The problem of emergency situations remained relevant almost always. Probably, everyone should know what an emergency is and what types of them are. This article will describe the concept of an emergency, as well as the main classifications, compiled depending on the nature and consequences of the emergency.
Emergency concept
To date, an incredibly many interpretations of the concept of "emergency" are presented. However, one can single out the most common definition most often used by various sources. It states that an emergency is a situation prevailing in a certain territory that has been formed due to dangerous phenomena. What are these dangerous phenomena? As a rule, these are natural disasters, technological or chemical accidents or other forms of disasters. All of them necessarily entail danger to human life or health, destruction or destruction of various material values or resources, etc.
The concept presented above includes certain types of emergency situations. What kind of species and how they are classified will be described below.
Classification of emergencies by the nature of the origin of events
The first and main classification, which is worth talking about, depends on the nature and conditions of the origin of various dangerous events.
What types of emergency situations can be distinguished here? There are four main groups.
- Emergency of technogenic character . In short, accidents considered technogenic include transport accidents, explosions or the threat of explosions, certain types of fires, the release or threat of release of various pesticides, radioactive or biological substances, the destruction of buildings, buildings or structures. This also includes accidents and disasters that occurred on utilities, the threat of accidents or immediate disasters on dams, dams, other water structures, etc. The types of emergency situations of a man-made nature are, therefore, quite numerous and extensive.
- Military emergency . This group is characterized by massive and extensive measures to destroy or infect certain territories. The use of weapons of mass destruction is at the forefront in this group. This includes religious, social, political explosions and unrest, terrorism, state confrontation and much more.
- Socio-political emergencies . All types of emergency situations of this group can be described as unconstitutional and terrorist. As a rule, this includes kidnapping, taking a group of people hostage, illegal arms trade, etc. Socio-political emergencies are characterized as dangerous phenomena resulting from social and political conflicts.
- Natural emergencies . They are characterized by extremely dangerous natural phenomena. There are many types of different situations that make up this group. However, all of them lead, as a rule, to human disease, massive damage to biological creatures, etc. A natural emergency situation is a situation that has developed in a certain territory, which is dangerous due to a source that can cause harm to the environment, population, and material culture. etc.
Thus, the four groups listed above are considered the basis for all further classifications and subtypes.
Territorial classification of emergencies
The next most important classification is related to the territorial distribution of hazardous phenomena. The main types of emergency situations in this case are again divided into four groups. Among them:
- Emergency at the facility level . This type of hazardous event applies only to certain objects, zones or small territories. The main feature of this group is that the consequences of emergencies do not go beyond the boundaries of the object itself. An example is the sanitary protection zone where the accident occurred.
- Emergency at the terrain level . This type of hazard is somewhat similar to the previous one, because an accident occurs, as a rule, at a specific facility. However, the consequences of an accomplished catastrophe can go far beyond the designated zone. They can relate to a certain percentage of the population, a certain part of the territories, etc. Emergencies at the local level invariably entail budget costs and a deterioration in the overall economic situation.
- Emergency at the regional level . They are similar to the previous group, but are a bit more extensive. They can develop in two regions or districts at once (but no more). The main types of emergency situations, called regional, threaten a fairly large part of the population and extend to large territories and regions.
- National emergency . This is the last and most serious stage. This group includes only those dangerous phenomena that extend to more than two territorial entities (be it a region or region, autonomy or a city of federal significance). The peculiarity of this group is that more funds are allocated to eliminate the consequences of emergencies than is possible (in other words, one of the criteria for determining this group will be the fact that the state budget does not adequately eliminate the consequences of emergencies).
Some sources highlight the concept of global emergency. It applies only if several states are at risk.
Thus, the classification presented above is rather structured and concise; there is all the necessary information about the types of emergencies on a territorial basis.
What is a "technogenic emergency"?
Man-made emergency situations are incredibly vast. To bring them all at once is unlikely to be possible. However, the first thing that needs to be done is to uncover the concept of "man-made emergencies."
Here is one of the most accurate and well-known definitions: an emergency called technogenic is a certain type of environment in which the normal living conditions of people are violated, significant damage is caused to material values and property of people, certain territories become unsuitable for life, and the environment and nature are deteriorating .
What is the source of emergency in this case? For a group of hazardous phenomena called "technogenic", the key concept will be an accident. It is an accident and various kinds of emergency situations that entail a threat to the life and health of living things. An accident is always a man-made incident, accompanied by a violation of the transport or production processes. About what types of emergency situations of a man-made nature exist, will be described below.
The first group of man-made emergencies
Types of technological emergencies are divided into certain groups. Below we will talk about the most basic types of phenomena of this kind with examples.
- The first group of emergencies, which are man-made, are transport accidents . What applies to them? As a rule, these are accidents that occurred with trains - passenger or freight; major car accidents with many casualties; ship accidents - large passenger or cargo; air crashes - with airplanes or missile systems.
- The next group is the release of chemically hazardous or radioactive substances . Probably the most common types of technological emergencies belong to this particular group. The following phenomena can be distinguished here: loss of sources of hazardous substances; release and distribution of chemical or radioactive substances in their production; accidents at the nuclear fuel cycle and much more. The group of accidents involving the release of hazardous substances is considered one of the most dangerous and terrible in the class of man-made emergencies due to the consequences that cover large territories and population groups.
- Another group is fires and explosions or their threat . As an example, one can cite disasters at industrial facilities, at production facilities for the extraction and transportation of chemicals, in underground areas (metro, mines, etc.) and even in ordinary residential premises.
The second group of man-made emergencies
What other technogenic emergencies are there? The types and classification of such hazardous events will be given below.
- Accidents involving the release of biological substances that are considered hazardous. Accidents of this kind occur, as a rule, at industrial enterprises, in research laboratories or centers. However, there is a likelihood of such catastrophes occurring on special vehicles.
- Group of hydrodynamic accidents . From the name it may already be clear what kind of species. The causes of emergency situations, called hydrodynamic, are associated, as a rule, with the breakthrough of dams, dams, locks, with the beginning and spread of floods, with flooding, etc.
- Accidents on public utilities . They happen on thermal, sewer networks, on gas pipelines, in drinking water supply systems, etc.
- The last thing that can be attributed to technological disasters is the sudden collapse of residential buildings and public buildings .
Thus, the types and examples of emergencies called technogenic are quite easy to recognize and structure.
What is a "natural emergency"?
A natural emergency is a situation that has developed in a certain territory, which is dangerous due to a source that can cause harm to the environment, population, material culture, etc. Emergencies that are natural are usually expressed in the form of dangerous natural processes or phenomena.
Depending on the scale and intensity of the disaster, the considered emergency group is divided into three main classes:
- Adverse natural phenomena . They are characterized as relatively small, but still negative processes, one way or another affecting human life and health.
- Natural disasters. These are destructive natural and anthropogenic processes and phenomena of large scale, entailing significant losses and destruction.
- Natural disasters . This is a subspecies of natural disaster, which has a particularly large scale and entails enormous sacrifices.
What are the main types of natural emergencies? This will be described later.
Types of natural emergencies
At the moment, there is a single classification of hazardous natural phenomena and natural disasters. That is why all types of natural emergencies will be fairly easy to structure. In total, there are eight types of natural emergencies.
- Cosmogenic emergencies . As is already clear from the name, this group is associated with space objects that are somehow capable of harming the planet (these are asteroids, meteorites, comets, magnetic storms, etc.).
- Geophysical emergencies . This includes various tremors (earthquakes) and volcanic eruptions.
- Geological emergencies . Probably the widest group of natural hazards. The main things that can be distinguished here are landslides, subsidence of soils and sandstorms.
- Meteorological emergencies . This group includes the most dangerous types of natural emergency situations: tornado, hurricane, storm, flurry, etc.
- Hydrometeorological emergencies . This group includes the threat of water or snow objects (rains, snowfalls, ice, fog, etc.).
- Marine hydrological emergencies . All floods, typhoons, dangerous ice and other phenomena associated with the sea can be attributed to this group.
- Hydrological emergencies . Again, this group is associated with a water threat. This includes floods, floods, flooding and more.
- Fires . Any natural fires (forest, steppe, peat, underground, etc.) belong to this group.
All types of natural emergencies are thus very conveniently and clearly classified.
Basic data on natural emergencies
Natural emergencies are among the most common on the planet. Above were sorted out emergency situations. Characterization and analysis of natural emergencies should also be given for a better understanding of the general situation in the world.
Each year, the number of victims of natural disasters increases by 4.4%, and the number of victims - by 8.7%. The total number of economic losses is also growing - an average of 6% per year.
There are many opinions about natural disasters. One of them is associated with increasing anthropogenic impact on the environment. People are extremely irrational in the extraction of natural resources, with their actions they are increasingly destroying the ozone layer, and they are pursuing an extremely ineffective environmental protection policy. Naturally, all these factors cannot but affect the gradual deterioration of the situation.
Only on the territory of Russia, about 30 dangerous natural phenomena can be distinguished. The most common of these are, of course, hurricanes (28%), earthquakes (24%), forest fires (25%) and floods (19%). The total damage from natural emergencies each year is about 12 billion rubles.
Military emergency
What is a military emergency? The concept, types and structure of this group of emergencies will be given below.
The concept of military emergencies is incredibly broad. This includes religious, social, political explosions and unrest, terrorism, state confrontation and much more. There are many different classifications of wartime emergencies. However, it is worth highlighting only the most basic types.
- Direct exposure to damaging agents . The use of biological, bacteriological, chemical, psychotropic and other weapons refers to this type of military emergency.
- Indirect exposure to damaging agents . The occurrence of foci of biological infection or simple fires, the destruction of chemically and biologically hazardous objects and much more refers to the type presented.
- A change in habitat that entails significant damage and harm . This includes a violation of the supply of food, water, the destruction of residential facilities, the destruction of heat supply systems and more.
Thus, the consequences of military emergencies can be truly scary and destructive, surpassing even the consequences of natural emergencies somewhere.
Socio-political emergencies
The group of socio-political emergencies is somewhat similar to the class of military emergencies. However, there are still some structural differences. So, socio-political emergencies are characterized as dangerous phenomena that arose as a result of social and political conflicts.
Two main groups of the phenomena under consideration are distinguished: these are actually social and political. In some classifications, another group stands out - military emergency situations, but it, as a separate class, has already been considered above.
So, what about socio-political emergencies?
- Hunger . This is an extremely dangerous phenomenon, characterized by insufficient food and water in certain areas.
- Alcoholism It is considered as an emergency only if it affects a significant part of the population.
- Addiction . It is worth noting that every year the number of drug addicts is growing rapidly.
- Smoking . This phenomenon is considered as a subtype of drug addiction and is also included in the group of social emergencies.
- Corruption. Refers to a group of social emergencies, arises as a result of insufficient legal capacity of the legal system.
- Unemployment . A subspecies of political emergencies. It is characterized by the inability to find work by a certain part of the able-bodied population.
- Terrorism Refers to a group of political emergencies. This is a kind of intimidation of the population in order to achieve certain goals, having many different subspecies.