Question:

Reflective Summary: Review and reflect on the Government Roles and Emergency Management Discussion Board. Based on your review and reflection of new learnings in this course, write at least 400-600 words on the following points:

- What have you learned from others'' responses?

- What were the most compelling points from the interaction with your fellow students?

- How did participating in this discussion help in your understanding of the Discussion Board task?

- What approaches could have yielded additional valuable information in the students'' networking?

- What is still unclear after the discussion with your classmates that needs to be clarified?

Below a response from one of my classmate

PEER RESPONSE

"FEMA & the Response to Emergencies

The FEMA Mission-

The FEMA Mission is to lead and ensure that first responders and the citizens join together to rebuild communities, sustaining the United States and improve the capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover, and mitigate any and all hazards such as domestic disasters, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and other disasters that may have substantial impact. A few good examples that FEMA has provided these supports were for the terrorist attacks of 9/11 where it really tested FEMA's preparedness towards the events which were unprecedented in every way, two years after these events they combined with Homeland Security to ensure that the nation's first responders were trained and equipped to deal with weapons of mass destruction (FEMA, 2015). Another issue of natural disaster that FEMA had to prepare for was Hurricane Sandy which lasted nine days occurring from October 22-31 of 2012 it was the second most costliest hurricanes which was one extremely destructive and deadliest hurricane on the east coast it was a category three hurricane at a hundred and fifteen miles per hour and caused a total of 285 fatalities, it is still one of the storms that has effected many; it caused many floods and home destructions that many still see the effects of it three years after (Blake, Kimberlain, Berg, Cangialosi, & Beven II, 2013). To me the mission statement sound sufficient in some way but I feel that many of its views are not really met in many cases or they may need to boost up their ability to help in a faster more productive way and it could reduce the lives that are lost, I would like to have them prioritize in a major way how they may help the elders who refuse to leave their homes with enough time prior to the disaster becoming much more difficult and more dangerous for both the responder or the citizen, I feel that it should be mandatory

until the issue subsides The role the state of New York typically played in the issue of hurricane Sandy and the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were very important, with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 New York and other states put their guards up Homeland Security amped up security in the entire United States they were all on were on high alert, they amplified airport security, JFK airlines all changed luggage size, beefed up check points, reduced luggage sizes and weight, all liquids such as soap bottles, lotions, any care product be placed in a Ziploc bag and reduced to eight ounces, other things that has occurred, in many airports items such as knives, guns, and other hazardous materials are not allowed on airplanes (NYSED.Gov, 2011). In the case of Hurricane Sandy New York worked with FEMA to help with the rescue of individuals who were misplaced from their homes they formed the New York Sandy Recovery office to support long term recovery efforts to coordinate the efforts of multiple agencies providing support to everyone as they rebuild the state making it stronger and more resilient (FEMA, About Us; The New York Sandy Recovery Office, 2015).

In regards to the national response of national security the first group of responders that is the most successful and important emergency response procedures is Homeland Security because they provide a priority of safety in every citizens daily life it may be from terrorists or computer hackers it is one of the responders that will help in any situation that the country is being threatened, the actions taken in the initial minutes of an emergency are critical they must conduct a risk assessment and identify that emergency and always prioritize the life safety. The responsibility that New York has held in regards to emergency management and that are most critical is that they have provided extremely great evacuation from both cases, they have also provided shelter for those who lost it all from Super storm Sandy, and in case there is an issue of extremities from any terroristic plots or attacks the State is placed under a lockdown (OSHA, 2012)."