Emergency management – often referred to as disaster management – is the framework for which companies, communities, and organizations respond to natural and manmade disasters and acts of terrorism. Emergency management is focused on mitigating the risks, preparing for possible catastrophes and disasters, responding to threats or actual disasters, and recovering from disaster .
There are four phases of emergency management
Mitigation
Preparedness
Response
Recovery
The roles of emergency management in homeland security are
The roles are Emergency Services professionals work hard every day to save lives, homes, businesses and neighborhoods. Fires, earthquakes, floods, …show more content…
9/11 was really the wake up call for so many in the US healthcare system that their overall emergency planning efforts weren’t what they should be. Also the office of homeland security office came into existence after 9/11. After the World Trade center attack in 1993, we have become more cognizant of the potential for terrorist activities on US interests. Then, April 1995 saw the horrific Oklahoma City bombing. More worldwide attacks occurred, 2001 saw the attacks on 9-11 at the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon and the crash in Pennsylvania. Emergency management has come to the front of awareness again. We are on the forefront of planning and coordination. We have been involved in ALL RISK, ALL Hazard Planning for decades. Since 9-11, we have been called upon to help our organization prepare for response to terrorist activities. The threat of Biological, Nuclear, Incendiary, Chemical and Explosive scenarios have been considered in the risk management programs in earnest these last 7 years. The events of 9-11 have reinforced our efforts in these areas. Operational Security issues have become more important to various officials since those events. We have been given new focus based on real events. No longer are we planning for the if, but WHEN. Over the years, Emergency management has been generally a quiet role, often relegated to agency officials that were appointed to the position as a collateral duty. States have been involved in training and support to local emergency management. These roles have increased at both the state and local levels for the last several years. Many communities were involved in threat assessment and state planning for the next wave of events, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)