Embracing Emergency Management

Texas Hazard Facts

• Major Disaster Declarations

• 1953 - 2007

• Floods – 39

• Hurricanes – 20

• Tornadoes – 18

• Severe Winter Weather – 5

• Total – 79

Texas Disasters

• 1900 Storm – worst natural disaster in US history – 8,000 + deaths

• 1937 – New London school explosion – 298 deaths

• 1947 – Texas City explosion – 516 deaths

• 1979 – Tropical Storm Claudette – US 24 hour rainfall record – 42 inches

Hazards Analysis

• Identify hazards– Natural– Technological– Civil

• Profile hazards• Assess vulnerability• Estimate risk• Prioritize hazards

What is Emergency Management?

• Emergency Managers are not first responders

• Emergency Managers are coordinators– Resources– Government sector– Non-profit sector– Private sector– Citizens

• Response

• Recovery

• Mitigation

• Preparedness

4 phases of emergency management

Disaster Myths

• Panic

• Looting

• Price gouging

• Role abandonment

Disaster Myths

• Shock

• Information

• Assistance

• Martial law

Why do we care?

• Policies, plans, procedures should be based on what we expect people to do

• Resource management– Goods and services

– Duties

– Communications

• Slows down recovery

Overlooked details

• People issues

• Communications

• Local government role

• People are our number 1 resource

• People are our clients

Taking care of our people

• Self-protection

• Family preparedness

• Response Teams

• Accountability

• Hot-lines

• Relocation

• It’s all about communication and information

• No one has enough information initially

• Communication issues will occur

Communication and Information

• Gather information

• Establish reliable communications

• Media policy

• PIO

• JIC

• I’m from the government and I’m here to help– No, really

Working with local government

• Coordination

• Access

• Infrastructure restoration

• Training

• Recovery

Disaster Management

• Foundations of emergency management

– Preparedness

– Improvisation

Disaster Management

• Prioritize– Communications– Information analysis– Limit impact– Stabilize incident– Deal with the media

Eliot Jennings

Emergency Administration and Planning Program

University of North Texas

jennings@pacs.unt.edu

www.unt.edu/eadp/