The Future of Emergency Management After 2020
By Robert McCreight and Curry Mayer
2020 was a year unlike any other in U.S. history. The Future of Emergency Management After 2020: The New, Normal and Novel provocatively addresses the significant changes to the emergency management field. This title discusses the specific changes, commonalities, and future and persistent challenges for the next decade. One paramount example that confronted emergency managers in 2020 was the triple calamity of a rapidly emerging deadly virus coupled with widespread economic devastation and the swirling firestorm of ambiguous and conflicting public health information. It reflects a scenario that we simply did not expect or properly prepare for and it made emergency response appear inadequate untimely and feeble at times. We found ourselves in the throes of massive societal and economic upheaval where civil disorder was unleashed in the midst of popular protests about police misconduct and law enforcement equity. Fatalities and injuries stemming from the protests together with mounting viral infections created a witches brew of challenges for public safety and emergency management in the middle of 2020. It is a reality worth considering as it mirrors the kind of megadisaster that must be reckoned with and managed effectively. For emergency mangers in 2020, better strategies were needed to overcome major disruptive crises and disasters which triggered instability and upended normal life in cities and towns as we knew it. The Future of Emergency Management After 2020: The New, Normal and Novel will draw attention to a variety of issues and challenges which will alter the scope, complexity and priorities of future emergency managers. This title will delineate the differences between emergency management and public safety. Additionally, it addresses international challenges that may arise. Faculty, students, and practitioners of emergency management along with anyone with a general interest in emergency management will find this book extremely pertinent and valuable.
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