Analysis of the Readiness of Local Communities for Integrated Emergency Management Planning.

Abstract : The emergency management networks of fifteen communities throughout the U.S. were examined with particular attention to their effectiveness. Most of the networks sampled are effective; those that are ineffective are difficult to repair under present conditions. All networks underutilize available local resources in the voluntary and commercial/industrial sectors of their communities, and limit communication with the general public. The concept of integrated emergency management systems has so far been well-received on the local level, partly because it conforms to pre-existing practice, and partly because it deflects attention from possibly controversial civil defense measures to types of emergency management that enjoy unequivocal public support. Few distinctive civil defense activities are currently ongoing in the sampled communities and there is considerable confusion about how the public would be warned and instructed in case of a nuclear alert. Aside from these considerations, most of the networks studied should be able handle any emergency that bears a reasonable relationship to their available resources.