Successful Emergency Communication

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the components necessary for successful emergency communication. The writer evaluates the actions of the New York City Emergency Communications Center in light of the September 11th terrorist attacks in that city. The strengths and weaknesses of the system are detailed, relative to potential problems such as natural disasters that could plague the city. Many of the inherent problems this writer feels the city would face are a result of the fact that much of the city's infrastructure, bridges, tunnels, subways and communication centers are located underground. In this writer's opinion, an earthquake would totally destroy much of the city's infrastructure which would lead to the city being forced to close down, and that would include the financial centers and the ramifications here are well-documented. The paper also details legislation that has been passed at the state level to deal with this potential threat. The writer makes several suggestions as to what would be necessary to avert a major disaster, including designating the Public Information Officer as the person who would be responsible for the coordination of all the agencies, predetermined safe centers should be well-publicized and known in each of the communities, the collecting areas for the victims and survivors of any disaster should be every few blocks, evacuation of bridges and tunnels should be well-planned and coordinated and there should be one umbrella agency that is responsible for the training and coordination of the emergency personnel in the event of a major disaster, such as an earthquake or terrorist attack.

From the Paper:

"In recent times, especially in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC, effective and speedy emergency communication has become paramount for response personnel firefighters, police and paramedics. Emergency communications agencies like the North American Center For Emergency Communications (NACEC) were set up to provide quick and speedy services in cases of disaster. A Disaster Victim Information Exchange System (DVIS) was also setup to handle situations where families and loved ones required information about an individual evacuee's location, condition, immediate plans and special needs. In the past, trying to locate a person could take days or months, as information procured from the scene was sketchy and unreliable."

More papers on Successful Emergency Communication:

• Analytical Essay # 146602 : "Communication and Air Traffic Safety"
• Case Study # 31696 : "Leadership and Communication"
• Persuasive Essay # 149645 : "The Intelligence Community: A History of Reactionary Reform"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: