...Running Head: Emergency Preparedness and Response Emergency Preparedness and Response Michelle Gage NURS408 Epidemiology: Global and Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Emergency preparedness is a key factor in helping with disasters and emergent issues that happen around the world. Emergency preparedness requires attention not just to specific types of hazards but also to steps that increase preparedness for any type of hazard (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). It is important that all the population be aware of what to do in an event or who to contact if they notice a particular event about to happen or happening. In the pre-event preparation stage, much training, information, and safety are critical to minimizing deaths and injuries that occur from emergencies. One type of situation that could occur and cause chaos is a neighborhood forest fire. Numerous people could respond to this event to aid in the public’s needs and to help prevent further complications or exacerbations of medical problems. In the Neighborhood News it was a focus on the forest fire that was still occurring near this town. Kate, RN was discussing how she is overwhelmed with the amount of admissions that they have on the medical unit. This was caused from the exacerbation of emphysema and asthma because of the neighborhood forest fires. The entire unit of staff were feeling tired and morale was decreased lately. Pat, nurse manager for the medical...
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...Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Paper In this paper the subjects to discuss are newspaper articles and scenarios given in season two, episode five of Pearson Health Science Neighborhood in the course materials section of University of Phoenix student Website. A fire began in the Neighborhood community and the residents developed respiratory problems related to the smoke. The fire is not contained even after five days (Pearson health science, 2011). The community needs an emergency preparedness and response plan. Local, state, and national public health agencies such as the Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local and state EMS should have participated in this emergency situation. Summary of event Neighborhood is a community located near a forest and along the bank of the river with a population of 64, 200 residents. A forest fire has been raging for five days and is nearing the town of Neighborhood, destroying numerous acres of land. Firefighters are battling to obtain control of the forest fire, whereas the health care workers are battling to keep the patients breathing. The seniors are coming to the senior center clinic with breathing problems, and the hospital is overcrowded with patients with breathing issues. The hospital has shortage of staffs and the quality of care is law. The city officials are urging the citizens to stay indoors and not to go out unless it is necessary because winds are blowing the smoke toward the town...
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...Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Paper NUR/408 April 2, 2012 University of Phoenix Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Paper Firefighters cannot contain a forest fire that has been blazing for five days. The risk of the fire is not life-threaten but citizens are encouraged to remain indoors unless necessary to leave home because of the smoky winds. The smoke from the fire is affecting many of the residents in the community, especially those with preexisting lung diseases. The local hospital is full and the emergency room is over crowed. Patients are in need of beds in the hospital. The entire staff is stressed and pressed to discharge patients quickly to make room for patients holding in the emergency room. In addition nursing staff is required to work overtime to meet the needs of the community. Next, the Neighborhood Senior Nursing Clinic has seen more seniors than usual this week because of the smoky winds. Many of the seniors have needed to use their oxygen more often than usual this week. The seniors have been advised by the nurse Karen at the Neighborhood Senior Nursing Clinic to stay indoors to avoid respiratory irritants. Unfortunately, there had been an increase in seniors coming to the clinic in the past couple of years related to lack of extracurricular activities available to seniors in the community. After that a second grade student at the neighborhood school was sent to the school nurse because of difficulty breathing. She was noted...
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...Community Emergency Preparedness and Response In addition to a population of approximately 64, 200 residents, the Neighborhood Community is situated near a forest and along the river bank. This community is currently experiencing a forest fire that has lasted for the past five days while destroying huge acres of land and is nearing its town. The efforts to fight the fire are characterized by the battles of firefighters to control the forest fire, health care workers trying to keep patients breathing, and city officials asking citizens to stay indoors. The forest fire in Neighborhood Community is an example of the need for a community to effectively to prepare and respond to emergencies. Summary of the Events As a community located near a forest and along the river bank, Neighborhood community is hugely affected by the dangerous forest fire destroying several acres of land. The smoky condition of the air from the forest fire is affecting residents with pre-existing lung problems suffering the most. As health care professionals are doing all they can to help keep patients breathing, the firefighters are fighting to gain control of the forest fire. The residents are urged to stay indoors by the city officials unless it is associated with the winds blowing the smoke toward the town. Moreover, these officials have also notified the residents that they will inform them of a new plan if the fire advances toward the town. Some of the major areas that are affected by this...
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...During this assignment I will discuss the roles and responsibilities of Public Services attending an incident, including non-statutory, statutory and voluntary agencies and how they work together during these times. When attending an incident scene although the first thought in your mind is to help any visual casualties it is extremely important for the first service at the scene to evaluate the dangers and try to preserve any form of evidence as best as possible. This method is used to, 1. Avoid anymore casualties and 2. Help the teams working on the case and the aftermath. It’s hard to tell who will be first at the scene as it all goes down to location but majority of the time the police are called out to deal with the public. Accidents on the motorway or in highly populated parts of the town like city centres require some form of authority to avoid any members of the public getting involved. Car crashes are a perfect example for why we need the police at the scene. The ambulance crew and fire fighters will be working hard to save lives and rescue those involved, but busy commuters want to get to work, without the road being cordoned off or visible amounts of police or signs telling them to wait a lot of people will try and argue their way through. Too most commuters they might think its unessacary closing the incident/road off if theres visible ways to drive past but this is done to preserve the scene. There will be a lot of evidence in the area which is vital for the...
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...As a pharmacy assistant you must be well versed with the basic medical responses in case of emergency. Learning basic responses to emergencies can help you cope with an emergency. You may be able to keep a person breathing, reduce their pain or minimise the consequences of injury or sudden illness until an ambulance arrives. This could mean the difference between life and death for them. Basic life support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for victims of life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care at a hospital. First aid is as easy as ABC – airway, breathing and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). In any situation, apply the DRSABCD Action Plan. DRSABCD stands for: • Danger: Always check the...
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...Perception of Using a Personal Emergency Response System among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With advancements in technology, assistive devices have facilitated older people to be independent for a longer period of time. The Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) is one example of a device that has aided older adults living with chronic illness and disability (Mann, Ottenbacber, Fraas, Tomita & Granger, 1999). In addition, the trend of living alone amongst older people has increased dramatically from 1935 to 2011 (US Census Bureau, 2010). One-third of the adult population who are over the age of 65 fall each year and the risk of falling increases with the advancement of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Falls, therefore, have become one of the major health challenges in the health care system if there is a delayed or absence of medical attention. Prevention or early detection of such incidences could minimize the severity of falls related injuries (Gurley, Lum, Sande, Lo & Katz, 1996). Some of the devices that keep older adult secure during emergencies, based on Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS), have reduced mortality rates significantly (Berstein, 2000). Concept and importance of a PERS The history of a PERS started from 1972...
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...Emergency preparedness is the ability of individuals, organizations, and communities to respond to public health emergencies, such as natural disasters, bad weather, bioterrorism, outbreak of diseases, accidents casualties, and chemical or radiation emergencies. The most indigenous role of the federal, state or local government is to protect and prevent citizens from injury or potential harm, which involves helping people to prepare and respond to emergency situation, including people with disabilities. To plan and respond to community emergency require involvement of everybody in the community, including people with disabilities in identifying needs in evaluating operational management. The issues identified with people of disabilities include notification, evacuation, transportation, sheltering, access to information, medication, refrigeration, backup power, and to mobility devices or service animals en route to shelter. Emergency preparedness is pertinent for every community because it could be a life-threatening situation. Summary of the event that took place at the Neighborhood community as read under the course materials section in the newspaper articles and scenarios in the Pearson Health Science Neighborhood in season two, episode five from University of Phoenix student website. The Neighborhood has a population of 64,200, localized close to a forest and beside the bank of a river. The community has been experiencing fire out-break for five days and had caused irreversible...
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...Assessment task 1: Written Assessment Anaphylaxis is a respiratory disease that can be both acute and severe. It has a 3% mortality rate within Australia caused from a range of triggers that may or may not be known to the victim. Although anaphylaxis prevalence has increased, death rates have decreased due to understanding of the disease pathophysiology alongside better and faster management of life threatening symptoms (Liew, Williamson & Tang, 2009). This essay will discuss these points in detail as well as the pharmacological actions of adrenaline, the drug used to fight anaphylaxis in a pre-hospital setting. Anaphylaxis is Type 1 hypersensitivity response as it is ‘IgE mediated’. This involves an antigen/antibody response. To develop hypersensitivity a person must first be exposed to the antigen. On the initial exposure, the antigen activates the immune system and a hyper-production of IgE (immunoglobin) antibodies, which are produced by plasma B cells. The IgE antibody is specific to only that antigen and will bind to basophils and mast cells in the blood and blood vessel tissues, remaining inactive until that same antigen is introduced to the body again. Upon secondary exposure to the antigen, many chemical reactions are undertaken at a rapid rate. The antigen binds to IgE resulting in degranulation of basophil and mast cells and release of chemical mediators such as histamine and leukotriene’s (Arnold & Williams, 2011). Histamine especially have a fast acting...
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...HAT 1 March 4, 2014 A disaster of any time cause chaos among those affected and loss of valuable time trying to coordinate efforts. In 1968 at a fire chief meeting in Phoenix Arizona and incident command system was established to organize our responses to a disaster large, small, natural or man-made ("Incident command system," ). This system was designed to help lessen the communication errors by establishing common terminology which identifies...who's in charge, what is needed and who is expected to follow up. Along with establishing a common terminology the ICS has established a common hierarchy, which will decrease management deficiencies because the composition of this team is usually diverse and covers many organizations. These members are usually volunteers and come in a number of field expertise. The roles in ICS usually include a single incident commander who commands the response effort and is the final decision-making. The command staff which reports to the incident commander includes a Safety officer - monitors safety conditions and develop measures for assuring the safety of all personnel and persons affected. Public information officer is the information source for all involved. This officer also serves as a liaison to the media. Answering questions, addressing rumors helping to keep the public aware of what is being done. Liaison officer is the contact person for all supporting agencies assisting in the incident. Operations chief directs all actions to meet...
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...In the state of Phoenix Arizona, in the late 60’s within a fire chief’s meeting, they formed an incident command system. That helps govern their response to any disaster, which could be natural or manmade. The incident command system created to aid in reducing the communication dilemmas with establishing terminology. To assist in creating a hierarchy structure to recognize the person in power, what is required, as well as the individuals anticipated to keep updating society of the crisis. They found helpful with reducing panic, to keep control within the incident. In this paper, it will discuss the response command configuration, appropriate staff or locations, Information staff, Scenario-base instruction, and conclusion. Response framework can help critical situations, like disasters. Command response configuration The portrayal within the incident command system normally has a single incident commander, which they control the plan of action also the ultimate decision-making abilities. The management personnel whom they report to the incident command comprise of a safety officer, which they observe safety situations, creates strategies for assuring the safety every staff member also the public. An officer of public information, they are the source information for everybody that is a crisis victim. The public information officer also serves as a liaison to the media, by them answering on inquiries, addressing rumors aiding, to keep the public alert of...
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...Identification of Community Originally called the Tri-City, Westminster is in Orange County, California. “Westminster is landlocked and bordered by Seal Beach on the west, by Garden Grove on the north and east, and by Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley on the south”, (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). Westminster is also called Little Saigon. “The 2010 United States Census reported that Westminster had a population of 89,701 with a population density was 8,926.5 people per square mile”, (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). 29.6% of the population is between the ages of 35-54. "Most people were hospitalized due to diseases and disorders of the circulatory system", (OC Health Info, 2011). Industry overview of Westminster is comprised of small businesses and services. Majority of adult population reported that their health was good, very good, or excellent. Summary of Assessment Population Economic Status Assessment The total population of Westminster in 2010 was 89,701 people. “The 2010 census shows racial makeup of Westminster was 32,037 White, 849 African American, 397 Native American, 42,597 Asian, 361 Pacific Islander, 10,229 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,176 persons, and 3,231 from two or more races”, (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). “40.2% of the population is comprised if Vietnamese Americans making Westminster the highest concentration of Vietnamese Americans in the country” (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). Westminster’s...
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...HAT 1 Task 4 Disaster in Franklin Country Community Health Practice Western Governors University Role of Major Public Health Personnel The County Public Health Director would most likely be asked give the media information during a disaster. It is important that the County Public Health Director calms the public and only says things that are true and confirmed. The County Public Health Director attends incident command briefings. There, he or she will discuss questions and important matters related to the disaster with the rest of the team. The County Public Health Director will lead the public health department in identifying the needs of the public, and determine if there are any other concerns like food and water safety and sanitation. He or she will also form a public health incident command system, and will designate different officers based on the skills and experience of the people available. The Public Information Officer collaborates with other team member to assure that proper information is being distributed to the public. The Finance Chief is responsible for making sure the right financial contracts are in place and organized pertaining to the disaster. The Logistics Chief is responsible for making sure different supplies and equipment are acquired to get various jobs done. The Operations Chief organizes and assigns tactical filed resources. The Planning Chief is...
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...Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Paper Kelly M. White NUR/408 August 10, 2015 Amy Reagan Community Emergency Preparedness and Response The terms “preparedness” and“readiness” can be used interchangeably. Preparedness is defined as the existence of plans, procedures, policies, training, and equipment necessary at the Local, State, and Federal level to maximize the ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from major events (Katz, 2013). Emergency preparedness is essential in assisting with disasters and emergent issues that happen around the world. Media coverage of disasters across the globe occur in real time with an intensity level that makes one believe that natural or manmade disasters happen more frequently. Disasters, in all forms, is a part of life and how we deal with these events depends on how well we are prepared. It is of the utmost importance that all of the population be aware of what to do and who to contact when an event is about to happen or while it is unfolding. A community’s ability to recover and be self-reliant after a disaster also depends on how well the community prepares for and responds to these emergencies. This paper will discuss and examine how the resources and people of the chosen neighborhood responded to the emergency at hand, a forest fire ravaging for more than 5 days (Neighborhood 2.0-News). The Neighborhood There is an uncontained forest fire that has been burning for more than 5 days in a forest west of the Neighborhood...
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...Fundamentals of Emergency Management Independent Study 230.a January 14, 2010 FEMA COURSE OVERVIEW Unit 1: Course Introduction Introduction How to Complete This Course Unit 1 Objectives Course Objectives Case Study: Tornado in Barneveld, Wisconsin Your Place in the Emergency Management System Case Study: Hazardous Chemical Release Activity: Where Do I Fit? Unit 2: Overview of the Principles of Emergency Management and the Integrated Emergency Management System Introduction and Unit Overview FEMA Mission and Purpose Response Authorities History Principles of Emergency Management Recent Changes to Emergency Planning Requirements Why an Integrated Emergency Management System? Emergency Management Concepts and Terms Partners in the Coordination Network Activity: Partners in the Coordination Network Emergency Management in Local Government Activity: Where Is Emergency Management in My Community? Unit 3: Incident Management Actions Introduction and Unit Overview Introduction to the Spectrum of Incident Management Actions Prevention Preparedness Response Activity: Response Operations Recovery Mitigation Unit 4: Roles of Key Participants Introduction and Unit Overview The Role of the Local Emergency Program Manager State Emergency Management Role How the Private Sector and Voluntary Organizations Assist Emergency Managers Federal Emergency Management Role The National Response Framework Activity: Emergency Management...
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