Emergency Response Planning
Introduction
Emergency management at Dubai Airport is not confined to control and conduct planes safety check and services on the board, as well as control the received luggage. In particular, the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services focus on infectious diseases and medical issues, such as chemical spills, which could lead to hazards in the air (Muslim, 2008). The control of infectious diseases is essential because it also solves some international problems. People, therefore, should undergo testing and monitoring to make sure that their health is not under threat. Protection of environment is also in the interest of airport security and emergency planning departments.
Crowd management is also among the most positive and important introduction at the airport, because it can significantly facilitates the plan departure and landing. Organizing the flows of people approaching the terminals and the gates could allow the employees to take control of the people buying tickets of their flight. In such a way, it is also possible to increase safety of individuals on board and in the airport building (Ali, 2013). Additionally, managing passenger traffic can allow employees organize their work in a more sufficient and effective way. Ensuring comfortableness and quality of services should be provided to make passengers feel safe. The baggage services should also work 24/7 because they can provide the necessary response to the emergence situations. Finally, the electronic system of communication should be improved to make all gates and terminals work efficiently and ensure that there are additional and auxiliary systems, enhancing the work of online database. In such a way, it will also be possible to control all departments at the airport, as well as planes that could carry out emergency plans more effectively.
The Equipment and Procedures of the Departments Responsible for Emergency Response Planning
When it comes to resources and equipment, the attention has been paid to the medical response teams and facilities, which are available 24/7. The medications and all necessary equipment can also be provided for the passengers and clients of the airports to ensure visitors’ safety and health. It should also be stressed that Dubai International has high-level Airport Medical Center, which is dedicated to ensuring everyone with the necessary examinations. AMC is also responsible for constant upgrade of performance and capabilities for ensuring staff members, which should be ready to face any emergencies. The center is distributed at different terminals for immediate reaction to the emergency (Travel & Culture, 2014).
In addition to the medical center, the Dubai Airport has also worked on the development of automated emergency alarms and procedures, which could improve communication, personnel management, and other fields of management. Specifically, the Alarmon system is based on SwitchplusIP, which is trusted and tried interoperable communication software. The system makes use of the Voice Internet Protocol device to communicate and interact with modern devices in digital and analog domains. The systems’ implementation can allow the Dubai International Airport to increase flexibility and facilitate the response in a range of operational incidents and scenarios. The application also combines radio and telephony communications, as well as aviation emergency response. Additionally, it proposes integrated building, monitoring systems, and alarm control. The Alarmon could be considered the part of the airport’s commitment to innovative technology and safety leadership, which contributes to Emergency Response Planning, and automates the organizational and business practices to ensure fully-integrated and IP-based response solutions that can improve safety and effective response to the contingencies at the airport and during the flights.
The Dubai Airport is currently in pace with the technological and innovative trends. The proposed systems have been installed in the airports to provide effective solutions for the airport systems of management to ensure a sufficient level of integration. Airport operators are responsible for the management of numerous sites and have ability to increase the use of staff across various locations.
The Training Practices of the Departments Responsible for Emergency Response Planning
The training is aimed at providing skills, experience, and knowledge, necessary for assessing and delivering advanced management skills, driving techniques, and emergency response training for pilots. Apart from the training provided to personnel, there should be differentiated services for clients with special needs who should be cared well at all Airport terminals. The personnel must provide passengers with disabilities with specific equipment and wheelchairs. Personal assistance is also essential, particularly for passengers with restricted mobility, including elderly people, pregnant children, or parents with small children. Passengers with visual disabilities should be provided with greet and meet services to control throughout the airport. The airport should provide the services that would ensure efficient communication among the personnel, as well as promote efficient interaction among the staff.
There are many terminals and locations at which the proposed services are available. For instance, the Ahlan Lounge, one of the Dubai Airports, introduces specific services for passengers with the necessary equipment and service, such as the assistance of airport trolley porters who are presented at all airport terminals (Government of Dubai, 2013). Many other tools and services can be available at Dubai Airport, involving Duty Free, currency exchange and emergency services.
In general, it should be pointed that the Emergency Response Planning strategies at Dubai International Airport could be considered as effective because they embrace all spheres of emergency management, including people, resources, communication, and technology. However, there is still place for improvement and development. Specifically, there is a lack of instructions for pilots and flight attendants who should be more prepared for emergency situation from a psychological viewpoint. At this point, the attention should be paid to the way they explain the passengers problems occurring during the flight. They should remain calm. In order to do that, there should be specific training programs during which they could learn more about behaving in critical situations. However, the testing programs should be as close to real as possible to ensure the probability of higher effectiveness during real-to-life situations. In addition to the personnel training, there should also be specific firefighting, teachings both for airport workers and those who are on the board.
Making a Decision Concerning the Quality and Effectiveness of Emergency Response Issues
When it comes to the decision making regarding the effectiveness and quality of emergency response issues, the emphasis should be placed to the analysis of testing quality, as well as the evaluation of the current systems’ effectiveness with reliance to the internationally accepted standards. Specific, there are major pillars and foundation for effective emergency response planning (Transportation Research Board, 2007). To begin with, there should be efficient and consistency risk management at the airport, which contributes to safety by controlling risk probability, identifying hazards, and regularly estimating the related risk in regards to the frequency and intensity of emerging risks, promoted by contingency situations (Transportation Research Board, 2007). More importantly, safety risk management is regarded as an important decision-making pillar, because it is an explicit, comprehensive and systemic technique for controlling safety, and defining the effectiveness and level of risk mitigation. The improvements in mitigating risks are also controlled throughout the lifecycle, as well as contribute to the overall quality and immediateness of emergency response.
Further, there should be a prepared and qualified emergency response team that could coordinate all activities, distribute resources and responsibilities among the departments, and take control of all emergency operations. They should also take responsibility for integrating novelties and upgrades into the safety system. More importantly, there should be a strict allocation of responsibilities within the emergency group. The team commonly includes the airport manager, fire chief, operations manager, security management, and law enforcement head. The director of communication, along with the emergency control director should also stand at the core of the team (Transportation Research Board, 2009). The presence of airport emergency advisory committee is obligatory because it defines and creates specific plans which are enacted by the emergency team.
Recommendations for Improving Emergence Response Issues
With regard to the above-presented information, two major recommendations must be integrated to improve the quality of emergency response strategies at the Dubai International Airport. The first one should relate to the communication issue as the basic means of coping with disasters (Prather, 2012). There are many other issues which could be improved in this sphere, such as behavioral patterns, and psychological test for flight attendants and pilots who should be able to encourage the passengers during the contingency situation and ensure their safety (Ashford, Mumayiz, & Wright, 2011). Additionally, the communication should be ensured between various departments, including engineers, employees working at the airport, flight coordinators, and pilots. All these channels should be regulated in a more effective manner. Little information is presented on the algorithm of communicating and informing about the disasters and contingent situations.
The second recommendation should refer to the distribution of responsibilities among all departments, so that it would be possible to coordinate actions and promote new possibilities for immediate risk mitigation. Hence, there should be project manager, responsible for identifying the emergency issue and coordinating with other departments, including IT department, public relation department, civil engineering department, fire control department, and human resources department. It is essential to work out an algorithm of acting in emergency situations (Smith & Kenvile, 2013). Further, it is important to note that predicting the emergency situation is impossible. There should be a list of possible problems, as well as the ways they could be solved in a timely and efficient manner. Further, the fire-fighting mechanisms should also be connected in the context of emergency management (Tackett, 2000). In such a way, it is possible to enhance security strategies, and prevent the potential hazards.
Conclusion
The emergency response planning at Dubai International Airport has been presented at a high quality and in different fields, including training, policy, and equipment. The major strength of the emergency plan in the airport refers to the analysis of such issues as personnel training and management of passengers with special needs. The latter is of significant importance because the audience under greater threat due to the additional equipment and assistance required to such clients. In order to enhance the quality of negotiating and mitigating contingencies, it is essential to create a specific emergency response team that would coordinate other departments. Indeed, the communication and information exchange should stand at the core of effective management. For instance, the task of the emergency committee is to develop a specific algorithm of action for all departments to cooperate in a systematic way. Lack of coordination can lead to complication and greater risks, imposed on the passengers. The development and control of resources, and psychological testing of all members of the emergency plan, from flight attendants to cashiers, is an important issue in emergency response planning.
