''Preface A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard resulting in an event of substantial magnitude causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment. It can be defined as any tragic event stemming from events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents, fires, or explosions. It is a phenomenon that can cause damage to life and property and destroy the economic, social, and cultural life of people. When disaster strikes a vulnerable population, the incident evokes a combination of horror and empathy among a country's population. Similarly, unless a response is carefully planned and successfully carried out, a government can appear impotent or nonresponsive to the dangers facing its citizens. Often disasters result from mismanagement of the risks involved. The risks involved are a product of both hazards and vulnerability. Hazards that strike areas with low vulnerability never become disasters. Similarly, developing countries suffer the most when it comes to disasters, since they lack the tools and coping capacity to effectively deal with a disaster. However, industrialized nations are more resilient and capable in dealing with disasters. In this book I have attempted to assemble a guide through the disaster management process including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery for individuals interested in this field of study. The handbook guides the reader through the various phases of disaster management. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the emergency management process, which includes sections on hazard analysis, emergency planning, effective communication, leadership, and management of volunteers. Chapter 2 discusses threats assessment including an all-hazard approach to threat assessments,''-- Read more...
