When it comes to emergency management, law enforcement officials are often a key part of the initial response. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spells out exactly why this is the case in most communities around the country: Law enforcement officials are typically experts on their communities, with existing relationships among its residents that help them get to the heart of the problem. This sense of trust and understanding between local officials and city residents helps the disaster response proceed a bit easier, with guidance that drives up efficiency and can drive down fatality or injury rates dramatically. The role played by these local officials encompasses a few key responsibilities.
1. First Response to the Disaster at Hand
Local officials know their communities better than anyone else. They’re familiar with every street, every hazard, and every unique risk that faces residents of a given town, city, county, or other regional areas. As a result, they’re the first ones on the scene when a major disaster takes place. Their local knowledge allows them to target the areas that will most likely be affected by the worst damage, the most severe injuries, or the highest risk of casualties. This first response is often backed up and aided by military involvement or state National Guard involvement at a later time, but the expertise of these local officials is instrumental in immediately responding to the incident and minimizing its impact.
2. Guiding Out-of-Area Disaster Management
Another key responsibility of local officials is to help guide the disaster response when it begins to involve out-of-area professionals. A serious disaster will often lead to involvement by first responders from neighboring communities, state officials, National Guard members, or even the military. FEMA may also arrive on the scene to assist with the response. Their lack of familiarity with the area is an opportunity for local officials. Local officials are responsible for interfacing with response teams, communicating key information about local language barriers or other complications, and managing these conflicts to aid a more efficient response.
3. Offering Immediate Treatment or Transportation
Local officials also need to make sure they’re offering on-site treatment or transportation to a local medical facility for victims needing medical assistance. Most police officers and other first responders at least have a background in CPR and basic training to help mitigate minor injuries. These skills can save lives and save time by helping get the first victims to a nearby hospital or removing them from the scene. With treatable victims removed from the scene, it becomes easier to search for and rescue others who might not be immediately visible or able to make themselves seen by first responders.
4. Creating a Resource Plan
Another responsibility of local officials is to create a resource plan for serving the affected area. This is especially important when interacting with out-of-area responders. Whether it’s a need for more ambulances, more hospital beds, more officers, or some sort of extra funding, creating a list of needed resources helps elected officials make hard decisions about disaster aid resources that could save countless lives.
A Key Role to Play in Managing Emergencies
First responders are an essential part of managing emergencies in any community. Their local knowledge and innate understanding of local obstacles can help save lives and improve the overall response time. In this way, emergency management by law enforcement officials will set the tone for a successful recovery.