Michelle Bandel was able to identify a lot of takeaways for emergency preparedness from three interviews that are part of an assignment. In the first interview with Thomas Chin, the Response Coordinator from San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management, he mentions that his team oversees the duty officer program and manages the alert, warning, and notification systems for the public.
The interview with Carmela Hinderaker, Director of Business Continuity, emphasizes the importance of planning before a disaster. She acknowledges that certain things can not be planned for, which is why she monitors supply chains to understand how customers, vendors, and operations are affected. This interview revealed a connection between disasters and companies, businesses, and non-governmental organizations.
The interview with Peter Miller, a member of the Officers & Steering Committee in the World Trade Center Survivor Network, demonstrates a community or individual-level perspective that focuses on the importance of evacuation protocols and response efforts. Bandel learned that disasters affect multiple communities including organizations and institutions as well as individuals and how mitigation and preparation are shared goals for everyone.
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