Response to the below discussions with approximately 150 words or more each. Include a reference to each response. Be thoughtful and insightful and it must demonstrate critical thinking and analysis.
1.Hurricane Sandy was a devastating time in history. Many people lost their homes and nearly 8.5 million people had no power (Fugate, 2013). FEMA was the biggest contributor to the hurricane by working with local, tribal and state partners. FEMA started their preparations early and met with threatened communities to help them develop incident response plans, and preposition supplies to prepare them for the storm (Fugate, 2013). FEMA didn't stop there and continued to work with the long-term survivors, as well as state, tribal, local, public, disability community and private partners to come up with housing solutions (Fugate, 2013). After the storm FEMA understood that they needed to come up with a better way to coordinate with their federal partners which is why they introduced the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 that was soon passed by congress. FEMA spent a lot of time preparing for this disaster and got there before it hit. They first provided 892,000 liters of water, 561,000 meals, 11,900 blankets with cots, 183 generators, 30 infant kits, 2 durable medical equipment, and 2 consumable medical supplies (Fugate, 2013).
Hurricane Sandy occurred in October 2012 which was the 10th hurricane of the season. It was first categorized as a category 2 hurricane which soon slowed back down to a category 1 (Fugate, 2013). By that time the hurricane mixed with an arctic cold front which shifted the storm and gave it a broader wind field. Because of that Sandy was considered the second largest Atlantic storm on record (Fugate, 2013).
2. Superstorm Sandy was the second largest Atlantic storm to this day. It affected the entire eastern seaboard of the US while causing the most damage to coastal New Jersey and New York. A high-pressure pattern over northern New England coupled with a strong mid-level trough moving east from the Midwest were the two primary features that set Sandy's final landfall into southern New Jersey on the evening of October 29th. The storm produced tropical force winds, torrential rains, snow, and floods due to record storm surge. Coastal areas suffered the most due to the storm surge that led to infrastructure damage and casualties. These coastal areas were not developed to withstand the effects of the storm and were a primary factor for the severe damage to the infrastructure.
As with many natural disasters, we can find some success stories and areas that need improvement in the management of the event. A positive aspect of the emergency management was FEMA's ability to conduct large scale coordination in preparation for the imminent landfall in the northeastern US. FEMA mobilized a large number of organizations and volunteers ranging from local, state, and the federal government. Additional coordination with private, nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, communities, and individuals facilitated support of the affected communities. Resources and personnel were pre-positioned in areas expected to be hit the hardest and quickly provide relief to victims. During the recovery phase, FEMA organized these assets to provide essential assistance and to address power restoration, transportation, fuel distribution, and housing needs (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2013).
Despite the impressive efforts of FEMA and other emergency response groups, certain aspects of the relief operations have been identified as needing improvement. Coordinating efforts among federal relief departments, survivors, local and state officials to facilitate the timely issuance of orders and directives remains an area that can be enhanced. Ensuring continuity of operations, supporting the deployed relief workers and ensuring the disaster response personnel are well qualified to assist in emergency operations are other areas that can be improved upon. Lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy will help improve our national emergency response system to better deal with future events.
3. Numerous opportunities exist to obtain a degree in Emergency Management; a simple Internet search for Emergency Management degree programs reveals numerous institutions offering degree programs in addition to the FEMA training that is available. Like any other degree program, not all equal in quality and experience. Key items to investigate when choosing a program is the experience of the professors and how long the program has existed (Phillips, 2012). Programs that have longer history tend to have better resources and support from the institution offering the degree. Some colleges may offer a program without experienced staff whose specialty is Emergency Management simply to attract students and get a portion of market share. In these cases a minor in Emergency Management may be more appropriate. Whether the professors do research, publish, or actually perform Emergency Management work also are factors that may indicate a solid program. Examining the curriculum is important for any degree program including emergency management and should influence a decision to enroll.
Preparation for employment in Emergency Management should include consideration for the level at which the desired position lies: local, state, federal, or international and if a specialty is to be pursued such as flooding or earthquake disasters. It may be best to obtain degrees in the specialty discipline such as geology or engineering and minor in Emergency Management in these cases.
Job Postings:
Electric Emergency Management Specialist, Expert, PG&E, is a posting for my current employer. This position is focused on development and delivery of emergency plan training. In this case, I have 10 years training/teaching experience, a B.S. in Biology, and will have a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering Technology, and have worked in power generation for 10 years. All things being equal, I have or will have the minimum and most of the desired qualifications, and pursuing more emergency management training and experience would enhance my qualifications. (https://www.theladders.com/job/01-sid-JI37WO2WOL2KMVIJVOIAHFVFEE.
Emergency Management Coordinator, City of San Rafael, CA. This position essentially is a description akin to that given in the reading for this class. Education and experience listed as required is any combination that would provide required knowledge and abilities, so a little vague, but highly flexible and open to interpretation. Additional technical experience or participation in emergency planning and drills is listed as well, but aside from that, more training specifically in emergency management such as FEMA courses or certifications would be necessary to better qualify for the position. Based on much of the description, my background in Biology and the other sciences in which I took courses to obtain that degree, I have a reasonable general knowledge base from which to draw from in execution of the job duties. (https://www.careersingovernment.com/job/138966/emergency-management-coordinator/.
Both of these positions would require additional training and experience, but both the education and experience I have acquired to date, and will have attained upon completion of this course and the degree I am pursuing provide a reasonable base from which to begin.
4. If you are considering a job in emergency management you must be fully prepared and willing to take on the job. Being involved with emergency management isn't easy and only a select few have the mind set for it. So, when looking for a degree program it's important to know what to look for. You need to make sure the program is going to benefit your knowledge in the areas you want to live in. What I mean is go to school near or in a place that has similar disasters to the place where you want to potentially live. Get involved with an internship and put your whole heart and soul into the safety of people and places. Also, you want to make sure you're getting the right accreditations that you need to fulfill the job such as the FEMA certification.
Preparing for a job is never as easy as it sounds especially for emergency managers. But if you put all of your attention into the knowledge of the areas and studying the past, present and future that can benefit you from other candidates. If someone has a lot of knowledge on an area that has a lot of tornados and focuses on tornados that individual can bring a lot of benefits to that team. Every state has different requirements for certificates so getting the specific certificates for that state before applying can also put you ahead of candidates.
When looking for emergency management jobs, there is a wide variety The basis of the jobs consist of preparing, planning, maintaining, developing, problem solving, coordinates, and manages the people and places. The two jobs that I picked were an emergency management coordinator, and a senior emergency preparedness specialist. Both in different parts of the country. The senior specialist is required to have a bachelor's degree, certifications, and 5-year experience in operations. Its qualifications consist of position scope, position specific roles, radiological specialist, drills and exercise specialist, ERO training specialist, facilities and equitment specialist, and offsite coordination. The coordinator only requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited college, a valid driver's license and a Texas certification is preferred.