Disaster Response And Recovery Of Management-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: So How Can The Southern Europeans Reduce The Cases Of Fires? Answer: Introduction Disasters can strike at anytime and anywhere and can lead to threats both to private and public property. Disasters can range from earthquakes, hurricanes, fires as well as leaking sprinkler systems. Disaster response is coming up with measures and decisions so as to contain the outcome of a disastrous occurrence with the aim of preventing damage to life and property, restoring order, and re-establishing normality (Azari, 2010). Disaster recovery planning is a branch of business continuity planning that entails coming up with the resumption of networking, data, applications and IT. Therefore, institutions should come up with strategies and plans to prepare for any disaster that may arise at any time. Also, the staff that works in the institutions should be ready for the task that may arise due to training and implementation of the policies that will safeguard property. The paper focuses on different responses to Bushfires in Spain and Portugal, in 2017. It also gives a description of how the event was managed and the practice principles it was accorded. 2017 deadly forest fire in Portugal In June 2017, a deadly forest fire occurred and claimed at least 62 lives (Jones, 2017). Efforts to alert the public to take precaution was unsuccessful as the fire had already destroyed telephone lines. More than 1,500 fire fighters battled to counter the spread of the fire that kept spreading leading to a great loss of lives as people tried to flee. Antonio Costa reported that the emergency services responded fast but were hindered by the disabled communication. The firefighting process, however, continued despite the inability to communicate with the residents. Communication was restored immediately, and residents were urged to listen to the radio for any advice or direction. The government of Portugal declared three days of national mourning while awaiting further assistance from Italy, Spain, France and the UN. During the deadly disaster, some tales of heroism emerged. One such tale revolves around Maria do Ceu Silva, a resident of Nodeirinho village, who saved 12 people (Jones, 2017). She did that by asking the people to shelter in her water tank so as to avoid the flames. Among the residents that she saved was a 95-year-old woman. She, together with her son, managed to get her 85-year-old mother in the tank, where they all sheltered for six hours. Many people were not lucky as some got injured and others lost their lives in the ordeal. Silva reported having lost many neighbors and friends in the fire. It was a sad moment for the residents of that village. The fire broke out in Pedrogao Grande municipality and was said to have been caused by lightning. More than 60 people were injured as 18 of them were taken to hospitals in Coimbra, Lisbon, and Porto (Jones, 2017). Some local residents claimed that they lacked the attention of firefighters for several hours, as their houses burned. Most people blamed poor planning of forestry reserve, while Quercus, Portugals popular environmental lobby group, blamed forest management errors and poor political decisions (Black, Arrowsmith, Black Cartwright, n.d). Three months, prior to the fire disaster, the government had proposed new measures that could combat the annual scourge of forest fires. The measures included restricting eucalyptus plantations and cheaper property registration program that could ascertain neglected land. The reforms had not been fully effected, yet. The June fire disaster got to a level of human tragedy that had never been experienced in the country. Smoke clouds that lay low made it difficult for fire planes and helicopters to drop water on the flames. A thick layer of white smoke covered about 12 miles on either side of a motorway. A burn-tout car was spotted outside, partially burnt houses; while face-masked police surrounded a body under a white sheet, a few meters ahead. The fire spread quickly due to strong winds at the moment (Foate, Laing, Wilson, Cross Hunter, 2008). Daniel Starling, a British man, had an explanation to give concerning his tale. The moment he witnessed the flames, he jumped in his car and raced away (Jones, 2017). On the way, he met a family of four elderly people and picked them. His desire to escape was made difficult by the loss of direction at different points and falling trees that caused his car to catch flames. It was a sigh of relief as they approached a junction and saw a policeman. He stopped the car and the family got out and started kissing the car. Jorge Gomes, who is the secretary of state for internal administration, reported that out of those burned to death, 18 had been trapped in their cars (Jones, 2017). One could not tell if they were caught unaware, or were fleeing the flames. Other bodies were found in isolated and burnt houses. Luisilda Malheiro escaped the fire through route N-236, together with her husband. However, they lost everything that they owned, including their ducks, chickens, and rabbits (Jones, 2017). They only managed to save two goats. Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo met the victims families at Leiriaregion and told that he was sharing their pain (Jones, 2017). In 2016, Portugal was hit by a series of fires that led to the destruction of more than 100000 hectares of land. Control of the fire The June fire disaster in Portugal was brought under control after about five days. The fire broke out in Pedrogao Grande on Saturday of the 17thJune 2017, and then later spread to Arganil, Gois and Pampilhosa da Serra (Jones, 2017). In Pedrogao Grande, the fire devastated 30,000 hectares of land and was only brought under control after five days, through a lot of struggle from firefighters who had to undergo intense heat and shifting winds (Jones, 2017). The struggle was simplified by low temperatures and high humidity. The fire in Gois was contained on Thursday of the 23rd. Portuguese interior minister said that blaming the state for a disaster was unwise, especially when the fires had not been contained. He further said that such kind of a natural disaster could be caused by a number of factors. He added that they were not sure if the consequences of the fire could have been avoided (Jones, 2017).Antonio Costa inquired from the head of the National Republican Guard, why the road that had most of the fire victims burnt was not closed. He also wanted to know how bad the communication system had been affected and whether high cases of death arose due to the delay in response or the unusual weather. The prime minister was not short of questions as he further asked the emergency services, the point of planning, and executing operations that were not working. He further asked if there was an alternative connection to the public (Jones, 2017). He insisted that as much as the telephone communication lines had been destroyed, the firefighting effort was not to be compromised. The Portuguese weather agency reported the fire spread due to exceptional conditions. The agency blamed atmospheric instability that caused strong winds to blow towards the ground, hence causing the quick spread of the fire (Board, 2010). Officers reported that the road with the most fire victims was not closed, as they had no information about the risk it had. Problems with communication was everywhere, hence the lack of an alternative means (Jones, 2017).The cause of the fire raised some issues as well. The national police chief blamed it on lightning and insisted that his officers found a tree which had been struck. The president of League of Firefighters, however, ruled out the claim and said arson was the cause (Grigg, Clarke, Wahl Ryan, n.d). He added that there was already fire burning, two hours prior to the storm. Wildfire response from emergency services More than 1,100 firefighters battled with the fair, the wind and temperatures would favor them. There were questions on why there was a high death rate, yet the country was used to experiencing wildfires (Jones, 2017). The major issue of concern was that of suggesting roadN236 as an alternative route, yet it led to many deaths in cars. 47 people had died in their cars while using the route (Jones, 2017). Out of the 47 victims, thirty of them had burned to death in their cars, while the other 17 died after abandoning their motorcades. One survivor reported that gendarmes directed them to use road N236, instead of IC8 which the gendarmes used (Jones, 2017). Upon reaching road IC8, they were directed to N236 that was said to be safer. They believed it was safe, only to find out that it was not. Among the victims who had tried to flee, was a four-year-old boy who had been left in the care of his aunt and uncle, as his parents went on a honeymoon (Jones, 2017). Efforts from his mother and grandmother to find the boy led them to his body and that of his uncle, besides a car. Poor forest management and depopulation are believed to have contributed to the disaster. A professor in the department of forest science, Paulo Fernandes reported that the unpreparedness from the people was due to the fact that it was not yet the season for the usual forest fires (Jones, 2017). The professor further added that the winter during the period had been dry which combined with a heat wave and atmospheric instability causing lightning instead of rain (Boston, Wanna, PritchardLipski,2014). He noted that the fire was unique as it occurred early and caused a lot of damage and loss of lives. The affected area is heavily forested and so naturally lit fires take place in random and majorly affect remote areas. The professor assumed that people panicked when they did not get sight any firefighters and decided to flee in their cars, instead of staying at home (Jones, 2017).Fernandes noted that as much as forest fires that occurred in 2003 and 2005 had led to some improvements in disaster planning, preventing fires was still an issue and hence more emphasis was laid on fighting the fires. Quercus , who is an environmental lobby group in Portugal, said that the fires occurred due to poor political decisions and forest management. He linked the claim to the eucalyptus trees that are highly flammable (Jones, 2017). The trees had become dominant in the countrys forests. Fernandes however, argued that the risk of eucalyptus was exaggerated. He added that it could be a contributor, but most the countrys vegetation was quite flammable. Pine trees and shrubs consist of the countrys vegetation as well, and they are flammable. Measures that the government had come up with had not yet been put into effect (Jones, 2017). The measures included restricting eucalyptus trees and determining neglected land through a cheap registration of property. Xavier Viegas, a forest fires expert, reported that the spread of the fire was too fast for the firefighters to contain within a given period. However, he said that communication issues contributed a great deal to the high death rate. Some countries that have experienced disasters of firehave put systems in place to alert their people when there is a danger (Di?az, Bellamine, Dugdale Hanachi,2016). One such country is Australia that began using broadcasts of emergency and text messages, after 2009 fire disaster that consumed 173 people. Viegas complained that in Portugal, a person from the parish council moves from door to door asking the residents to evacuate (Jones, 2017). He further adds that the Australian communication system needs to be adopted. Analysis of the fire According to a Portuguese citizen, every summer meant fire. The fires kept burning unconsumed parts of the forest, hence growing closer to the villages. The fire could generate a lot of heat, leaving residents dressed in their beach wear (Jones, 2017).The 2017 fire, however, was the worst. The fire burned to the central part of the country, killing 64 people. Experts said it was time to implement the solutions that had been debated on. They include restricting eucalyptus trees, identifying isolated land and enforcing laws meant to prevent fires (LeonardHowitt, 2010). A closer look on the N236 road revealed many eucalyptus trees close to the road. The law forbids that, but it was the case. The revelation explains why many residents who used the road perished. Portugal is among the heavily forested countries in Europe. However, very little (1.6%) of the land is owned by the government (Denyer Pilbeam, 2015). Most the land is owned by the locals, and some have migrated from the villages, leaving the land unattended to. Moreover, the north and central parts of Portugal are covered with eucalyptus trees (Martins Felgueiras, 2015). The trees grew very fast and replaced the ancient species of oaks, cork, and chestnuts, which are more resistant to fire. Eucalyptus trees are valued by paper industries as they serve as a raw material. Environmentalists have battled to have eucalyptus trees replaced with cork trees, oaks and chestnuts (Matvienko, AfoninBelov, 2011). However, the plan has constantly been hindered by the paper industry. The country has good laws, but the citizens are not adhering to them. Mr. Castro reported that another tragedy needs to be avoided. He points out the need to repopulate the rural areas. He also adds that eucalyptus trees ought to be restricted close to paper industries and that native trees should be grown. The cheapest and most effective strategy of managing bushfires is controlled burning; whereby the highly flammable forest species re burnt so as to reduce risks of fires in future. There is also need to introduce fire lessons in the curriculum so as to prepare citizens from an early age. Lesson learned from the fire incidents The month of July had seen firefighters to France, Italy, and Spain fighting numerous wildfires that were caused by heat and drought. In June, a disastrous forest fire killed at least 64 people. Thereafter, there was a fire in Spain that forced more than 1500 people to be evacuated from their homes. The countries usually expect fires in the summer; however, they normally have less adverse effects (NugusPowell, 2009). The recent incidents, therefore, call for a better management of landscapes so as to protect people and ecosystems from such incidents. Reforestation Today, places that had fewer risks of fire are experiencing higher risks due to warming of the climate and an increasing population near dense forests (Adams, 2013). People in the Southern Europe are not moving into the forests. Instead, most of the rural inhabitants have migrated to urban areas due to social and economic changes. For instance, in 1950, 50% of Spanish people lived in rural places, the figure dropped to 25% by 1990. The result is more land covered with dense forests that replaced previous farmlands and open forests. As much as forests protect the soil, they can be causes of fire during the summer period. Unfuel the fire Strategies that consider the ecological, social and economic factors of fire should be used as solutions to reduce risks of fire. Fire suppression- firefighting vehicles should be at a standby so as to address any issue of fire immediately it occurs so as to manage it early. As a result, people and homes will be kept safe. However, suppression is not the ultimate solution as vegetation will still accumulate, raising fire risks in future. Therefore, there should be prescribed burning so as to reduce the connectivity of the fuel. The option of prescribed burning may not be effective in all places. The reason for this claim is due to various causes of fires. Some fires are caused by local conditions, interaction with climate and topography. A good example is that of Spain and Portugal. Prescribed burning is likely to be more effective in Portugal, as compared to Spain. Fire incidents in Portugal are driven by fuel while the fires in Spain are driven by climate and weather. Fuel management can be effective when applied to rural areas. Promoting bio-economy in rural areas provides avenues for effective management (Adams, 2013). Bio-economy involves practicing forestry and agriculture at the same time so that the local economy can benefit. Creating open forests with widely spaced trees prevents the spread of fire between trees. At the same time, the option of sustainable forestry can create jobs in the energy production and forestry industries. Grazing in the forests is also an option of fuel reduction in rural areas. France is integrating this method, while Spain is yet to implement it. Practicing agriculture on abandoned pieces of land can reduce the risks of wildfires by breaking the connectivity of fuels in the forests. Crops such as vineyards and truffles can be used as green breaks in the forests. Involving the local community It is very important to educate the local community about wildfires and how to prevent them. Some of the areas to focus on include: when to shelter, home safety and when to leave unsafe places. Such steps, if followed properly, can reduce adverse effects of fire on the community. The education process should be done throughout using a participatory approach, and not just before or after fire outbreaks. The first step is to have decision-making groups comprising of various stake holders, including local business, farmers, and wildlife organizations. The next step is to bring such groups together and empower them. The groups can then be involved in the spatial planning of rural and urban areas so as to integrate the risks of wildfires. Once the various groups are informed, they can be able to determine decisions by viewing the risk of fires that they can cause. For instance, they can be able to decide on whether and how new homes should be built. Conclusion The 2017 fires that took place in Portugal and Spain can be termed as tragic due to the loss of lives they cost the people as well as property. Several lessons can be learnt from the fires that occurred in both the countries to avoid the losses that occurred. One cannot eliminate risks associated with forest fires completely. Therefore, the relevant institutions should come up with policies that should ensure fires are dealt with accordingly at the right time to avoid damages. However, having fire management strategies in place that incorporate ecological, social and economic factors present in fire-prone areas can help to protect people and ecosystems during incidents of change of climate. References Adams,M.A. (2013). Mega-fires, tipping points and ecosystem services: Managing forests and woodlands in an uncertain future. Forest Ecology and Management, 294, 250-261. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2012.11.039 Azari,H. (2010). Forest fires, risk and control. 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