The assignment started with the description of how Yining Liu developed an understanding of the role of government agencies in the event of a disaster from Thomas Chin’s interview. Liu learned that government agencies, such as the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management, deploy officers and first responders to aid in medical emergencies, notify the public of impending threats, and direct citizens to mitigate the disaster. The second interview with the Director of Business Continuity of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Carmela Hinderaker, taught Liu how the role of a director can involve monitoring supply chains, planning preparedness, and dealing with emergency situations. The importance of emergency preparedness for communities through individual training was stressed by Liu in the final interview with Peter Miller, a member of the Officers & Steering Committee in the World Trade Center Survivor Network. Liu concludes the assignment by reiterating that warning systems and alerts should be developed, and both government and communities need to be prepared before a disaster strikes. Ultimately, people should be aware of fire drills, evacuation periods, and business codes to have organized evacuation efforts in the event of a disaster.
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