Essay on Emergency Operation Plan in Charles County Maryland

The state can successfully coordinate emergency operations thanks to emergency planning. As part of the strategy, the plan calls for getting ready to respond to a wide range of incidents, ranging from small local incidents to large national disasters. According to Maryland’s state operation plan (SROP), different units within the state have duties and responsibilities during emergency response processes. Reaction procedures help make sure that the state can deal with threats in a way that saves lives, protects the environment, and stabilizes the situation while also restoring community services and functionality (Schwartz, 2020). Natural disasters like floods and winter storms, pipeline breaks, hurricanes, and technological dangers like radiation contamination all pose risks. A basic plan, recovery annex, response annex, and appendices comprise the organization. County Mary land has an Emergency Operation Plan in place to help determine the best course of action in the event of a natural or technological disaster. Local, state, and county governments are all included in the plan, as well as tribal governments. In the event of a disaster, the emergency operation plans outlines how the various agencies involved will provide emergency services. In this paper I will examine the emergency operation plan for Charles County Maryland.

Business plan

The primary plan for Charles County, Maryland, includes an explanation of the driving force behind the state’s emergency operation plan, assumptions, expected situations, and how state officials will view operations. In the event of a major disaster or emergency as specified in the emergency operation plan, disaster management assembly actions include providing support, public information, and resources, as well as coordinating with national and state agencies and non-governmental organizations. One way to make sure that your organization is prepared for an emergency is to have an emergency operation plan in place (Zou, 2020). The county can also manage and direct emergency operations, as well as supplement specific policies and procedures, and provide a clear description of the geographical, demographics and infrastructure of the county.

Emergency Support Functions

Several agencies and departments in Charles County, Maryland, work together in advance of a threat to facilitate planning and management for effective emergency recovery and response. There are many divisions within the organization, including: transportation, communication, firefighting, information management support, health and medical services, food, utilities and energy. In an emergency, every department has a critical role to play. The transmission of information about a recent incident necessitates communication in order to get a response. Public health care and information dissemination are critical in crisis response, and transportation is necessary to move people and resources needed to control an incident (Zou, 2020). In addition, the fire department is in charge of primary duties like rescue and search, which are backed up by police and sheriffs. Resources are primarily directed to high-risk areas such as the disabled, the elderly, and children who may be harmed by floodwaters, according to the incident commander of resources. Police officers and sheriffs, among others, help evacuate those who are able to do so on their own when directed. The fire department has redirected lake patrol resources to the flood zone. Damage to critical infrastructure, such as bridges and roads, can be assessed by county engineers working with the primary response department to help with the recovery. Determine reentry and evacuation routes for victims after all assessments are complete with the help of the Charles county Maryland Street Department.

Support Annexes

In order to provide a coordinated response, the crisis management center works with other organizations and volunteers, such as firefighters, medical facilities, and donation centers. Several volunteer organizations aid disaster victims by donating and distributing goods and resources. There are many volunteer activities that help disaster victims, such as guiding them, building collection centers, and setting up a system for collecting donated resources, sorting them, storing them, and allocating them. Additionally, the Emergency Operations Plan for Charles County, Maryland, outlines response capabilities such as flood victim medical care, evacuation, and rescue assistance (Kapucu, Augustin & Garayev, 2019). It is up to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to keep an eye on the evacuation process, which is a critical first step in the event of a flood disaster. Manager of the emergency department works with local authorities like police officers and sheriff’s deputies Charles County Maryland Transit and the director of public transportation relocate the victims to a safer location at their request. Parking emergency vehicles in vehicle repair parks is part of flood-prone areas’ emergency plans. Additional resources have been set up and prepared in case of weather changes that worsen flooding and disrupt transportation routes for preemptive evacuations. Fire departments, emergency management services, and police departments all respond quickly when flooding occurs.

Incident Annexes

In the incident annexes of incident reports, the description of methods to control disasters caused by biological factors, such as disease outbreaks, dam failure incidents, nuclear and radiological incidents, catastrophic situations, extreme weather conditions, and terrorism cases, is provided. Those who have been involved in nuclear and radiological incidents are familiar with the actions that must be taken in response to a nuclear occurrence, including threat valuation, report procedures, investigation, response plan development, and reclamation activities (Brown, 2017). Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes necessitate the deployment of emergency responders in extreme weather conditions. Dam failures and terrorist attacks necessitate the development of emergency operation plans in order to reduce the number of people killed or injured in the process.

Maryland Joint Operations Center (MJOC)

A joint operations center at Maryland State University is in charge of emergency operations planning, situational awareness, warning, and notification, among other responsibilities. Operating seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, the Mobile Justice Operations Center (MJOC) assists law enforcement officers. At the center, a typical day consists of gathering information about Maryland and the surrounding areas. When a disaster occurs, the MJOC raises awareness and responds in the most appropriate manner. The center is constantly on the lookout for and evaluating potential threats and hazards. Furthermore, when assessing hazards, examining ways to mitigate them, and allocating responsibilities and resources to prevent disasters from occurring, the participation and dialog of multiple authorities in a society as well as industry are essential. A variety of preventative measures should be implemented in the wake of the assessment, it is recommended (Kapucu, Augustin & Garayev, 2019). The use of these, in conjunction with a comprehensive emergency response plan, will always be necessary because no civilization can ever operate without risk in its operations. The expertise and knowledge gained from the analyses, as well as the benefits that communities derive from them, should be taken into consideration in the future work done.

In order for each community (including industries) to develop its own coordinated risk picture, as a result of which risk awareness will increase, and with the goal of developing or revising its emergency planning procedures, cooperation is required not only within the community (including industries), but also between communities. There may be several communities that share a common risk object, and the consequences of an accident in one of them can have far-reaching consequences for the other communities as well. Making a decision on which risks can be eliminated or which risky objects can be deemed safe by relocating people or businesses to a new location is an important decision for the community, and determining whether this is feasible in the short or long term is crucial. Relocating an industrial site after it has been constructed is extremely expensive, and it is not always feasible once the project is complete. As a result of this consideration, it is recommended that a risk object be constructed in the safest possible location. Before this has been completed and tested, it is not recommended that a school, residential area, or hospital be built nearby.

In brief, if a natural or technological disaster occurs, the County of Mary Land has an Emergency Operation Plan in place. The plan includes local, state, and tribal governments. Emergency operation plans define how various agencies will respond in the event of a disaster. Activities are designed to reduce disaster-related deaths, damage, and recovery times. Providing public health care and disseminating information during a crisis is essential, and transportation is essential in transporting the resources and personnel necessary to control an incident. Furthermore, the fire department is in charge of primary responsibilities such as rescue and search, which are backed up by the police and sheriffs’ departments as needed. In a flood, the incident commander of resources directs the majority of available resources toward areas that are known to be at risk. These areas include those with disabilities, the elderly, and children who may be harmed by floodwater. Making decisions about which risks can be reduced or eliminated by moving people or businesses is critical for the community. The cost of moving an industrial site after construction is high. Also, the goal of developing or revising emergency planning procedures requires cooperation not only within a community (including industries), but also between communities.

References

Brown, J. D. (2017). Charles County, Maryland: A History. Heritage Books.

Kapucu, N., Augustin, M. E., & Garayev, V. (2019). Interstate partnerships in emergency management: Emergency management assistance compact in response to catastrophic disasters. Public Administration Review, 69(2), 297-313.

Schwartz, R. M. (2020). An examination of preparedness, response, and recovery for the La Plata, Maryland, tornado. Journal of Emergency Management, 1(3), 30-36.

Zou, N., Yeh, S. T., Chang, G. L., Marquess, A., & Zezeski, M. (2020). Simulation-based emergency evacuation system for Ocean City, Maryland, during hurricanes. Transportation Research Record, 1922(1), 138-148.