Discuss the importance of disaster management and the responsibilities placed on those persons charged with managing the operation of the disaster response.

PROJECT SUMMARY: The Session Long Project for this course will involve developing an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) for a specific community which is subjected to at least three major emergencies or disasters each year. The plan is not required to be detailed but should focus on the operational requirements for managing these disasters or emergencies. The ERP will include a hazard analysis, and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery plans. However, the focus of the plan will be on the planning and mitigation portion of the plan.

The outcome for the SLP will be a completed ERP and a PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) that you would use to present the ERP to City Council and others during public hearings on implementation of the ERP.

SLP Expectations

Selection of a community and critical assessment of three types of potential disasters faced by this community are to be provided. References, including peer-reviewed articles when practical, should be cited.

Required Readings

Douglas Paton, David Johnston, Bruce F. Houghton. (1998) Organisational response to a volcanic eruption. Disaster Prevention and Management, 7 (1), 5. Retrieved on August 28, 2007 from Proquest.

Eshghi K, Larson RC. Disaster Prevention and Management. (2008), 17(1), 62. Retreived from Proquest on February 25, 2009.

Required Websites

Department of Homeland Security. National Response Framework (NRF). Retrieved April 17,

2010 from http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/

Identify the health and economic impact of disasters.
Discuss the importance of disaster management and the responsibilities placed on those persons charged with managing the operation of the disaster response.
Recognize the importance making timely decisions and implementing the various disaster response plans during a disaster.