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Introduction to Emergency Management

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Introduction to Emergency Management sets the standard for excellence in the field and has educated a generation of emergency managers. Haddow, Bullock, and Coppola return for the sixth edition with an emphasis on climate change as a major hazard. Fully updated throughout for new regulations and workflows, with new case studies covering the latest in best practices, this classic textbook prepares students for the challenges of a career in emergency management.

Expanded information on disaster recovery coordination structures Emphasis on climate change as a key hazard faced by disaster managers Coverage of social media as critical tool in emergency management Fully updated throughout for the latest regulations and workflows New examples and case studies throughout Updated ancillaries to keep course instruction fresh

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Christopher Saul.
5 reviews
July 13, 2020
Comprehensive guide to how emergency management works in the United States. It also explains why EM is the way it is in the US.

Great book for a survey class for a Public Admin post-bac who works in local government.
Profile Image for Steven Peterson.
Author 19 books321 followers
July 25, 2010
This is a decent introduction to the field of emergency management as of about 2005. This volume is pitched at a level for newcomers to the subject. One problem: Its positive evaluation of the current American system looks silly when one adds Hurricane Katrina (the book was published before the hurricane struck). Obviously, the system was not in the state described in this volume.

Nonetheless, this is a nice work. It begins with a general introduction, including a history of emergency management in the US. The second chapter makes a critical point--the importance of an all hazards approach. Emergency management is not just about responding to terrorists--it is also about response to national disasters. The chapter does a fine job at emphasizing this.

Then, subsequent chapters consider the key issues of mitigation, response, recovery, and preparedness. We can try to reduce the odds of disasters and their consequences--but we must also plan on how to respond if such events actually occur. There follow chapters on communication, international disaster management, responding to the new terrorist threat, and the future of emergency management.

This book is quite useful for those who want an introductory analysis to the subject. As such, it performs pretty well, despite its overly optimistic view of the state of the system, at the time the book was published (recall the miserable performance of FEMA with Hurricane Katrina).
8 reviews4 followers
Currently reading
October 13, 2010
For a textbook, this is actually a great read. Anyone looking into homeland security and emergency managment and needing an introduction to it - this is by far one of the best reads my professors have picked!
Profile Image for Julie.
144 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2012


While easy to read, I rarely cracked the spine of this book for my Master's level class. It was a little too simplified for use as anything other than an introduction to terms. Perhaps it is better used as a Bachelor's level intro book.
Profile Image for Hans.
860 reviews351 followers
December 29, 2009
Textbooks are generally good for what they are designed for and not much more. They help give some structure to a subject that otherwise would remain a choatic mix of ideas.
Profile Image for Robert.
463 reviews33 followers
July 20, 2016
Read everything except appendix. Wish I hadn't. The entire book can be summed up in one word: Bureaucracy. That is all. Read for DSEM class. The parts about terrorism were interesting.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews

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