Who has the primary responsibility to care for victims of disasters and other emergencies?

When a disaster is declared, the Federal government, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), responds at the request of, and in support of, States, Tribes, Territories, and Insular Areas and local jurisdictions impacted by a disaster.  Response actions are organized under the National Response Framework. FEMA appoints a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) to establish a Joint Field Office (JFO) and lead the response. Short- and long-term recovery actions are organized under the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). FEMA appoints a Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator (FDRC) as a deputy to the FCO to lead the recovery effort from the JFO.

Recovery often begins while emergency response activities are still in progress. The disaster recovery process focuses on restoring, redeveloping, and revitalizing communities impacted by a disaster. The NDRF established six Recovery Support Functions (RSFs) to provide technical assistance and support the recovery in accordance with priorities of impacted communities. The RSFs include: Community Planning and Capacity Building, Housing, Economics, Infrastructure Systems, Health, and Natural and Cultural Resources (i.e., the NCR RSF). Each RSF is led by a Federal Coordinating Agency and has a core group of Primary Agencies along with a cadre of Supporting Organizations. The purpose of the RSFs is to integrate interagency resources for recovery support by facilitating problem solving, improving access to resources, and fostering coordination among Local, State, Tribal, Territorial, and Insular Area partners, nongovernmental partners, the private sector, and stakeholders.

In accordance with the NDRF’s Recovery Federal Interagency Operational Plan, NCR RSF field support operations are structured around six key operational stages to ensure that recovery partners and stakeholders at all levels have a shared understanding of the sequence and synchronization of activities around which they can operate. The stages listed below provide the flexibility necessary to address the unique recovery challenges of each disaster, while also providing Federal recovery support in a consistent, timely, and efficient manner.  The NCR RSF could be activated by FEMA for all, or some, of the six stages of disaster recovery depending on the NCR needs for a particular disaster. These stages include:

  1. Monitoring and Situational Awareness.
  2. Advance Evaluation.
  3. FDRC and RSF Activation/Deployment.
  4. Recovery Support Strategy (RSS) Report Development.
  5. RSS Report Implementation.
  6. Transition and Return to Steady-State Operations.

For more information on these stages, see the NCR RSF Concept of Operations Plan.

The following parties are responsible for dealing with a crisis or disaster: the mayor, the fire brigade, the medical and municipal services and the police. The army may also be deployed.

Mayor

The mayor is responsible at the administrative level for ensuring that the response effort runs smoothly. He/she convenes the representatives of the various public services who make up the disaster management team. In view of the mayor's administrative responsibility, the municipal council may call him/her to account for the overall management of the response effort.

Fire service

The fire service is the linchpin of the disaster response. The fire chief is charged with the operational management of the response effort. Everything that occurs in the disaster area falls under his/her authority. As a member of the disaster management team, the fire chief puts the team's decisions into practice. He/she also coordinates the work of the emergency services. In the disaster area, the fire service's first duty is to save people and animals. Firefighters also put out fires, of course, and conduct tests to find out whether any hazardous substances have been released.

Regional accident and disaster medical teams

Anyone injured in a disaster will require medical assistance as soon as possible. Ambulance paramedics will usually provide first aid and stabilise the injured so that they can be taken to hospital.

Police services

The police will ensure that the fire and ambulance services can do their job. They will cordon off the disaster area, direct traffic and sometimes set up a safety zone around the disaster area. If victims are difficult to identify, the police will deploy the disaster identification team, consisting of experts convened on an ad hoc basis. This team of specialists perform their work in consultation with one another.

Armed forces

The Ministry of Defence can deploy military personnel to respond to a disaster. Their duties include evacuating people.

Municipal services

The municipality is responsible for the residents' immediate welfare. Municipal services will assist in other practical ways, such as providing food and temporary shelter; they may also offer psychological care. In addition, the municipality will register the victims and may help them attend to uninsured damage.

Other services that respond to a disaster

Which services take part in the response effort will depend on the type of disaster.

  • Water authorities

    In the event of flooding caused by burst dikes or heavy rainfall
  • Coastguard

    In the event of a disaster off the Dutch coast.
  • Red Cross

    To treat the injured
  • Rescue dog organisations

    To look for victims trapped beneath rubble
  • Salvation Army

    To provide both victims and emergency workers with sandwiches and soup

Who is responsible for disaster management?

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the apex body for Disaster Management in India.

Who holds the most authority and responsibility in emergency management?

Primary responsibility for disaster response rests with state and local governments; the federal role supplements that of the states and localities.

Who is responsible for dealing with disaster at local level?

—The District Authority may by order require any officer or any Department at the district level or any local authority to take such measures for the prevention or mitigation of disaster, or to effectively respond to it, as may be necessary, and such officer or department shall be bound to carry out such order.

What is the main responsibility during an emergency?

Initiate initial response actions if they are the first person on the scene (see above) Restrict access to the incident scene and surrounding area as the situation demands Take any other steps necessary to minimize any threat to health and safety. Request medical assistance, if necessary.