Americans at Risk

Wow...in the realm of books that makes one think, this one ranks very high for me. As someone who has worked for several years on the “ground level” of emergency preparedness, I have been wanting to read what a number of “experts” have to say about the subject. “Americans at Risk” was my first foray into this personal initiative.

Reading this book with an open mind can open one's eyes to the risks that surround us. Everyone should understand that these risks are not insurmountable, so I'm not saying that everyone should go around getting all paranoid.

I tried to read this as a student, not an emergency preparedness professional. Sometimes, when we dedicate a large portion of our lives to a certain cause, we tend to get a little personal when someone else says something with which we disagree. So, I made every attempt to give Irwin Redlener the benefit of the doubt. I agree with much of what he says, particularly when he talks about the need for greater coordination between federal, state, and local partners as well as the need to integrate emergency preparedness and homeland security into a number of other, more “routine” initiatives (e.g., upgrading our roadway and water distribution infrastructure as a means of ensuring preparedness). I don't necessarily agree with other aspects of his opinions, but that is not important. We are all smart human beings and can arrive at our own opinions so long as we do it through a rigorous personal education process and maintain the utmost respect for those that are doing the same thing .

What is much more important, though, is the “thought process” that Redlener employs and implores every citizen and preparedness professional to employ. Ask “what if”. Work your though process beyond what is your comfortable limit. For example, if you know that your capabilities will get you through the most probable emergency in your community, add another wrinkle to it and strengthen your capabilities to meet that new wrinkle.

Redlener's message is to never get complacent. This is good advice - not only for emergency preparedness, but also for life in general.