Part I examines how and why local officials often fail to plan effectively for community response to disaster. Particular attention is given to how and why the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency failed to develop coherent criteria for the issuance of presidential disaster declarations to replace the current arbitrary, politically subjective criteria. Part II addresses disaster types and the effectiveness of emergency response. It provides lessons on the willingness of communities to address hazards, the impact of organizational stress on a community's willingness to prepare for disaster, the problems inherent in multijurisdictional response to hazards, and the impact of community size and demography in disaster response. Part III focuses on the mayors and managers of cities and how they are crucial to disaster and emergency planning. The chapters consider what city officials think about emergency management, factors related to city officials' attitudes toward emergency management, and how city officials mobilize resources in the event of a disaster. Part IV presents a case study of how New York City conducts emergency management and provides an introspective essay on State and local governments' capacity to undertake emergency management. 168-item bibliography, subject index.