The role of a community-based emergency response team

Ocean Port is a major seaport and shipping city with approximately 150 miles of open ocean waterway to the east. The socioeconomic and ethnically diverse population approximating 825,000 people forms a community of mixed occupations, businesses, and financial and shopping centers. A neighboring community, Restover, with approximately 132,000 people who normally make the morning and evening commute to work in Ocean Port, lies to the southwest, immediately across the quarter-mile wide river separating the two cities.

To the northwest of Ocean Port is an international airport serving three counties; a basic-training facility for the army supporting 3,000 soldiers forms the boundary to the west and connects to the international airport. The two cities have separate governments and infrastructures that include power; water; public transportation; telecom; oil/gas assets; and police, fire, and emergency medical facilities.

Assignment Guidelines

• Students will explore the role of a community-based emergency response team for the combined cities and create, using a real-world scenario, a plan for common communications during a major attack against the electrical power grid serving the twin cities, airport, and military base.
• Address the following in 1,250–1,500 words:
  • Your communications plan should consider the following:
    • Interagency/interoperable communications systems
    • Communications languages among regional response agencies
    • Finances and software and equipment updates
    • Hiring and training of maintenance personnel
    • Equipment training for first responders
    • Contingency plan for power failure
      • Keep in mind the possibility of electrical power be disrupted; all facilities dependent on electricity will be inoperable.
    • Recruitment and training of a public spokesperson
      • Purpose
      • Roles
      • Challenges
      • Media
    • Public information dissemination
      • What methods will be used to notify the public? Explain.
  • The plan must be written in a manner as though being presented to a city council.
  • The plan must follow a format including headings, subheadings, conclusions, and recommendations.
  • Answer the following questions:
    • What complications will be faced regarding working and communicating with an ethnically diverse population? Explain.
    • What complications will be faced regarding working and communicating with military personnel, aircraft, and ships? Explain.

Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.