Emergency Management, 2nd Edition

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

Preparedness is the ultimate confidence builder.

—Vince Lombardi

Shortly after the publication of the first edition of this book, I accepted an invitation from Dr. Wayne Blanchard at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to give a short presentation on the book at the annual Emergency Management Higher Education Program conference in Emmitsburg, Maryland. I was stunned to find myself on stage at a plenary session with Dr. Claire Rubin on one side and Dr. Russell Dynes on the other. The contributions of these two individuals to the discipline of emergency management are almost legendary, and to find that my book was considered worthy of being included in a discussion of their new works was humbling and, frankly, a bit frightening.

Anyone who has authored a book knows that authors are very aware of the shortcomings of their books. There are things you wish you had included, things you wish you had said differently, and things you just got plain wrong. I am no different, and I still cringe when I read parts of the first edition. Consequently, when the opportunity arose to revise my book for a second edition, I jumped at the chance.

Maybe, I should have tested the water before jumping in.

Emergency management is based on the concept of continuous improvement. This makes it a very dynamic field that is constantly evolving. Each disaster, and there have been many since my book was first published in 2007, presents us with new challenges ...