Summary
Pick up a newspaper and every day you see an onslaught of headlines about disaster and crisis. It would seem that the 21st century is starting out as a perpetual crisis. The civic warrior in each of us asks this small question: "How might I make a change? What can I do to make a difference?" During this presentation we dig deeper into this idea—venture beyond the question with tactics to explore the design of a more resilient community.
Key Insights
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Resilience in communities requires acknowledging and adapting to the systemic factors that exacerbate natural disasters.
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Historical policies, such as the 10 AM Rule, have long-lasting impacts on disaster management and ecological health.
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Investment in disaster mitigation efforts is crucial, yet often underfunded due to their lack of immediate visibility.
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Human decisions significantly influence the severity of disasters, highlighting the need for informed policy-making.
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Emergency management must transition from a strictly political approach to one that incorporates social equity and community needs.
Notable Quotes
"Every emergency manager has an origin story, a first disaster that shapes their understanding."
"My young mind wondered, how was this possible?"
"The decisions of humans were intensifying the impacts of disaster."
"Mitigation is highly valuable and sustaining to communities, but we often fail to fund and engage in its development."
"Our choices make disasters more deadly, costly, and frequent."
"The disaster is more than just the fire; it's a culmination of decades of policy that led to poor management."
"Gone are the days of responses free of politics; emergency management is now inherently political."
"The 21st century demands a more humanitarian approach to emergency management."
"The imperative for equity is about human equity and addressing historical injustices."
"We must move away from protecting the interests of one particular industry and towards a more holistic, social impact-centric approach."
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