Book Review: Introduction to Emergency Management, 7th Edition

Introduction to Emergency Management, 7th Edition
By George D. Haddow, Jane A. Bullock, and Damon P. Coppola. Butterworth-Heinemann; Elsevier.com; 560 pages; $105.

The goal of risk management is to reduce risk—not to an unrealistic zero, but to an acceptable level. In the absence of critical thinking, fear-based decision making may occur. The seventh edition of Introduction to Emergency Management can help point the way to better risk decisions.

Those responsible for emergency management are expected to manage crises quickly and efficiently, from planning to recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic is a good example, illustrating how an unexpected threat changed the way business is done throughout the world. Readers of this book will learn about the emergency management process, the tools to establish and manage crises, and what is and is not realistic.

For students, the book includes a staggering amount of introductory information with plenty of detail—enough for various instructors to pick and choose what to focus on when presenting the material. Learning objectives, case studies, critical thinking questions, class exercises, additional references, and points of research enable learning.

For the emergency planner, the book details the classic emergency management process of hazard identification via risk assessment and provides information on the mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery stages.

For the responder, discussions of the incident command system, communication (including social media), leadership, critical thinking, and partnering with the media will be useful.

Contents are laid out in a logical manner, but the reader can also jump to one of the self-contained chapters. While most of the book has an American viewpoint, it does include occasional references to non-U.S. events, as well as a chapter on international disaster management.

This book has almost everything a reader could want to know about the emergency management process.

Reviewer: Dr. Glen Kitteringham, CPP, has worked in the security industry since 1990. He is president of Kitteringham Security Group Inc., consulting with companies around the globe and has extensive experience developing emergency management programs and managing emergency events.