Disaster Response and Recovery. David A. McEntire

the inaugural Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award.

      In the dynamic and complex emergency and crisis management profession, education is key. As detailed in the Next Generation Emergency Core Competencies, students must achieve multiple knowledge, skills, and abilities, which this book addresses. As the discipline continues to grow, there remains a need to learn from previous disasters and integrate theory with practice into the curriculum. With a record breaking 2020, McEntire’s third edition of Disaster Response and Recovery is a timely answer to this call.

      Claire Connolly Knox, Ph.D.

      School of Public Administration

      University of Central Florida

      Preface

      There is a growing sense among scholars and practitioners that greater emphasis needs to be placed on risk reduction and mitigation activities in the increasingly important profession of emergency management. Recurring hazards, new threats, rising losses, and further vulnerability all lead to the inescapable conclusion that a more proactive approach to disasters is undeniably warranted. The author agrees with this assessment.

      It is also necessary to recognize that response and recovery operations will always be required—to some degree or another—after earthquakes, hazardous materials spills or terrorist attacks. Furthermore, as the reaction to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and Covid‐19 illustrate, there is ample room for improvement in how we react disasters. At least some of the mistakes made in these cases could have been avoided if the extensive disaster literature had been heeded by politicians, public servants, corporations, nonprofit agencies and citizens alike. In addition, there is no doubt that post‐disaster functions also have an immediate or long‐term impact on the protection of life, property and the environment as well as the minimization of human suffering and social disruption.

      For these reasons, Disaster Response and Recovery: Strategies and Tactics for Resilience has been written. Its goal is to integrate the lessons provided by both researchers and professionals, updating the field with current studies and practical guidelines. Rather than address these reactive phases as if they were the only responsibilities of today’s emergency managers, this book attempts to illustrate that successful warning, evacuation and other disaster functions require advanced preparedness measures and careful implementation. Recovery likewise provides a prime opportunity to implement change, thereby reducing the probability and consequences of future disasters.

      Of course, no book can provide sufficient or fail‐proof ideas on how to react successfully to the complexities of today’s disasters, and the reader should not consider the information in this text to be the best or only way to respond to or recover from deadly, destructive and disruptive events. In spite of this fact, it is hoped that this volume will be of benefit to students, emergency managers, and others interested or involved in disaster management.

      In order to meet these goals, the book provides a thorough review of the challenges confronting emergency managers and others after disasters and discusses recommendations for their resolution.

       Chapter 1 shares background information about disasters, emergency management, and types of hazards and their interaction. Chapter 1 likewise discusses the consequences of disasters so you may know what to expect in their aftermath.

       Chapter 2 helps you recognize the large number of individuals and agencies that participate in response and recovery operations. This includes public servants, government departments, private and nonprofit organizations, and citizen volunteers.

       Chapter 3 covers human behavior in time of collective stress. It challenges widely held views and offers a more accurate view of disaster behavior.

       Chapter 4 identifies two theoretical approaches to the management of disasters. The advantages and disadvantages of the traditional and professional models are also explored.

       Chapter 5 mentions how the initial steps of hazard detection, warning, evacuation, and sheltering may protect people’s lives.

       Chapter 6 discusses several disaster functions including search and rescue, emergency medical care, mass fatality management and stress counseling. It describes how best to care for those who have been affected by disasters.

       Chapter 7 explains what can be done to successfully deal with the media/social media, donations and volunteers after a disaster. It will help you know how to manage public relations and community resources.

       At this point, the book transitions from response to recovery. Damage assessment, disaster declarations, and debris management are the topics covered in Chapter 8.

       In Chapter 9, the process of recovery is investigated along with its relation to mitigation. The types of disaster assistance programs are uncovered along with ways to reduce vulnerability.

       Typical problems during response and recovery operations are exposed in Chapter 10. The difficulties associated with communication, coordination, decision making, transportation, politics, special populations, legal issues and record keeping are explained to help you fulfill your obligations as an emergency manager.

       Chapter 11 points out that technological tools and organization structure will improve disaster management and coordination among pertinent actors.

       Chapter 12 helps you understand the challenges of the future by looking at the lessons of prior disasters and the nature of emerging threats.

       The final chapter of the book focuses on how to develop disaster resilience. Chapter 13 specifically underscores the value of preparedness, improvisation, spontaneous planning, leadership, and professionalism for you as an emergency manager.

      Learning and Teaching Aids

      While reading each of the chapters, you will find helpful aids whether you are a student or an instructor.

      Starting Point/Pretest: This assessment tool is an online test delivered through the book’s companion web site. It enables you to focus reading comprehension on the areas where you are weakest.

      “What You’ll Learn…” and “After Studying This Chapter…”: These bulleted lists describe the topics to be covered in each chapter.

      Goals and Outcomes: This bulleted list makes explicit the learning objectives for each chapter.

      For Example boxes: Shorter real‐world situations that illustrate the central points of each section of the chapter.

Case Study boxes: Longer real‐world situations that illustrate key issues in the chapters.

      Self‐Check Questions: These inquiries help the student review the material presented in each section of the chapter before continuing on with the remainder of the text.

      Key Terms: A list of major concepts, including definitions, provided at the end of each chapter.

      Summary Questions: True/false and multiple‐choice