Could You Live 5 Months Without A Home After A Hurricane?
In the words of Mike Tyson, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face!"
Disaster response is a complex process that requires the coordination of multiple agencies and organizations at different levels of government. While some progress has been made in recent years to improve disaster preparedness and response, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed.
One of the most significant problems in the current disaster response model is the slow pace of the federal government's response. Often, it takes days or even weeks for federal agencies to mobilize and provide assistance to affected communities. This delay can exacerbate the impact of the disaster and prolong the suffering of those affected. Few things express this issue better than the FEMA Housing Program which provides trailers after a major disaster event such as a hurricane.
From a local news article in Ft Myers Florida, "80-year-old Mary hopes her turn may be coming soon to get a FEMA trailer, nearly 5 months after her home was destroyed in Hurricane Ian."
In addition to the slow response, compliance issues can also hinder disaster response efforts. Federal regulations and bureaucratic red tape can make it difficult for local communities to access the resources they need to respond to disasters effectively. This can result in wasted resources and inefficiencies in the disaster response process. For instance, it was late February before the local county commission approved the site to set these trailers up, which also was five months later.
"The FEMA official said the property conditions, combined with some local rules put into place by homeowners' associations, cities, and counties preclude just dropping a trailer on a property and setting it up." WUSF Public Media
Another problem with the current disaster response model is the lack of coordination and communication between different agencies and organizations involved in disaster response. Different agencies may have different priorities, objectives, and procedures, which can lead to confusion and delays in responding to the disaster. It takes weeks for this to settle down into anything recognizable as coordinated in most cases. From the Non-Profit standpoint, most operate completely independently of others, though immensely helpful when people do connect, many organizations have a single focus and very little in place to connect people to additional resources they require.
In many cases, the local citizens themselves make a mistake and do not have any plan at all for a disaster. The lack of investment in disaster preparedness results in sudden and sometimes life-threatening needs. medications and medical conditions that require frequent care for instance are disrupted when disaster strikes. Planning well in advance can make a big difference. Even when plans are not in place by the citizens, first responders and emergency managers are immediately overwhelmed, as such, answers are slow to come for people who have urgent needs.
The decline in preparedness is most pronounced among homeowners, decreasing from 71% to 55%, those with annual household incomes of less than $50,000 (down from 71% to 59%) and individuals ages 45-49 (down from 74% to 58%). AARP Article
To address these challenges, D911 Inc created the D911 Disaster Response Mobile App which is a single-source solution for all of these concerns. FEMA does in fact provide rapid funding to get people in hotels and apartments, but where are these apartments and hotels at? D911 empowers people to locate resources like this as well as food, water, medical, and transportation, all of which are immediately challenged after a disaster.
D911 Disaster Response Mobile app improves the coordination and communication between different agencies and organizations involved in disaster response. It is a simple investment of time for users and all agencies to get familiar with the app so that when disaster strikes, they can leverage these vital tools to make a huge difference in the outcome of the response.
In conclusion, while progress has been made in recent years to improve disaster response, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed. By addressing the problems through the D911 Disaster Response Mobile app we will help
ensure that communities affected by disasters receive the assistance they need in a timely and effective manner.