Emergency Management Research Paper

Via major and catastrophic disasters that include but are not limited to the Great Flood of 1993, the terrorist events that occurred on September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy; the field of emergency management has attained a new level of significance on the national stage; however, events such as those noted above, only hold the attention of the public in terms of awareness and attentiveness for short periods of time and unfortunately do not always transpire into the commitment of new funds and or necessary resources that are needed in order to properly address and mitigate hazards that threaten communities throughout the United States. Aside from the increased public awareness and attention that tend to focus on specific …show more content…
Emergency management professionals must see their new roles as one that is participatory in all aspects of the community and one that encompasses both social and political institutions at all levels in a coordinated effort. The primary emergency management function must focus on the building of disaster-resistant sustainable communities as it is fundamental to overall public safety and community livelihood. Brenda Phillips stated it best when she quoted FEMA’s (2005) definition of long-term community recovery planning; “The notion of long-term [community recovery] implies efforts to reestablish a healthy, functioning community that will sustain itself over time.” (2009, p. 62-63). Brenda Phillips went on to state that, “Long-term community recovery planning is “the process of establishing a community-based, post-disaster vision and identifying projects and project funding strategies best suited to achieve that vision, and employing a mechanism to implement those projects.” (2009, p. 62-63). Therefore, one must conclude that it is of profound …show more content…
In addition, emergency managers must be thought of as stakeholders within the network of community leaders and policymakers involved in community planning and development activities, in order to master their new role otherwise it will hinder their role. Mitigation must be the paramount task that links emergency management to sustainability and defines its role in the context of community planning, development and recovery. If mitigation is to be the paramount task, it must be a primary responsibility of an emergency manager as it is an essentially necessary component. For the new role of emergency managers to succeed there must also be a component that links public policies within the community to the concept of sustainability. All policies must promote the social, economic, and political stability necessary for a community to flourish, including emergency management policies at the federal level. The end result must demonstrate a connectedness to all facets of community life in a coordinated effort that promotes

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