Week 2 discussion
Please read the reading materials (which I uploaded separately) before you start writing the discussion. I only need couple of paragraphs (300 words) for my original discussion and two addional posts (200 words) each for my classmates discussion. I will upload my classmates post by tomorrow. I need my discussion done by Saturday morning and two posts for my classmates by Sunday. See below for instructions.
Week 2 – Discussion Question 1: Sylves makes the observation “even before September 11, 2001, domestic disaster management began to be eclipsed by the nation’s growing concern about terrorism” (Sylves, p. 79). This transition is echoed by the essays of Shearer and Adams. Reviewing the golden age of FEMA under James Witt, he highlights emergency management’s transition from preparedness and recovery to mitigation, focusing through Project Impact to “build disaster-resistant communities through public-private partnerships” (p. 80). Here is the question: Did this transitional focus toward mitigation truly hijack disaster management or did the emphasis on disaster resilience through mitigation lay the groundwork so that emergency managers and citizens might more effectively understand and implement HSPD-5, viz. “Under HSPD-5 directive, all federal agencies were required to adopt NIMS and to make its adoption a requirement for other governmental entities receiving federal assistance?” (p. 82).
OR
Week 2 – Discussion Question 2: Mayer and DeBoiser conclude their article with this recommendation: “Entirely eliminate certain types of disasters from FEMA’s portfolio… severe storms and tornadoes tend to be localized events that, while causing property damage and even sometimes costing lives, rarely outstrip the abilities of state and local governments to provide recovery and repair relief” (2010). Using the Mayer and DeBoiser article plus other relevant materials from this week’s texts, review both the impact of recent tornadoes in Virginia, FEMA’s decision to deny the request for federal disaster aid and the governor’s subsequent decision to once again appeal the FEMA decision (http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/may/17/va-will-appeal-denial-us-storm-disaster-assistance-ar-1045283/). (Meola, 2011) You may also wish to review the governor’s appeal to the private sector to donate to Virginia’s disaster recovery
http://www.richmond.com/news/article_b3481999-2bf8-54dd-a4ab-d42c98b27ce5.html
http://www.richmond.com/news/article_061b2047-2aff-588e-be02-af4582414d5c.html
OR this one:
Try this link: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/news/pda/062311_denial_virginia.pdf
Instructions:
This is not an essay so NO COVER PAGE. Give it a descriptive title such as “Josephine’s comparison of Hurricanes Galveston and Betsy ” and address one of the above questions in a clear and coherent manner.
In additional posting you may respond and comment critically on the findings of other students. Did they overlook anything? Did they find out something you did not expect? Provide a detailed explanation for your remarks. Include the name of the student you are responding to.
These additional postings should be at least 200 words long also and may include an additional reference that enhances the discussion.
MINIMUM NUMBER OF POSTINGS = 3 (again, one should address the assignment and the other two should be a response to another student’s posting)
Please read the instructions carefully. It needs 3 posts. Please read the reading materials below before you write discussion 2.
Department of Homeland Security – National Incident Management System – Pages 3 – 44 (http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf)
Read pages 3 – 44
Dr. 3D
Federalizing Disasters Weakens FEMA–and Hurts Americans Hit by Catastrophes
http://www.heritage.org/homeland-security/report/federalizing-disasters-weakens-fema-and-hurts-americans-hit-catastrophes
