California State University, Northridge

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Personal Preparedness for Disasters Approach to Best Practices Among Vulnerable Communities in the City of Los Angeles A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership By Diego Valenzuela August 2020 Copyright by Diego Valenzuela 2020 ii The graduate project of Diego Valenzuela is approved: ____________________________________ ____________________ Dr. Elizabeth Trebow Date ____________________________________ _____________________ Dr. Ariane David Date ____________________________________ ______________________ Dr. Anais Valiquette L’ Heureux, Chair Date California State University, Northridge iii Table of Contents Copyright Page ii Signature Page iii Abstract vi Introduction 1 Literature Review 3 Introduction 3 Coordination and Collaboration 3 Lessons of Hurricane Katrina 5 Evidence-Based Management 6 Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery 7 Organizational Leadership 8 Emergency Planning 9 Section Summary 10 Limitations of Previous Research 11 Research Question and Aim 12 Research Design 13 Introduction 13 General Approach 13 Sampling and Recruitment 14 Research Protocol 15 Quantitative Data Gathering 15 iv Quantitative Data Analysis 16 Cross-Sectional Study Measurement 16 Discussion 18 Science and Evidence Base of Disaster Responses 18 Emergency Policy Analysis 19 Limitations and Ethical Considerations 20 Conclusion 23 References 26 Appendix I 32 Appendix II 33 v Abstract Personal Preparedness for Disasters Approach to Best Practices Among Vulnerable Communities in the City of Los Angeles By Diego Valenzuela Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership Disaster preparedness requires local managers to collaborate with emergency personnel, including fire, police, and other agencies. It involves many topics, including lessons of previous disasters, collaboration with other government officials, mitigation, recovery, leadership, and emergency planning. This paper examines things Los Angeles Emergency Management can do to prepare communities that are adversely affected or live in vulnerable situations. Evidence points to discrepancies in level of education and preparedness between low- and high-income communities. A disproportionate number of minorities residing in both are unprepared for natural disasters. These communities suffer and will continue to do so. Los Angeles City Emergency Management teams, together with nonprofit organizations such as the American Red Cross and local police and fire departments, must continue their efforts to educate these communities that are likely to be affected. vi Introduction A disaster is an unplanned event in which vulnerable communities are at a higher risk of being affected, and therefore more resources are needed. Disasters occur around the globe daily, but major catastrophes are categorized by scope, size, and context. Specified well-publicized disasters include the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the coronavirus pandemic, all of which have increased public attention to disaster planning and preparedness. According to Henstra (2010), “Disasters like Hurricane Katrina periodically emphasize the critical importance of emergency management, which involves detailed planning and organization to deal with emergencies and their impacts.” (236). There is much-needed attention being given to vulnerable communities threatened by natural disasters, and much attention is required for community resilience. One lesson of Hurricane Katrina was the importance of strong emergency management and of educating vulnerable cities before disaster strikes. Hurricane Katrina also revealed the need for intake assistance, especially for families with low incomes or people suffering from chronic illness. During the hurricane, many first responders were recognized by for giving aid to displaced residents during a very difficult time. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, investigators found that many residents suffered from home damage, so they examined the evidence of underlying vulnerability through a series of case studies. Emergency management can include such entities as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. According to Waugh and Streib (2006), “At the professional level, the critical tasks leading up to, during, and following a disaster involve coordinating multiorganization, intergovernmental, and intersectional response and recovery operations.”(134). Emergency management today involves collaboration with many local government agencies such as police and fire, and medical responders. It can train local partners before a disaster strikes and educating the public. Collaboration with state and federal agencies can be helpful for sharing resources when a disaster strikes and developing a sound incident command system, external relations, or logistic departments. Emergency management can create better preparedness programs by providing recovery tools to community members, educating them, and building technological systems that respond to needs and provide funds when a disaster strikes. However, increased attention will help agencies invest and disseminate information to reduce the risk of catastrophes and reinforce strategies and coordination. Vulnerable areas have low socioeconomic statuses and high criminality, which negatively affects society. Other factors associated with sensitive areas are low levels of education and people with disabilities. Vulnerable areas can also be in geographical regions that are prone to natural disasters such earthquakes, diseases, and hurricanes. This project examines the awareness campaigns offered in vulnerable areas and municipalities to reduce the harm caused by all hazards, including disasters, and the measures public management agencies can take to increase public preparedness for disasters. 2 Literature Review Introduction Disaster preparedness is crucial for people around the world, as disasters can happen anywhere. It has saved many lives and protected many vulnerable communities. The goal is to return affected areas to normal. After a disaster, emergency management collaborates with state, federal, and local officials or the nonprofit sector to save as many lives as possible and provide other aid. The chaos and destruction of Hurricane Katrina taught the Emergency Management Department to cultivate coordination and collaboration skills. Disaster preparation requires strong communication skills, government partners, and proper tools. There are many ways of preparing for any type of disaster before it becomes stressful. Coordination and Collaboration Coordination is essential for continuance and requires the Emergency Management Agency to work with states, local, and federal authorities. In the last five years, the agency has promoted well-being by minimizing property damage across the country (Hodges, 2000). The most important aspects of disaster preparedness are intersectoral and intergovernmental. When a disaster strikes, emergency managers face many problems, demands, and stress. Emergency management requires diligent work among many groups and across boundaries to communicate and complete the mission (Mcguire, Brudney, & Gazley, 2010). At the local level, collaboration has proven to be essential in disasters because it increases community engagement and voluntarism. The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are the primary resources for disaster victims (Weigh & Streib, 2006). Collaborating on everything may seem difficult. Professional emergency management operates in many areas, but fortunately it is generally collaborative. The highest priority of emergency management today is 3 education and training (Mcguire, 2009). Networks are used for coordination. Many researchers have used the framework of partnerships and collaborations to define intergovernmental efforts in response to disasters. Similarly, networks and organizations have addressed ways to respond to any type of disaster. Many states interact in their disaster responses (Kapucu, Augustin, & Garaguv, 2009). Integrated, interdependent collaborations are relationships in which agencies work together efficiently (Kapucu, Augustin, & Garaguv, 2009). In many areas, emergency management operates vertically with a hierarchical command structure and other departments. Vertical and horizontal operations are important in emergency management because they establish positive and efficient relationships (Mcguire & Silvia 2009). As revealed in disasters such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994, there is a need for improved coordination between private and public agencies in response to large catastrophes (Haggerty, 1994). Although improving coordination networks for disasters is not new, national and international improvements to disaster response require a reasonable coordination in cases of emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or epidemics that can produce chronic problems (Nolte, Martin, & Boenigk, 2012). Collaboration is a formal process of information and resource sharing and cooperating among public agencies and other organizations to save as many lives and as much property as possible. Attempts have been to aid disaster relief by sharing information through the software Leverage 2.0 in order to collect phone, web, e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook data, among others, and provide updates to the public

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