Preparing for the Worst: Psychological Excellence of First Responders - A Katrina Lessons Learned Study (original) (raw)
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Twelve Failures of the Hurricane Katrina Response and How Psychology Can Help
This comprehensive analysis addresses the United States' alarming lack of preparedness to respond effectively to a massive disaster as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina. First, a timeline of problematic response events during and after Hurricane Katrina orients readers to some of the specific problems encountered at different levels of government. Second, a list of the "Dirty Dozen"—12 major failures that have occurred in prior disasters, which also contributed to inadequate response during and after Hurricane Katrina— is presented. Third, this article encourages expanding psy- chology's role beyond the treatment of trauma to encom- pass disaster planning and mitigation efforts from a broader public health perspective. Finally, areas for im- portant interdisciplinary research in human behavior that will influence our nation's overall preparedness for future catastrophes are identified, and ways psychologists can become personally involved beyond treating casual...
In the face of manmade and natural disasters, first responders are called upon to respond to emergencies, protect the public, and mitigate further disaster consequences. While this is a professional expectation, extreme crisis events can present an inimitable set of challenges for responders, particularly when they are personally impacted by the disaster in which they are expected to respond. The media reports of "abandonment of duty" among police officers in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster highlight the need to better understand factors that both challenge and encourage resilience among first responders. This study examines the coping practices that fostered resilience among the officers of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) who served as first responders to the Katrina disaster. To gain insight into the experiences and activities of officers during the most stressful parts of the crisis, face-to-face interviews were conducted with officers (N = 57) of varying ranks and divisions. The data demonstrates the dynamic nature of coping in disasters, as well as the range of strategies practiced by first responders in crisis situations.
The Dirty Dozen Twelve Failures of the Hurricane Katrina Response and How Psychology Can Help
This comprehensive analysis addresses the United States’ alarming lack of preparedness to respond effectively to a massive disaster as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina. First, a timeline of problematic response events during and after Hurricane Katrina orients readers to some of the specific problems encountered at different levels of government. Second, a list of the “Dirty Dozen”—12 major failures that have occurred in prior disasters, which also contributed to inadequate response during and after Hurricane Katrina— is presented. Third, this article encourages expanding psychology’s role beyond the treatment of trauma to encompass disaster planning and mitigation efforts from a broader public health perspective. Finally, areas for important interdisciplinary research in human behavior that will influence our nation’s overall preparedness for future catastrophes are identified, and ways psychologists can become personally involved beyond treating casualties are discussed.
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Hurricane Katrina represented a major test of the policies and practice developed to protect the nation following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The collapse of the emergency response system at all four levels of jurisdiction city, parish, state, and federal revealed serious flaws in governmental capacity to act in response to threat. This article examines the initial conditions and dynamic exchange among governmental agencies that led to the catastrophe in New Orleans. It concludes with a set of recommendations for improving the capacity of governmental jurisdictions to manage risk through coordinated action and to increase community resilience to disaster.
Psychological preparedness for disaster.
When disaster strikes, individuals and organizations must not be only logistically ready, but psychologically prepared. This paper discusses how the public and emergency responders can better prepare for the psychological impact of disaster. Topics that are explored include (1) how and why reactions to terrorism and natural disaster differ, (2) the myths and misperceptions of behaviors during a disaster, (3) the psychological responses to disaster, and (4) disaster intervention strategies. It is suggested how these factors may be implemented in emergency plans. Disaster research studies find that accounting for the misperceptions and the psychological aspect of disaster is vital for an effective response and recovery. Implementing the strategies provided may limit the psychological impact of disaster.
The symposium issue focuses on performance in dealing with disasters, including catastrophic disasters. catastrophic disasters are characterized by unexpected or unusual size, disruptions to the communication and decision-making capabilities of the emergency response system, and an initial breakdown in coordination and communication. High performance in dealing with disasters requires an ability to assess and adapt capacity rapidly, restore or enhance disrupted or inadequate communications, utilize uncharacteristically flexible decision making, and expand coordination and trust of emergency response agencies . moreover, the public increasingly expects better public sector performance before, during, and after disasters than it has seen in the past. High standards of responsiveness and the ubiquitous media compel political leaders and administrative heads to coordinate resources effectively. the massive numbers of public, nonprofit, and private organizations involved in disaster response and recovery operations require
Personnel psychology for disaster response and recovery.
S.C. Carr, M. MacLachlan, & A. Furnham (eds.), Handbook of humanitarian work psychology (pp.225-246). Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan., 2012
Authors' note: The three coauthors contributed equally to this chapter. We thank Walter Reichman and two reviewers for their useful comments on an earlier draft.
Effective Mental Health Response to Catastrophic Events Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina
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Perceptions of psychological first aid among providers responding to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
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Psychological First Aid (PFA), developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, has been widely disseminated both nationally and internationally, and adopted and used by a number of disaster response organizations and agencies after major catastrophic events across the United States. This study represents a first examination of the perceptions of providers who utilized PFA in response to a disaster. Study participants included 50 individuals who utilized PFA in their response to Hurricane Gustav or Ike. Findings indicated that participation in PFA training was perceived to increase confidence in working with adults and children. PFA was not seen as harmful to survivors, and was perceived as an appropriate intervention for responding in the aftermath of hurricanes.