Disaster planning and preparedness

Imagine you have been asked to provide a detailed brief to a community based disaster management committee in a tropical area in Australia on the preparedness for a forthcoming storm season.

Prepare a brief that outlines the background and makes recommendation in regard to further action. In your brief you should consider:

1. An analysis of the risks and risk management strategies
2. Your understanding of the planning context
3. The planning processes required
4. Governance and other structural issues needed to ensure effective planning
5. Other preparations required.

The assignment should demonstrate your analytical skills and understanding of the principles and practices of disaster preparedness.

There is no particular word limit for this assessment, but it is recommended that you stick to 1500-3000 words. If you fall outside these limits, it is likely you will lose marks for a lack of information at one extreme or for not being clear and concise at the other.

Resources:

1. Lane, Kathryn, Charles-Guzman, Kizzy, Wheeler, Katherine, Abid, Zaynah, Graber, Nathan, & Matte, Thomas. (2013). Health effects of coastal storms and flooding in urban areas: A review and
2. PUN452: Disaster Health Planning and Preparedness Readings
3. Centre for Emergency and Disaster Management 5   
4. vulnerability assessment. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2013, 1-13. doi: 10.1155/2013/913064
5. Abrahams, J. (2001). Disaster management in Australia: The national emergency management system. Emergency Medicine, 13(2), 165-173.
6. Australian Emergency Management institute (2011). Handbook 1 Disaster Health: Australian Emergency Management Handbook Series, Commonwealth of Australia, See chapter 4 on planning. Accessible at https://www.ag.gov.au/EmergencyManagement/Tools-andresources/Publications/Documents/Handbook-series/handbook-1-disaster-health.pdf 
7. Australian Emergency Management institute (2014). Handbook 9 Community Recovery: Australian Emergency Management Arrangements, Handbook Series, Commonwealth of Australia, Accessible at https://www.ag.gov.au/EmergencyManagement/Tools-andresources/Publications/Documents/Handbook-series/handbook-9-australian-emergencymanagement-arrangements.pdf
8. Du, Weiwei, FitzGerald, Gerard Joseph, Clark, Michele, &Hou, Xiang-Yu. (2010). Health impacts of floods. Prehospital and disaster medicine, 25(03), 265-272.
9. Emergency Management Australia (EMA) (2014). Commonwealth Government Disaster Response Plan (COMDISPLAN). Commonwealth of Australia. Accessible at https://www.ag.gov.au/EmergencyManagement/Respond-andrecover/Documents/COMDISPLAN2014-australian-government-disaster-response-plan.docx.
10. Queensland Government. (2014). Emergency Management Assurance Framework. Office of the Inspector-General Emergency Management Retrieved from https://www.igem.qld.gov.au/assurance-framework/pdf/IGEM-EMAF.pdf.
11. Australian Emergency Management Institute. (2011). Community Recovery HANDBOOK 2 Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, Retrieved from https://www.ag.gov.au/EmergencyManagement/Respond-and-recover/Documents/aemhs2-community-recovery.pdf. Chapters 2 and 5-7.
12. World Health Organisation (2005). Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Global Influenza Program. WHO Global Influenza Preparedness Plan: The Role of WHO and recommendations for national measures before and during pandemics. Accessible at http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/influenza/WHO_CDS_CSR_GIP_2005_5.pdf
13. World Health Organisation (2011). Hospital emergency response checklist: An all-hazards tool for hospital administrators and emergency managers. Retrieved from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/148214/e95978.pdf?ua=1
14. Adida, E., DeLaurentis, P.-C. C., & Lawley, M. A. (2011). Hospital stockpiling for disaster planning. IIE Transactions, 43(5), 348-362.
15. Lane, Kathryn, Charles-Guzman, Kizzy, Wheeler, Katherine, Abid, Zaynah, Graber, Nathan, & Matte, Thomas. (2013). Health effects of coastal storms and flooding in urban areas: A review and vulnerability assessment. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2013, 1-13. doi: 10.1155/2013/913064

Marking Criteria

  Identification and definition of key issues 20%

Analysis of the topic 40%

Synthesis and conclusion 20%

Structure, written expression and referencing 20%

Exceptional performance

(85–100)

17–20

Key issues are identified and articulated to an exceptionally high level consistently throughout written work. On all occasions definitions are accurate, clear and relevant.

34–40

Arguments presented throughout are consistently of an exceptionally high standard and demonstrate a coherent, concise and logical progression of ideas. Theories, concepts, arguments, and implications have been critically analysed, supported by relevant literature and evaluated to an exceptional standard.

17–20

Key issues have been summarised and relevant, comprehensive and insightful conclusions have been drawn; both to an exceptionally high standard. Both have been consistently integrated throughout the written work to an exceptionally high standard.

17–20

The clarity and conciseness of the expression and the structural organisation of the work are of an exceptionally high standard throughout. Correct referencing technique is used on all occasions. The selection of references used is of an exceptional standard, it is comprehensive, relevant, timely and adequate, with respect to the topic

Very Good performance

(75–85)

15–17

Key issues are identified and articulated consistently throughout written work. On all occasions definitions are accurate, clear and relevant.