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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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October
2008
Volume
15
- Number 1 |
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Personal Perspective: A Call to Strengthen Public and Private Sector Partnerships By Nichole Proctor Recently I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of public and private sector officials whose mission it is to enhance the various components of emergency management through public and private sector partnerships. The group is composed of officials from the federal government, law enforcement, the business sector and other private institutions from the community. These officials convene periodically to disseminate relevant information regarding emergency management practices, resources and initiatives from within their specific domain. While one law enforcement official was sharing with the group, he made a simple statement that communicates a great need within the field of emergency management. He said, “We need the private sector and whatever [information] we can give, we will give.” Herein lies a critical aspect of emergency management that commands greater attention from those within the federal, state, and local government. The private sector is defined by the National Incident Management System as “organizations and entities that are not part of any governmental structure. It includes for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, formal and informal structures, commerce and industry, and private voluntary organizations (PVO).” Nearly 85% of the nation’s critical infrastructure is owned by the private sector. With such a large percentage of private sector ownership, it is imperative that public-private partnerships are forged. The federal government recognizes the importance of creating public-private partnerships as demonstrated in several Presidential Directives, including Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 7 which issues the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies to share information with the private sector. Partnerships between the public and private sectors enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities because it allows for established communication and decision-making prior to an event. These partnerships contribute to community growth and development and are important to both the public and private sector. For the public sector, public-private partnerships create an understanding of private sector risks, needs, resources and expertise. For the private sector, public-private partnerships provide a network of emergency preparedness expertise. Currently there are a number of successful public-private partnerships around the country. However, there needs to be a greater emphasis on creating and maintaining partnerships. The federal government emphasizes collaboration between federal agencies and national industries, but more effective partnerships need to be fostered between state and local agencies as well. These partnerships require time and resources and should be included in planning initiatives on the federal, state, and local level. With the current state of FEMA within DHS and the anticipation of how the next administration will address emergency management, these public-private partnerships could prove to be the most critical aspect of emergency management. We need more public-private partnerships and we need the next generation of emergency managers to make this a priority. References http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=13554&locid=18. http://oja.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=14758&locid=97. http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/hspd-7.html |