The effects an evacuation may have on a community

What is a community?

Cast you mind back to your EMG100 – Introduction to Emergency Management studies, where we examined the definition of community and the role communities play in emergency management.

Activity 11.8   On a piece of paper, jot down what you remember or consider the definition of a community is. Once you have done this, review Topic 3 of the EMG100 Study Guide to compare your thoughts to the earlier studies. A community is a stable group of people who have a common basis for living or relating together, and depend on each other for certain needs. The basis may be historical, locality, common experiences or any other factor that has meaning for those involved. A community is organised to meet certain of its members’ requirements and allocates functions to individuals or groups on its behalf, including leaders, representatives, service providers and subgroups with common interests, forming a complex network of supportive and need satisfying relationships. Save or print this activity

What holds a community together?

Given the above definitions and considerations regarding how communities are constructed and made up, what actually links community members and different community groups?

Activity 11.9   Take a few moments to consider the things that you believe are the links within a community. Jot you thoughts down on a piece of paper or in a blank document before continuing on. Save or print this activity

I hope that your list includes the following:

• emotional attachment
  - exchange of experience
  - emotion with others - positive or negative
• identification with others
  - shared characteristics (creates the intimacy with others)
• shared values, ideals, tradition and culture
  - attitudes
  - knowledge
  - dispositions
  

Communication is essential to these links as it provides the connecting force that links the constituent parts of a community together.

What are the general effects of an evacuation on a community?

Earlier we identified and examined the issues that authorities need to consider before initiating an evacuation. What we now need to do is to consider, identify and understand the impact that an evacuation can have on communities and their members.

Activity 11.10   I now want you to think about the links that exist in a community and the impact that an evacuation will have on those links and the community itself. In the activity document provided in the link below, list the effects that might result from the various stages of evacuation. Once you have completed your work, save it to your Learning Portfolio for future reference. STAGE EFFECTS Warning     Preparedness     Evacuation       Immediate Aftermath   Save or print this activity

I hope that your description includes ideas similar to the following:

The new connections may even endure after a return to normality, but in most cases the old links will be reforged as part of the return to normal functioning of the community. The temporary links that were created to fulfil the needs of the extraordinary situation will not now be required and will tend to disappear along with the need that they were serving.