Fulton County’s Health Department Essay
Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
Fulton County’s Health Department provides appropriate information and public health support to its people. The department has a powerful emergency preparedness and response plan. Disasters can have negative implications on the lives of many people. The county has an appropriate coordination plan to respond to disasters and collaborate with other county departments (“Emergency Preparedness” par. 4).Fulton County’s Health Department Essay
The county has many Emergency Officials (EOs) whose role is to coordinate operations and rescue every affected person. The response plan seeks to address different disasters and save lives. The county’s website offers appropriate strategies and resources that can be used by different people. The department encourages its people to have access to information. The citizens should also “remain calm whenever there is a terrorist attack” (“Emergency Preparedness” par. 4). Every EO coordinates “rescue plans and provides vital instructions” (Hunter 37). Such practices are essential towards dealing with different disasters.
Adequacy of the Resources Listed on the Organization’s Website
The above response plan makes it easier for the county to address the needs of more people. The response plan seeks to provide aid, minimize risks, and rescue more citizens. However, the resources listed on the department’s webpage are inadequate. This is the case because new visitors cannot understand the resources, strategies, and steps embraced by the health department. There are several gaps in the provided resources. For instance, the website fails to provide adequate articles that can help more individuals prepare themselves against different disasters (Hunter 43). The website identifies the duties of the Emergency Preparedness Office. However, it does not provide adequate addresses and emergency lines. The information on the website is also inadequate.
The above gaps can make it impossible for more people to get the best assistance whenever there is a disaster. New resources can therefore be added in order to improve the effectiveness of the county’s disaster response plan. To begin with, new information can be added in order to inform people about the best efforts to undertake whenever there is a disaster (Elaine, Padjen, and Birnbaum 392). More addresses should also be added. Such contacts will improve the level of communication (“Emergency Preparedness” par. 2).Fulton County’s Health Department Essay
Safety manuals and guidelines should also be provided on the website. The website should also “feature past emergencies and disasters that have been faced in the county” (Landesman 49). The website should also include various successful responses that have been used to deal with different disasters. These new resources will improve the level of coordination and eventually empower more civilians.
My Role as a Public Health Practitioner
Public health professionals should possess specific competencies in order to deal with different disasters. As a member of the team, I would use my skills to complete various roles. The most important role is “to facilitate collaboration between external and internal emergency response partners” (Clements 62). Disaster response is a complex process that brings together different players and partners. This role will ensure both external and internal partners collaborate in order to deliver the best results. The level of communication will also improve.Fulton County’s Health Department Essay
Failure to fulfill this role can result in numerous problems. For instance, the partners might be unable to work with one another thus making every rescue effort unsuccessful. The “level of communication can be strained thus making it impossible for the health department to realize its potentials” (Walsh et al. 76). This malpractice can affect the success of every response strategy. This role will therefore make it easier for the team to achieve its goals.
Works Cited
Clements, Bruce. Disasters and Public Health: Planning and Response, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2009. Print.
Elaine, Daily, Patricia Padjen and Marvin Birnbaum. “A review of competencies developed for disaster healthcare providers: Limitations of current processes and applicability.” Pre-hospital Disaster Medicine 25.5 (2001): 387-395. Print.
Emergency Preparedness 2015. Web.
Hunter, Nan. The Law of Emergencies: Public Health and Disaster Management, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2009. Print.
Landesman, Linda. Public Health Management of Disasters, New York: APHA Bookstore, 2013. Print.
Walsh, Lauren, Brian Altman, Richard King and Kandra Strauss-Riggs. “Enhancing the Translation of Disaster Health Competencies in to Practice.” Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 8.1 (2014): 70-78. Print.Fulton County’s Health Department Essay