Whenever a disaster strikes, it is crucial that the people, who are under the threat of being affected by it, should be able to locate the required resources fast and use them efficiently to prevent injuries and ensure safety.
However, it should be kept in mind that in case of an emergency, not only the ability of the military services to locate and utilize the required sources, but also the capability of the military people to cooperate is crucial once an emergency situation occurs. As long as both military resources and assets are used properly, citizens will be able to survive even major disasters.
As it has been stressed above, such skill as the ability to cooperate and coordinate each other’s actions is an integral part of being a part of a military emergency crew (Hoyle 197). Unfortunately, as McGlown stresses, the present day members of military service lack discipline greatly, which affects their capacity for cooperation: “Dark Winter…demonstrated how poorly current organizational structures and capabilities fit with the management needs and operational requirements of an effective bioterrorism response” (Hoyle 197).
Nevertheless, according to the data provided by the author, intense trainings had had their effects, and the emergency teams of the 2000s were much more experienced and better trained than the ones of the 90s (Hoyle 197). Herein the secret to efficient disaster prevention and management lies. As long as funds for keeping the military staff well trained and educated about the emergency issues are supplied, the U.S. population may rest assured that they are provided with the maximum safety.
In addition, the issue concerning the improvement of communication between the military emergency teams should be raised. As the evidence provided above shows, military people need the tools that facilitate very fast communication. Consequently, the existing communication sources must also be utilized appropriately. McGlown notes that in most military emergency units, there is “no community emergency preparedness plan, nor program, nor system” (Hoyle 206).
Thus, to meet the demands of the citizens and provide the patients of the local healthcare facilities with the required resources in case of emergency, military forces must work on their communication system and the efficacy of delivering orders, distributing information and sharing the new data.
Improving the communication system will lead to a rapid increase in the number of chances for using another asset of the military department. For example, the transition of the necessary medical resources will be much easier with the enhancement of the communication system, as McGlown explains (Hoyle 206).
The process of integrating the military forces into the realm of the civil community, however, is fraught with a range of complexities. For instance, the stages of addressing a specific disaster outlined in the regulations of the military service and the healthcare facility may differ considerably, thus, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts (Barbisch 213). Nevertheless, one must recognize the necessity for the military services to assist with the distribution of medicine, as well as of eliminating the factors causing the disaster.
As McGlown explains, the members of the military service are trained to “perform critical medical services while serving in potentially hostile environments under extraordinary conditions” (Barbisch 214). Thus, their presence in case of emergency is imperative. As long as a disaster is addressed with proper measures, the scale of damage and the number of victims may be driven to zero.
Works Cited
Barbisch, Donna F. “Integrating Civilian and Military Medical Resources and Response Capabilities.” Terrorism and Disaster Management. Ed. Joanne K. McGlown. 2004. 213–227. Print.
Hoyle, John D. “Obtaining and Maintaining Local Interoperability.” Terrorism and Disaster Management. Ed. Joanne K. McGlown. 2004. 197–212. Print.