Exam 13: International Emergency Management

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The armed forces are involved in emergency management to some degree almost everywhere. The military has a high degree of organization. In some countries that is enough to differentiate it from other agencies. In addition, the armed forces usually have more resources needed for disaster response. These resources include communications, transportation, fuel, power, water, shelter, health care, and food. Equally important is the large number of strong, young men who are organized into groups and used to taking orders.
There is another reason for the strong influence of the military in emergency management. This has to do with the nearly universal roots of emergency management in civil defense. This includes the training and equipping of nonmilitary personnel to repel invaders. In many countries, the military retains a strong influence on emergency management organizations. This usually leads to a strong emphasis on command and control models of disaster response that have little or no role for civilian input. Moreover, little attention is given to other needs such as disaster recovery and hazard mitigation. In other countries, the military is part of the emergency management system. However, it is under civilian control. In such cases, it cannot respond unless its presence has been requested. This option is preferred, if only to avoid overdependence on the military and risking a slide into an authoritarian government during a period of national weakness.