Risk communication and emergency alerting have a long history in the United States. Even in colonial America, different individuals conducted emergency alerting services by riding through different villages while warning people of British soldiers. The Cold War saw the nationalization and popularization of Risk Communication and Emergency Alerting system. Since then the government has worked to ensure the development of a comprehensive emergency alert and response system in every part of the United States. Different states have developed strategies and frameworks to help in alerting and response in case of man-made or natural disasters. Kern County California has an elaborate disaster and emergency response system that aims at minimizing the amount of loss accrued due to different disasters. The hazard mitigation plan employed in Kern County aims at minimizing the number of deaths during disasters.
The hazard mitigation plan involves different activities meant to prepare the public for emergencies. One of the activities meant to reduce mass casualties in case of disasters is emergency training drills (Kern County Fire Department, 2012). The county conducts random training drills at different locations including schools, hospitals, and business premises. The use of training drills ensures that citizens understand how to act and where to go in case of emergencies. Training drills ensure that even children are not helpless in case of emergencies. The training drills may also help different members of the public learn emergency medical responses, like CPR; therefore, ensure minimum deaths. The involvement of community members in the development of emergency response plan also reduces the number of casualties in case of emergency. Involving the community allows comprehensive profiling of any potential hazards; therefore, the creation of informative mitigation plans (Kern County Fire Department, 2012). The County also employs its website as a public education tool on how to prepare for disasters. The Kern County website provides information useful for preparing and reacting to disasters such as Earthquakes, El Ninos, wildfire, and severe weather conditions. These preparedness manuals inform the public on how to act and where to go, as well as areas to avoid when such disasters attack.
Kern County also employs an emergency alert system that informs citizens about any crisis, or national disaster. The Ready Kern initiative is a modern notification system that allows Kern County officials to warn and provide the public with information in case any natural or manmade disaster occurs (Kern County Fire Department, 2014). The initiative involves the use of emails, landline phones, and cell phones to warn citizens of any potential emergency or disaster. An oral or text message is sent to different digital devices; therefore, ensuring that a larger public population is informed of the danger. The initiative involves individuals registering for emergency alert services. Once an alert is sent, a person is required to confirm they have received the alert. In case an individual does not confirm receipt of the alert, another alert is sent to an alternative number. These alerts are sent until the individual confirms they have seen the alert (Kern County Fire Department, 2014).
In the past years, several disasters have occurred in Kern County. These disasters have allowed an evaluation of several disaster preparedness and alert systems. Kern County experiences extremely heavy rainfall at different times. Therefore, the area is prone to flash floods. The El Nino preparedness plan informs citizens of how to act in case of extreme rainfall, which may result in floods. The plan explains the areas prone to flooding as well as where the public can locate sand piles to help prevent excessive flooding. October 2015 saw several instances of flash floods, and mudslides in Tehachapi. Due to constant training drills, as well the availability of a disaster preparedness manual, no lives were lost in the flash floods (Bankert, 2015). The emergency alert system assisted government officials to communicate to the public on which areas to avoid. The use of the El Nino preparedness manual allowed different citizens to know where to get emergency services as well as where to get sand pits to help in redirecting flooding water.
The emergency alert and response system in Kern County has several limitations. A major limitation is that citizens have to register to receive emergency alert systems. Although the majority of the population may register for the services, there may exist individuals who may have reservation against registering. New citizens may also not get the chance to register for the emergency response system; therefore, may not receive notifications in good time. Another gap noted is that the notifications are at times late and may be sent after losses have occurred. The past year saw different instances of mudslides including one that trapped 192 vehicles on a road or several hours (Bankert, 2015). The emergency alert was mainly sent after several vehicles were trapped; therefore, late in some sense. Although the incident did not result in loss of life, the notification should have warned drivers earlier; therefore, minimizing the number of trapped motorists.
Other than the emergency preparedness recommendations provided by Kern County, the county should also conduct education exercises on how to deal with different injuries that may result during emergencies. The county’s involvement of the community in the planning of emergency procedures allows public input; therefore, plans will be representative of information known to the majority of the Kern County citizens. The county should also aim at ensuring diversity in training drills. Having different training drills will help citizens prepare for different disasters.
References
Bankert, A. (2015, October 15). 10 Mile Stretch of Vehicles Stuck on State Route 58 in Tehachapi. Retrieved from Eyewitness News: http://abc7.com/weather/10-mile-stretch-of-cars-stuck-on-sr-58-in-tehachapi/1036201/
Kern County Fire Department. (2012). Hazard Mitigation plan. Retrieved from Kern County Fire Department: http://www.kerncountyfire.org/index.php/operations/emergency-plans/hazard-mitigation-plan
Kern County Fire Department. (2014). Ready Kern. Retrieved from Kern County Fire Department: http://www.kerncountyfire.org/index.php/education/ready-kern
