HM540 Unit1 JOURNAL Reflection After you have completed all of the assignments in this unit, write a 100- to 300-word reflection journal on what you have learned and what questions you may still have. Gender Communications Quiz How much do you know about how men and women communicate? If you think a statement is an accurate description of communication patterns, mark it true. If you think it isn't, mark it false. 1. Men talk more than women. 2. Men are more likely to interrupt women than to interrupt other men. 3. During conversations, women spend more time looking at their partner than men do. 4. Nonverbal messages carry more weight than verbal messages. 5. Female managers communicate with more emotional openness and drama than male managers. 6. Men not only control the content of conversations, they also work harder in keeping conversations going. 7. When people hear generic words, such as "mankind" and "he," they respond inclusively, indicating that the terms apply to both sexes. 8. In classroom communications, male students receive more reprimands and criticism. 9. Women are more likely than men to disclose information about intimate personal concerns. 10. Female speakers are more animated in their style than are males. 11. Women use less personal space than men. 12. When a male speaks, he is listened to more carefully than a female speaker, even when she makes the identical presentation. 13. In general, women speak in a more tentative style than do men. 14. Women are more likely to answer questions that are not addressed to them. 15. There is widespread gender segregation in schools, and it hinders effective classroom communication. 16. Female managers are seen by both male and female subordinates as better communicators than male managers. 17. In classroom communications, teachers are more likely to give verbal praise to female than to male students. 18. In general, men smile more often than women. Explanations of the Answers 1. True. Despite the stereotype, the research is consistent and clear. In classrooms, in offices, in group discussions, in two-person conversations, men talk more than their fair share of the time. For example, in one experiment male and female subjects were asked to verbally describe pictures and engravings. The women's average description was approximately three minutes. For a man, the average time was 13 minutes. 2. True. When women talk with other women, interruptions are evenly distributed. When men talk with other men, interruptions are evenly distributed. However, when men and women talk with one another, almost all interruptions are by male speakers. Sociologists Candace West and Donald Zimmerman analyzed conversations in university settings, both on and off campus. They found that males interrupt females much more often than they interrupt other males and more often than females interrupt either males or females. These sociolog ...

1. HM540
Unit1 JOURNAL
Reflection
After you have completed all of the assignments in this unit,
write a 100- to 300-word reflection journal on what you have
learned and what questions you may still have.
Gender Communications Quiz
How much do you know about how men and women
communicate? If you think a statement is an
accurate description of communication patterns, mark it true. If
you think it isn't, mark it false.
1. Men talk more than women.
2. Men are more likely to interrupt women than to interrupt
other men.
3. During conversations, women spend more time looking at
their partner than men do.
4. Nonverbal messages carry more weight than verbal messages.
5. Female managers communicate with more emotional
openness and drama than male managers.
6. Men not only control the content of conversations, they also
work harder in keeping conversations

2. going.
7. When people hear generic words, such as "mankind" and
"he," they respond inclusively,
indicating that the terms apply to both sexes.
8. In classroom communications, male students receive more
reprimands and criticism.
9. Women are more likely than men to disclose information
about intimate personal concerns.
10. Female speakers are more animated in their style than are
males.
11. Women use less personal space than men.
12. When a male speaks, he is listened to more carefully than a
female speaker, even when she
makes the identical presentation.
13. In general, women speak in a more tentative style than do
men.
14. Women are more likely to answer questions that are not
addressed to them.
15. There is widespread gender segregation in schools, and it
hinders effective classroom
communication.
16. Female managers are seen by both male and female
subordinates as better communicators than
male managers.
17. In classroom communications, teachers are more likely to

3. give verbal praise to female than to
male students.
18. In general, men smile more often than women.
Explanations of the Answers
1. True. Despite the stereotype, the research is consistent and
clear. In classrooms, in offices, in
group discussions, in two-person conversations, men talk more
than their fair share of the time.
For example, in one experiment male and female subjects were
asked to verbally describe
pictures and engravings. The women's average description was
approximately three minutes. For
a man, the average time was 13 minutes.
2. True. When women talk with other women, interruptions are
evenly distributed. When men talk
with other men, interruptions are evenly distributed. However,
when men and women talk with
one another, almost all interruptions are by male speakers.
Sociologists Candace West and Donald Zimmerman analyzed
conversations in university
settings, both on and off campus. They found that males
interrupt females much more often than
they interrupt other males and more often than females interrupt
either males or females. These
sociologists think that interrupting is a way of exercising
power. They say, "Here we are dealing

4. with a class of speakers, females, whose right to speak appears
to be casually infringed upon by
males."
3. True. Many studies-with subjects ranging from infants to the
elderly-have shown that women are
more likely than men to look at their partner. One reason may
be that men talk more and women
listen more. Research shows that a listener of either sex looks
more at a speaker than the
speaker looks at the listener. Another possible reason why
women look more frequentl y at a
partner may be their need for and expertise in decoding
nonverbal cues. In a direct staring
confrontation, however, women will be more likely to avert
their eyes, especially when stared at
by men. Frequently, a woman will tilt her head back rather than
look directly at a man.
Researchers call this a presenting gesture that reflects
friendliness and submission.
4. True. Nonverbal messages carry over four times the weight of
verbal messages. Other research
shows that in most two-person conversations, nonverbal
messages convey more than 65 percent
of the meaning. Women seem to communicate more effectively
on this nonverbal channel. They
are better than men at decoding nonverbal cues. They are also
more likely to reflect their feelings
through facial expressions.
5. False. Research conducted at a Midwest hospital and in the
clerical departments and production
lines of manufacturing firms show that both female and male
managers score higher than the
general population in communicating friendliness and approval

5. to subordinates. Further, women
managers are no more emotionally open or dramatic than their
male counterparts. Both sexes
appear to feel that managers should not demonstrate these
characteristics. However, there were
some communication differences. Male managers were more
dominant in style and more likely to
direct the content and flow of the conversation.
6. False. While men do exert power and authority in controlling
the course of conversations, women
exert more effort in maintai ning communication. Sociologist
Pamela Fishman placed tape
recorders in homes of couples who described themselves as free
of traditional sex role
stereotypes. Fishman recorded over 50 hours of conversations
that occurred naturally. Over 96
percent of the topics men introduced were developed into
conversations.
Only 36 percent of the topics women introduced were similarly
developed. Women asked more
questions and were more willing to develop a topic introduced
by men. In contrast, men "killed"
conversational topics that women introduced by giving a
minimal response, such as "um," and
failing to ask questions or make more extended comments about
the topic. In studies of mock jury
deliberations, it has been found that women are more likely to
make understanding and
supportive comments.
7. False. Terms such as "mankind," "man," and "he" are
supposed to be generic and are presumed

6. to include both men and women. Research shows that this isn't
really the case. People are more
literal in their thinking. Studies with elementary, secondary,
and college students show that when
the supposed generic term "man" is used, people envision
males, even when the content implies
both men and women. In another study, students illustrated
supposedly generic references (e.g.,
urban man) with males pictures more than they did when
references were neutral (e.g., urban
life). Other researchers found that when male generic nouns and
pronouns were used to describe
the job of psychologists, females students described the job as
less attractive to them than when
sex-neutral terms were used. Women who were exposed to the
feminine generic ("she" to include
everybody) reported feelings of pride, importance, and power.
Yet another researcher reports
than when an applicant for an executive position was described
as a "girl," subjects rated her as
less "tough," "mature," "brilliant," and "dignified," and they
gave her approximately 6 percent less
in salary than when the word "woman" was used.
8. True. The research is very consistent on this issue. From
preschool through high school, male
students are more likely than female students to be reprimanded
for misbehavior. Some studies
say they are eight to ten times as likely to be scolded.
Sometimes they get reprimanded more
because they are misbehaving more. But other studies show that
when females and males are
misbehaving equally, the males are still more likely to get
scolded and receive harsher penalties.
9. True. There is some inconsistency in the research here, but

7. most studies show that women are
more likely to reveal personal information about themselves.
This pattern may reflect differences
in power or status between males and females. For example, in
work situations subordinates tend
to reveal more personal information about themselves than their
superiors reveal to them. The
more power a person has, the more personal information he or
she is likely to receive.
10. True. Female speakers display more animated behavior,
including amount and intensity of eye
contact, gestures, facial expressions, and body movement.
Further, they are more likely to use a
wider range of pitch and more variable intonations than male
speakers. However, men appear to
be more dramatic in their verbal behavior. They are more likely
to tell anecdotes and jokes.
11. True. Women's space is far more likely to be intruded on by
others. Women are approached
more closely than men by both women and men. When women
and men approach each other on
the street, women are more likely to walk around men or move
out of their way. In homes men
are more likely to have their room, study, or den-an inviolate
area where nothing is to be touched.
Women also use space in a more confining way. While men are
more likely to sit with arms and
legs apart, women cross legs at ankles and sit with hands in
their laps, taking up far less space.
This reduced control of space or territory is characteristic of
those with less power and status.
12. True. Both female and male members of audiences pay more
attention to male speakers than

8. female speakers. Audience members recall more information
from presentations given by males.
This appears to occur whether the information is stereotyped as
appropriate for males or
stereotyped as associated with females. And it occurs even when
male and female speakers
make an identical presentation.
13. True. According to linguist Robin Lakoff, "women's
language" is characterized by certain
patterns:
putting tag questions at the end
of declarative sentences (This is a good movie, isn't it?).
with adjectives (so
thoughtful).
While not all studies support Lakoff's notion of women's
speech, several show that women do
express themselves with more diffidence and less assertion than
men. Many researchers claim
that tentative speech patterns do not characterize the speech of
women so much as they
characterize the speech of those who lack power. For example,
one group of researchers
analyzed communication in a police station. They found that
both male and female clients who
came to the station were more likely to use "women's language"

9. than were either male or female
police personnel. There are consequences to using "women's
language." Both men and women
who speak in a tentative, nonassertive style are less likely to be
believed by a jury. In fact, only
recently has the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
allowed women to read the news over
the air because they were perceived to lack credibility or
authority.,
14. False. Men manage to capture more than their fair share of
talk time. Sometimes women actually
help men gain this advantage because they are more likely to
ask questions while men are more
likely to give answers. However, men often take this advantage
for themselves by interrupting
women and by answering questions that are not addressed to
them.
15. True. When people hear the work "segregation," they
usually think about racial discrimination.
Gender segregation may occur in more subtle ways, but it is
widespread. Teachers, or students
themselves, frequently form separate boy and girl lines, seating
arrangements, work groups, play
areas, and even science lab work teams. Even college
classrooms display gender segregation in
student seating arrangements. Children cross racial lines more
often than gender lines in
classroom communication. Some researchers have found that
students are often unwilling to
work together on science projects. However, teachers can
encourage boys and girls to play and
work together simply by praising children engaged in cross-
gender interaction. An important
implication of the research is that when girls and boys work and

10. play together, they are less likely
to hold stereotyped attitudes.
16. True. Despite the stereotypes, when employees work for a
female supervisor, they vote their
approval. Female managers are seen as giving more attention to
subordinates, as more open to
new ideas, and as more supportive of worker effort than male
managers. Both female and male
subordinates report that morale and job satisfaction are higher
when supervised by women.
Others report that women are more dependable, show greater
concern, and pay better attention
to detail. Research on female managers in the business world is
related to research in
elementary schools. Studies on elementary schools with female
principals show that these
schools are warmer, more democratic, and are characterized by
higher student achievement and
higher pupil and parental satisfaction.
17. False. Although girls get better grades than boys, they
receive less verbal praise from teachers.
When girls do get praise from teachers, it is likely to be for
neatness and appearance. ("That's an
attractive paper." "You have very neat handwriting.") In
contrast, when boys get praise, it is more
likely to be for the intellectual quality of their ideas. Not only
do teachers praise boys more, but
they also criticize them more, ask them more questions, and
give them more attention in general.
18. False. Women are far more likely to smile than men. They
do this in many different social
situations, even though they are not necessarily happy or
amused. In one field study, researchers

11. smiled at approximately 150 males and 150 females in public.
In general, women returned the
smiles more often than men. Women returned the smiles to men
93 percent of the time and to
other women 86 percent of the time. Males smiled back at
women 67 percent of the time, and
they returned smiles to men 58 percent of the time.
From Myra Sadker and Joyce Kaser, The Communications
Gender Gap, Mid-Atlantic Center for Sex
Equity, 5010 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 308, Washington,
D.C. 20016, 1984.
Journal Assignment: Chapter 9Instructions:
The Reflective Journal Assignment will help you in developing
your interpersonal skills in this course. Literature on personal
development suggests that reflective writing about yourself and
your interpersonal experiences supports the integration of new
learning.
You are expected to keep a journal, writing two entries each
Module. Your entries should be written as follows:
1. Entry one will consist of a response to “ self-reflection”
questions posed in the textbook - Reflect & Relate: An
Introduction to Interpersonal Communication. Each chapter
contain several of these boxes. You are encouraged to choose
the self-reflection box that is most important to understanding
your interpersonal attitudes and skills. Please label the entry
with the entire box of questions you are considering.
2. A second entry should respond to the journal prompt posted
by your instructor. These prompts ask you to reflect on a
particular aspect of the topic under study for the module. Please
label the entry with the journal prompt.
Requirements:

12. · Write two different entries each module. (that means both
from above!)
· Entries should be double-spaced and in 12 font that is easy to
read.
· Use an informal tone, but observe conventions of good
grammar and spelling. (Use spell check)
· Each entry will be at least one to two paragraphs in length. (A
paragraph is five to seven well-developed sentences.)
· A Sample Document has been attached to assist you in setting
up your journal.
Submission:
· You may complete the entries using the sample document to
help you set everything up.
· Save your document to your computer using your first initial,
last name and week number. For example, my journal for Week
2 would be RLeber 2. For Week 3 the file would be named
RLeber 3. All others would be named as appropriate.
· Then attach your file. Click on Submit Assignment to the
left. Find your file and attach.
Journal Prompt:
Chapter 9
In addition to Chapter 9, here is a resource that you might find
useful: Gender Differences - quiz with
explanations.pdf Download Gender Differences - quiz with
explanations.pdf Choose one of the nonverbal gender
difference research findings that you most identify with and
explain how it helps you in understanding your own nonverbal
behavior.
WEEK 9 - Discussion Board: Gender and Nonverbal
Communication
No unread replies.No replies.
Recall the chapter discussion on the influence of gender on
nonverbal communication. What nonverbal behaviors from the

13. opposite sex do you find most confusing? What difficulties do
these behaviors present in male-female
communication? Remember to avoiding gender bashing, and be
sure you are using descriptive rather than evaluative language
(avoiding judgment-oriented terminology).
Recall that Discussion Board assignments are designed to
help you implement effective interpersonal behaviors and
skills. Please make your own comments first. DO NOT USE
REFERENCES. USE OWN THOUGHTS.
WEEK 9 - Activity: The Potted Plant (Requires a Public
location for 30 minutes)
Instructions:
(Estimated time for completion: 50-60 minutes)
This is a field observation of nonverbal communication. You
can’t learn about nonverbal communication just by reading
about it. You have to go look at it. That’s what this experience
allows you to do.
· Go out into the world, wherever there are people interacting
with each other.
· Pick a spot to sit, and be like a potted plant: there, but
inconspicuous. You are not spying. You are observing. Be
discreet.
· Your purpose is NOT hear what the people are saying. This is
NOT a listening exercise!
· Spend a half hour observing nonverbal behavior.
· Take notes. Be very specific about what you see. (Not “she
was mad,” but “she banged her hand on the table.”)
Once you have finished your observation:
PART I. Type up your notes (a lot should happen in 30
minutes!)
PART II. Write a 2-3 paragraph analysis of what you observed.
You should include as many of the different types of nonverbal
communication codes (discussed in the textbook) as
possible! Underline the code as you mention it.
Submit your Potted Plant as an attached file.

14. HM540
Unit 1 Assignment
Theories and Principles of Crisis Intervention Programs
In a 3- to 4-page paper (not counting reference and abstract
pages), analyze the basic theories and principles of crisis
intervention programs.
Your paper should:
· Identify and describe the four main goals of crisis
intervention.
· Provide examples of how the four main principles of crisis
intervention are used in a crisis intervention program of your
choosing.
· Analyze the principles within an intervention program and
determine how well they are currently being utilized.
Directions
In addition to fulfilling the specifics of the assignment, a
successful paper must also meet the following criteria:
· Include a cover page and references page in 10 - 12 point font
(Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman are acceptable)
· Viewpoint and purpose should be clearly established and
sustained
· Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard English
(correct grammar, punctuation, etc.)
· Writing should be well ordered, logical and unified, as well as
original and insightful
· Your work should display superior content, organization,
style, and mechanics
· Appropriate citation style should be followed
You should also make sure to:
· Include a title page with full name, class name, section
number, and date
· Include an introductory and concluding paragraph and
demonstrate college-level communication through the

15. composition of original materials in Standard English
· Use examples to support your discussion
· Cite all sources on a separate reference page at the end of your
paper and cite within the body of your paper using APA format
and citation style. For more information on APA guidelines,
visit Academic Tools.
Directions for Submitting Your Assignment
Compose your assignment and save it in the following format:
Course#_LastnameFirstname Unit # Assignment (example:
HM540_SmithJohn Unit 1 Assignment). Submit your
assignment to the appropriate Dropbox by the end of the Unit.
HM540
Unit1 DQ
TOPIC #1 (Please Cite in all Topic Questions)
Crisis Intervention
What is crisis intervention, and how does it relate to the
management of disasters?
Respond Kindly to Student #1
Ryan Davidson
Crisis Intervention
Understanding the definition of a crisis due to its complexity,
will better assist in defining the intervention portion, as there
are several different definitions that can describe a crisis.
According to James and Gilliland (2017), definitions of crisis
have a large range from a catastrophic event or an event of life
stress that negatively impacts a single person or a large group
of people to include a loss of emotional stability, fear, inabil ity
to control or influence. The intervening process is simple,
providing immediate assistance based on the type of crisis the
individual or group is suffering from. Moreover, Crisis
Intervention is the “methods used to offer immediate, short-term

16. help to individuals who experience an event that produces
emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral distress or
problems” (Purdue Global, n.d.). Crisis intervention plays a
major role in the management of disasters. Crisis intervention in
emergency management is the proactive and reactive approach
in preparing for and assisting individuals during a disaster
where people can be displaced, injured, and lose all their
belongings. James and Gilliland (2017), identify that trans crisis
states that the impact of a crisis event may last a lifetime;
however, the actions during the immediate response may
indicate whether the effects will become a chronic disease to
the person or persons impacted by the crisis. Reducing the
effects by performing the appropriate intervention techniques or
services can drastically reduce the long-term impacts caused by
a crisis.
References:
James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention
strategies (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Purdue Global. (n.d.). Key Terms: Crisis intervention.
https://purdueglobal.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/194092/vie
wContent/13042940/View
Respond Kindly to Student #2
John Meyers
A crisis is when something happens that if not addressed can
make more problems. These problems come in a variety of
ways, but the pseudo-common thread in that there is some kind
of issue that needs to be solved (James & Gilliard, 2017, p. 8)
To intervene in this is to prevent or solve some said crisis so
that ether everything returns to the way it was or is at least as
fixed as possible.
Disaster is a kind of crisis, in that something happens and if it's
not taken care of it causes more problems. If there's a huge
wildfire and not one takes care of it. It will burn up more and

17. more, until everything is burned, but if say, fire fighters
intervene than the fire will not burn as much as it would have
and/or more lives will be saved due to evacuations etc. This is
why we do disaster management things like mitigation or set up
things to deal with casualties and restoration of infrastructure
and clean up. If those things aren't taken care of only more
problems will grow out of it.
James, R. K., Gilliland, B. E., (2017), Crisis intervention
strategies, 8th Edition. Cengage Learning.
TOPIC #2
Confusion Within Crisis Intervention Literature
Why do you think there is so much confusion within the crisis
intervention literature, and how can this confusion be
addressed?
Respond Kindly to Student #1
Nicole Sevigny
I think there is confusion within crisis intervention literature
due to there being no standard definition and no standardized
model of crisis intervention. For example there is no agreement
on which of the crisis intervention tools should be implemented
as the standard and therefore confusion arises within literature
when discussing crisis intervention. This confusion can be
addressed by implementing a standardized definition and model
that addresses the six ‘R's: Readiness (Preparedness), Response
(Immediate action), Relief (Sustained rescue work),
Rehabilitation (Long term remedial measures using community
resources), Recovery (Returning to normalcy) and Resilience
(Fostering) that is associated with crisis (Math, Nirmala,
Moirangthem, & Kumar, 2015). Once there is a solid and
specific definition and model, agencies can work cohesively to

18. prepare for crisis and implement effective actions to reduce the
impact on individuals and businesses.
References:
Math, S., Nirmala, M., Moirangthem, S., & Kumar, N.
(2015). Disaster Management: Mental Health
Perspective. Retrieved from NCBI:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4649821/
Yeager, K. R. (2015). Crisis Intervention Handbook:
Assessment, Treatment, and Research - 4th Edition. New York
City: Oxford Univeristy Press.
Respond Kindly to Student #2
Keith Hamilton
Hey class,
“We want you to understand that this business is still so new
that a definition of an individual or a system in crisis is by no
means fixed or absolute” (James & Gilliland, 2017, p 9). The
term “crisis” itself has so many different meanings to different
people and it is used so broadly to describe a multitude of
things. This is still so new and that is why it can cause so much
confusion in textbooks, and other literatures. This first thing to
address this is to establish a clear definition of what a crisis is
and get everyone on the same page. From that point you can
begin to build and establish things based off the definition.
References
James, R.K., Gilliland, B.E. (2017). Crisis intervention
strategies. (8th ed.) Cengage.
-Hamtaro
HM503
Unit 1 Assignment 2

19. Assignment 2: Paper
Once you have completed the IS-230.D certificate course, write
a 2–3 page paper that:
· Identifies and describes all four of the mission areas and
mitigation as it relates to the development of an effective EOP.
· Relates all four of the mission areas to a disaster, and
documents what changes could be implemented within that area
to strengthen an EOP.
NOTE: This assignment will require outside research. Include at
least two credible sources beyond the text material and discuss
how you evaluated the credibility of the resources used You
may consult the Library, the internet, the textbook, other course
material, and any other outside resources in supporting your
task, using proper citations and references in APA style.
Discuss how you evaluated the credibility of the resources used.
In addition to fulfilling the specifics of the assignment, a
successful paper must also meet the following criteria:
· Your paper must include a title page and references page in
10- or 12-point font. (Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman are
acceptable.)
· Viewpoint and purpose should be clearly established and
sustained.
· Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard English
(correct grammar, punctuation, etc.).
· Writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well
as original and insightful.
· Your work should display superior content, organization,
style, and mechanics.
· Appropriate APA formatting and citation style should be
followed.
You should also make sure to:
· Include a title page with full name, class name, section
number, and date.
· Include an introductory and concluding paragraph and

20. demonstrate college-level communication through the
composition of original materials in Standard English.
· Use examples to support your discussion.
· Cite all sources on a separate reference page at the end of your
paper and cite them within the body of your paper using APA
format and citation style. For more information on APA
guidelines, visit APA Style Central.
Compose your paper in Microsoft® Word® and save it in the
following format: Last name First name Assignment. (Example:
SmithJohn_Unit1_Assignment2). Submit your assignment to the
Unit 1: Assignment 2 Dropbox by the end of Unit 1.
HM503
Unit 1 DQ
Why Plan?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill,
questions of local, state, and federal disaster readiness began to
be addressed. In that vein, as emergency operations planners, it
is important to explore the importance of emergency planning
and to answer the question, “why plan?”
Whether you are building institutional relationships, educating
the public on prevention, responding to incidents, or
investigating crimes, there is a neverending conveyor belt of
needs to be addressed for emergency operations planners. There
is so much work to be done that it can be tempting to hunker
down and plough through it on your own. However, over time,
most professionals have become aware that agencies with
different mandates each touch different parts of the emergency
response process and must coordinate and work together to be
effective.
Topic 1: Rationale for a “Team” Approach in Emergency
Operations Planning
State the rationale for a “team” approach in emergency

21. operations planning. What are the benefits and hindrances of
working in a team environment? How does a planner bring
together the various and disparate partners that form a team?
Respond Kindly to Student #1
Roxanne Donaghy
Incorporating a group of individuals in a team approach is
optimal since it encourages engagement and increases people's
commitment to the process. It will also increase the level of
creativity, expertise, and experience used for each step of
emergency preparedness allowing for a more holistic view of
the challenges. Additionally, it increases the amount of time and
energy available to participants. Significantly, it enhances the
planning process's visibility and stature. This results in a
collaboratively designed strategy that incorporates diverse
perspectives and reflects common aims, improving the plan's
execution. Closer professional and personal ties between team
members should improve coordination and collaboration during
crises (National Safety Council, 2007).
From past experiences, we have learned that operational
planning is best done in groups. Case studies support this idea
by demonstrating that effective operations have a similar
thread: all involved companies have understood and embraced
their duties. When you work together as a team, your response
to the emergency will be successful and stand alone on its own.
It will also help to make mitigation and recovery easier.
Utilizing a team or group approach enables firms to clarify
their perspective of their position throughout an operation. One
of the benefits of using a planning team is that it allows
developing and expanding relationships that contribute to the
creativity and originality of event planning (FEMA, 2011). This
strategy assists in establishing a planned routine, ensuring that
the procedures performed before and during an event are the
same. When developing emergency management and homeland
security strategy, an important consideration is team members
who can contribute their unique skills, resources, and

22. perspectives to the table. An active and developing program
yields operational plans that are well created, well supported
and well implemented.
Emergency planning needs to be a team effort because
disaster response requires coordination between many
community agencies and organizations and different levels of
government. Furthermore, different types of emergencies
require different kinds of expertise and response capabilities.
Thus, the first step in emergency planning is the identification
of all of the parties that should be involved. Additionally,
various sorts of crises need distinct levels of experience and
reaction skills. As a result, the first stage in emergency
planning is to identify all stakeholders on the team.
There are some downsides to having a team. First, it will be
difficult to persuade people to take an active role in the
emergency preparedness team. Second, meetings with so many
people may be even more challenging to plan. However, it is
vital to include everyone in the planning process from the start
to ensure everyone's involvement and ownership of the plan.
Furthermore, their skills and understanding of their
organizations' resources are critical to establishing an
appropriate plan that considers the whole community's
requirements and the resources that may be made available in an
emergency.
Collaboration is required when working with people from
different agencies and organizations. Collaboration is the
process by which individuals work as a team to achieve a shared
goal. A successful team is willing to engage in shared decision-
making and is required for successful cooperation and an
openness to sharing information, resources, and duties. Last but
not least, team members must have professional regard for each
other. Collaboration, on the other hand, does not happen by
accident. It takes time and effort to build a team that works well
together.
The emergency Response Team will be unique to the
business based on its size and composition. The team should be

23. leaders (CEOs), finance people, human resources, property
managers, legal representation, and prommers. The planner
should keep the team small and agile; this will restrict its size
to the department's decision-maker.
FEMA. (2011). Emergency
planning. https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is235b/is235b.pdf
National Safety Council. (2007). Get started - establishing a
team. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-
12/fy07_46e0-ht10-07_emerg_pg_module_1.pdf
Respond Kindly to Student #2
Diego Salgado
Approach in Emergency Operations Planning
Emergency operation planning is a team effort that requires
vital coordination between multiple agencies and organizations
from all levels of government. In addition, not all types of
emergencies are the same, so it is critical to have different
kinds of expertise and response capabilities to create the most
efficient EOP. Therefore, it is imperative to identify all parties
involved as one of the first steps in emergency planning
(FEMA, 2010).
The relationship between EOP planning team members benefits
the community by reinforcing the overall response to natural or
man-made disasters. For instance, it would eliminate
duplication of services, resulting in a more efficient response,
expand resources availability, and enhance problem-solving
through cross-pollination of ideas. Some of the hindrances of
working in a team environment are depending on others to do
their part. Additionally, different levels of experience and
expertise can get in the way and be detrimental to overall team
cohesion (FEMA, 2010).
To bring together the various and disparate partners that form a
team that works well together the following stages will help
build the team. FEMA (2011) explained that building a team
takes time and effort and typically evolve through the next

24. stages:
Forming: Individuals come together as a team. During this
stage, the team members may be unfamiliar with each other and
uncertain of their roles on the team.
Storming: Team members become impatient, disillusioned, and
may disagree.
Norming: Team members accept their roles and focus on the
process.
Performing: Team members work well together and make
progress toward the goal.
Adjourning: Their task accomplished, team members may feel
pride in their achievement and some sadness that the experience
is ending. (FEMA, 2011, pg. 2.12).
References
FEMA. (2010. November). Developing and Maintaining
Emergency Operations Plans. Comprehensive Preparedness
Guide (CPG) 101. Version
2.0. https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/CPG_101_V
2.pdf
FEMA. (2011, December). Emergency Planning. Independent
Study
235.b. https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is235b/is235b.pdf
Discussion topics support this unit’s objective and should be
completed after reading all materials. Your responses ought to
include original evaluation, synthesis, or analysis of the topic,
and contribute to the weekly discussion in a meaningful way.
You must complete all discussion topics and reply to your peers'
posts. Refer to the Discussion Board Rubric under Course
Resources for additional requirements.
Topic 2: Natural Disaster vs. Man-made Incident
After an event has occurred and the site is secure, what are the
differences in responding to a natural disaster compared to a

25. man-made incident?
Respond Kindly to Student #1
Diego Salgado
Natural Disaster vs. Man-made Incident
Man-made and natural disasters affect thousands of people
across the nation every year. Significant events such as these
have the potential to cause catastrophic loss of life and physical
destruction. Unfortunately, these events are often unexpected
and can have long-lasting effects on entire communities.
Natural disasters are geological or meteorological events that
have the potential to cause loss of life or property. On the
contrary, man-made disasters include accidents, shootings, acts
of terrorism, and incidents of mass violence that most of the
time are unpredictable (U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services, 2020).
Natural disaster response is less complex than man-made
incidents response. Decades of suffering the effects of natural
disasters across the nation have forced emergency managers to
develop mitigations plans to overcome this type of incident
quickly. The main difference in responding to a natural disaster
compared to a man-made catastrophe is predictability. First
responders and decision-makers have a better idea of the
necessary resources needed to provide communities with
immediate relief and life-saving measures. On the contrary,
man-made incidents tend to have an obscure origin, and no prior
measures can be taken (Yadav & Bhandari, 2021). Thus,

26. responding to man-made incidents tends to be more chaotic,
especially if they are connected to terrorism.
Reference
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020, December
22). Types of disasters. SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services
Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-
distress-helpline/disaster-types
Yadav, P., & Bhandari, S. (2021, March 3). Difference between
natural disaster and man-made disaster. Ask Any Difference –
Know the Differences and
Comparisons. https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-
natural-disaster-and-man-made-disaster/
Respond Kindly to Student #2
Blake Carter
Natural disasters and man-made incidents would require
difference responses because disasters play out differently. For
instance, when responding to the aftermath of a major
earthquake you would have to take into consideration that there
still could be aftershocks and this could present a dangerous
environment for the responders. Likewise if there were a
nuclear incident then radiation could be a concern. An example
of this would be the Fukushima reactor that was damage back in
2011 during an earthquake and tsunami. According to an article
in the the journal, Nature, “In the subsequent decade, 1.25
million tonnes of seawater have been pumped through the
damaged units to stop the molten fuel debris from overheating,
and pumping continues” (Nogrady, 2021). However, the issue
now becomes what to do with all the contaminated sea water.
Japanese authorities want to dump it back into the ocean;
however their neighbors, South Korea and China are against this
proposal. However, this is an interesting case because a natural
disaster (earthquake and tsunami) led to the man-made incident

27. (Fukushima reactor). This similar scenario also took place
during Hurricane Katrina when a natural disaster (hurricane) led
to the man-made incident (levees failing).
The reason I bring this up is while we are comparing the
difference responses between natural disasters and man-made
incidents, we have to remember that sometimes a natural
disaster can lead to a man-made incident and the Fukushima
reactor is a prime example of this. This means that responses
generally take a hybrid approach because you need to be
prepared for whatever can happen no matter how unlikely it
might seem.
Reference
Nogrady, B. (2021, May 7). Scientists ok plan to release one
million tonnes of waste water from Fukushima. Retrieved from
Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01225-2