Today, we understand that it doesn’t stop there. Our nation’s emergency managers are contending not just with fires and the old foes of nature but with new adversaries: pandemics, cyber attacks and utility outages. And yet, the strategy for dealing with disaster has not kept up with the pace of change.
A recent national risk survey of directors of state and territorial emergency management agencies, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Association, offers a sobering assessment. These leaders from across the country report that the list of potential threats is growing, resources are shrinking and the system is stretched far beyond its breaking point. The solution? We must radically rethink how we approach emergency management and preparedness across the United States.
The core of this challenge remains the relentless cycle of response and recovery. Emergency managers consistently want to spend most of their time on prevention, mitigation, risk reduction and planning for what might come. In reality, the overwhelming majority of their time is spent simply reacting to crisis after crisis. Respondents said they spend only 5 percent of their time dedicated to efforts most likely to maintain their communities’ resilience, according to the national risk study. This is like bailing water from a leaking boat without ever patching the hull.
The leaders surveyed say funding is the main obstacle to change. Financial strain impedes not just the ability to respond to emergencies, but more critically, it prevents agencies from investing in the kind of preparedness and prevention work that could lessen the risk of catastrophe. Topping the investment wish list were critical infrastructure resilience, streamlined disaster program reform and nature‑based solutions. While ambitious, these investments are consistent with widely recognized leading practices that lower total disaster costs over time.
Emergency managers also face a widening range of threats. While flooding and public health emergencies were experienced by nearly everyone across the country over the past five years, cyber attacks have rapidly ascended as existential risks to 92 percent of survey respondents. Utility disruptions came close behind at 83 percent. Cyber attacks are also the hazard for which states feel least prepared.
What’s clear is that the expanding mandate for emergency management, spanning from weather disasters to the defense of digital infrastructure, requires not just more money, but smarter investments. Funding programs should reward states for measurable risk reduction and resilience, rather than just reimbursing them for response costs after catastrophe strikes. Building mitigation into all recovery solutions can buffer communities against floods, and upgrades to utility systems can fortify them against both natural and human-driven hazards.
Adopting more advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, data analysis and advanced risk modeling could accelerate innovation. The absence of these potential solutions is not because of lack of interest, the survey showed. Rather, 85 percent of leaders said infrastructure limitations were at issue; 62 percent cited constrained financial resources; and 33 percent were concerned about procurement challenges.
Crucially, reform must also address the human side of emergency management. Agencies need enough professionals, better training, and greater collaboration across government and the private sector. Emergency management is the bedrock of community safety and economic stability; it should not be an afterthought. This means committing to preparedness year-round.
America’s emergency managers have sounded the alarm. If we continue to prioritize short-term fixes and reactive responses, we will find ourselves increasingly vulnerable. By investing in prevention, updating funding models, and improving coordination across federal, state, local, tribal and territorial resources, we can build a safer, more resilient nation, capable not only of surviving disaster, but of thriving in its aftermath.
Mike Byrne is a specialist executive for Deloitte & Touche LLP who advises government leaders on emergency management, preparedness and crisis response. Mike has more than 40 years of service as a firefighter and federal emergency manager during some of our country’s worst disasters, including hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and Maria, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Jeff McLeod is a specialist leader for Deloitte & Touche LLP and was recently an adjunct professor of federalism at Georgetown Law School. He served as director of the National Governors Association’s Homeland Security and Public Safety Division, supporting governors and their senior advisers in developing data-driven, evidence-based solutions to enterprisewide security and safety challenges.
