Are Emergency Workers Only Firefighters?

Emergency worker is a term that covers such a multitude of job titles and descriptions. The United States government has a listing that defines the different classes of emergency workers and the general duties expected of them. This not, by any means, something for you to act off of, it is merely an article that attempts to educate people on the different labels for emergency workers, and how they relate in their jobs during disasters. Even before the onset of any disaster, you have to have Administration workers. These people manage the coordination of support activities as well as the recruiting and directing. Their job includes clerical, technical, and administrative duties among others. Pilots are another class of emergency workers that are a necessity. Without these brave men and women and their assistance by air, whether for search or rescue, there would be many more lives lost. The aviation workers are required to be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration, and their aircraft must be approved by the FAA also.

Communications workers involve those that set up communication posts in an emergency, and enable contact where there would normally be none. These people are knowledgeable in the laws governing state and local emergency communications directives. Those workers that carry the title of Engineering workers have a busy job that covers many branches of activity, such as, mechanical, structural, and mainly electrical engineering activities. They are the ones that are looked to for re-building both temporary shelters and permanent posts. Their job is to build where nothing is, as well as maintain roads, bridges, highways and streets. Fire Fighters are also emergency workers. They not only cover the fires that break out during disasters, but also handle some of the medical aspects as well as rescue missions. They are expected to educate the general public concerning fire safety and hazards, and heighten the awareness of the dangers of different types of fires. Although they are encouraged, volunteer fire fighters are not listed as emergency workers.

General Emergency workers are perhaps the most chameleons like of the bunch. They are used where ever they are needed, but rarely specialize in any one type of emergency. If there is a flood, these workers are called to help bag sand for a temporary sand wall. They are required by law to register as temporary emergency workers each time they assist in a disaster. They are the ones that join in search parties, help handle casualties during a disaster, and work where ever they are needed most. Emergency workers that work with hazardous materials respond to incidents that require their help. These emergencies must follow the formerly coordinated and planned actions that have been approved by the local or state government concerning the handling of hazardous materials.

Police and other law enforcement workers are responsible for upholding the laws that comply with state, local, and federal rulings. They are sworn to serve and protect the people in their communities to the best of their ability. Emergency workers that handle Mass care are the ones that help hand out food, clothes, and other simple necessities in the event of a disaster. They handle the planning of controlled evacuations, manage mass care centers, and provide as much help is possible for those that have survived through a disaster. As you can see, these are not all of the categories; however this number of them is certainly necessary. Emergency workers are, in essence, the very glue that holds our society together. With out them, we would lack order and discipline, health and safety. Supporting them and the difficult jobs they carry out is small in comparison to what they do for everyone else. Everyone, at some point in time in their lives, will need the aid or assistance of another person, and regardless of the disaster or circumstances, it is the emergency workers that provide us with exactly that.