George D. Haddow - Introduction to Emergency Management, 4th Edition

James Lee Witt

James Lee Witt Associates

In 1993, when I took over leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (, to work with our state, local, and private partners to build one of the most respected emergency management systems in the world.

As the tragic outcome of Hurricane Katrina so vividly demonstrated, a strong emergency management system is vital to the safety of all of our citizens. There is no time in our recent history when the need for and understanding of the discipline of emergency management have been more important. The current risk environment we live in, from potential bioterrorist threats, increasingly severe hurricanes and floods, and more frequent wildfires, has dramatically increased the skills and knowledge required to be an effective emergency manager in today's world.

Introduction to Emergency Management is the authoritative guide on today's discipline of emergency management. It takes the reader through the historical context of emergency management to the present day evolution into the world of homeland security. This book focuses on the elements of an emergency management process while providing the policy underpinnings that support that process. It provides a comprehensive case study that examines the events and issues surrounding Hurricane Katrina. While focusing on the current changes happening to the United States system for emergency management, it provides readers with a solid background in international practices and policies for disaster management/homeland security. This book gives the reader practical, real world experiences through documented case studies and provides extensive references and Internet sites for follow up research.

My philosophy about emergency management has always been that we need to take a common-sense, practical approach to reducing the risks we face and protecting our citizens and our communities. We need to identify our risks, educate and communicate to our people about those risks, prepare as best we can for the risks, and then, together, form partnerships to take action to reduce those risks. This approach applies whether we are dealing with a flood, a tornado, a hazardous materials spill, a wildfire, a potential suicide bomb explosion, or a pandemic flu outbreak. George Haddow and Jane Bullock were my Deputy Chief of Staff and my Chief of Staff, respectively, when I was Director of, . Together we worked to apply this approach to making our citizens and communities more disaster resistant and safer throughout the world. As you read and learn from this book, I hope you will keep those ideals in mind.