Introduction to Emergency Management

by George D. Haddow, Jane A. Bullock

Introduction to Emergency Management, Second Edition is a practical reference for students and professionals covering disaster response planning and mitigation. The book details the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (U.S), the Federal Response Plan (FRP), and the roles, responsibilities, and interrelationship between FEMA and state and local emergency management systems. It also covers the changes in emergency management since the events of September 11, 2001, the latest information on the Office of Homeland Security, and includes several detailed appendices. This Second Edition is completely updated and continues this title’s success as a practical reference for students and professionals covering disaster response planning and mitigation.

Genres: Nonfiction, School

424 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Christopher Saul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive guide to how emergency management works in the United States. It also explains why EM is the way it is in the US.

Great book for a survey class for a Public Admin post-bac who works in local government.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent introduction to the field of emergency management as of about 2005. This volume is pitched at a level for newcomers to the subject. One problem: Its positive evaluation of the current American system looks silly when one adds Hurricane Katrina (the book was published before the hurricane struck). Obviously, the system was not in the state described in this volume.

Nonetheless, this is a nice work. It begins with a general introduction, including a history of emergency management in the US. The second chapter makes a critical point--the importance of an all hazards approach. Emergency management is not just about responding to terrorists--it is also about response to national disasters. The chapter does a fine job at emphasizing this.

Then, subsequent chapters consider the key issues of mitigation, response, recovery, and preparedness. We can try to reduce the odds of disasters and their consequences--but we must also plan on how to respond if such events actually occur. There follow chapters on communication, international disaster management, responding to the new terrorist threat, and the future of emergency management.

This book is quite useful for those who want an introductory analysis to the subject. As such, it performs pretty well, despite its overly optimistic view of the state of the system, at the time the book was published (recall the miserable performance of FEMA with Hurricane Katrina).

[Haileyjett]

For a textbook, this is actually a great read. Anyone looking into homeland security and emergency managment and needing an introduction to it - this is by far one of the best reads my professors have picked!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While easy to read, I rarely cracked the spine of this book for my Master's level class. It was a little too simplified for use as anything other than an introduction to terms. Perhaps it is better used as a Bachelor's level intro book.

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbooks are generally good for what they are designed for and not much more. They help give some structure to a subject that otherwise would remain a choatic mix of ideas.

[Christina]

still reading

[John Purdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read everything except appendix. Wish I hadn't. The entire book can be summed up in one word: Bureaucracy. That is all. Read for DSEM class. The parts about terrorism were interesting.