ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of an earthquake that has just occurred and the need of an assistant city manager to mobilize the fire department, police department, medical services, and public works department. It also demonstrates the importance of repairing damaged infrastructure to assist not only in combating the disaster and also in preventing more problems from occurring. The failure to cap off natural gas lines quickly and repair the water mains in essence allowed the fires to spread unabated throughout the city. Once a warning has been sounded, government officials need to immediately communicate with low-lying communities in coastal areas to evacuate or have an evacuation plan ready. In addition, search and rescue resources need to be earmarked as soon as possible to respond to any population that could not evacuate the area successfully due to lack of transportation or infrastructure. Communication and effective planning are critical to successful disaster response.
