Public Health Needs and Challenges in an Emergency

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Introduction

Disasters are unexpected events that have the potential to disorient lives and destroy property. The American federal government has implemented various mechanisms intended to support the manner in which different agencies respond to such public health challenges. The ongoing coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has compelled those in leadership positions to activate the National Guard and the military in an effort to contain and reduce the spread of the virus. This paper describes these pertinent issues and how they relate to public health. The discussion also proposes evidence-based measures that different agencies can implement to mitigate some of the existing challenges for emergency management.

Deployment of Troops

The occurrence of disasters that have the potential to overwhelm local responders can trigger a new strategy to deliver desirable results. The deployment of troops becomes an effective approach when the affected local agencies and governments lack adequate financial capabilities and resources to protect lives and support rescue efforts. The governor in a specific state is the one who has the power to activate the country’s National Guard to a status known as State Active Duty (Garrett, 2019). The selected officers will respond to manmade or natural disasters and remain under the full command and guidance of the state’s governor. At the federal level, the President of the United States (POTUS) is authorized to activate such troops to pursue international and local missions.

Laws for Domestic Deployment

The concept of public health revolves around the implementation of evidence-based practices and ideas to prevent anticipated disasters and protect lives. Natural and man-made catastrophes are occurrences that can trigger the activation of military forces to maintain order and safeguard both private and public property. However, the United States has unique laws that dictate the manner in which domestic deployment is usually done. Specifically, the Stafford Act describes the procedures state governors can follow to deploy such troops and support relief operations (Born et al., 2011). However, this law forbids such politicians from relying on the military to pursue law enforcement activities. This expectation is in accordance with the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA). Additionally, the Insurrection Act allows the American President to use the available troops to support the execution of the established law whenever there is unrest. When those in power deploy troops to pursue the intended missions, the PCA law states that such officers should not pervade civilians’ missions and activities.

Nature of Command

The demand for additional aid and support during disasters explain why the government chose to form the National Guard. This kind of reserve means that the military personnel are usually not in full time duty. Instead, those in power will only deploy them whenever there is an authentic need (Garrett, 2019). However, those in active duty have to pursue and complete their responsibilities depending on the nature of the intended aims. These striking differences are critical since they guide analysts understand how troops providing the best support during national disasters receive their command.

After deployment, the governor who has made the request to the president is expected to monitor the operations of the deployed troops and liaise with the relevant commanders to ensure that positive results are recorded. Specifically, the law requires that the Secretary of Defense collaborates with the secretary of the army to provide instructions to the Director of Military Support (Public Health Emergency, n.d.). The action agent can collaborate with different departmental heads to provide the required details to the designated chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). The commander-in-chief (CINC) will then offer timely instructions to the officers and ensure that they focus on the anticipated tasks while following the formulated policies.

The issued Executive Order is usually expected to designate the relevant CINC and CJCSs and describe the best command relations depending on the nature of the disaster. The CINC will go further to appoint an experienced officer to coordinate and monitor all operations (Public Health Emergency, n.d.). The nature of this command system is usually essential since it makes it possible for the National Guard to operate efficiently, identify possible challenges and address them accordingly, and eventually provide the best support.

Deployment of Troops: Challenges for Emergency Management and Public Health Entities

The occurrence of disasters in any given region requires that the relevant authorities identify and guide public health professionals to be involved and provide the best medical aid to the affected communities or citizens. Their actions and involvement are critical since they transform the nature of response, minimize deaths, and reduce some of the possible negative outcomes to the affected populations (Dunlap, 2017). In worst case scenarios, governors request the president to deploy troops in an effort to improve service delivery, protect property, and reduce deaths. Similarly, emergency responders and managers are expected to mitigate, maximize preparedness, respond to the occurrence, and implement powerful recovery measures.

Unfortunately, past observations in the United States have exposed some of the weaknesses that tend to affect the roles and goals of emergency responders and public health professionals whenever the existing disaster overwhelms local resources. For example, the issues recorded during the infamous Hurricane Katrina in 2005 revealed that there was a need for the government to formulate a superior plan for improving communication after the successful deployment of troops to provide the required support (Dunlap, 2017). During this event, observers and experts revealed that the level of communication was disoriented since most of the agencies and public health officials were unable to focus on the common goals and share their findings with the military personnel (Public Health Emergency, n.d.). Consequently, the responders took longer to achieve the intended goals while affecting the experiences and outcomes of most of the affected victims.

The events surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) unrests experienced in the country following the death of George Floyd presented harsh realities that could guide future policies regarding the deployment of the National Guard. Spherically, it was evident that the country’s governors were divided over the issue since the majority of them were unaware of the nature of the challenges and how they could unfold. These issues indicate that the military usually focuses on the primary role of defending and allowing the country to record the required peace (Public Health Emergency, n.d.). However, such an approach results in additional misunderstandings since the different authorities are required to provide guidelines and instructions through any ongoing disaster.

Past researchers and findings have presented undeniable facts that explain how the decision to deploy military troops complicates the work of emergency professionals and public health workers. Specifically, Dunlap (2017) believes that first responders who are expected to provide the best support and medical aid to victims remain concerned that the recorded involvement of the military will affect the nature of communication, reduce the effectiveness of resource allocation strategies, and undermine the process of sharing critical information that can support the entire rescue plan (Margesson, 2015). These challenges explain why all stakeholders should collaborate and present timely suggestions to ensure that positive results are recorded whenever disasters strike.

Suggestions

The deployment of troops during emergencies is an effective strategy for supporting response processes, protecting property, and safeguarding lives. However, some of the identifiable challenges in coordination, communication, and focus on the anticipated goals should not be taken lightly. These gaps explain why the relevant stakeholders should propose and implement superior guidelines for dictating the manner in which all officials and military personnel communicate and pursue their aims. An integrated model can streamline the process of sharing information and classified messages (Margesson, 2015). Experts should design such a strategy in such a way that all professionals are capable of coordinating efficiently while respecting operations of all involved agencies. The participants should also be ready to engage in activities that complement each other if positive results are to be recorded.

Conclusion

The above discussion has supported the deployment of the National Guard during natural or manmade disasters as an effective approach that has the potential to help protect property and lives. Such an integrated model has worked effectively in the past to support the implemented rescue and recovery operations. Unfortunately, some of the emerging gaps in communication and coordination disorient the performance of emergency responders and public health officials. The proposed strategies are, therefore, evidence-based and capable of streamlining the activities of all agencies involved in such catastrophes.

References

Born, C. T., Cullison, T. R., Dean, J. A., McSwain, N., Riddles, L. M., & Shimkus, A. J. (2011). Partnered disaster preparedness: Lessons learned from international events. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 19(1), S44-S48. Web.

Dunlap, C. (2017). Disasters and emergencies: Legal authorities and the military’s role.Lawfire. Web.

Garrett, A. L. (2019). The role of the federal government in supporting domestic disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Current Treatment Options in Pediatrics, 5, 255-266. Web.

Margesson, R. (2015). International crises and disasters: U.S. humanitarian assistance response mechanisms. Congressional Research Service.

Public Health Emergency. (n.d.). National Health Security Strategy.Web.

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