Disasters can occur anywhere in the world regardless of geography, social climate, or weather patterns. The type of disaster and the extent of its impact will be unique to the area effected. Research has identified several characteristics that communities can use to design and maintain resilience in the face of disaster. The first step in community resilience is defining the term in a way that can be applied specifically to a population, and that can prompt action to build-upon and take stock of the concept. This is accomplished by first, altering the definition of disaster from the generic physical impacts that disrupt a system to an inclusive definition that ties together the society, potentially damaging event, and items like economy which
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This can be done through training community partners, businesses, and other lead agencies’ in preparedness and in the best ways to communicate with community members and creating stronger socials infrastructure for resilience (Chandra, 2011). Developing strong communication networks allow for cohesive and integrated communication throughout a population, especially when dealing with at-risk or populations that need to receive emergency alerts and information through alternative means (Chandra, 2011). In both a public health and disaster response paradigm, it has been identified that population health literacy is an important component of community resilience. It consists of three components according to Building Community Resilience to Disasters:
1. Basic knowledge needed to understand health issues
2. The skills necessary to make decisions that benefit the community
3. The skills and resources needed to address health concerns through civic organizations (Chandra, …show more content…
Resilience is critical at all three levels. As a building block of individual and household preparedness being able to withstand the impacts of adverse events both mentally and physically as an individual makes you more valuable to the response and recovery operations of the event. This in turn allows you, as an individual, to better serve your family, neighborhood and community. Communities may be defined not only based on geographic location, but also by how individuals self-organize and identify themselves with organizations such as churches, civic groups, neighborhood associations, parent-teacher associations among others. Within a specific community, resilient individuals have a larger impact on others. That impact has a greater probability of cascading and will continue to benefit a disaster-stricken area. This concept is also important at all government levels, to ensure that command structures are used effectively and that each person and position has clearly defined roles and expectations in all disaster phases. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports resilience through code development. FEMA’s Strategic Goal is to support disaster resilience and the ability of local communities to withstand and recover rapidly from disastrous events (Ingargiola, 2017). They do this through working
This can be done through training community partners, businesses, and other lead agencies’ in preparedness and in the best ways to communicate with community members and creating stronger socials infrastructure for resilience (Chandra, 2011). Developing strong communication networks allow for cohesive and integrated communication throughout a population, especially when dealing with at-risk or populations that need to receive emergency alerts and information through alternative means (Chandra, 2011). In both a public health and disaster response paradigm, it has been identified that population health literacy is an important component of community resilience. It consists of three components according to Building Community Resilience to Disasters:
1. Basic knowledge needed to understand health issues
2. The skills necessary to make decisions that benefit the community
3. The skills and resources needed to address health concerns through civic organizations (Chandra, …show more content…
Resilience is critical at all three levels. As a building block of individual and household preparedness being able to withstand the impacts of adverse events both mentally and physically as an individual makes you more valuable to the response and recovery operations of the event. This in turn allows you, as an individual, to better serve your family, neighborhood and community. Communities may be defined not only based on geographic location, but also by how individuals self-organize and identify themselves with organizations such as churches, civic groups, neighborhood associations, parent-teacher associations among others. Within a specific community, resilient individuals have a larger impact on others. That impact has a greater probability of cascading and will continue to benefit a disaster-stricken area. This concept is also important at all government levels, to ensure that command structures are used effectively and that each person and position has clearly defined roles and expectations in all disaster phases. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports resilience through code development. FEMA’s Strategic Goal is to support disaster resilience and the ability of local communities to withstand and recover rapidly from disastrous events (Ingargiola, 2017). They do this through working