Progress Report: The Emergency Management

Introduction

The emergency management deals with disaster situations that evolve from a myriad of military, political, natural, and economic constraints. In most cases, the government cannot be in a position to serve a large number of victims in a complex emergency (Fredrick, 1995). In such an overwhelming situation, the United States government gets assistance from the humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) through the government liaisons. The government liaison forms a crucial aspect of the interaction between the administration and the Red Cross as he/she conveys the relevant information between both parties. This work aims to discuss the government liaison with the Red Cross in the USA. It includes a job description, the duties throughout the phases of the emergency management as well as challenges, which a government liaison officer may confront.

History of State Liaison Profession in the United States

In the United States, the profession of government liaison who ensures cooperation with the Red Cross began a long time ago. Clara Barton was the first who took this position. It happened when she, along with her colleagues, founded the American Red Cross in 1881. She was the intermediary between the government and the Red Cross. This partnership led to the ratification of the Geneva Convention in 1882 that sought to protect those who were injured during the war (American Red Cross (ARC), 2016). Mainly, it happened by the great work, which Clara and her team did. They compelled changes in the structure of the organization to include the position of the government liaison there. Consequently, today, there is more evidence that due to the assistance of the government liaison the United States works in close collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in emergency management activities sphere.

State Liaison Job Description

The Red Cross liaison is an individual that facilitates communication between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other bodies such as governments to make the collaboration between them possible (ARC, 2013).Therefore, a government liaison in the United States is a person that acts as a channel of communication between the Red Cross and the United States government. Most of the liaison personnel come from various career fields. For example, the range includes but is not limited to educators, retired military, state and government retiree among others. The key responsibilities of this position are the formulation and sustaining of relationships between different parties, engagement in the external and internal planning exercises, provision of situational information as well as representation and articulation of the Red Cross procedures and services. The person suitable for this job ought to possess problem-solving and analytical skills, demonstrate a high level of all forms of communication besides being well-informed about the Red Cross programs, policies, and procedures. He/she should also demonstrate leadership skills and etiquettes that encourage cooperation between the United States government and the Red Cross.

Duties of the Red Cross Government Liaison in the United States

The emergency management concept has significantly changed with time, especially in the last few decades. For instance, in the 1940s when the United States was involved in the Second World War as well as during the Cold War period, the emergency managers had the defense mind while acting to the situation (Peter, 2015, p. 1). Since then, the profession extensively evolved as the government enacted several legislative initiatives that ensured the higher level of state involvement in the relief services throughout the country. President Jimmy Carter championed the formation of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1979 that brought several changes in this field (Peter, 2015, p. 1). These changes include the formation and implementation of particular policies as well as the creation of organizations that use them. In this regard, the interaction between the government and the Red Cross becomes relevant and sustainable throughout all the phases involved in the emergency management.

The Liaison in Preparedness Phase

This is the period during which the stakeholders meet and make plans for the eventuality of an emergency in a joint planning stage that puts into perspective issues of services alignments, resource identification as well as the formulation of expectations. In service adjustment process, the Red Cross seeks to mainstream the services among the potential partners by bringing a mutual understanding of capacities, courses of actions, processes, capabilities, goals, and systems in the entire disaster cycle (ARC, 2016). The role of the government liaison officer in these sessions is to ensure that he/she articulates the issues of the Red Cross about the services offered to the external partners involved. The specialist should be able to promote that the Red Cross offers and know how they are provided. At the same time, he/she should emphasize the organization’s engagement with the community agencies. The roles of the partners should be clearly stated. The liaison should be able to explain on behalf of the Red Cross how well the organization is prepared to meet the requirements of the anticipated disasters. On the final stage of the process, he/she has to oversee the signing of mutual agreements that stipulate the methods of coordination and cooperation between the bodies while listing the responsibilities of the Red Cross and the government. The Red Cross-government liaison should check the document to ensure that the Red Cross is mentioned in the right context so that it can provide what is stated in the report.

The Liaison in Response Phase

This is the stage of situational awareness, at which the government liaison gets the task of exchanging relevant information with the concerned government departments (ARC, 2016). It occurs when the organization anticipates its needs and issues. Therefore, the contact person should be aware of what is happening in the emergency situation so that the decision-makers and planners could know the requirements of individuals affected by the event. One needs to conduct an analysis of essential elements of information (EEI) to enhance service delivery, identify existing problems as well handle arising situations concerning the mission goals. It also asks the individual to be proactive and seek to find the information, which the government partners need (ARC, 2016). When receiving the information, the person ought to analyze and synthesize it to prioritize facts and determine their urgency levels. In his/her daily log, a liaison has to record dates and time of events taking place while being interactive and ensuring that the information is valid before forwarding it to the relevant government authority. It is also important to keep a copy of the document on a flash disk so that it could be transferred back to the authority upon the completion of the operation. The specialist is expected to close the loop so that the activity is not duplicated.

The Liaison in Recovery Phase

Emergency situations come with major destructions that disrupt the infrastructure and livelihood of the locals. These problems call for external support that can enable to help people to live as they did before the calamity (Homeland Security, 2016). This phase seeks, therefore, to offer the solutions to the collapsed systems issues, and it is the role of the Red Cross-government liaison to enquire how the organization can assist with the initiated activities of both the federal agencies and state (ARC, 2016). The government liaison officer should be able to lead in the intervening of the situation, help in the development of training of volunteers to aid during the recovery phase while formulating and disseminating a recovery plan for the community. While coordinating the activities, it is upon to the government liaison to ensure that there is the building of trust and goodwill to the Red Cross among the affected individuals so that the government could be in a position to allow the involvement of the organization in operation.

Challenges Faced By Government Liaison

The government liaison at times may face challenges that lower his/her productivity. In particular situations, the federal government may side with other organization while putting the Red Cross and its activities to the periphery. It may hinder the individual’s output since the state may fail to offer the necessary cooperation (Defense Technical Information Center, 2013). At times, the weather conditions may be not conducive to perform certain tasks such as the issuing of foodstuff since, for example, the rain can spoil it. This can also significantly influence the accountability of the required needs since mobility may be affected. Another challenge is that due to cultural diversity in the United States the victims may speak a different language, what can cause misunderstandings. Finally, the government liaison may face an overwhelming situation that exceeds the organization’s capacity.

Conclusion

The history of government liaison profession dates back to the era of Clara Barton who emphasized the importance of having an individual that articulates the Red Cross requirements and resources to the state. It is crucial for the emergency management since the cooperation between agencies is essential for their effectiveness. The position of liaison requires a highly qualified individual for whom sufficient work experience would be an advantage. He/she ensures the alignment of the services while mainstreaming the support of the government to the Red Cross mission. He/she is responsible for the acquisition and dissemination of information to the government authorities to enhance service provision to the affected individuals. The liaison officer ought to foresee that the Red Cross supports the government in its activities by seeking ways, in which the organization can help or gain from governmental programs. Since the government belongs to people, the individual is responsible for creating an excellent reputation of the Red Cross within the society.