-name of agency responsible; -availability of the preplan; -appropriateness of preplan
-information available from the agency that helps families and people
prepare for disasters; -integration with other response agencies; -how do you feel after reviewing this information(more or less safe)?
Chicago’s Emergency Preparedness
Emergency preparedness is one issue
that has come into the consciousness of America as of late. The concept of
emergency connotes both man-made and natural disasters. Cities should be
especially vigilant because of the massive number of lives and infrastructure
that are at stake. Chicago is a metropolis that is considered the third biggest
in the United States. It has a population of over 2.7 million residents and
wide array of infrastructure that is vital to the economy of America. As such
it has an emergency preparedness system that is quite effective and accessible
to its residents and responders alike.
The agency responsible for the
emergency preparedness needs of Chicago is the Office of Emergency Management
and Communications (OEMC). As the name implies, this agency is responsible for
disseminating information and creating plans that people can use in case of
emergencies, natural or otherwise (City of Chicago, 2013). It is in charge of
coordinating the efforts of the police, fire, and emergency medical services.
It is responsible for risk assessment and mitigation; preparedness; response;
and recovery (City of Chicago, 2013).
The agency has a website called AlertChicago that has preparedness
plans and alerts that updated regularly for the residents of the city. The
agency identified three main aspects of preparedness in times of emergency.
These are readiness for an emergency; responding to an emergency; and
recovering from emergency. AlertChicago has a wide array of preparedness plans
available for download in PDF form (AlertChicago, 2013). They have cover topics
such as preparing for floods, fire, tornado, and winter among others.
These preparedness plans that were available were quite appropriate
for the topic. In fact, upon downloading and perusing the brochures, it was
found that they were quite simple and easy to understand. The brochures were
also available in different languages such as English, Polish, Russian,
Spanish, and Mandarin (AlertChicago, 2013). The plans were quite concise on
what to do and who to call in times of emergency. AlertChicago also has
information available that contains real time information pertaining to
information in and around Chicago such as traffic, street maintenance, safety,
and others. The website also has links to other emergency preparedness
agencies’ websites such as FEMA, Homeland Security, and IEMA.
The OEMC has made it possible for its services to be integrated with
the law enforcement agencies and emergency response teams as well as other
agencies such as human services, which are vital in responding to emergencies
of all kinds. This allows them exert a coordinated effort so it can address all
kinds of emergencies emanating from man made to natural disasters
(AlertChicago, 2013). It is a fact that when emergency strikes, the act of
responding to it requires a coordinated effort from different agencies. The
website also provides information about the latest threats that the city face
such as floods and thunderstorm and lighting (AlertChicago, 2013). This
pertains to the timeliness of the information and how the agency is in tune
with what is really happening in Chicago.
The information that was reviewed from the OEMC was quite
comprehensive and yet still maintains its goal of providing simple and yet
effective preparedness plans. If I were a resident of the Chicago and use the
information provided I would be assured of the readiness of the city to
prepare, respond, and recover from disaster. The use of a website for
disseminating information is an indication of the level of commitment that that
the city has in preparing for and responding to emergencies. It is also notable
that the focus of the most of the preparedness plans was on natural disasters
because they are what Chicago faces most of the time because of its location.
References
AlertChicago
(2013). At Home, At Work, On the Go – Are You Prepared? Alert
Chicago.
Retrieved from http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/ChicagoAlertWeb/
City of Chicago
(2013). Alert Chicago - Emergency Preparedness. City of
Chicago.
Retrieved from http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/oem/provdrs/alertchicago.html
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