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Who’s responsible for what?

By admin | May 8, 2009

The questions that I posed at the conclusion of the last blog were about drawing the line between personal responsibility, and governmental responsibility as it pertains to disaster response.   In my mind, the distinction is pretty clear. 

During the initial response, during the event and the first 24 to 72 hours afterward, the local, county, and state agencies should be responsible for immediate life safety, rescue, fire suppression, civil control (basic law enforcement), and stabilization of the community infrastructure.  During this time individuals who are not experiencing life threatening situations should rely on their emergency kits to survive and wait for the initial response to be completed.  Just like triaging patients at a large car accident, the “walking wounded”  who needed care, but were stable and in no immediate danger, waited until the more severely injured had been stabilized and transported.  After a disaster there are people who need rescue, those who need help to survive the first 24 hours, and those who are uncomfortable, mildly injured, inconvenienced, and just waiting for life to return to normal.  These folks should have a well stocked disaster kit, and a plan of action to survive as comfortably as possible for the first 72 hours after a disaster. 

In the next 72 hours and beyond, once the rescues have been mostly completed and the significantly injured and displaced have been cared for, efforts should turn to restoring basic services like water distribution, electricity, communication services, availability of groceries and fuel, and getting banks, restaurants, schools  and medical clinics open again.   This is a great time for the federal government to step in and arrange for fuel deliveries, make-shift hospitals, information and emergency supply distribution points, etc.  Local agencies should be under a lesser burden by this point so that they can deal with the effect of the disaster on their own families and organizations.

In order for this system to function as planned, however, the vast majority of citizens in the community must be personally prepared to make it through those initial 72 hours without assistance.    

I’m working on an interview with a local economics professor to delve into “recovery related economics” associated with disaster, and the best way to provide local financial recovery for a community.  Don’t worry…we’ll make it more interesting than it sounds. 

Post or email your questions about the economics of recovery, and we’ll make it interactive!

Topics: Current events, Disaster Planning Tips | No Comments »

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