Emergency Planning

MARCH 3, 2025

On 12th October 2008 I attended a conference at which an epidemiologist stood up and said "My job is to tell you something you don't want to know, and ask you to spend money you haven't got on something you don't think is going to happen." I taught pandemic preparedness on the basis of his example for the next 12 years.

All-Hazards 130

All-Hazards Natural Hazard Hazard Risk Reduction 130

Emergency Planning

MAY 6, 2024

The lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic, alas largely negative, show that a good civilian system designed to protect the public against major hazards and threats can save thousands of lives and billions in losses and wasted expenditure. Non-seasonal influenza retains the potential to cause a pandemic on the level of that of 1918-1920.

All-Hazards 100

All-Hazards Hazard Risk Reduction Emergency Response 100

Emergency Planning

OCTOBER 21, 2022

But in 2008 floods stretched from Alnwick in Northumberland to Tewksbury in Somerset, nearly 500 km away. Oddly, it was sidelined during the pandemic as the Cabinet Office Minister, Michael Gove, judged it to be 'too extreme'. In the UK, the term 'disaster' is not used: 'major incident' is preferred. Was this not a disaster?

Management 231

Management Emergency Planning All-Hazards Transportation 231