In any team, communication plays a vital role for the team to survive and succeed. Without communication, the team will not accomplish anything as a whole. Communication is a critical element in the Emergency Response Team (ERT) system. Many organizations use an ERT system; to act in times of crisis, or for daily work related injury or personal illness issues. For an Emergency Response Team to work effectively, each member needs to be able to keep constant contact with each member of their segment as well as their commanding officers. ERT members need to be well trained and know their functions in the team, and make sure they follow through with their duties. Emergency Response Teams come in many forms. It could be a professional team, trained to respond in major crisis as ones maintained by FEMA, all the way through to your neighborhood ERT, composed of homeowners volunteering to watch for crime and respond to minor emergencies in the neighborhood. We will be concentrating on ERTs setup in corporations. Usually an ERT member will be a volunteer. Their main duties are to respond to work related injuries, and support for evacuations. ERT members usually go through multiple training processes, including CPR, first aid and Hazard management before being admitted to the team. One of the important functions in the ERT is a comprehensive understanding of the team communication process. One of the main aspects of a team is communication. To increase efficiency and productivity, the team has to be able to communicate with each other as well as other teams effectively. Communication refers to any transfer of knowledge. Without proper communication, the team can be misdirected and cause delay in projects. Teams in the realm of the Emergency Response Team depend heavily on communication. For an Emergency Response Team to function properly, few standards have to be followed in terms of communication. Members need to use
Cited: Morgan-Russel, D. (2002) Emergency Services Communication, Retrieved March 3, 2008 http://www.faulkner.com/MusePath/products/securitymgt/docs/emergsvcs.htm Anderson, A. I., Compton, D. & Mason, T. (2004) Managing in a Dangerous World--The National Incident Management System. Engineering Management Journal, Vol 16 Issue 4, p3-9 Grosse, C. U. (2002). Managing Communication within Virtual Intercultural Teams. Business Communication Quarterly, Vol. 65 Issue 4, 22-38