Case Studies in Disaster Response and Emergency Management: (ASPA Series in Public Administration and Public Policy)

Each emergency comes with its own set of challenges, however, many emergencies of the past can be used as tools to evaluate the decisions made and apply them to similar situations. Designed to enable public officials to conduct this kind of evaluation, Case Studies in Disaster Response and Emergency Management details a selection of emergencies—more than 50—that actually occurred. The book demonstrates that often there is no wrong or right answer, just choices that will resolve a problem favorably or cause the situation to deteriorate. The book illustrates the application of public administration theories and practices to real-life disasters. Arranged chronologically, the case studies involve incidents from the U.S. and worldwide, with topics including natural disasters, industrial accidents, epidemics, and terrorist attacks. It includes a set of generic questions at different points in the case study to allow evaluation of which decisions were successful and why. The decision-making process described gives readers an applied venue to test theoretical emergency management techniques that should work in real-world situations. The book demonstrates with the perspective of 20/20 hindsight how preventive planning measures are best practiced. It provides practical advice and guidance for public officials during emergency situations.

Table of Contents:
GUIDELINES AND GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND ADMINISTRATORS Key Issues to Consider in Emergency or Disaster Response Situations CASE STUDIES PART I: Disasters from Natural Forces Group 1 – Fires Richmond Theater Fire - Virginia – 1811 Great Chicago Fire – 1871 Peshtigo Fire - Wisconsin - 1871 Big Blowup - Washington, Idaho and Montana – 1910 Hartford Circus Fire – Connecticut- 1944 Nightclub Fire – Rhode Island – 2003 Black Saturday Brushfires, Australia – 2009 Group 2: Hurricanes Newfoundland Hurricane – 1775 Galveston Hurricane – Texas - 1900 Hurricane Katrina – 2005 Hurricane Rita – 2005 Group 3: Floods Johnstown, Pennsylvania - Johnstown Flood - 1889 Great Lakes Storm – 1913 Banqiao Dam Flood, China – 1975 Group 4: Tornados Natchez Tornado - Mississippi - 1840 Goliad Tornado - Texas – 1902 Tri State Tornado – 1925 Group 5: Earthquakes San Francisco Earthquake - 1906 Aleutian Island Earthquake - 1946 Great Chilean Earthquake - 1960 Good Friday Earthquake - 1964 Mount Saint Helens – Washington - 1980 Sichuan Earthquake, China – 2008 Group 6: Other Natural Disasters Great Blizzard – 1888 Lions of Tsavo – Africa - 1898 Great White Shark Attacks – New Jersey - 1916 Chicago Heat Wave – 1995 North America West Nile Virus – 1999 – 2004 Killer Bee Attacks - United States - 2008 Disasters from Industrial Accidents and Structural Failure Monongah Mine Disaster – West Virginia - 1907 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire – New York – 1911 Bhopal Industrial Chemical Accident – India - 1984 Texas City Disaster – 1947 Exxon Valdez – Alaska - 1989 Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse – Kansas City - 1981 Bridge Collapse – Minnesota - 2007 Northeast Blackout – 2003 Disasters from Criminal or Terrorist Acts Group 1: Bombings Bomb at Haymarket Square – Chicago - 1886 Wall Street Bombing – 1920 Bombing of Boeing 247 – 1933 World Trade Center Bombing – 1993 Oklahoma City Bombing - 1995 Atlanta – Centennial Olympic Park Bombing - 1996 Group 2: Other Terrorist Events Rajneeshee Cult Salmonella Attacks – Oregon - 1984 Subway Attack by the Aum Cult – Tokyo - 1995 Amerithrax - 2001 9-11-2001 J.F.K. International Airport Terror Plot - 2007 Group 3: Shootings and Riots University of Texas at Austin – Charles Whitman – 1966 Los Angeles Riots – 1992 Columbine High School Massacre – Colorado - 1999 Beltway Sniper Attacks – 2002 Virginia Tech Massacre – 2007 Disasters from Nuclear, Bio-toxins, or Chemicals Donora – Air Pollution – 1948 Love Canal – Niagara Falls - 1970 Three Mile Island – Pennsylvania – 1979 Chernobyl – Ukraine - 1986 Biological Hazardous Material Violation – Texas A&M University - 2007 Conclusion References Index

About the Author :
Nicolas Valcik is Associate Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas. Paul E. Tracy is with the University of Massachusetts – Lowell.

Review :
"In government service anything can and will happen. Valcik and Tracy have selected a wide variety of case studies to help the reader prepare for that phone call when you least expect it." —Allen Barnes, City Manager of Gonzales, Texas "I have gained a whole new appreciation of the need for a more informed manager. … This book will be on my office desktop, and I will be referring to it often. I know this book will be dog-eared in very short order." —Ted Benavides, Executive Scholar in Residence at the University of Texas at Dallas