Critical Infrastructure: Emergency Services

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Why Was the Emergency Service Sector Created?
The Five Distinct Disciplines That Make Up the Emergency Services
Emergency Service Sector Plan
Response and Recovery
Conclusion
References

Introduction

It is important to note that critical infrastructure is a set of functional units and organizations, which are essential for the proper function of an inhabited region or state. One of such branches of critical infrastructure is the emergency services sector, which plays a vital role in ensuring that many emergency situations are properly and promptly responded to under all conditions. The given analysis will primarily focus on providing key information about the role, need, and importance of the emergency service sector of critical infrastructure. The main emphasis will be put on the fact that the emergency service sector plays a vital role in critical infrastructure.

Why Was the Emergency Service Sector Created?

Prevention

The core objective of emergency service units is to ensure that the vast majority of societal problems, such as crime or acute medical complication, is responded to with the intention of preventing the further worsening of the situation. The emergency services sector is comprised of “organizations and individuals, equipment and technology, deployed to save lives and property through prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts” (Bryan, 2017, para. 3).

The preventative element in the emergency service sector is of paramount importance since such an approach is the most effective and least costly compared to other functional aspects. In other words, preliminary interventions are the most desired in terms of yielding the highest degree of positive outcomes. For example, preventing the occurrence of a crime, such as murder or theft, is more appealing than dealing with the consequences of such activities since only one entity is required to do so rather than involving other parties.

Preparedness

Another highly critical functional element of the emergency service sector is preparedness for potential threats and emergency situations. Being well-equipped and prepared for possible and sometimes inevitable emergencies can make a substantial difference in minimizing the amount of damage and negative outcome. The given sector is designed to be ready for dangerous occurrences with an emphasis on eliminating the source of these threats both promptly and timely as well as with minimal casualties.

The factor of preparedness requires sustenance and maintenance of key structural elements for a response, which, in turn, need constant support with resources and the workforce. Therefore, a high degree of preparedness mandates the use of all instruments available to train the emergency services sector personnel during non-emergency situations, which also requires a significant level of investment.

Response

The response is the most critical part of the functional chain of the emergency services sector since effective measures require timely arrival at the point of interest and elimination of the threat. It can be considered impossible to fully prevent any potential emergencies, which is why response operations need to be executed with a high degree of competence and professional effectiveness. For instance, fire departments’ response speed makes a difference between minor property damages and lives lost.

Without a properly developed and maintained infrastructure, the emergency services sector units cannot ensure timely arrival and threat elimination (Radvanovsky & McDougall, 2019). Although some units or departments put a greater deal of emphasis on either preparedness or prevention, a response is inevitably the core functional element of the given sector of interest.

Recovery

It is important to note that since emergencies and related damages are unavoidable, recovery plays a critical role in the functional chain of operations of the emergency services sector units. Minimizing the impact of such situations means that one has to prioritize certain factors over others in order to deliberately and precisely save them, such as human lives and essential property. It should be noted that the element of recovery is comprised of a wide range of multifaceted activities designed to manage stabilization efforts and restore key functions of a community. In most cases, the given phase takes place right after the immediate risk to human life is removed from the situation, where the efforts are redirected to other crucial objectives, such as property.

The Five Distinct Disciplines That Make Up the Emergency Services

It is important to understand that the emergencies services sector is comprised of several key functional units, where each one has a specific goal and focuses on a particular threat. It is stated that it is “the Nation’s first line of defense in the prevention and mitigation of risk from both intentional and unintentional manmade incidents, as well as from natural disasters” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017, p. 1). In other words, its functionality is reliant on professionals, facilities, and equipment. There are five distinct disciplines of the emergency services sector, which are law enforcement, fire and rescue services, public works, emergency management, and emergency medical services.

Law Enforcement

In accordance with an official source, law enforcement can be defined as “individuals and agencies responsible for enforcing laws and maintaining public order and public safety. LE includes the prevention, detection, and investigation of crimes and the apprehension and detention of individuals suspected of law violation” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017, p. 3). In other words, law enforcement is an essential branch of the emergency services sector, which preserves order and law through a series of critical measures.

In the case of the specificities of law enforcement, it is important to understand its functional elements and structure. There are three main categories, which are federal law enforcement agencies, state or territorial law enforcement agencies, and private security sector companies (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017). The vast majority of full-time law enforcement officers in federal agencies are employed by either the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Justice, where approximately 95% operate within the executive branch of the United States government (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017).

State law enforcement agencies employ eight times more officers, which is around 850000 (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017). However, the private security sector employs the highest number of an employee of the law enforcement branch of the emergencies service sector.

Fire and Rescue

Another important branch of the emergency services sector is fire and rescue services. It is defined as “any organization in any State consisting of personnel, apparatus, and equipment which has as its purpose protecting property and maintaining the safety and welfare of the public from the dangers of fire” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017, p. 2). The overall personnel size is around 1 million, and there are 50000 fire stations in total in the United States (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017). The specialized services delivered by fire departments include fire inspection, ambulance transport, advanced and basic life support, fireboat, aviation, public education, and others.

Emergency Management

In the case of emergency management discipline of the emergency services sector, it is responsible for “creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017, p. 7). In other words, the functions can involve managing specialized programs, ensuring mitigation, and coordinating response measures. There are almost 10000 emergency management directors in total in the United States, who are mostly employed by the local governments (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017).

The groups within this category are fusion centers, national guard, public safety answering points, hazardous materials response units, public safety dive teams, public safety bomb disposal teams, search and rescue units, and tactical teams (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017). The given branch of the sector focuses on a wide range of threats, unlike other ones.

Public Works

In regards to public works discipline, it is defined as “the combination of physical assets, management practices, policies, and personnel necessary for government to provide and sustain structures and services essential to the welfare and acceptable quality of life for its citizens” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017, p. 6). Therefore, public works are comprised of units with the goal of ensuring the safety and security of areas, such as transportation, utility systems, public facilities, drainage and flood control systems, and communication facilities (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017). It is a critical part of emergency response efforts and related planning.

Emergency Medical Services

Lastly, emergency medical services play a vital role as one of the five core disciplines of the emergency services sector. It is defined as “a system of coordinated response, involving multiple people and agencies that provide prehospital emergency medical care” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2017, p. 5). In order to effectively perform these functions, it deploys paramedics, advanced emergency medical technicians or AEMTs, and emergency medical responders or EMRs.

Emergency Service Sector Plan

Research Process

It should be noted that the emergency services sector has a sector-specific plan comprised of goals and priorities, risk management preparedness, and measurement effectiveness, and overviews. In the case of the research process, it is stated that “R&D plays a critical role in enabling homeland security partners to develop knowledge and technologies that more

effectively reduce risk to the ESS. New and innovative technologies are required in order to maintain a strategic position in preventing and mitigating the potential effects of current and future dangers” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015, p. 22). In other words, the key emphasis is made on ensuring the overall effectiveness of risk reduction and elimination, which is of paramount importance since it is a top priority objective of the research process of the emergency services sector’s operations. In addition, the research can improve the preventative aspect of emergency management by identified vulnerabilities and threats.

Analysis Process

Although research is critical due to its focus on new opportunities at risk reduction, the analytical aspect of emergency management is equally relevant. It is stated that “the risk assessment is the cornerstone of the risk management framework, and the ESS utilizes a variety of assessment methodologies to implement the framework” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015, p. 22). In other words, assessments enable timely and prompt identification of potential dangers and sources of risks. In order to properly conduct such functions, the agencies utilize a wide range of tools, which need to follow strict guidelines. Risk assessment measures need to be defensible, reproducible, and documented, which makes the key factors logically integrated, well-synthesized, and the impact of subjective judgments minimized.

Response and Recovery

Resource Allocation

In order to function effectively, the emergency services sector needs to be prepared and ready to respond to emergency situations. Such a state is achieved by resource allocation, which is manifested in the constant use of resources in the form of full-time employment, equipment upgrades, facility maintenances, and other expenditures. The resources are reallocated in accordance with the key priorities, such as recovery and reconstitution, protection and prevention, situational awareness, and partnership engagement (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015). It should be noted that the majority of agencies and departments of the emergency services sector are funded by the local and federal governments. However, the branch of the private security field is primarily reliant on the organization’s internal resources.

Risk Management

The current functional framework of the emergencies services sector emphasizes risk management. In accordance with official documents, the risk is defined as “s the potential for an adverse outcome from an event, determined by the event’s likelihood—a function of the specific threats and vulnerabilities—and associated consequences if the event occurs” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015, p 20).

Therefore, risk management is conducted with four efforts, such as information sharing, integration of risk management activities, analysis and assessment of risks, and infrastructure identification (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015). All these areas of approaches enable a comprehensive risk management operation, which directly reduces or eliminates potential threats and dangers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the emergency service sector plays a vital role in critical infrastructure. It is important to understand that the emergency services sector operates with four phases in mind, which are prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. In addition, there are five essential disciplines or branches of the given sector, which include public works, law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire and rescue services, and emergency management.

Each category covers a specific set of risks, which enables a more direct and precise response. The emergency services sector plan is a comprehensive document, which prioritizes research and analysis as key functional elements of all units since they are designed to effectively reduce the rate of emergency situations.

References

Bryan, W. N. (2017). Critical infrastructure: Focus on emergency services. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Web.

Radvanovsky, R. S., & McDougall, A. (2019). Critical infrastructure. CRC Press.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2015). Emergency services sector-specific plan. Web.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2017). Emergency services sector profile. Web.

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