Impact of FEMA on Health and Safety Needs of Community Capella 4060 Assessment 2

Impact of FEMA on Health and Safety Needs of Community

The main objective of FEMA is to restore the safety and quality of life of people suffering from disasters. This goal is incomplete without its collaboration with healthcare systems and health professionals. Therefore, FEMA has requested the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to grant the access to Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function (HSSRSF) which aims at the restoration of public health and social services.The HSSRSF in collaboration with FEMA has been helpful in recovering the communities in terms of health and safety needs.

For example, the HSSRSF worked on restoring the health and safety of individuals affected by Hurricane Irma with the assistance of FEMA. The recovery missions that FEMA fulfills with HSSRSF are public health, food safety, regulated pharmaceuticals, long-term responder health issues, and healthcare services. Considering these missions, goals like assessing health and social service needs, restoring healthcare capacity, and improving the resilience and sustainability of healthcare systems to promote the well-being of the communities are set and fulfilled (FEMA, 2021).

Role of Nurses in FEMA

Nurses can participate actively in FEMA as there is a need to provide healthcare treatments to people having faced disasters. The nurses might become involved with the organization in providing first-aid services to affected individuals, performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques to save the lives of people who are on the verge of dying, and stabilizing the mental health of the affected individuals post-disaster. As the disaster inflicts marked behavioral changes in individuals who are first viewers of the disaster and have unstable mental and emotional health, particularly children and adults. In this regard, nurses can create camps for the rehabilitation of mental and emotional health and can play a huge role in bringing life back to the disaster-inflicted community.

Conclusion

Community resources are helpful in promoting the welfare of a community and enhancing security, safety, and quality of life. Federal Emergency Management Agency is one of the community resources that helps people recover from disasters and restore their life and health needs. Some social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers hinder the services of FEMA. The funding decisions by CBO, policies for hazard mitigation planning, and CFR regulations affect the working of FEMA by directing the organization to work in a streamlined manner. The collaboration of FEMA with HSSSRF fulfills the health and safety needs of affected individuals from disaster. Nurses can play a huge role in FEMA by providing health services to affected people.

References

Chang, C. D. (2019). Social determinants of health and health disparities among immigrants and their children. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 49(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2018.11.009 

Congressional Budget Office. (2022, November). FEMA’s disaster relief fund: Budgetary history and projections | congressional budget office. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58420 

FEMA. (2020). Regulations and guidance . https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/hazard-mitigation-planning/regulations-guidance 

FEMA. (2021, January). History of FEMA . https://www.fema.gov/about/history#:~:text=Creation%20of%20FEMA