This document discusses different levels of disasters, characteristics of disasters, factors contributing to disasters, phases of disasters, and the roles of nurses in disaster management. It covers: - Three levels of disasters based on damage (level I being massive damage, level III being minor) - Characteristics include cause, casualties, scope, intensity, predictability, and frequency - Factors contributing to disasters include host/victim characteristics, agent/cause of disaster, and environmental factors - The four phases of disaster management are prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery - Nurses play important roles in all phases through activities like education, planning, response, and evaluation

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DISASTER AND EMERGENCY NURSING
Mutah University
Faculty of Nursing
LEVELSANDPHASESOFDISASTERS

2. Levels of disaster
Level III disaster:
 considered a minor disaster. These are
involves minimal level of damage.
Level II disaster:
 considered a moderate disaster. The local
and community resources has to be
mobilized to manage this situation.
Level I disaster:
 considered a massive disaster- this
involves a massive level of damage with
severe impact.
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3. Characteristics of a disaster
1. Cause, natural or man-made.
2. Causality Is a human being who is injured
or killed by or as a direct result of an
accident.
a. Multiple causality incident the no. of
causalities more than 2 and less than hundred.
b. Mass causality a number of victims that is
greater than that which can be managed safely
with the resources the community has to offer
incident involving 100 or more and
overwhelms the resources of large cities.
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4. Characteristics of a disaster
3. Time, speed, and duration.
4. Scope: range of its effect, geography or
no. of victims.
5. Intensity: the level of destruction and
damage.
6. Predictability
7. Frequency
8. Controllability/Mitigation
9. Community Implications
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5. Victims of disaster
Victims are characterized by the level of
involvement.
1. Direct victims: are people experiencing the
event, dead, survivors even with no physical
injury, they are likely to have health effect
from the experience. ( some have no shelter
or food).
Displaced persons are forced to leave their
home to escape the effect of the disaster.
Refugee are people who are forced to leave
their homeland because of war or persecution
2. Indirect victims : are the relatives and friends
of direct victims.
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6. Factors contributing to disaster
 To understand the factors, apply host, agent,
and environment model because it is useful in
planning strategies to prevent or prepare for
disaster.
 1. Host Factors: host is the person who
experiences the disaster. The host factors
includes; age, general health, mobility,
psychological factors and socioeconomic ones.
 2. Agent Factors: agent is the natural or
technological element that causes the disaster.
 E.g. high wind of hurricane, radiation and industrial
chemicals.
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7. Factors contributing to disaster
3. Environmental Factors: are factors that
potentially contribute to or mitigate a
disaster.
Most common factors includes:
1. community’s level of preparedness.
2. Presence of industries
3. Rivers, lakes, streams, rain and snow flow
4. High and low temperatures
5. Presence or absence of political unrest.
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8. The Phases of Disaster
 Prevention or (prei-mpact)
 Preparedness (Impact)
 Response (Post impact)
 Recovery (rehabilitation)
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9. Disaster management cycle
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Prevention
Preparedness
Response
Recovery

10. Nurses role
 Nursing can contribute to prevention,
mitigation, preparedness, response, and
recovery.
 Nurses work systematically by gathering
data, planning according to priorities to
target all who might benefit, working
skillfully to promote health of the
community, and evaluating the outcomes.

11. DISASTER PREVENTION OR MITIGATION
 Disaster mitigation refers to actions or
measures that can either prevent the
occurrence of a disaster or reduce the
severity of its effects. (American Red
Cross).
 Mitigation activities include awareness and
education and disaster prevention
measures
 Examples
◦ Immunization programs
◦ Public education
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12. Pre-impact
 Pre-impact
◦ Occurs prior to the onset of the disaster
◦ Include the period of threat and warning
◦ May not occur in all disasters.
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13. PREPAREDNESS impact
 Activities that are taken to build capacity and
identify resources that may be used to handle
a disaster when it strikes at local, regional and
national levels (community, personal, and
professional preparedness). E.g.
◦ Know evacuation shelters
◦ Emergency communication plan
◦ Preventive measures to prevent spread of disease
◦ Public Education
◦ Period of time when disaster occurs continuing to
immediately following disasters
◦ Inventory and rescue period
◦ Assessment of extent of losses and
◦ Identification of remaining sources
◦ Planning for use of recourses and rescue of victims
and minimize further injuries and property damage
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14. Preparedness
 Non-health care community
◦Fire fighters
◦Municipal or government officials
◦Media
◦Medical examiners
◦Medical supply manufactures
◦Police
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15. Preparedness
 Key organizations and professionals in
disaster management
 Health care community
◦ Hospitals
◦ Health professionals
◦ Pharmacies
◦ Public health departments
◦ Rescue personnel
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16. Preparedness
Community preparedness
 The level of community preparedness for
a disaster is only as high as the people
and organization in the community make
it.
 Community must have adequate warning
system and a back up evaluation plan to
remove people from the area of danger
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17. Response
 The level of disaster varies and the
management plans mainly based on the
severity or extent of the disaster.
 Activities a hospital, healthcare system, or
public health agency take immediately,
during, a disaster or emergency occurs
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18. Recovery
 During this phase actions are taken to
repair, rebuilt, or reallocate damaged
homes and businesses and restore health
and economic vitality to the community.
 Psychological recovery must be addressed.
Both victims and relief workers should be
offered mental health activities and
services.
◦ Debris Removal
◦ Care and Shelter
◦ Damage Assessments
◦ Funding Assistance
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19. Components of disaster debris
 Building Debris
 Household Debris
 Vegetative Debris
 Problem Waste Streams
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20. Myths associated with disasters
 Any kind of assistance needed in disasters
A response not based on impartial evaluation contributes to
chaos
 Epidemics and plagues are inevitable after every disaster
Epidemics rarely ever occur after a disaster
Dead bodies will not lead to catastrophic outbreaks of exotic
disease
Proper resumption of public health services will ensure the
public’s safety (sanitation, waste disposal, water quality, and
food safety)
 Disasters bring out the worst in human behavior
The majority responses spontaneous and generous
 The community is too shocked and helpless
Cross-cultural dedication to common good is most common
response to natural disasters.
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