Emergency Managers' Experiences with Preparing the Homeless Population for Natural Disasters

A phenomenological approach was applied to this study to explore the lived experience of emergency managers when preparing the homeless community for a natural disaster. Nine emergency managers participated in the study to capture their experiences when dealing with vulnerable homeless population. The lived experiences of emergency managers were collected and analyzed using the Modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. Patterns and themes were developed using a thematic analysis, patterns and themes were developed. Four fundamental themes were obtained through the analysis extracted from the lived experiences of emergency managers interviewed: (a) role ambiguity, (b) lack of resources, (c) outside stakeholders, and (d) challenging demographics. It was discovered that most participants never tried to reach the homeless population directly; instead, they depended on other stakeholders. The results emphasize the need for emergency managers to improve preparedness for homeless populations under their care.