Variations in Maritime Emergency Response: An Analysis of Response in Developed and Developing Countries

Emergency response to maritime natural disasters vary according to the developmental factors of the affected country. By looking at several case studies, as well as the behaviors that need to be present at all levels of responders, two different patterns begin to emerge. The responders are as follows: civilian responders, local responders, national responders and international responders. The civilian response is made up of people in the affected zones as well as the surrounding areas. The local responders are the police forces and the firefighters. The national response is the domestic government as well as the military and trained national emergency actors that the domestic government oversees. International responders include foreign governments, international actors and nongovernmental organizations. In developed countries, civilian responders are usually first on the scene, followed shortly by the local and national response. International actors do not usually play as prominate a role in developed countries as in developing countries, as the strong national government often can take care of the problems without a significant amount of foreign intervention. Developing countries on the other hand, oftentimes have weak local and national governments, leading to a reliance on civilian responders to take care of themselves and their fellow citizens until international help can arrive. The national government sets the tone for the local and international responders, as oftentimes the national government is tasked with funding and preparing the local government for potential disasters.