Natural Disasters and Health Risks of First Responders

The main objective of this chapter is to provide information on health risks for organizations responding to natural disasters to ensure better preparedness of their responders. Organizational preparedness has to include considerations for the type of event responders are deploying to, health risks they may be exposed to, and how they could help affected local vulnerable population. Organizations should consider preparedness of their responders with the same precision as businesses consider business continuity plans. Organizations should prioritize and specialize in the types of disasters they respond to and deliberately expand their scope as their preparedness level matures. Three case studies are presented to demonstrate the various situations and related health risks.