The only book to combine emergency management principLEs with proven military concepts Good disaster plans do not guarantee a good response. Any disaster plan rarely survives the first rain bands of a hurricane or the first tremors of an earthquake. While developing plans is essential, there must be systems in place to adapt these plans to the ever-changing operational environment of a disaster. Currently there is no set of standard disaster response principles to guide a community. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) provide the framework to implement operational decisions, but they were never designed as operational concepts. The military has developed just such concepts and many of them can be adapted for civilian use. Disaster Operations and Decision Making adapts those military concepts and combines them with disaster lessons learned to create a new opera-tional paradigm. Emphasizing team building, Emergency Operations Center operational systems, and situational awareness, the book details easily adopted methods. All of these methods are designed to be incorporated into the NIMS and ICS framework to enhance a community's response to any type of disaster. Disaster Operations and Decision Making is an essential resource for emergency managers, fire chiefs, law enforcement officers, homeland security professionals, public health officials, and anyone else involved or interested in crisis management.

The only book to combine emergency management principLEs withproven military conceptsGood disaster plans do not guarantee a good response. Anydisaster plan rarely survives the first rain bands of a hurricaneor the first tremors of an earthquake. While developing plans isessential, there must be systems in place to adapt these plans tothe ever-changing operational environment of a disaster. Currentlythere is no set of standard disaster response principles to guide acommunity. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and theIncident Command System (ICS) provide the framework to implementoperational decisions, but they were never designed as operationalconcepts. The military has developed just such concepts and many ofthem can be adapted for civilian use.Disaster Operations and Decision Making adapts those militaryconcepts and combines them with disaster lessons learned to createa new opera-tional paradigm. Emphasizing team building, EmergencyOperations Center operational systems, and situational awarenessthe book details easily adopted methods. All of these methods aredesigned to be incorporated into the NIMS and ICS framework toenhance a community's response to any type of disaster.Disaster Operations and Decision Making is an essential resourcefor emergency managers, fire chiefs, law enforcement officershomeland security professionals, public health officials, andanyone else involved or interested in crisis management.

Foreword ixIntroduction xiii1. The Emergency Manager: Leading in a Crisis 12. Crisis Decision Making 193. Disaster Operations: The Art of Operations 394. Decision Graphics: The Green Light System 675. The Emergency Operations Center 796. The Press, Friend and Foe 1117. The National Incident Management System and the IncidentCommand System 1278. Technology and Social Media 1599. Building the Team: The Core Liaison Group 17310. Training the Team 18911. Resources: Decision Aids and Worksheets 277FEMA Glossary 341Suggested Readings 363Index 367