Decision Making 1

Decision Making in Emergency Management

Anthony Joseph Hernandez

Grand Canyon University: EEM-305 Operations and Techniques

September 30, 2012

Decision Making

Introduction

Decision making is one of the many important skills that emergency managers need to

continue to develop due to changing policies, new regulations, implementing National Incident

Management System (NIMS), current and new technologies. I will focus on the decision steps in

preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in relationship to emergency management.

Decision Steps

Preparedness

Even before the Hurricane Ike arrived on the Texas coast, the countdown began at 120

hours, where emergency managers had confirmed that Ike had reach category 1 off the coastline.

Preparedness starts by meeting resources activated for standby. At 72 hours out, the State of

Texas is mobilized to be in place for response to assist the public, volunteer evacuation and

rescue. At 48 hours, the winds that have approached the coast have reached 40 mph, shelter in

place is mandated. First responders will evacuate their personnel and equipment away from

possible flood areas.

Response

Once the hurricane reaches land and winds have calm down, personnel that have prepared

to respond in providing rescue operations, transportation, sheltering and medical services are

mobilized to respond. Personnel from the local state agencies and volunteers will begin

communication set ups, rescue operations, sheltering and transportation efforts away from the

disaster sites. Organizations like the American Red Cross will provide sheltering and food. The

response cycle step can run for days and even months and can over lap into the recovery phase.

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Decision Making

Recovery

Recovery is a process of clearing roads, restoring electrical power, communications,

water and other vital services. Restoration of vital services will help bring the economy back on

line where people can return home and back to their job sites. The rebuilding of infrastructures

such as roads, schools, businesses and homes is the key to bring the community to pre disaster

conditions. The recovery phase can take decades to restore the community back to pre disaster

event. Restoration may never reach 100 percent to the way the community looked before.

Mitigation

Mitigation step is the prevention or reduction of future damage in the disaster area. For

example, there are mitigation techniques in building construction to raise utilities in homes to

prevent or reduce damage, such as raising breaker boxes, water heater and air conditioning units

from water flooding. The bracing brackets to reduce the wind damage from hurricane winds.

Mitigation efforts may take years, such as the rebuilding of the levees of New Orleans.

Business Decision Example

An important business decision was made by the President Bush, Congress and the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers in 2005 to rebuild New Orleans. The Port of New Orleans is the

largest port in the United States and fourth largest in the world. Sixty two percent of consumer

spending flows through the Port of New Orleans. In the Louisiana wetlands there are 10,000

miles of navigation canals that has oil and gas exploration (Levees.org).

Conclusion

No matter what phase, cycle or step in emergency management is performed, emergency

managers must make an accurate and informed decision to get the job completed.

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Decision Making

References

Levees.org on Face book (2005).Why Rebuild and Protect the City of New Orleans? New

Orleans, Louisiana.

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