Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

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April 2004                                                                            Volume 6 - Number 3

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Perspectives...

Out of Chaos Comes Opportunity

By Dan McGough

As a result of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks there has been an enormous emphasis placed on homeland security (HLS) and terrorism with large budgets targeted for local terrorism-related preparedness that continues to dwarf funds for mitigation and preparedness programs for other hazards, reversing positive trends in emergency management. This focus towards terrorism threatens to undercut the very significant progress that has been made over the last two decades toward an all-hazards approach to hazard and disaster management. However in the same chaos that has resulted in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and focused attention on terrorism there are opportunities for professionals in the emergency management field.

The funding that has been made available as a result of the new focus on HLS has resulted in many new organizations and institutions becoming interested in domestic emergency and disaster planning. The involvement of these new organizations in the hazards field offers great promise; but many in these communities are not as aware as they could be of existing research, policies, and practices in the hazards field, including those that relate directly to HLS. Therefore it is essential that professionals in the emergency management field be proactive in establishing a systematic coordinated dialogue with these organizations. By taking the lead in these efforts we can help prevent duplication of effort, confusion over organizational missions, turf battles, spending large amounts of money to reinvent the wheel, and pressures to acquire new toys, without questioning the value of such investments.

There will never be a 100% guarantee of security for the U.S. and we must resist the urge to seek total security--it is not achievable and drains our attention from those things that can be accomplished (Gilmore). However, by the better management of risks, ahead of time, of terrorism, naturally occurring diseases, and naturally or technological disasters, resources can be prioritized and allocated to minimize vulnerabilities. The recognition that the threat of terrorism can never be completely eliminated and that no level of resources can prevent the United States from being attacked in the future requires that the destructive risk associated with terrorism be evaluated in an all-hazards approach (Gilmore, 2003). Doing so will ensure that the U.S. is better prepared for all emergencies and disasters, including terrorism. Evaluating the risk associated with terrorism in this context will assist senior policy makers in determining how to apply limited resources to minimize our vulnerabilities to all hazards.

Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of

Mass Destruction. (2003, December 15). The Fifth Annual Report to the President and the

Congress of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism

Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction. Retrieved January 19, 2003 from

http://www.rand.org/nsrd/terrpanel/