Running heads: HOW PUBLIC HEALTH AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WORK
TOGETHER
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How Public Health and Law Enforcement Agencies Work Together
Zahra Abdalla
Health Policy and Management: MPH 525
Dr. Pavlica
Running heads: How Public Health and Law Enforcement Agencies Work Together
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1. Describe the specific collaboration that occurred between different public health
and law enforcement agencies.
In my opinion it does not matter how big or small the disaster is, when it occurs it leaves
behind long lasting food marks: loss of human and animal’s lives, damage to properties and
supplies. In 2012 here in Minnesota we have experienced natural disasters luckily nobody died,
but emotional and physical distress is still with us. A help including Red Cross, and other public
health agencies showed up little bit too late, it took them forever the help to get to us. I think
what we had experienced was nothing compared to the aftermath and damage the Hurricane
Katrina had left with New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina was the most devastating and one of the
five deadliest natural disaster in the United States history. Hurricane Katrina ranked made as the
third landfilling. An estimated 1,833 people had lost their lives and millions more were left
homeless and caused $108 billion in damage (FEMA, 2013; NOAA, 2015). It is critical for
public health and law enforcement agencies to collaborate in the occurrence and management of
a natural disasters. The Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA), was created to
support ensure the United States citizens and respond to protect against, and recover from
mitigate hazard, (FEMA, 2012).
Many public health agencies collaborated with law enforcement agencies to help individuals
recovered. Including, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps were
involved in the process of aftermath Hurricane Katrina, (CDC, 2005). The Urban Search and
Rescue Task Forces (US& RTF), assisted with the location, rescue and initial medical
stabilization of trapped individual (FEMA, 2012). The National Disaster Medical System
(NDMS), were involved for managing Federal government's medical response to provide a
medical response and assist state and local authority’s response to victims’ disasters. Multiple
Response Teams, Mobile Emergency Operations Vehicles (MEOV), and Mobile Emergency
Response Support (MERS) and Veterinary Medicine Response Teams (VMATs) were also part
of the collaboration.
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2. Did volunteer agencies help or hinder? Explain.
Several volunteer agencies including American Red Cross, United Way for the greater New
Orleans area, Southern Baptist Conventions, Salvation Army, Emergency Communities, and
Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities and many more took part during the Hurricane Katrina
disaster (FEMA, 2012). These volunteer agencies provided medical treatment, emergency
equipment, delivering materials (food, water, ice and medicine), providing medical services, and
temporary shelter, search and rescue, provide emotional and physiological support for the
impacted victims. Communication and coordination among the volunteer organization, and
other emergency responders is a critical to success and effective planning during a disaster
(Volunteers of America, n.d). Although volunteers agencies intention was to reducing the
suffering and loss of life that resulted from the Hurricane Katrina victims sometimes lack of
collaboration and communication with the inter-governmental (federal, state, and local)
emergency responders led to more chaos.
3. Describe at least three major things that responders did wrong.
To begin with the federal government did not fully assessed the nature of the risk and
complex of the disaster which led (IRGC, 2009).The responders of the Hurricane Katrina
involved the federal, state, and local and public, private and nonprofit including the volunteer
agencies (CDC, 2005 and FEMA, 2015). Though it is not an easy process whenever disaster
strikes, before and after Hurricane Katrina took place there was a problem with the planning,
response and recovery. The National Weather Services issued a warning about the upcoming
disaster days before the disaster took place, but Mayor of New Orleans, Mississippi did not
declared evacuation three days later (NOAA, ,2015). As result of delay evacuation plan,
response and preparedness, the temporary shelter exceeded its capacity, the victims remained
without adequate foods, and insufficient medical supplies. There was also a failure comprehend
all the involved responders during the Hurricane Katrina because there were too many agencies
involved without collaboration and sufficient communication the role and the duty each play
(IRGC, 2009; DHS,2010).
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4. Describe at least three things responders did right.
Although the complex of the disaster and risk factor was not assess accurately. But after the
arrival of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in collaboration
with the local and state this enabled better establishment in terms of rescued operation,
relocation, establishment of better communications and as well providing a funding for
reconstruction(DHS,2010). Also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was
involved in supporting the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services response.
The CDC helped with health issues that involved infectious disease detection, prevention, and
outbreak control in shelters and provided drugs and medical supplies to the affected communities
(CDC, 2006).
5. What were some of the roles public health fulfilled following the hurricane and
flooding and did they perform these in a timely fashion? Explain.
Public health agencies responded to Hurricane Katrina by following core function public
health's to assess and assure the situation of the disaster. But in term of responding in timely
matter fashion was influenced by the lack of collaboration and ineffective communication and
lack of knowledge to assess the risk of the disaster. Also due to heavy flooded these agencies
faced challenges providing emergency services to the victims. Despite the challenges with
provided adequate resources including medical equipment and medications, shelters, food,
clothing and necessary resources, I think at the end public health agencies assisted the
communities in recovery as the best possible way they could.
6. What are the specific roles of the local, state, and federal governments following a
disaster? Who responds first? Who has overall responsibility? In Hurricane
Katrina, did each branch fulfill their roles. Explain your reasoning and provide
justification.
The local, state and federal government are responsible issuing warnings, putting evacuation and
preparation procedures in place (NOAA, 2015). The federal government is responsible
supporting the preparedness plans issued by the National Weather Service. The New Orleans and
Mississippi states were responsible implementing the aware of preparedness plans. Both the
local, states and federal government failed to communicate and coordinate with the local and
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state government as anticipated. There was a concern of how much effort that was formed
within the federal, state and local officials to initiating warnings and evacuate and respond to,
rescued operations and recovery Hurricane Katrina took placed ( NOAA, ,2015). As result there
was inadequate response, resource for the victims impacted by the disaster. This also led to
resignation of the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as
New Orleans police department superintendent Louisiana governors (NOAA, ,2015).
7. Discuss the challenges individuals and/or communities had with legal authority,
control of resources, and jurisdiction over populations.
Due the questionable leadership decision in preparation, response capabilities, there was
definitely a concern with the legal authority control of resources and jurisdiction. Individual and
communities had challenges with legal authority control of resources, and jurisdiction over
populations. Some of the challenges between communities and the legal authority that took place
during the disaster included corruption in the system, slow response, and violent crime .Some
individuals had problem with the law enforcement particularly the police department because
communities felt they were discriminated against. There was an issue with controlled looting
and crimes violence (Moynihan, 2009). There was a lack of control over resources and
jurisdictions included the ability of maintaining order, during the disaster several police officers
cross the professionalism boundaries and instead of following protocol and assisting with
evacuation they went to rescue their own family. Other issue with resources included
establishing transportation assistance for relocating and returning individuals displaced from
their residences in a major disaster (Moynihan, 2009).
8. What changes have been made to make current disaster management policies
sufficient to meet the needs of communities in the event of another disaster?
In the response to Hurricane Katrina led to the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform
Act of 2006 (PKEMRA). The Post-Katrina Act, requires the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), to take new leadership role in management of emergency alert systems and
operations, restored previous missions and strengthened the authority (Bea, 2007). The PostKatrina Act, ensures the FEMA responsibilities includes effectiveness grants, and administering
and implementing the national response program. The Post-Katrina Act, allow better
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establishment to accommodate individuals with disabilities, coordinates and supports
precautionary evacuations and recovery efforts, and provides cases management assistance to
identify the unmet needs of survivors (Bea, 2007). The current disaster management policies is a
good start but I do not think it is sufficient to meet the needs of the communities in the event of
another disaster. Since this post-Katrina Act is intended to response a future disaster and it is not
put into practice to assess the use of this policy.
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References
Bea, K,.(2007). Federal emergency management policy changes after hurricane Katrina: A
summary of statutory provision. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from,
http://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL33729.pdf
Centers for disease control and prevention.(2005).Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Hurricane Katrina response and guidance for health-care providers, relief workers and
shelter operators 54 (35); 877.Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5435a5.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). CDC learns from Katrina, plans for
pandemic. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/news/2006_11/katrina.htm
Department of Homeland Security (2010). Katrina/Rita. The 5th commemoration. FEMA.
Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/pdf/hazard/hurricane/2005katrina/5th_comm_book.pdf
Federal Emergency Management Authority (2012). About urban search & rescue. Retrieved
from http://www.fema.gov/about-urban-search-rescue
IRGC. (2009). The response to Hurricane Katrina. Retrieved from http://irgc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/04/Hurricane_Katrina_full_case_study_web.pdf
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA). (2015) .Hurricane Katrina - a look
back 10 years later. Retrieved from http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/?n=katrina_anniversary
Moynihan, D. P, .(2009). The response to Hurricane Katrina. International Risk Governance
Council. Retrieved from, http://irgc.org/wp
content/uploads/2012/04/Hurricane_Katrina_full_case_study_web.pdf
Volunteers of America.(n.d). Disaster related volunteerism. Retrieved from
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/files/best_practices_manual__disaster_related_volunteerism1.pdf
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