Point of Distributions

The aftermath of a disaster can be chaotic. The confusion in a population can increase difficulties in finding basic needs and may even cause conflicts among residents of an affected region. However, when the relevant authorities together with management agencies and activate a Point of Distribution, it becomes a structure that aids in the restoration of order in the area and sends a message of hope to residents (FEMA, 2019). This optimism cultivates a sense of cooperation between community members thereby easing the operations to recover from disaster.

After a disaster, it is essential to the relevant departments, whether the health or security, to understand the current population (Vanajakumari et al., 2016). This information in the conduction of investigations and other operations during disaster management. A well-established POD can keep track of all the visitors making their way into the site. These details can then form a basis for a provisional demographic profile of the community that will inform other departments, thereby speeding up the recovery of the community.

A Point of Distribution allows for individuals to meet daily in the site. It provides an opportunity for affected members of a society to interact and build relationships once again. Individuals are then able to trust one another by building relationships and helping each other. These associations will be extremely beneficial to the operations as there would be fewer frictions and people would be patient even when supplies run out or are late to arrive.

Regularly updating the operations in a POD is crucial in adapting to the environment and the resources available. Other than providing the necessary supplies such as food, water, and blankets, the joint authorities could enhance the operation by additionally providing primary education and training to the community. This training could be on issues like sanitation to reduce avoidable infections that arise in clustered populations such as diarrhea if individuals understand how to keep their water and food safe for consumption.

References

FEMA. (2019). PODs Overview. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXw1IROwz_s

Vanajakumari, M., Kumar, S., & Gupta, S. (2016). An integrated logistic model for predictable disasters. Production and Operations Management, 25(5), 791-811.