ProgressivenessProgressiveness

A Vital Principle in A Vital Principle in

Emergency ManagementEmergency Management

What are the Consequences of What are the Consequences of Disasters?Disasters?

InjuriesInjuriesDeathsDeathsProperty damageProperty damageEconomic lossesEconomic lossesDistress on the physical environmentDistress on the physical environmentSocial disruptionSocial disruption

Rising Disasters?Rising Disasters?

““Over the past 50 years, the number of Over the past 50 years, the number of disasters has increased along with the disasters has increased along with the threat they pose” (Roberts 2005, 1).threat they pose” (Roberts 2005, 1).

““Communities in the United States are Communities in the United States are becoming more and more vulnerable to becoming more and more vulnerable to major disasters” (Waugh 2007, 5).major disasters” (Waugh 2007, 5).

““We have every reason to believe that our We have every reason to believe that our citizens are going to face bigger disasters citizens are going to face bigger disasters in the future” (Witt 2001).in the future” (Witt 2001).

Rising Disasters? (cont.)Rising Disasters? (cont.)

““In the near future, we will have both more and In the near future, we will have both more and worse disasters” (Quarantelli 1993,12).worse disasters” (Quarantelli 1993,12).

““Irrespective of whether the involved agents are Irrespective of whether the involved agents are natural or technological, there will be both natural or technological, there will be both quantitative and qualitative increases in quantitative and qualitative increases in disastrous occasions for all societies” disastrous occasions for all societies” (Quarantelli 1999, 9).(Quarantelli 1999, 9).

““Americans will see one or two catastrophic Americans will see one or two catastrophic events that will be beyond comprehension” events that will be beyond comprehension” (Tolbert 2001).(Tolbert 2001).

Causation of DisastersCausation of Disasters

““To understand what makes people vulnerable, To understand what makes people vulnerable, we have to move away from the hazard itself we have to move away from the hazard itself and look at a much wider and much more and look at a much wider and much more diverse set of influences. The whole range of diverse set of influences. The whole range of economic, social, cultural, institutional, political economic, social, cultural, institutional, political and even psychological factors that shape and even psychological factors that shape people’s lives and create an environment that people’s lives and create an environment that they live in. Vulnerability is socially constructed” they live in. Vulnerability is socially constructed” (Twigg 2001, 2).(Twigg 2001, 2).

Factors for Rising DisastersFactors for Rising Disasters

Industrial hazardsIndustrial hazards Biotech hazardsBiotech hazards IT hazardsIT hazards Terrorism and WMDTerrorism and WMD Climate changeClimate change Unwise developmentUnwise development Inadequate constructionInadequate construction UrbanizationUrbanization PovertyPoverty Elderly populationsElderly populations ailing infrastructureailing infrastructure

PoliticsPolitics Unclear policyUnclear policy Poor preparednessPoor preparedness Heterogeneous Heterogeneous

subculturessubcultures Risk subsidizationRisk subsidization Lack of resourcesLack of resources Lack of staffLack of staff Citizen apathyCitizen apathy OtherOther

The Need to be ProactiveThe Need to be Proactive

Lu Canton recommends that we think Lu Canton recommends that we think strategicallystrategically

This can be done in each phase of This can be done in each phase of emergency managementemergency management

We need to see the big picture and take We need to see the big picture and take disasters seriouslydisasters seriously

Sustainable Hazards MitigationSustainable Hazards Mitigation

We must change our cultureWe must change our cultureWe should focus on issues such as the We should focus on issues such as the

environment, quality of life, personal environment, quality of life, personal responsibility, vibrant economies, equity, responsibility, vibrant economies, equity, and consensus buildingand consensus building

Tools for SHM include land use, warnings, Tools for SHM include land use, warnings, engineering, insurance and technologyengineering, insurance and technology

Social forces must also be considered Social forces must also be considered

ResistanceResistance

Project Impact: The Disaster Resistant Project Impact: The Disaster Resistant Community initiativeCommunity initiative

Collaboration with the private sectorCollaboration with the private sectorFocus on wise development and Focus on wise development and

engineeringengineeringGrants enable mitigation measuresGrants enable mitigation measuresMitigation is the cornerstone of this Mitigation is the cornerstone of this

perspectiveperspective

ResilienceResilience

““The ability to recover from or adjust easily The ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” (Geis 2000, 152).to misfortune or change” (Geis 2000, 152).

Understand hazards and vulnerabilityUnderstand hazards and vulnerabilityAssess laws and pass legislationAssess laws and pass legislationTrain and educateTrain and educate Improve coordinationImprove coordinationMaintain capabilitiesMaintain capabilities

Comprehensive Vulnerability Comprehensive Vulnerability ManagementManagement

Is built on, but goes further than, the social Is built on, but goes further than, the social vulnerability schoolvulnerability school

We only have control over vulnerability, We only have control over vulnerability, not hazards per senot hazards per se

There are many factors that make us There are many factors that make us vulnerablevulnerable

Comprehensive Vulnerability Comprehensive Vulnerability Management (cont.)Management (cont.)

Vulnerability is determined by physical and Vulnerability is determined by physical and social environmentssocial environments

These environments have negative and These environments have negative and positive featurespositive features

Risk, susceptibility, resistance and Risk, susceptibility, resistance and resilience determine disaster impactsresilience determine disaster impacts

The focus is on liability reduction and The focus is on liability reduction and capacity building capacity building

Mitigation RecommendationsMitigation Recommendations

Assess natural Assess natural hazardshazards

Evaluate industrial Evaluate industrial and transportation and transportation hazardshazards

Determine threat of Determine threat of terrorismterrorism

Use GISUse GIS Create a HAZMAPCreate a HAZMAP

Change lawsChange laws Consult with Consult with

engineering dept.engineering dept. Enforce all Enforce all

regulationsregulations Use caution with Use caution with

structural mitigation structural mitigation devicesdevices

Seek grantsSeek grants

Preparedness ActivitiesPreparedness Activities

Create a planning Create a planning councilcouncil

Seek political supportSeek political support Obtain grantsObtain grants Create and EOPCreate and EOP Train to standardsTrain to standards Conduct exercisesConduct exercises Establish an EOCEstablish an EOC

Promote community Promote community educationeducation

Ensure warning Ensure warning sirens are functioningsirens are functioning

Develop a Community Develop a Community Emergency Response Emergency Response TeamTeam

Response ActivitiesResponse Activities

Provide advanced Provide advanced warningwarning

Evacuate to safetyEvacuate to safety Assess damagesAssess damages Conduct a needs Conduct a needs

assessmentassessment Declare a disasterDeclare a disaster Remove debrisRemove debris

Work with medical Work with medical and public health and public health communitiescommunities

Provide info to mediaProvide info to media Manage volunteers Manage volunteers

and donationsand donations Communicate Communicate

between EOC and between EOC and ICSICS

Recovery ActivitiesRecovery Activities

Plan prioritiesPlan priorities Enact new regulationsEnact new regulations Work with other Work with other

emergency emergency management partnersmanagement partners

Address emotional Address emotional needsneeds

Monitor special Monitor special populationspopulations

Enlist private sectorEnlist private sector Take advantage of Take advantage of

window of opportunitywindow of opportunity Remove repetitive Remove repetitive

loss structuresloss structures Rebuild with next Rebuild with next

disaster in minddisaster in mind Monitor fraud, waste Monitor fraud, waste

and abuse of fundsand abuse of funds

AssignmentsAssignments

Write a paper about the threat of terrorismWrite a paper about the threat of terrorism

ORORWrite a paper about “progressive Write a paper about “progressive

emergency management”emergency management”