History And Current Activities Of The Disaster Research Center

Since the Disaster Research Center (DEC) was established in 1963, it has engaged in a variety of different studies although its basic focus has remained the same. From the beginning, the Center's major research objective has been to analyze emergency organizations and their response to, as well, as prior preparations for, large-scale community energencies, particularly when a natural disaster agent was involved. Prior studies of disaster responses had primarily focused on the victims. Practicaly no attention had been given to the activities of the emergency organizations in the community, even though the actions of such groups generally determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the reactions in the emergency period. Thus, DRC decided to study organizations during the emergency period and has continued to focus on this area throughout most of its research.