Emergency Management

Introduction to Emergency Management, Seventh Edition, sets the standard for excellence in the field and has educated a generation of emergency managers. This long-trusted resource provides a broad overview of the key aspects of the emergency management profession. Readers will gain an understanding of why the emergency management profession exists, what actions its professionals and practitioners are tasked with performing, and what achievements are sought through the conduct of these various efforts. Students and new professionals alike will further gain an enhanced understanding of key terminology and concepts that enable them to work with emergency management specialists.

Decision-Making in Emergency Management examines decisions the authors have made over their careers based on their combined training, experience and instinct. Through a broad range of case studies, readers discover how experience impacts decision-making in conjunction with research and tools available. While the use of science, data and industry standards are always the best option when it comes to handling emergency situations, not all emergency situations fit one known solution. This book comprehensively explores the question "Is 'instinct' a viable factor when faced with a challenging situation and how close does it match up with the best science available?"

This book has been written to provide comprehensive coverage of the major topics that prospective emergency managers should understand about the way human systems attempt to cope with extreme events in their physical and social environments. This book does not repeat the material in FEMA training courses or federal agency guidance nor provide step-by-step instructions on how to comply with state and federal requirements. Neither does this book provide a detailed review all of the disaster-related literature from any of the physical, biological, or social sciences or from architecture, engineering, or planning. Rather, it attempts to identify the essential information needed to become a competent emergency manager.

This book looks at the larger context within which emergency management response occurs, and stresses the development of a program to address a wide range of issues. Not limited to traditional emergency response to natural disasters, it addresses a conceptual model capable of integrating multiple disciplines and dealing with unexpected emergencies. Emergency Management: Concepts and Strategies for Effective Programs, Second Edition starts by focusing on the three pillars on which successful emergency management is based: an understanding of history, knowledge of social science research, and technical expertise in emergency management operations. It provides insight as to how emergency management has evolved and suggests reasons why the current method of response planning doesn't work as well as it should. The book then goes on to discuss establishing and administering the emergency management program. It looks at the analysis of risk as the basis for strategy development, and considers both the traditional macro view of hazard identification and analysis as well as the micro view required for continuity planning. Strategy development is examined next, followed by coverage of planning process, techniques and methods. The book finishes with chapters on coordinating response, leading in crisis, and crisis management.

Emergency operations centers (EOCs) are a key component of coordination efforts during incident planning as well as reaction to natural and human-made events. Managers and their staff coordinate incoming information from the field, and the public, to support pre-planned events and field operations as they occur. This book looks at the function and role of EOCs and their organizations. The highly anticipated second edition of Principles of Emergency Management and Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) provides an updated understanding of the coordination, operation of EOCs at local, regional, state, and federal operations. Contributions from leading experts provide contemporary knowledge and best practice learned through lived experience. The chapters collectively act as a vital training guide, at both a theoretical and practical level, providing detailed guidance on handling each phase and type of emergency. Readers will emerge with a blueprint of how to create effective training and exercise programs, and thereby develop the skills required for successful emergency management.