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Trident University International *
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509
Subject
Information Systems
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
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1
Uploaded by Dr.Sprague
When discussing an example of a disaster or emergency where poor communications significantly
hampered operations, along with what single action could have prevented it and an implemented fix.
Hurricane Katrina has been used extensively as one of the most recent examples in the United States of
a disaster where breakdowns in communication and command and control resulted in the response
efforts being hampered. This included a lack of communication from the local, state, and federal levels as
many of the responding agencies did not have simple communication; numerous reports discussed
problems with obtaining, communicating, and managing information plagued many different aspects of
the response.
Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the communications infrastructure throughout
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. With landline telephones, radio antennas, and cell phone services
disrupted, first responders scrambled to find alternate means of communication among one another as
well as back to federal, state, and local agencies. This was due to each agency using different radio and
communication equipment. Further failures resulted in the 911 systems being down days after the initial
landfall without any type of backup system in place for the public to call for help. There was no planning
developed to get communications back up as part of the response effort. FEMA was unprepared for a
storm or catastrophic event of this scale, and DHS was slow to recognize the scope of the disaster. There
was no unified command structure for reporting, tracking, and coordinate the various efforts of the
teams and agencies involved in recovery. Having a system which outlined roles responsibilities and
command and control would have ensured faster response and a more organized response.
Communication channels through agencies being established previously would have ensured that
agencies could communicate.
References
Edwards, C. (2015). Hurricane Katrina: Remembering the Federal Failures. Cato.org. Retrieved 4 July
2021, from
https://www.cato.org/blog/hurricane-katrina-remembering-federal-failures
.
Four overarching factions contributed to the failures of Katrina. Disastersrus.org. (2021). Retrieved 4 July
2021, from
http://www.disastersrus.org/katrina/senatereport/KatCon.pdf
.
THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA LESSONS LEARNED. (2006). Retrieved 4 July 2021, from
https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/public/hasl_get_blob.cfm?ID=4628
.
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