Comparative Emergency Management

Damon Coppola

June 10, 2010

International Disaster Management

• Systems / Structures

International Disaster Management

• Systems / Structures

• Scenarios

2007 EMI Conference

• International Disaster Management not featured on the EMI agenda for the first time in 3 years

• Conference Paper: “The Importance of International Disaster Management Studies in the Field of Emergency Management”

Five Arguments

1. The United States’ emergency management system is imperfect

2. The United States is moving towards a ‘Third World’ system

3. Climate change equals bigger, stronger, and more numerous disasters

4. Climate change means global instability

5. The expanding discipline demands the inclusion of international disaster management studies

Course Concept• Present the fundamentals of the emergency

discipline as they exist in other countries of the world, and on a global scale

• Expand upon domestic lessons • Examining the same topics seen in other

emergency management courses through the perspective of the greater international emergency management community

• Explore hazard, risk, vulnerability, and disaster trends, as they differ throughout the world

• Consider the international EM participants and players

Development Timeline

2-Year Development Project

• October 2008: Project Began

• November 2008: 2-year work plan submitted

• December 2008: Focus group

• June 2009: Update – sessions 1-8 completed

• June 2010: Sessions 1-25 completed

• August 2010: Complete course submitted

• September / October 2010: Final review

Dr. McEntyre Effort

• Online textbook of Comparative Case Studies

• Began Fall 2008

• 18 national case studies (including the US)

• In depth look at national capacity

• Complementary efforts

Course Structure• Standard EMI Higher-Ed Course Format• Individual 1-, 2-, or 3-hour sessions• Session length – 10-15 pages per course hour• Sections include:

– Session Header– Objectives– Scope– Readings– Requirements– Remarks– Supplemental Considerations– Course Development References

Course Outline

• Introduction and importance (1/2)

• Global historical context of EM (3)

• International efforts to improve EM (4)

• Disasters and development (5)

• International disaster trends (6)

• Hazards and hazard identification (7/8)

• Risk, Vulnerability, and Risk Perception (9/10/11)

Course Outline

• The EM Cycle (12)

• Mitigation (13-17)

• Preparedness / Public Education (18/19)

• Response (20/21)

• Recovery (22/23)

• Mid-term exam (24)

Course Outline

• Governmental EM Agencies/Structures (25)

• NGOs (26)

• Multilateral Organizations (27)

• The IFIs (28)

• Final exam (29)

Course Development Update

Questions?