Before a Crisis
The American Red Cross, along with the Salvation Army and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are the first national-level responders to many disasters in the United States and, depending on the scope of the disaster, sometimes abroad. Many professional associations coordinate with the American Red Cross, including the American Counseling Association, the National Board of Certified Counselors, and other national, state, and regional professional associations. Additionally, local first responders, fire fighters, police officers, and medics contribute to response efforts. Planning for crisis events is the first step in any response to a crisis. Thinking through a future crisis before it occurs facilitates communication and cooperation among agencies, which provides a strong foundation for a successful crisis response.
To prepare for this Discussion:
- Review Chapter 17 in your course text, Crisis Intervention Strategies, paying particular attention to local and national agencies involved in disaster response.
- Review the article, “Five Years after Katrina: Progress Report on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal,” to identify state and local Mississippi agencies that responded to Hurricane Katrina. Consider the importance of knowing what agencies are available for your use prior to a crisis/disaster. Then consider how similar agencies in your area might respond.
- Review the article, “The Proof of the Planning is in the Platting: An Evaluation of Florida’s Hurricane Exposure Mitigation Planning Mandate,” and think about the various planning issues these authors studied. Then consider how you would use the information offered if you were planning for a crisis or disaster.
- Review the article, “Disaster Planning and Preparedness: A Human Story,” and pay particular attention to the importance of planning and inter-organizational cooperation.
- Select three crisis-response organizations that operate within your state and analyze the roles of each and the relationships among the three.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a brief description of the three crisis-response organizations you selected. Then describe the roles of each organization as well as the relationships between and among them. Be specific and provide examples.