Introduction to Emergency Management

Providing an insider’s glimpse into emergency management, this volume engages readers in real-life case studies, integrating scientific findings with practitioner viewpoints to reveal the challenge of a field in service of communities and people at risk from disasters. It outlines various career tracks within emergency management with a focus on core competencies, ethical practice standards, certification issues, and the responsibilities of the emergency manager. Boxed features written by graduates of emergency management programs and expert practitioners from around the world provide real world insights. Each chapter begins with learning objectives and includes discussion questions, references, and additional resources at the end of each chapter.

Brenda Phillips, PhD’s work has included assisting with the development of emergency management degree programs in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Costa Rica. Her published research can be found in a variety of journals including the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, Disaster Prevention, Disasters, Humanity and Society, the Journal of Emergency Management, Natural Hazards Review, and Environmental Hazards. She has been funded multiple times by the National Science Foundation to study disasters and vulnerable populations and serves as a subject matter expert for several federal agencies. Dr. Phillips has been invited to teach, consult or lecture in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, India, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, and the People’s Republic of China.

Dave Neal, PhD has studied a wide range of tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes throughout the United States, and also in Sweden and India. His research has been supported by numerous organizations, including FEMA, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the American National Red Cross, and others. He has published articles on disasters and on developing degree programs in disaster management and has served as a consultant for universities starting degree programs in disaster management.

Gary Webb, PhD has conducted extensive research on preparedness and response in the United States and abroad. His research has been supported by various agencies and it has appeared in a variety of professional journals, including the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, International Journal of Emergency Management, Environmental Hazards, Natural Hazards Review, Rural Sociology, and Sociological Focus. He has been invited to teach or present his research to international audiences in Denmark, France, South Korea, The Netherlands, and Turkey.