How an Organization’s Work Impacts the Health and/or Safety Needs of a Local Community
FEMA’s mandate of ensuring disaster preparedness and disaster management is critical in the preservation of the health and safety of communities. By readying communities for apparent disasters and implementing various disaster mitigation initiatives, FEMA and other organizations effectively minimize the health risks of these disasters. Johnston et al. (2022) report that hazard preparation minimizes adverse experiences and physical injuries induced by various disasters and hastens disaster recovery responses. This highlights the importance of disaster preparedness and reinforces the significance of FEMA and other federal agencies responsible for readying communities for such disasters.
Nurses play a role in disaster management and preparedness. Their administrative and technical knowledge in healthcare makes them essential in disaster preparedness initiatives. At the height of any disaster, nurses can provide the necessary healthcare interventions for the disaster victims, such as assessing and triaging disaster victims, providing first aid, and administering vital medications (Fletcher et al., 2022). Integrating nursing roles in overall disaster management can thus ensure the minimization of the impact of the disaster on community lives.
FEMA maintains significance in disaster preparedness and management. This organization remains a valuable community resource that can be leveraged to help vulnerable communities in their time of need. Their vision and mission support their collective mandate to protect the safety of communities and improve the quality of life of individuals in the wake of public health catastrophes. Through federal funding and policies, this organization has been effective in implementing mitigation measures for various disasters, thus preserving community lives.
References
Bukvic, A., & Borate, A. (2020). Developing coastal relocation policy: Lessons learned from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Environmental Hazards, 20(3), 279–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/17477891.2020.1804819
Fletcher, K. A., Reddin, K., & Tait, D. (2022). The history of disaster nursing: From Nightingale to nursing in the 21st Century. Journal of Research in Nursing, 27(3), 257–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871211058854