MOS6801 All Units Discussions Latest 2018 November

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 1 discussion

Part I: Introduce yourself to your classmates with your name, location, current employment, and future goals.

Part II: The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918–1919 spread worldwide and occurred in waves, resulting in the deaths of nearly five percent of the world population. Do you think the United States is vulnerable to a flu pandemic today? Why, or why not? What has changed since the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918–19 that affects your answer? Give specific examples to support your perspective.

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 2 discussion

In Chapter 3 of the course textbook, David Butler considers whether the Texas City Explosion meets the description of a human-caused disaster resulting from the failure of complex systems. What is your opinion? Do you think this disaster fits the criteria of a failure of complex systems? Why, or why not? Discuss your reasoning.

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 3 discussion

According to the textbook, the Federal Disaster Assistance Act of 1950 (P.L. 81-875) defined the roles and responsibilities during natural disasters. Once the president issued a disaster declaration, federal relief resources could flow to the affected areas for response and recovery. The president would then delegate administrative control of relief efforts to the Housing and Home Finance Administration. This law also instituted the federal role in natural disasters as a supportive role, while instituting primary responsibility for disaster response and recovery with local and state governments. How had this changed by 1978? Why did it change? Do you agree with the change? Why, or why not?

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 4 discussion

The textbook describes Presidential Disaster Declarations and states that to some degree, they constitute a chronological record of the pain and suffering caused by the major focusing events that have occurred in the United States history. Consider the Presidential Disaster Declarations. Which two declarations seems to be the most important in a disaster situation? Explain your reasoning.

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 5 discussion

In this lesson, we learned that major catastrophes like Katrina require a disaster response and recovery capability that is both disciplined and agile. Recently, Hurricane Harvey, also a major Category 4 storm, impacted the Gulf Coast, not too far from where Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

In your opinion, how was the outcome of this hurricane response and recovery effort different from the outcome of Katrina? What differences did you see in organization (policy, structure, procedures) and agility (creativity, improvisation, and adaption) that contributed to this difference in outcome?

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 6 discussion

The media is often a considerable factor in how the public views the relative success or failure of the disaster response to major catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina. Do you think the media provides a good service to the public, or do you think the media is detrimental to the disaster response and recovery efforts? In your discussion, give an example to support your position.

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 7 discussion

Describe some of the mistakes you believe were made leading up to and in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. What actions do you believe BP could have taken to prevent the spill or minimize the effects of it?

MOS6801 Emergency Management

Unit 8 discussion

Discuss how the concepts in this course can be applied to real-world situations and increase your chances of career or life success.