Running head: PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES 1

PLANNING FOR EMERGENCIES

STUDENT’S NAME

INSTITUTION
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Disaster preparedness pre-event plan

In order to mitigate the effects of disasters when they do happen, it is vital to have a pre-

event plan. The first response would be to safeguard personal safety as well as the safety of

others at the disaster site. The decision whether to evacuate or not is dependent on the nature of

the disaster. I would prepare emergency provisions including stockpiles of canned foodstuffs,

water, heavy clothing as well as sleeping bags for each individual, with special consideration for

the needs of children and pets in the household. Pets and objects of sentimental value are non

essential and may have to be left behind in some emergency scenarios. I would sensitize the

whole family on the disaster management plan, and create a rally point at the highest point in

town where family members can congregate in the event of a disaster as well as ensure that we

have a communication procedure in place in case of emergencies. (UN/ISDR & UN/OCHA,

2008).

Riverbend City: Vulnerable Populations Mission

The residents of the Riverbend city are at risk of fatal chemical contamination as a result

of a train derailment. In such a scenario, the evacuation procedure would involve evacuating

those closest to the site of derailment, as well as special needs groups who may not be able to

evacuate areas under risk. Given that the derailment happened near a school, the school children

are the first priority. The physically and mentally disabled, the hospitalized, the elderly and other

children in the general Riverbend area will also get top priority, especially in resource allocation

to ensure they survive the disaster. Able bodied individuals can be recruited as volunteers to help

in the evacuation process. Communication of the evacuation procedures will take place through

the various media outlets within the city, namely radio and television broadcasting. All city law
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enforcement and fire rescue personnel will be required to participate in the exercise. The football

stadium will be used as a staging area for the evacuated population. An emergency command

center will be set up in the mayor’s office to help coordinate the emergency evacuation. A team

of volunteers will be used to register the evacuated people in an effort to reconcile families and

ensure that everyone is accounted for. In case someone declines to evacuate, necessary steps

must be taken to ensure that they understand the severity of the situation. This may include

having an interpreter present to ensure effective communication. Anyone who adamantly refuses

to evacuate may have to be left to their choice, since use of force to evacuate individuals will be

a waste of resources. Disaster management is a vast undertaking since it will entail working

cooperation with multiple entities and individuals. The need for nurses to maintain high ethical

standards cannot be overstated. In order to ensure that these standards are met, the disaster

preparedness plan must provide ethical and legal guidelines for nurses involved. Ethical

standards not only ensure smooth coordination between entities but also protect the participants

from negative ramifications during and after the disaster management operation. (Altay & Green,

2006)

Community health assessment

There are multiple ways in which a community/public health nurse can assess the health

of a given community. Problem oriented assessment focuses on a specific set of health needs

within a society. It is useful when all the factors related to a health concern are known and easily

quantifiable. In the event that the health factors are general in scope or not clearly defined, this

assessment method is adequate. Single population assessment focuses on a specific target

population and their health needs. The needs of this population are given priority within the

assessment process. This works for a majority population, but fails in mixed population
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communities where there are diverse cultural and societal practices. Familiarization involves

collecting community data over a lengthy period of time. The assessor gradually builds up an

overall picture on the health requirements of the community. This method is effective in the long

run but is very time consuming. Compared to the windshield survey, familiarization may be the

best assessment strategy especially in a diversely populated community which may have multiple

health requirements. (Barnett, 2012).

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References

Altay, N & Green, W. (2006) OR/MS research in disaster operations management. European

Journal of Operational Research. 175. 475–493

Barnett, K (2012). Best practises for community health needs assessment and implementation

strategy development: A review of scientific methods, current practises and future

potential. Report on proceedings from a public forum and interview of experts. Atlanta,

Georgia. Public health institute.

UN/ISDR & UN/OCHA, (2008). Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response Guidance and

Indicator Package for Implementing Priority Five of the Hyogo Framework. Geneva,

Switzerland. United Nations secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster

Reduction (UN/ISDR) and the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian

Affairs (UN/OCHA).