Week 6: Comprehensive Notes on Natural and Manmade Disasters and Disaster Management

Overview of Disaster Management and the National Incident Management System

• Disasters significantly impact the health of a community, necessitating structured programs at the natural, state, and local levels to address these events.

• The National Incident Management System (NIMS) serves as a systematic framework that allows governmental and nongovernmental agencies to work together seamlessly. Its primary goals are to:

  • Prevent disasters.

  • Protect against the effects of disasters.

  • Respond effectively to disaster incidents.

  • Recover from the consequences of disasters.

Definitions and Classifications of Disaster Victims

• A disaster is defined as any event causing a level of destruction, death, or injury that overwhelms the community's ability to respond using only its available resources.

• Casualty classifications based on the number of individuals involved:

  • Mass casualty: Involves $100$ or more individuals.

  • Multiple casualty: Involves between $2$ and $99$ individuals.

• Types of victims and affected persons:

  • Direct victim: An individual who is immediately and personally affected by the disaster event.

  • Indirect victim: A person who may be a family member or friend of a direct victim, or a first responder assisting at the scene.

  • Displaced person: Individuals forced to evacuate their homes, schools, or businesses because of the disaster.

  • Refugee: A group of people who have fled their homes or their country due to famine, drought, natural disasters, war, or civil unrest.

Categories and Characteristics of Disasters

• Natural Disasters: Include weather-related events, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and diseases.

• Manmade Disasters: Include wars, structural collapses, accidents, riots, and pollution.

• Terrorism: May involve the deployment of weapons of mass destruction.

• NA-TECH (Natural/Technological) Disasters: A combination disaster where a natural event creates or results in a widespread technological problem.

• Key characteristics used to describe disasters:

  • Frequency: The regularity or rate at which a specific type of disaster occurs.

  • Predictability: The ability to determine if and when a disaster will take place.

  • Mitigation: Actions taken before a disaster happens to reduce the subsequent loss of life and property.

  • Imminence: The speed of the disaster's onset and its anticipated duration.

  • Scope: The range and geographical reach of the disaster's effects.

  • Number of casualties: The total count of individuals affected, injured, or killed.

  • Intensity: The overall level of destruction and devastation caused.

Disaster Prevention and Mapping

• Primary Prevention: Focuses on preventing the occurrence of a disaster or limiting its consequences before it happens.

• Secondary Prevention: Involves strategies implemented once the disaster has already occurred.

• Tertiary Prevention: Refers to the recovery phase following a disaster.

• Analytical Mapping Tools:

  • Risk Map: A geographic map used to analyze a specific area for potential disaster threats.

  • Resource Map: A geographic map outlining the specific resources available if a particular area is affected by a disaster.

Systems of Disaster Management and Agency Responsibilities

• Disaster management requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary team effort and a network of various agencies and individuals.

• Proper planning ensures resources are available and delineates roles and responsibilities for all personnel (official and unofficial), leading to a more efficient response.

• Local Government Responsibilities:

  • Operating the Office of Emergency Management.

  • Preparing citizens for all types of emergencies.

  • Conducting mock drills.

• State Government Responsibilities:

  • Assisting local officials with emergency planning.

  • Providing workshops and training courses.

  • Advising and supporting local government entities.

• Federal Government Responsibilities:

  • National Response Framework: The core operational plan for domestic incident management.

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Focuses on terrorism prevention and ensuring disaster resilience.

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Supports citizens and first responders to improve capacity for preparation, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. This agency was significantly strengthened following Hurricane Katrina in $2005$.

  • FEMA provides the guide "Are you ready?" which encourages citizens to prepare, practice, and maintain emergency plans.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Conducts surveillance to ensure essentials like clean drinking water, food, shelter, and medical care are available.

• Nongovernmental Agencies:

  • Public Health System: Includes all organizations contributing to the improvement of population health.

  • American Red Cross: A nongovernmental agency chartered by Congress to provide disaster relief, education, preparedness, and response to meet the needs of victims and support workers.

Stages of Disaster Management

• Prevention Stage:

  • Identify potential disaster risks and create risk maps.

  • Educate citizens at individual, family, and community levels regarding preparation actions.

  • Develop plans for specific disasters and create resource maps.

• Preparedness and Planning Stage:

  • Individual and family focus: Training in first aid, assembling emergency kits, and establishing meeting places away from home.

  • Creating family communication plans.

  • Establishing protocols for authority, communication, logistics, and evacuation/rescue.

• Response Stage:

  • Begins immediately after the incident occurs.

  • Activities include sheltering in place, evacuation, search and rescue, and establishing staging areas.

  • Disaster Triage: Focused on providing the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time.

• Recovery Stage:

  • Begins once the immediate danger has passed.

  • All local, state, and federal agencies remain present to help victims rebuild.

  • Focuses on restoring public services, damage cleanup, and repair.

  • Includes evaluation and revision of disaster plans and understanding the financial impact.

Disaster Triage and the START System

• Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) is used at the site of the disaster to categorize victims:

  • Green Tag: For the "walking wounded" or those with minor injuries like cuts and abrasions.

  • Yellow Tag: For those with systemic but not yet life-threatening complications who can wait $45$ to $60$ minutes (e.g., simple fractures).

  • Red Tag: High priority/immediate. For those with life-threatening conditions who can be stabilized and have a high probability of survival (e.g., amputations).

  • Black Tag: For the deceased or those with injuries so extensive that they cannot be saved.

• The START Assessment Process involves three steps:

  • 1. Respirations: If the rate is more than $30$ per minute, the person is tagged Red. If fewer than $30$, move to the perfusion check.

  • 2. Perfusion: Pinch the nailbed. If color does not return within $2$ seconds, the person is tagged Red. If it returns within $2$ seconds, move to the mental status check.

  • 3. Mental Status: If the person can answer a question, they are tagged Yellow. If they cannot answer a question, they are tagged Red.

• Recovery Stage:

  • Begins once the immediate danger has passed.

  • All local, state, and federal agencies remain present to help victims rebuild.

    • Focuses on restoring public services, damage cleanup, and repair.

    • Includes evaluation and revision of disaster plans and understanding the financial impact.

Community Responses to Disaster

• Disasters often trigger four psychological phases in a community:

  • 1. Heroic phase: Characterized by an intense urge to help others.

  • 2. Honeymoon phase: Victims relive the event, tell stories, and express gratitude for survival.

  • 3. Disillusionment phase: Feelings of despair and extreme exhaustion set in.

  • 4. Reconstruction phase: Focus shifts to rebuilding and returning to normalcy.

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychological reaction to disasters.

Essential Disaster Supplies Kit (FEMA Recommendations)

• Food and Water:

  • Three-day supply of nonperishable food.

  • Three-day supply of water, calculated at $1$ gallon of water per person per day.

• Tools and Equipment:

  • Portable battery-powered radio or TV with extra batteries.

  • Flashlight with extra batteries.

  • Matches in a waterproof container.

  • Whistle.

  • Kitchen accessories, cooking utensils, and a manual can opener.

• Safety and Hygiene:

  • First aid kit and manual.

  • Sanitation items like moist towelettes and toilet paper.

• Documents and Essentials:

  • Photocopies of identification and credit cards.

  • Cash and coins.

  • Special needs items: Prescriptions, medications, glasses, hearing aids, etc.

  • Infant supplies: Diapers, formula, bottles, and pacifiers.

• Clothing and Shelter:

  • Extra clothing.

  • For cold climates: Jacket or coat, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, hats, mittens, and a scarf.

  • One sleeping bag or warm blanket per person.