the assumptions made in the emergency plans. there are many assumptions in the plan that weakness the plan. For example, the plans assume that there are instances that the town of Holderness may be overwhelmed with emergencies but it does not provide adequate information on how the overwhelm, Minor emergencies can be solved. The plans should have included how interdepartmental, interstate, intergovernmental or interagency operations will be carried out, the standard operating procedures criteria for choosing assisting organizations or agencies. The plans should have included reporting structures on how to ask for assistance from other governments, non-governmental organizations and agencies if the town is overwhelmed by disasters. The federal assistance may take longer because there is a protocol to be followed before the federal assistance is delivered. The plans should, therefore, include intermediate plans that will be put in place before the federal assistance arrives.

How the Plan Could Be Improved

The plan can be improved. For example, the current plan has not taken the plight of disabled people into consideration. The disabled are the at-risk population who are likely to be hurt in the event of an emergency. The plans should include a plan to leave for the disabled people especially safety or emergency doors and ramps.

Conclusion

Even though the Emergency Operations Plan (2013) for Holderness, New Hampshire has all components of an emergency operations plan, it lacks in a few areas. The plans have clearly outlined how all activities will be coordinated in the event of an emergency including standard operating procedures, the staff or people assigned to each duty, the agencies that are involved and the responsibilities of each party. The plan can still be improved to make it more effective. The plans are a generic plan for all types of emergencies which mean that the Holderness board can develop specific emergency plans for each type of hazard.