Disaster preparedness and response are the measures undertaken by various state institutions. The fire stations, emergency rooms, police stations and first responders are the institutions that have built the capacity to respond to immediate risks and catastrophes. Blizzards, fire, earthquakes, chemical spillage, draught and earthquakes are emergencies that need planning, preparedness, and response in Miami, Florida.
Severe weather is the most prevalent emergency in Florida. The Miami Fire-Rescue Department identified the Tornadoes in Southwest Florida as the largest threat to health and safety (Andrews, 2019). Wildfires, tropical storms, hurricanes, and COVID-19 are also some major disasters in Miami.
The person reporting the emergency should contact an emergency number such as 911. According to Peterson et al. (2021), stay-in-place, building, campus, and city evacuation are the three types of evacuations. The strategies involved in evacuations include simultaneous evacuation, vertical or horizontal phased, staff alarm, and defend-in-place evacuation. Safe evacuation procedures are critical in emergency response.
Emergency protocols layout procedures for effective responses to emergencies. The qualified staff and action plans are included in emergency protocols for different disasters (Raikes et al., 2019). The Florida Emergency Management prepares protocols to be used by the various departments to help prompt response and effective action.
Disaster or emergency planning is the recommended measure taken to minimize the impacts of an emergency incident or crisis. Emergency planning accounts for the immediate steps after a crisis is adopted to prevent disruptive aftermaths. The panic, confusion and fear associated with disasters affect the chain reaction process such as evacuation.
Emergency preparedness ensures the respective departments safely execute their job mandates. Preparedness features the availability of the appropriate equipment and the skills of the emergency staff (Peterson et al., 2021). Emergency Preparedness Testing evaluates the efficacy and credibility of the various emergency departments. Emergency response is the deployment of resources and plans during specific emergencies.
Blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence AI are the most used technologies in emergency planning, preparedness and response. Blockchain is used to highlight data that would result in hazards in large geographic areas. IoT’s major role in emergency management is connecting sensors to record behavior patterns and movements and track ongoing disasters. The government and emergency departments can use AI to generate useful information from complex data.
Emergency communication is a vital aspect of emergency response, including warnings, directives, and other protective actions. Communication enables individuals and groups of individuals to share emergency information either one way or two ways. The emergency communication plan provides guidelines on the connectivity strategy and applicable contact information.
Efficient response plans reduce fatalities, injuries and destruction. The speed, resource allocation, and the potential of emergency response influence significant differences in the overall impact of the disaster. Special procedures in emergency protocols are, therefore, crucial for specific disasters and emergencies.
Poorly planned emergency responses increase the impacts of injury, confusion, and property damage. For instance, inaccurate contact information calibrates the potential harm of an emergency. Using updated processes to limit the severity of losses inflicted by an emergency, pre-planning for emergencies is necessary.
References
Andrews, R. (2019). Location-Based Services for High-Rise Fire and Rescue Situations (Doctoral dissertation).
Peterson, L. J., Dobbs, D., June, J., Dosa, D. M., & Hyer, K. (2021). “You Just Forge Ahead”: The Continuing Challenges of Disaster Preparedness and Response in Long-Term Care. Innovation in aging, 5(4), igab038.
Raikes, J., Smith, T. F., Jacobson, C., & Baldwin, C. (2019). Pre-disaster planning and preparedness for floods and droughts: A systematic review. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 38, 101207.