Disaster response and emergency preparedness entail a coordinated process of preparing to meet needs using the resources at hand. An emergency plan that is documented in changing circumstances and provides processes and divisions of responsibilities in emergency response is required.
Areas struck with calamities are at greater risk of damaging public health. As a result, nurses play an important role in all phases of disaster management, including planning, readiness, response, and recovery. A disaster plan should be in place in every professional organization. A catastrophe plan is necessary since calamities occur suddenly. A disaster plan contains preventive measurements like a well maintained and safe building, fire alarms, extinguishers; training of staff to handle this emergency exists. Therefore, planning for disaster should be done step by step using common sense, responsibility, the ear of the management and time.
Preparedness phase refers to the structure of planning for responding to the disaster and other emergency events to enhance public awareness (Kep, Petpichetchian, & Maneewat, 2011). The roles in the preparation phase help in determining the successfulness in disaster response and recovery phase. Therefore, qualified nurses are required to provide care and work in disaster management activities. In response phase, an action is needed. Afterwards; nurses help the victims in an emergency that might arise. After the disaster, the nurses' focus is to provide life-saving and allocate adequate treatments. The recovery phase returns the condition of health to life. The nurses offer care and help for the victims.
Miami’s Plan for Preparedness and Disaster Management
In Miami, Florida, departments remain vigilant to crises within their roles. The departments prepare for emergencies by maintaining or developing emergency plans. These emergency units also ensure that their employees are trained and have the skills to implement disaster procedures. Emergency and disaster help to minimize suffering, loss of life and property damage and also restore the community to normal. The plan is beyond the written report since the objectives are clear, i.e., saving lives, protecting peoples' properties and restoring the community to normal. In chapter 119, Florida Statutes requires records custodians to allow inspection and copying of public records (The City of Miami Office of Emergency Management, 2013). The disaster back -up tapes are always kept as the security precaution. The file should be restored to an accessible storage device to ensure that the back –up which cannot be used as a records retention tool.
Analysis
The emergency plan for mass casualty incidents consists of procedures and guidelines. These processes include obtaining and relaying information. The two distinct phases should also be included. Step 1 helps in alert of a possible disaster while stage 2 is responsible for the actual failure when all the portions of the plan are put into effect. In Emergency Department Disaster Cabinet and MCI packets plan, the MCI packets are supposed to be opened then given to the personnel assigned. The most appropriate personnel protective Equipment is utilized based on the required decontamination. While securing all entrances, visitors are not allowed to the main hospital.
References
Kep, A. P., Petpichetchian, & Maneewat, K. (2011). Review: Public Health Nurses' Roles and Competencies In Disaster Management. Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, 1 (1), 1-14.
The City of Miami Office of Emergency Management. (2013). Florida: City of Miami.
