Progressiveness A Vital Principle in Emergency Management

What are the Consequences of Disasters? Injuries Injuries Deaths Deaths Property damage Property damage Economic losses Economic losses Distress on the physical environment Distress on the physical environment Social disruption Social disruption

Rising Disasters? “Over the past 50 years, the number of disasters has increased along with the threat they pose” (Roberts 2005, 1). “Over the past 50 years, the number of disasters has increased along with the threat they pose” (Roberts 2005, 1). “Communities in the United States are becoming more and more vulnerable to major disasters” (Waugh 2007, 5). “Communities in the United States are becoming more and more vulnerable to major disasters” (Waugh 2007, 5). “We have every reason to believe that our citizens are going to face bigger disasters in the future” (Witt 2001). “We have every reason to believe that our citizens are going to face bigger disasters in the future” (Witt 2001).

Rising Disasters? (cont.) “In the near future, we will have both more and worse disasters” (Quarantelli 1993,12). “In the near future, we will have both more and worse disasters” (Quarantelli 1993,12). “Irrespective of whether the involved agents are natural or technological, there will be both quantitative and qualitative increases in disastrous occasions for all societies” (Quarantelli 1999, 9). “Irrespective of whether the involved agents are natural or technological, there will be both quantitative and qualitative increases in disastrous occasions for all societies” (Quarantelli 1999, 9). “Americans will see one or two catastrophic events that will be beyond comprehension” (Tolbert 2001). “Americans will see one or two catastrophic events that will be beyond comprehension” (Tolbert 2001).

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

Factors for Rising Disasters Industrial hazards Industrial hazards Biotech hazards Biotech hazards IT hazards IT hazards Terrorism and WMD Terrorism and WMD Climate change Climate change Unwise development Unwise development Inadequate construction Inadequate construction Urbanization Urbanization Poverty Poverty Elderly populations Elderly populations ailing infrastructure ailing infrastructure Politics Politics Unclear policy Unclear policy Poor preparedness Poor preparedness Heterogeneous subcultures Heterogeneous subcultures Risk subsidization Risk subsidization Lack of resources Lack of resources Lack of staff Lack of staff Citizen apathy Citizen apathy Other Other

The Need to be Proactive Lu Canton recommends that we think strategically Lu Canton recommends that we think strategically This can be done in each phase of emergency management This can be done in each phase of emergency management We need to see the big picture and take disasters seriously We need to see the big picture and take disasters seriously

Sustainable Hazards Mitigation We must change our culture We must change our culture We should focus on issues such as the environment, quality of life, personal responsibility, vibrant economies, equity, and consensus building We should focus on issues such as the environment, quality of life, personal responsibility, vibrant economies, equity, and consensus building Tools for SHM include land use, warnings, engineering, insurance and technology Tools for SHM include land use, warnings, engineering, insurance and technology Social forces must also be considered Social forces must also be considered

Resistance Project Impact: The Disaster Resistant Community initiative Project Impact: The Disaster Resistant Community initiative Collaboration with the private sector Collaboration with the private sector Focus on wise development and engineering Focus on wise development and engineering Grants enable mitigation measures Grants enable mitigation measures Mitigation is the cornerstone of this perspective Mitigation is the cornerstone of this perspective

Resilience “The ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” (Geis 2000, 152). “The ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” (Geis 2000, 152). Understand hazards and vulnerability Understand hazards and vulnerability Assess laws and pass legislation Assess laws and pass legislation Train and educate Train and educate Improve coordination Improve coordination Maintain capabilities Maintain capabilities

Comprehensive Vulnerability Management Is built on, but goes further than, the social vulnerability school Is built on, but goes further than, the social vulnerability school We only have control over vulnerability, not hazards per se We only have control over vulnerability, not hazards per se There are many factors that make us vulnerable There are many factors that make us vulnerable

Comprehensive Vulnerability Management (cont.) Vulnerability is determined by physical and social environments Vulnerability is determined by physical and social environments These environments have negative and positive features These environments have negative and positive features Risk, susceptibility, resistance and resilience determine disaster impacts Risk, susceptibility, resistance and resilience determine disaster impacts The focus is on liability reduction and capacity building The focus is on liability reduction and capacity building

Mitigation Recommendations Assess natural hazards Assess natural hazards Evaluate industrial and transportation hazards Evaluate industrial and transportation hazards Determine threat of terrorism Determine threat of terrorism Use GIS Use GIS Create a HAZMAP Create a HAZMAP Change laws Change laws Consult with engineering dept. Consult with engineering dept. Enforce all regulations Enforce all regulations Use caution with structural mitigation devices Use caution with structural mitigation devices Seek grants Seek grants

Preparedness Activities Create a planning council Create a planning council Seek political support Seek political support Obtain grants Obtain grants Create and EOP Create and EOP Train to standards Train to standards Conduct exercises Conduct exercises Establish an EOC Establish an EOC Promote community education Promote community education Ensure warning sirens are functioning Ensure warning sirens are functioning Develop a Community Emergency Response Team Develop a Community Emergency Response Team

Response Activities Provide advanced warning Provide advanced warning Evacuate to safety Evacuate to safety Assess damages Assess damages Conduct a needs assessment Conduct a needs assessment Declare a disaster Declare a disaster Remove debris Remove debris Work with medical and public health communities Work with medical and public health communities Provide info to media Provide info to media Manage volunteers and donations Manage volunteers and donations Communicate between EOC and ICS Communicate between EOC and ICS

Recovery Activities Plan priorities Plan priorities Enact new regulations Enact new regulations Work with other emergency management partners Work with other emergency management partners Address emotional needs Address emotional needs Monitor special populations Monitor special populations Enlist private sector Enlist private sector Take advantage of window of opportunity Take advantage of window of opportunity Remove repetitive loss structures Remove repetitive loss structures Rebuild with next disaster in mind Rebuild with next disaster in mind Monitor fraud, waste and abuse of funds Monitor fraud, waste and abuse of funds

Assignments Write a paper about the threat of terrorism Write a paper about the threat of terrorismOR Write a paper about “progressive emergency management” Write a paper about “progressive emergency management”