An introduction to the range of potential disaster scenarios, covering the issues and organizational relationships of importance to the student of consequence management. These include the roles, responsibilities, and coordination requirements of first responders, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the military.

Introduction to Emergency Management, Third Edition provides a comprehensive update of this foundational text on the background components and systems involved in the management of disasters and other emergencies. The book details current practices, strategies, and the key players involved in emergency management, especially in the U.S. but also around the world. Expanded coverage of local and state issues, particularly as they need to interact and work with FEMA and other federal agencies, adds value to public administrators locally tasked with protecting their community. The Third Edition is fully updated to cover FEMA's continually changing role within the Department of Homeland Security and the impact and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Lessons including proper planning, mitigation, in-crisis decisions, evacuation, and recovery shed light on how managers can avoid devastating breakdowns in communication and leadership during an event. Not only terrorist events but many such natural disasters require similar preparedness planning. Emergency planning is vital to the security of entire communities and thus an essential focus for research, planning and training. This new edition continues in its tradition of serving as an essential resource for students and young professionals in the discipline of Emergency Management. - Case examples provide current specific examples of disasters and how they were managed - Full-color hurricane Katrina section with event timeline - Written by 2 former FEMA senior officials who draw on firsthand experience in day-to-day emergency management operations

Introduction to Emergency Management, Fourth Edition, offers a practical guide to the discipline of emergency management. It focuses on the domestic emergency management system of the United States, highlighting the lessons and emerging trends that are applicable to emergency management systems in other parts of the world. The book begins by tracing the historical development of emergency management from the 1800s to the present world of homeland security. It then discusses the hazards faced by emergency management and the methods of assessing hazard risk; the function of mitigation and the strategies and programs emergency management or other disciplines use to reduce the impact of disasters; and emergency management preparedness. The book also covers the importance of communication in the emergency management of the twenty-first century; the functions and processes of disaster response; government and voluntary programs aimed at helping people and communities rebuild in the aftermath of a disaster; and international emergency management. It also addresses the impact of September 11, 2001 on traditional perceptions of emergency management; and emergency management in the post-9/11, post-Katrina environment. * Expanded coverage of risk management* Enhanced coverage of disaster communications, including social networking sites like Twitter* More material on mitigation of disasters* Up-to-date information on the role of FEMA in the Obama administration

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in U.S. history, left devastation from Florida to Texas. Editor Ebonie Ledbetter has compiled several essays and primary sources that provide readers with a deep understanding of this event. This book summarizes the events that occurred before, during, and after the storm that devastated the Gulf Coast. Readers will examine how communities such as New Orleans were unprepared, and the failure of government agencies such as F.E.M.A. to respond in an effective manner. New information will be cemented in the reader's mind as they experience compelling first-hand accounts as well. This book features an annotated table of contents, a world map, a chronology, glossary of key terms, bibliography, and subject index.