How Civilian Authorities And Private Enterprises Cooperate During A Crisis

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By Amy Butler


During the early times, man always had to bear the suddenness of unforeseen fortuitous event. Storms, volcanic eruptions and other calamitous occurrences brought about by the force of nature were always disastrous and have a very adverse effect on humans. No more is this more greatly than in present times as the world condition has deteriorated because of human activities. Business is not exempted from this phenomenon and top executives are safer in the environment with the help of Crisis Management services.

Governments all over the world today are confronted with an ever increasing number of crisis involving unexpected threats. These can spread across borders and can cause an economic breakdown. Studies highlight the fact that there are interconnected vulnerabilities on a global scale. Fiscal or financial crises have made national leaders become more aware of its effects on the economy, social system, and political stability.

Present day dangers require the participation of the citizenry beyond the services provided by emergency response teams. Communication and coordination must be efficiently managed for a successful operational result. Disaster response agencies are set up by governments for quick and immediate response during financial or natural calumnies. The agencies are tasks with providing the appropriate response at these times.

Very recent crises have posed a challenge to risk managers and governments brought about by unpredictable circumstances and the breakdown in communication. Examples of these include the bird flu epidemic, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and hurricane Katrina. The worst case was the tsunami that hit Japan and caused damage to the nuclear plant.

The occurrences mentioned in the previous paragraph deeply differs from events in the past. First, they were unprecedented in scale, erasing cities and entire towns. Second, these had no comparable examples from the past. Third, these came in deadly combinations like the tsunami and earthquake. The last and most ominous is that it affected several countries.

The calamitous events having been mentioned have governments and risk managers arrive at the conclusion that more deadly and costly natural disasters are bound to happen in the twenty first century. Modern societies have not only become more interconnected and complex but also more exposed and vulnerable to new emerging threats that can happen and spread very quickly across boundaries.

In addition to the above, the role of national authorities is now changing towards more participation from the citizenry and media outlets. While risk reduction management will retain their usual responsibility, the increased role of the private sector and the decentralization of mitigating measures have reduced the capability of civilian authorities. They have to initiate straightforward actions that can prevent risks in critical sectors for a well functioning society.

There also are changes in the responsibilities of crisis managers. The current environment of global complexity poses a serious problem for them especially at the level of government and private agencies. The ever changing scene demands adaptability of procedures, tools, structures, and equipment to address destructive occurrences in a new form. In present times they have to confront the things that will be mentioned in the next paragraph.

First is having to deal with the unpredictable unknown. Second is addressing other nations, international organizations, and government administration. The third is the reduction of governmental agency capacity resulting from privatization. Fourth is the participation of new organizations that have different procedure and agenda. Fifth is the constant eye of the public and the media.




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