ABSTRACT
As demonstrated throughout this book, the U.S. emergency management system has developed in reaction to events, rather than proactively according to comprehensive and well-conceived plans. It is natural for the public to expect such plans and the effective implementation of them. But emergency management in the United States, with the exception of a few instances and notable interludes, has gained a reputation for its ad hoc character. Policy makers and administrators often seem to craft plans and procedures in response to the last disaster, and the government appears to get caught by surprise when the next event occurs.
