MHE 503 TUI Wildfire Incidences in California Disaster Preparedness Case Study

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS 

Case Overview

Wildfires

Wildfires can cause great devastation to people, homes, and animals. If not responded to quickly, a wildfire can easily become unmanageable, forcing voluntary or mandatory evacuation. Think you have plenty of time to escape a wildfire? Watch this video clip, Texas Parks and Wildlife, to see how fast a wildfire travels. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=106tOoXVsxQ

This is why preparedness is key to potential wildfires and other natural or man-made disasters. *The DHS National Preparedness Goal is capabilities-based and is organized into five mission areas:

1. Prevention. Avoid, prevent, or stop an imminent, threatened, or actual act of terrorism.
2. Protection. Protect our citizens, residents, visitors, assets, systems, and networks against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allows our vital interests and way of life to thrive.
3. Mitigation. Reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters.
4. Response. Respond quickly to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of an incident.
5. Recovery. Assist communities affected by an incident to recover through a focus on the timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of infrastructure, housing and the economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic, and environmental fabric of communities affected by an incident.

* National preparedness goal (2015). DHS.

Read more about the National Preparedness Goal in your background reading.

Case Assignment

California has seen more than its share of wildfires throughout the years.

1. From your background readings and websites, find references to wildfires emergency plan for California. What are some preparedness efforts that you located? Are these measures also relevant to other types of disasters? If so, what other types?
2. In preparing for a wildfire, what are some recommendations if you are trapped in your house with a raging fire outdoors? Would this work for you? If not, why?