More time is taken to respond to a volcano eruption and this depends on the distance from the volcano. In the same perspective, fewer dangers are encountered when people are located further from the area of the volcano. Around the volcano area, the potential and immediate dangers include damage from a volcano, heat blast, flying rocks, mudslides, floods and lava. (Cutter, 1996, 529-539). The potential dangers result from the fact that rocks are thrown more than 20 miles from the centre of eruption while the ash is also thrown many miles from the centre of eruption (Cutter, p. 530).
Even before a volcano eruption occurs, it is important to mobilize any resources that might be required during the disaster period. In volcanic prone areas, people should have extra resources such as extra oil filters and air filters for their vehicles, extra cooling/heating filters for their homes, extra packaging tape and extra plastic wrap rolls which can be used to protect and wrap electronics, computers and any other appliance from damage. People should also store water and emergency food in their homes as well as establish whether the warning systems are functional and whether people understand them. A clear evacuation plan should also be created. For example, high grounds should be identified where people can run away from eruption magma floods as well as defining any contacts with family members out-of-town to check-in incase an eruption occurs. Apart from the emergency kit to be used by the family, families should also have disposable goggles and breathing masks which can be used by every family member when poisonous gases are emitted from the volcanic eruption (Cutter, p. 534).
Some of the events involved in a volcanic disaster scenario include communication, evacuation and shelter, search and rescue and medical emergencies, law enforcement and security. The expected emergency response action in communication involves following the directions as issued by the relevant authorities and listening to any communication through television or radio from the concerned authorities. The expected emergency response actions during the evacuation and shelter event include evacuating affected people to an upwind area. If the affected people are located in the valley the evacuation team should move the affected people from the valley or from the stream to prevent any danger from mudflows. Those families which are unable to evacuate should be allowed to seek indoor shelter (Wisner, Blaike and Cannon, 2004). All the doors and windows should be closed to protect people from ash. Since, poisonous gases, ashes, mud and flash floods accumulate in lowlands; the evacuated people should be taken to higher grounds. Vehicles should be turned off until the end of the eruption. The emergency response involved in search and rescue involves moving around the affected places to search for any person who might have been trapped or left behind during the evacuation process. Such people should be located and rescued and medical emergencies services administered to them to save their lives. After the eruption people should be made to avoid their movements and keep their doors and windows closed at all times (Wisner, Blaike and Cannon, 2004). The emergency response action after the eruption involved in law enforcement includes allowing the law enforcers to move around the affected place or location especially in the neighbourhoods where all the people have been evacuated. In medical emergency response action, enough medical supplies should be distributed to all the affected locations to allow all people to have adequate access to medical supplies.
Works Cited
- Cutter, S. (1996). “Vulnerability to environmental hazards”, Progress in Human Geography, vol. 20 (4) 529-539.
- Wisner, B., Blaike, P, and Cannon, T. (2004). At-Risk: natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and Disasters, London: Rutledge.
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Emergency Response to a Volcano Eruption.
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