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Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4Unit FourEmergency Managementin the United StatesOverviewThis unit describes emergency management in the UnitedStates. It defines the four phases of emergency management, aswell as other important terms used by emergency managers. Inaddition, it describes the contributions of individuals andcommunity, state, and federal agencies in making emergencymanagement successful.ObjectivesUpon completion of this unit, you should be able to:Ü Define the four phases of emergency management anddescribe activities associated with each phaseÜ Define basic emergency management terminologyÜ Describe the responsibilities of individuals and agenciesat the community, state, and federal levelsWhat AreDisasters?The most common disasters result from meteorological(weather-related) and geological events and can affect any areaof the U.S. Their impact can be localized or widespread,predictable or unpredictable. Damage can range from minimalto major. Depending on the severity of the incident, they canhave a long-term impact on the infrastructure (roads, bridges,and utilities) of any location.Threats involving natural forces include thunderstorm, flood,tornado, hurricane, winter storm, drought, wildfire, landslide,earthquake, tsunami (tidal wave), volcano, and dam failure.Technological (man-made) hazards include hazardous materialreleases and spills, acts of terrorism, and nuclear accidents.Natural hazards are usually, but not always, more predictablethan any other type of hazard. Other threats include animalhealth emergencies, such as outbreaks of a Foreign AnimalDisease.Although we cannot know exactly when or where disasters willstrike, or how severe they will be, we recognize from pastexperience which geographical areas are most vulnerable toEmergency Management in the United States4-1

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4certain types of natural hazards. This knowledge helps us betterprepare for and respond to natural hazards. When you readthrough Units 5 – 15 on natural hazards, remember that eachtype of hazard has unique characteristics, yet commonelements. These common elements allow you to prepare forand protect yourself and your animals from disaster.Four Phases ofEmergencyManagementEmergency managers think of disasters as recurring eventswith four phases: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, andRecovery.The following diagram illustrates the relationship of the fourphases of emergency management.The significance of the emergency management cycle is that allcommunities are in at least one phase of emergencymanagement at any time.4-2Emergency Management in the United States

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4MitigationThis phase includes actions taken to prevent or reduce thecause, impact, and consequences of disasters. Examples ofhazard mitigation include:Ü Tying down homes or barns with ground anchors towithstand wind damageÜ Digging water channels to redirect water and plantingvegetation to absorb waterÜ Constructing levees or permanent barriers to controlfloodingÜ Reinforcing fencing to prevent animal escapesÜ Buying insurance policiesPreparednessThis phase includes planning, training, and educationalactivities for events that cannot be mitigated. Examplesinclude:Ü Developing disaster preparedness plans for what to do,where to go, or who to call for help in a disasterÜ Exercising plans through drills, tabletop exercises, andfull-scale exercisesÜ Creating a supply list of items that are useful in adisasterÜ Walking around a farm and identifying possiblevulnerabilities to high windsEmergency Management in the United States4-3

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4ResponseThe response phase occurs in the immediate aftermath of adisaster. During the response phase, business and otheroperations do not function normally. Personal safety and wellbeing in an emergency and the duration of the response phasedepend on the level of preparedness.Examples of response activities include:Ü Implementing disaster response plansÜ Conducting search and rescue missionsÜ Taking actions to protect yourself, your family, youranimals, and othersÜ Addressing public perceptions about food safetyRecoveryDuring the recovery period, restoration efforts occurconcurrently with regular operations and activities. Therecovery period from a disaster can be prolonged. Examples ofrecovery activities include:Ü Preventing or reducing stress-related illnesses andexcessive financial burdensÜ Rebuilding damaged structures based on advancedknowledge obtained from the preceding disasterÜ Reducing vulnerability to future disastersDefinitions ofEmergencyand DisasterThe terms emergency and disaster often are usedinterchangeably. This common use of terms can be confusing.EmergencyAt one end of the spectrum, emergencies are usually smallscale, localized incidents which are resolved quickly usinglocal resources. However, small-scale emergencies can escalateinto disasters when there has been inadequate planning andwasteful use of resources.4-4It is easiest to understand the terms emergency and disaster asbeing at two ends of a scale, in which the size of an incidentand the resources to deal with the incident are matched tovarying degrees.Emergency Management in the United States

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4DisasterAt the other end of the spectrum, disasters are typically largescale and cross geographic, political, and academic boundaries.Disasters require a level of response and recovery greater thanlocal communities can provide.Emergencies anddisasters and thelivestock industryEmergencies and disasters involving livestock also vary indegree, depending on the amount and availability of neededresources. The degree to which an incident results in a disasterdepends on the size of the event and local response andrecovery capabilities. In many cases, levels of preparedness,response, and recovery capabilities go hand-in-hand.For example, in the 1998 ice storm in the northeastern U.S., themost critical agricultural need was for electrical generators.Dairy farms suffering power outages depended on electricity tomilk their cows.Farmers who had adequate-sized generators and who knewhow to operate them faced an emergency because they wereonly temporarily prevented from milking their cows.In contrast, farmers without generators, or with generators thatfailed due to lack of adequate maintenance or fuel, were facedwith disastrous consequences. They could not milk their cowsand suffered great production losses. Their cows became illand, in some cases, died.Foreign animaldiseaseForeign Animal Disease outbreaks, such as Foot and MouthDisease or Classical Swine Fever (Hog Cholera), could have anegative impact on the national food supply and pose a majorthreat to production and international trade. Coordinationamong local, state, and federal agencies is key to minimizingthe impact of such diseases.Emergency Management in the United States4-5

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4DefinitionsUsed byEmergencyManagersThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is theagency that promotes disaster mitigation and readiness andcoordinates response and recovery following the declaration ofa major disaster. FEMA defines a disaster as:Levels of disastersEmergency managers further classify emergencies anddisasters by size and the type and number of issues that need tobe addressed. This classification involves minor emergencies,limited and potential emergencies, and major disasters.Minor emergencies“an event that results in large numbers of deaths andinjuries; causes extensive damage or destruction offacilities that provide and sustain human needs; producesan overwhelming demand on state and local responseresources and mechanisms; causes a severe long-termeffect on general economic activity; and severely affectsstate, local, and private sector capabilities to begin andsustain response activities.”Ü Examples:Ø Residential firesØ Livestock barn firesØ Localized chemical spillsØ Livestock trailer wrecksØ Power outages to animal-related businesses (farms,veterinary practices)Ø Storm damage (wind, hail, ice)Ü Issues:Ø Temporary accommodation for people and animalsØ Testing, transport, and certification of animals forslaughter4-6Emergency Management in the United States

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4Limited and potentialemergenciesÜ Examples:Ø Localized floodingØ Hurricane warningØ DroughtsØ Presumptive diagnosis of foreign animal diseaseØ Nuclear reactor failureØ Tsunami warningÜ Issues—same as for minor emergencies, plus:Ø Notice of evacuation of animal owners and animalsØ Isolation of areaØ Disaster intelligence (e.g., mapping of a plumezone)Major disastersÜ Examples:Ø Large-scale floodingØ HurricaneØ EarthquakeØ Foreign animal disease outbreakÜ Issues—same as for limited and potential emergencies,plus:Ø Disease control interventionsØ Evacuation failures of animal ownersØ Animal rescue attemptsØ Carcass disposalØ Temporary accommodation for owners of animalsEmergency Management in the United States4-7

Livestock in Disasters / Unit 4DisasterdeclarationsDisasters are declared using established guidelines andprocedures. Because all disasters are local, they are initiallydeclared at the local level. This declaration is made by the localChief Elected Official (CEO) (mayor, city manager,commissioner). Only when the CEO determines that localresources capabilities have been or are expected to be exceededwill the CEO of a community request state assistance. If thestate chooses to respond to a disaster, the Governor of the statewill direct implementation of the state’s emergency plan.Again, if the Governor determines that the resource capabilitiesof the state are exceeded, the Governor can request that thePresident declare a major disaster in order to make federalresources and assistance available to qualified state and localgovernments. This ordered sequence is important to ensureappropriate financial assistance.FinancialAssistance inDisastersFinancial assistance is available on a supplemental basisthrough an application process. The Governor reviews the localgovernment’s application, studies the damage estimates and, ifappropriate, declares the area a state disaster. This officialdeclaration makes state resources available. However, ifdamages are so extensive that the combined local and stateresources are not sufficient, the Governor applies to thePresident for federal disaster assistance.If the need for federal assistance funds is justified, thePresident issues a major disaster declaration and federalresources become available. This system ensures that state andfederal limited resources are used wisely and fairly, and theneeds of disaster victims are met.To see an updated map illustrating the most recent presidentialdisaster declarations, as well as useful information about thetypes of disasters that result in declarations, go tohttp://www.bakerprojects.com/fema/mapmain.State ofEmergency4-8Disaster declarations are different than states of emergency. Astate of emergency is declared when public health or theeconomic stability of a community is threatened andextraordinary measures of control may be needed. Examplesinclude a disease outbreak in people (public health) or animals(economic stability, food security).Emergency Management in the United States