Initials Posts
- The readings in your text for this module concern the whole community. The whole-community concept is a foundational one for our National Preparedness System.
For this discussion, select one opportunity and one challenge that the whole-community concept poses for county or city emergency managers in in your local community as they construct emergency management programs and plans.
In your responses to this two (2) Peers,either agree or disagree with their positions. Provide justification for your agreement or disagreement or relate how the ideas they presented would or would not be relevant to your particular local community.
1- Mike Goslin ‘s Discussion Posts
One great opportunity the Whole Community approach offers to a town like Hartford, Vermont is the chance to build on its existing community networks. In small towns, people often know and support one another whether it be through schools, churches, volunteer fire departments, and other local nonprofits. FEMA (2011) highlights how tapping into these everyday connections helps emergency managers plan more effectively and boost community resilience.
With that though comes a challenge which is truly understanding the complexity of the population. While Hartford may seem close-knit, it includes older adults, low-income families, people with disabilities, and even seasonal residents. These diverse needs can easily be overlooked, especially when local emergency managers are stretched thin. McEntire (2022) warns that failing to recognize these differences can weaken preparedness and response efforts.
That’s why collaboration is key. Partnering with local health departments, schools, or nonprofits can help fill in the gaps. Kapucu and Garayev (2011) point out that collaborative decision-making leads to better awareness and more inclusive emergency planning. It’s all about building trust and working together before disaster strikes.
Thanks,
Mike
References
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2011). A whole community approach to emergency management: Principles, themes, and pathways for action. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. https://www.fema.gov
Kapucu, N., & Garayev, V. (2011). Collaborative decision-making in emergency and disaster management. International Journal of Public Administration, 34(6), 366–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2011.561477
McEntire, D. A. (2022). Disaster response and recovery: Strategies and tactics for resilience (3rd ed.). Wiley.
2- Eric Dubowik’s Discussion Posts
Hello Class,
I work for a small community in New Hampshire (New Boston) and a larger community (Bedford). I work in both communities as part of the four-person emergency management team. Since taking this class and the previous one, I have realized that addressing concerns in building plans requires a whole-community concept to be effective. Now that I have been participating at this level, with some introduction to the education provided by this program, I have noted that in both communities, there is a minimal whole-community concept in the planning aspects. This is an opportunity to build up the planning and participation aspects and gather valuable information to meet the community’s needs. Both communities have strong community leadership in different groups. This pathway should be used in the approach to emergency management in both areas. A significant aspect is that community participation helps improve community resilience, as it creates new avenues to reach people. Community resilience dramatically helps during emergencies by gaining valuable time and reducing the need for an extensive response, as the community can hold out a bit longer. ”A Whole Community approach to building community resilience requires finding ways to support and strengthen the institutions, assets, and networks that already work well in communities and are working to address issues that are important to community members daily” (FEMA, 2011, p. 5)
A challenge I have begun to notice is one that I have dealt with throughout my entire career. It’s a change to the process. Currently, emergency management teams meet with internal stakeholders, and there is minimal input from the general community. The challenge will be to accomplish this change in two different aspects. One aspect is that the team needs to be educated and buy into making the change (this can be more difficult than not at times). I want to emphasize that as public servants, we appreciate receiving feedback and constructive criticism. Still, there are occasions when we prefer to focus and concentrate on our job or mission without being questioned. That being said, we are committed to doing what is best for the community, and this is a crucial aspect. The second part of the challenge is identifying the correct community leaders to be part of the team. This is no different than having a strong member who is interested and can keep the momentum going. Weighing whether individuals want to participate fully is key to having a successful team. “Within every community, there are many different formal and informal leaders, such as community organizers, local council members and other government leaders, nonprofit or business leaders, volunteer or faith leaders, and long-term residents, all of whom have valuable knowledge and can provide a comprehensive understanding of the communities in which they live” (FEMA, 2011, p. 10). Finding the correct leaders will not only meet the community’s needs but also create a stronger team.
References
FEMA. (2011). A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action. fema.gov. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/whole_community_dec2011__2.pdf
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