1. Embracing Emergency Management

3. Texas Hazard Facts Major Disaster Declarations 1953 - 2007 Floods – 39 Hurricanes – 20 Tornadoes – 18 Severe Winter Weather – 5 Total – 79

4. Texas Disasters 1900 Storm – worst natural disaster in US history – 8,000 + deaths 1937 – New London school explosion – 298 deaths 1947 – Texas City explosion – 516 deaths 1979 – Tropical Storm Claudette – US 24 hour rainfall record – 42 inches

5. Hazards Analysis Identify hazards –Natural –Technological –Civil Profile hazards Assess vulnerability Estimate risk Prioritize hazards

6. What is Emergency Management? Emergency Managers are not first responders Emergency Managers are coordinators –Resources –Government sector –Non-profit sector –Private sector –Citizens

7. Response Recovery Mitigation Preparedness 4 phases of emergency management

8. Disaster Myths Panic Looting Price gouging Role abandonment

9. Disaster Myths Shock Information Assistance Martial law

10. Why do we care? Policies, plans, procedures should be based on what we expect people to do Resource management –Goods and services –Duties –Communications Slows down recovery

11. Overlooked details People issues Communications Local government role

12. People are our number 1 resource People are our clients

13. Taking care of our people Self-protection Family preparedness Response Teams Accountability Hot-lines Relocation

14. It’s all about communication and information No one has enough information initially Communication issues will occur

15. Communication and Information Gather information Establish reliable communications Media policy PIO JIC

16. I’m from the government and I’m here to help –No, really

17. Working with local government Coordination Access Infrastructure restoration Training Recovery

18. Disaster Management Foundations of emergency management –Preparedness –Improvisation

19. Disaster Management Prioritize –Communications –Information analysis –Limit impact –Stabilize incident –Deal with the media

20. Eliot Jennings Emergency Administration and Planning Program University of North Texas jennings@pacs.unt.edu www.unt.edu/eadp/