How Communities and States Deal with Emergencies and ...

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X 2-1 UNIT TWO: HOW Communities AND States DEAL WITH Emergencies AND DISASTERS Unit Two How Communities and States Deal with Emergencies and Disasters uring a flood such as Centerville s, many important activities must happen quickly and efficiently. Among these are rescue, caring for the injured, keeping people away from dangerous areas, assessing the situation to see what help is needed, and opening shelters for people displaced from their homes. As all this is occurring, phones are swamped with people asking for information. Without a good plan for such a situation, there would be no hope of getting the job done effectively.

Local governments are the first line of defense against emergencies and disasters and are primarily responsible for managing the response to and recovery from those events. At the local government level, the primary responsibility for protecting citizens belongs to local elected officials such as mayors, city councils, and boards of commissioners.

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