ABSTRACT
The major findings were derived inductively from a combination of case studies, subject matter expert (SME) interviews, relevant external documents, and strategic policies and references by distilling the themes that emerged during comparative analysis and consolidation of common terms of reference. A national framework is needed that cultivates a culture of preparedness and integrates resilience in all areas. Currently, there is no organizing principle that provides rewards to keep people engaged. Some 85 percent of all critical infrastructures are owned and operated by the private sector, but the majority of policy guidance is developed and enforced by the public sector. The authority, jurisdictions, and legislation in effect in some areas of preparedness and emergency response policy are outdated. For example, the 1990 Oil Pollution Act was one of the applicable statutes when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, but it failed to provide adequate authority and regulatory guidance for the environmental disaster in 2011.
