Emergency Operation Planning Essay

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Responding to and managing either a terror attack or natural disaster will test the resolve and preparedness of the emergency management system that is in place. Large scale incidents, be it terror related or a natural disaster will require sustained resource allocation and logistic support to not only manage the terrorist or natural disaster as it unfolds, but to also support the post incident response as well. Planning is crucial so that first responders and local governments are not caught “flat footed” when a disaster strikes or a terrorist event occurs. Plans provide mechanisms and systems for setting priorities, interpenetrating multiple entities, and ensures communications and other systems are available to support the management of the incident (DHS, 2004). Planning also promotes an early understanding of risks and evaluations of potential hazards that a community might experience during a large-scale emergency event. This allows first responders to also identify potential threats and hazards they might face. To meet the operational demands that a natural disaster or terrorist event will create, local governments and first responder agencies must develop and institute a planning process to implement an emergency operation plan (EOP). To implement an EOP, a …show more content…

The planning team team’s core members should include personnel from emergency management, law enforcement, fire services, EMS, public health, and mass care (FEMA, 2010). While these core members will form the primary planning team, other resources such as the National Guard, utilities, and public works should also be involved in the planning process. Planners will need to clarify the the command structures of the agencies involved in the EOP and determine what roles they will

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