Launching a National Conversation on Disaster Resilience in America Workshop Summary (2013) / Chapter Skim
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Chapter 2 Resilience as a Complex National Endeavor
Chapter 2 Resilience as a Complex National Endeavor
Pages 3-20
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From page 3... ...
Three panel discussions followed the keynote addresses: the first addressed the topic of developing a culture of resilience, the second built upon the first and addressed how to translate the concept of resilience into action, and the third panel provided federal agency perspectives about resilience in light of Superstorm Sandy which occurred just one month prior to the November 30, 2012 event. Miles O'Brien, science correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, moderated the three panel discussions including questions from the audience.
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From page 4... ...
Photo credit: Neeraj Gorkhaly The nature of the impacts of disasters is changing in our country as are the ways in which we respond to them. Reed noted that Superstorm Sandy was an example of a well-orchestrated and aggressive response effort at all levels.
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From page 5... ...
The directive goes on to outline the need for direct federal engagement in developing a National Preparedness Goal, in outlining key capabilities needed to build and sustain disaster resilience, and in determining whether those investments in preparedness and building resilience are correctly targeted. The directive also sets forth the need for clearly defined and understood roles and responsibilities in developing national preparedness among the various agencies of the federal government.
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From page 6... ...
However, Reed noted, there were no plans in existence for exactly how to rescue all of those people from the wings of a plane in the middle of the river. Nonetheless, the core capabilities for that rescue existed and were swiftly implemented by local authorities and local boat pilots so that a potentially catastrophic event turned into a completely successful rescue effort with no loss of life.
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From page 7... ...
He drew upon his experiences in leading the federal disaster response efforts to Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to inform his remarks. He echoed Reed's point that the scale and scope of recent disasters have dwarfed those of past events, and he continued by highlighting a new reality: the nation is facing increasing levels of complexity and uncertainty with disasters.
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From page 8... ...
Though unified efforts were critical, Allen noted that unity of effort needs to be preceded by a unity of thinking: of developing a culture of resilience within the community so that people are focused on key elements of resilience before an event occurs. BOX 2-3 Community-based Resilience Efforts with the Joplin Tornado Admiral Thad Allen described how the community-building efforts of C
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From page 9... ...
Panelists included Natalie Jayroe of Second Harvest Food Bank, Stephen Flynn of the Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security at Northeastern University, Gerald Galloway, Jr. of the University of Maryland, and Tom Tait, Mayor of Anaheim, California.
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From page 10... ...
He suggested that an important step is needed to change the conversation and to develop a more resilient society, and that will occur when political leaders help the public understand and acknowledge that risk exists and that being resilient relates to our ability to deal with that existing risk. Galloway noted that we live in a world where bad news is unwelcome.
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From page 11... ...
Flynn mentioned that one key barrier is that the "professionals" are slow to use social media because it does not follow traditional principles and protocols of crisis management. However, Flynn pointed out that even though social media is self-organizing and selfmobilizing, it is also self-correcting and it self-corrects more quickly than most official channels.
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From page 12... ...
With a city like Anaheim where 350,000 people live and there is suburban sprawl, building resilience has been challenging. A member of the audience raised the question of whether the nation exhibits a culture of denial, meaning that people may find it easier not to confront 2 The United Nations International Strategy on Disaster Reduction was adopted by the United Nations in December 1999 to coordinate disaster risk reduction and to implement an international blueprint for disaster risk reduction.
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From page 13... ...
For example, with repeat flooding comes serious repetitive loss, which raises a concern politically of what happens when there is a denial of flood insurance because certain areas have flooded too many times. As with the first panel, the theme of building relationships and trust emerged throughout this panel discussion.
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From page 14... ...
Stanley raised the issue of social media serving as useful tools to communicate and build networks prior to an incident so that an audience already exists for receiving information and taking action when an event occurs. Langston emphasized how the use of language matters in these discussions, and that the language has to be consistent and to reflect core values.
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From page 15... ...
Federal Perspectives on Resilience in Light of Superstorm Sandy This third and last panel, comprising high-level officials in four federal agencies, addressed resilience as it related to Superstorm Sandy. Panelists included Assistant Administrator Corey Gruber of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
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From page 16... ...
Effective communication involves not only explaining what the forecast means to others so that the public can act and respond appropriately, Sullivan stressed, but also having good relationships with stakeholders in the warning chain such as emergency managers, elected officials, TV broadcasters, nonprofit organizations, and others. Using the right kind of language is critical -- for example, shampoo companies do
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From page 17... ...
In a related dialogue, Sullivan indicated real concern over the aging satellite infrastructure that currently provides environmental intelligence and data in advance of extreme weather events for the United States. For the issue of pandemics, Lurie mentioned that the question goes back to capabilities: the same set of capabilities is needed to respond to a disaster, whether it is H1N1, a bioterror event, cyber attack, or flood.
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From page 18... ...
Photo credit: Neeraj Gorkhaly From the keynote addresses and panel discussions, Whitney identified both good and bad news. The bad news is that losses from disasters are increasing and likely to get worse.
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From page 19... ...
Local leaders are being educated about disaster resilience, and they are building trust in advance with citizens. All decisions in communities, Whitney emphasized, can and need to be guided by resilience.
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