A 20 page paper discussing issues surrounding emergency response as it relates to disaster management. The paper discusses emergency response resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but it also discusses events such as Hurricane Fran in 1996, centering on the coast of North Carolina where the category 3 storm made landfall. The key to effective emergency response - excluding the training that can be seen as being a constant value – lies in the quality of communication between diverse teams and agencies responding to the event that has generated a crisis. The purpose here is to address two primary questions: “Are emergency responders equipped to communicate with others outside of their departments in time of crisis? [and] What are strategies to improve communications?” The paper concludes that emergency response in urban areas is highly effective, but that the same efforts in rural areas can be hindered by communication deficiencies. Bibliography lists 11 sources. A companion 16-slide Power Point presentation is available.

A 20 page paper discussing issues surrounding emergency response as it relates to disaster management. The paper discusses emergency response resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but it also discusses events such as Hurricane Fran in 1996, centering on the coast of North Carolina where the category 3 storm made landfall. The key to effective emergency response - excluding the training that can be seen as being a constant value – lies in the quality of communication between diverse teams and agencies responding to the event that has generated a crisis. The purpose here is to address two primary questions: “Are emergency responders equipped to communicate with others outside of their departments in time of crisis? [and] What are strategies to improve communications?” The paper concludes that emergency response in urban areas is highly effective, but that the same efforts in rural areas can be hindered by communication deficiencies. Bibliography lists 11 sources. A companion 16-slide Power Point presentation is available.

7 pages. Critical incident stress management is very important to have for debriefing or diffusing purposes as a resource for first line responders to any disaster. Those firefighters, police officers and other disaster relief workers undergo untold amounts of stress and while they might not at first think so, the early intervention of stress related health problems could be averted with critical incident stress management. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

7 pages. Critical incident stress management is very important to have for debriefing or diffusing purposes as a resource for first line responders to any disaster. Those firefighters, police officers and other disaster relief workers undergo untold amounts of stress and while they might not at first think so, the early intervention of stress related health problems could be averted with critical incident stress management. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 15-page paper outlines a review of literature in support of an approach for emergency preparedness of Puerto Rico when it comes to natural disasters. The paper also includes natural disaster that occur in Puerto Rico, as well as some recommendations to help spur an emergency management program. Bibliography lists 12 sources.