In order for a community to be truly prepared to respond to any type of emergency, it must develop effective emergency planning. Emergency Planning guides readers through the steps of developing these plans, offering a number of strategies that will help ensure success. It delves into the patterns of human disaster behavior, social psychology, and communication as well as the basics of generic protective actions, planning concepts, implementation, and action.

Technology plays a vital role in the effectiveness of a management plan during an emergency. Emergency Management Technology not only provides a detailed overview of the technology used, it also clearly explains how the technology is applied in the field. Readers will learn how to utilize technology in emergency planning, response, recovery and mitigation efforts and they'll uncover the key elements that must be in place for technology to enhance the emergency management process.

Technology plays a vital role in the effectiveness of a management plan during an emergency. Emergency Management Technology not only provides a detailed overview of the technology used, it also clearly explains how the technology is applied in the field. Readers will learn how to utilize technology in emergency planning, response, recovery and mitigation efforts and they'll uncover the key elements that must be in place for technology to enhance the emergency management process.

The main goal of this text is to introduce the systems approach to disasters management community as an alternative approach that can provide support for interdisciplinary activities involved in the management of disasters. The systems approach draws on the fields of operations research and economics to create skills in solving complex management problems. The text is organized into four parts. Part I provides an introductory discussion of disaster management including an overview of the main terms used. Part II is devoted to the introduction of systems theory, mathematical formalization and classification of methods. The material presented in this section should be of practical relevance during the process of selecting an appropriate tool for the solution of a problem. Part III is technical in nature, providing a simulation approach and a detailed description of system dynamics simulation. This section details two areas of application: flood evacuation simulation, and disaster risk assessment. Part IV ends with a chapter covering steps to improve disaster management. Finally parts of the book can be used as a tool for specialized short courses for practitioners. For example a course on 'System analysis for emergency management optimization' could be based on Chapters 3, 4 and parts of Chapter 6. Included in the book is a CD with three computer programs Vensim PLE, LINPRO, and COMPRO. Vensim PLE (Personal Learning Edition) is state-of-the-art simulation software used for the implementation of system dynamics simulation. The other two programs are: LINPRO, a linear programming optimization tool; and COMPRO, for the implementation of the multi-objective analysis tool of compromise programming.

In order for a community to be truly prepared to respond to any type of emergency, it must develop effective emergency planning. This book guides readers through the steps of developing these plans, offering a number of strategies that will help ensure success.

The second edition was to be written in order to keep both reader and student current in incident management. This was grounded in the fact that incident management systems are continually developing. These updates are needed to ensure the most recent and relevant information is provided to the reader. While the overall theme of the book will remain the same of the first edition, research and research-based case studies will be used to support the need for utilizing emergency incident management systems. Contemporary research in the use (and non-use) of an incident management system provides clear and convincing evidence of successes and failures in managing emergencies. This research provides areas where first responders have misunderstood the scope and use of an emergency incident management system and what the outcomes were. Contemporary and historical (research-based) case studies in the United States and around the globe have shown the consequences of not using emergency incident management systems, including some that led to increased suffering and death rates. Research-based case studies from major incidents will be used to show the detrimental effects of not using or misunderstanding these principles. One of the more interesting chapters in the new edition is what incident management is used around the world.