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The historical challenges facing emergency management and homeland security

David A. McEntire, PhD

Abstract


This article discusses thirteen challenges facing emergency management and homeland security. These include the tension between national security and the all-hazards approach, apathy, the disconnect between development and disasters, the subsidization of risk, the paper plan syndrome, a reactive approach, a firstresponder orientation, limited budgets, insufficient personnel, heavy work loads, political appointees, poor management, and politics. The article concludes with a discussion and recommendations for the future.

Keywords


Disaster policy, emergency management, homeland security, challenges, and future opportunities

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2007.0011

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