The Systems Behind Security: Building Stronger Emergency Response Frameworks

by Dack Anderson, Lead Security Consultant

Illustration generated by Copilot, Microsoft's AI companion, based on a custom design prompt. June 16, 2025.

Before graduating from Pikes Peak State College, I completed my capstone research on emergency services administration—an academic journey that reinforced my deep commitment to leadership, resilience, and systems thinking in crisis management. Now, as I move forward with my professional goals, I find that many of the principles explored in that final essay continue to shape my perspective on security, policy, and preparedness. Below is the capstone essay in full, revisited for those who share an interest in emergency services and effective crisis leadership.

Introduction

"Whether responding to a terrorist event, a natural disaster, or a public-health emergency, competent leadership and skilled emergency administration expertise are critical to ensuring the preservation of life and property. PPSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science degree will equip you to become a skilled and competent emergency response leader" (Pikes Peak State College, 2023).

In the summer of 2021, while volunteering at the local CERT booth at the county fair, the CERT Program Manager shared with me that PPSC had relatively recently started an emergency management program. Since I had both academic and law enforcement experience in the Navy and wanted to start my own security company, she recommended that I enroll in the program. When I visited the campus and read the school's pamphlet, the wording in the promotion, "responding to a terrorist event" and "ensuring the preservation of life and property," caught my attention. I had a flashback about my youth when I was stationed overseas at the start of the first Gulf War. It was then that I knew what I was created for.

So, after three years of delays and upsets, I have come to the close of this academic journey. I have crafted a comprehensive, simulated Emergency Operations Plan with consideration and forethought. I had written my first research paper on the intricacies of an international emergency management platform. I had professors providing insight and encouragement through their lessons and templates. Recalling my past achievements, I am reminded by those memories that I had conquered the seemingly impossible before, and I am poised to do so again. Take a deep breath, keep situational awareness, and think systematically. I am ready for the next step.

Leadership for Emergency Services

 What I understand about leadership needed in the emergency management field is, first, the ability to influence others. Though it also involves the ability to wisely use resources, make decisions under pressure, and inspire others, the effective manager will always keep in mind that one is to lead by example. By being an enlightened leader, one would want to build a true community with subordinates, peers, and supervisors by bonding through vulnerability, providing affirmations, and allowing for unfettered, internal communication within. Since trust must be established and maintained within a disaster management organization, the leader must keep accountability on a personal, interpersonal, and organizational level. Avoiding blaming others is essential to having an efficient team.

A good manager will understand the types of leadership and know when each style is appropriate for the situation. By operating through the correct style for the occasion, the leader can build up team members and start effectively delegating responsibilities to them. Empowering team members correctly will increase effectiveness throughout the whole team. But all of this cannot be done if the manager does not have a solid, balanced core. Optimal performance through the manager cannot be achieved and, in turn, will have an impact on the team and therefore on the organization's mission. The emergency manager must be able to properly influence and drive others to commit their energies to achieving the shared vision and goals of the mission.

Ethical Considerations for Emergency Services

 We have to consider that the public will hold emergency management organizations to a higher standard and expect them to follow high ethical standards, as the safety of the community is on the line. Emergency management is a career field that is comprehensive and requires both interpersonal and management skills. We must hold ourselves to higher ethical standards while conducting specialized, multidisciplinary duties (The Link, 2022). In order to maintain trust within our community, we must go about "doing the right thing, for the right reason, at the right time... Integrity is displayed by consistent actions, values, and principles with a commitment to doing the right thing" (FEMA, 2021). No one will trust a person or an organization that lies. Being honest and open helps build trust, and if we do not maintain consistency in being truthful, then no one will value what we say when a crisis actually comes. We must conduct ourselves in a manner that benefits the common good over whether or not we will personally benefit. Integrity is required for effective and efficient emergency service, and this is done by following the highest ethical standards and always being truthful with senior officials, peers, and the community (Blanchard, 2008).

Systems Thinking in Emergency Services

 Systems thinking is essential in emergency management as it is effective for problem-solving in changing environments. When we think with systems thinking, we see the parts and whole of the system, the framework of how elements interact, and the perspective of how the elements relate in their environment. Seeing the interconnectedness within a system assists in seeing the interconnectedness of organizations and stakeholders, which enables better coordination and collaboration during actual emergency responses. Having a disciplined approach to a problem helps us to ask more effective questions. Here we are identifying patterns of behavior and not just observing the incident. From a deeper understanding of how a system functions, we can achieve better optimization with systems thinking, as we are looking at the whole system and not just the parts.

 Systems thinking also aids emergency managers by helping them anticipate potential changes, challenges, and vulnerabilities in their responses. This will also point us to better preparedness and efficient resource management. Such will allow us to allocate available resources more effectively. By learning from past experiences, systems thinking encourages continuous learning that will aid in preparing for new threats and hazards and improvements for the response down the road. This method of thinking helps prepare emergency managers to manage complex crises more effectively and efficiently to ensure a more resilient community to disaster incidents.

Blame Versus Accountability

 Blame can and will be detrimental to the emergency management team's morale, the effectiveness of its operations, or both. Blame creates a toxic work environment and discourages open communication because everyone will be "walking on eggshells," as it leads to a culture of fear. Team members will become hesitant to take the initiative. This environment will lead to repeated mistakes, generate fear, a lack of innovation, slow information flow, and blockage in learning as team members focus more on avoiding getting the blame for future actions. Such an emergency management organization will cause internal mistrust to dissipate in the community.

We should foster an environment of accountability by first, each of us should take responsibility on a personal level by reminding ourselves that providing only criticism and judgment will make it difficult to see clearly in the situation. How we deal with each other as team members should include analyzing the problem thoroughly with systems thinking and creating a conducive learning setting. On the organizational level, we can use systems thinking to break the reinforcement of cycles of blame. Moving from a blame-focused environment to one based on accountability will lead to a more resilient organization.

The Value of FEMA Compliance

 Though FEMA does not have the mandate to force communities to adopt their approach to responding to emergencies (hence, all emergencies are local), communities can do so to optimize their emergency management systems to ensure a more coordinated and effective response to incidents. Doing so will not only enhance the safety of the community but will also contribute to the resiliency of the nation. FEMA provides planning guides to help build a framework with roles and responsibilities, improve preparedness with active engagement and training, and emphasize working with the whole community.

 "Building community consensus is the best way to advance compliance with public safety requirements before and during emergencies. Anything less might invite public mistrust of institutions or government agencies responding to the crisis" (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2014, p. 227). By adhering to FEMA's planning and mitigation strategies that were developed through lessons learned, communities can take advantage of such knowledge and significantly reduce the potential for loss of life and property during emergency incidents. They may also become eligible for additional funding that can further enhance their resilience against such emergencies. Effective and proactive mitigation and preparedness efforts can also minimize the economic impact of disasters, helping with quicker recovery and returning to stability with its community and its needed tax base.

Optimizing Policy

 Emergency managers need to identify failed or broken policies by properly analyzing such policies with systems thinking eyes. This will allow us to improve our organization's effectiveness and efficiency. By conducting a thorough review of the broken policy, we can understand where it is coming up short and its impact on operations. But keep in mind that we do not change a system unless the change improves the overall system (Ward, 2019). We should engage with all stakeholders affected by the policy and look into best practices and lessons learned from other authorities on the matter. Based on this research, the next step would be to develop recommendations and make sure those recommendations align with our legal requirements. After drafting the new policy, we have to advocate for policy change by explaining its benefits and necessity to the chief stakeholders for approval and authorization. Once approved, it should then be signed by the appropriate senior official(s), and next is to work on the implementation of the new policy. This should include training for a smooth transition. The effectiveness of the new policy should be monitored closely and make adjustments as needed. Doing so will contribute to a more responsive emergency management system.

Policy and Planning Expertise

 My solid educational foundation in emergency services administration has equipped me with the essential knowledge to understand and develop policies, procedures, and plans. Though I received high grades for most of my writing assignments, my writing skills are at an above-average level, but they are backed by a strong grasp of the subject matter and a commitment to clear and effective communication. I am familiar with the administrative aspects of emergency management and have been trained by my professors to approach these tasks systematically. I am also eager to apply my academic learning to real-world situations and continuously improve my writing skills through practical experience. I am confident that with my educational background and willingness to learn, I can contribute effectively to writing and refining policy documents, procedural guidelines, and strategic plans.

A Time to Mitigate

 In emergency management of the 5 Phase Cycle, mitigation is a vital part of the cycle as it is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by preparing for and building up against disasters and emergencies to lessen their impact. This phase helps to ensure community resilience. Because of this, it is hard to give a specific number, but I would say approximately 20-30% of my time as an emergency manager would be working in the mitigation phase. This, of course, would depend on the locale, financial capabilities, community involvement, and geography of the area. The mitigation effort could include risk assessments, public education, checking on building codes, and attempting to secure funding for the mitigation project itself. Though immediate response and recovery phases occur during and immediately after a disaster, the mitigation activities are generally significantly less time-sensitive.

However, it should not be understated that the importance of mitigation as investing in it can have a major effect by reducing or even eliminating the impact of a disaster. Thereby saving time and resources. Mitigating effectively can lead to fewer emergencies in the community, so it can lead to fewer response and recovery activities. This, in turn, would aid in keeping the emergency management operation highly efficient in how it allocates its time.

Crisis Communications

 Crisis communication is vitally important to deliver the message with clarity, specificity, and consistency during a crisis. An effective communication program will help ensure public safety, protect property, facilitate response efforts, elicit cooperation, instill public confidence, allow for rumor management, and help families reunite. Such communications may include alerts and warnings; directives about evacuation, curfews, and other self-protective actions; and information about response status, family members, available assistance, and other matters that impact response and recovery. However, choosing the right communication tool is a matter of getting the right information to the right people at the right time so they can make the right decisions. The most effective communication tool is one that reaches the target audience, gets information to the audience when they need it, for as long as they need it, can be expected to deliver the message reliably, enhances comprehension of the message content, and can be accessed within resource limitations. Most often, emergency managers will have to use a combination of methods to deliver a consistent message to the whole community. 

In a crisis, clarity, specificity, and consistency are vitally important. Emergency management must be sure to present the information in sequence, the reason for the message, the supporting information, and the conclusion. The message must be worded precisely and avoid jargon, codes, and acronyms to minimize confusion with the audience. It is important to omit unnecessary details. The message must remain consistent across various media while being in sync with other related authorities. Effective messages like alerts and warnings are those that result in members of the public taking recommended actions to protect themselves. To help ensure that messages are effective, they must be issued promptly.

Resilience

 Psychological resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, and significant sources of stress or simply “the ability to ‘bounce back’ after encountering difficulty” (Southwick & Charney, 2018, p. 6). It provides a person with the individual support and strength needed in crises and non-crises while preparing for inevitable trauma. It is also a critical component in community resiliency, which refers to the ability of the community to withstand and recover from disasters. Responders with good stress management skills can better manage the stress and emotional toll of emergency situations, maintaining their effectiveness over longer periods. They are more likely to make sound decisions under pressure, which is crucial for successful emergency management operations. Also, they serve as role models for resilience, inspiring their colleagues and community members to adopt similar attitudes and behaviors. Resilience for individual community members contributes to the overall resilience of the community. Community members with strong resiliency are better prepared and more self-sufficient. These members reduce the overarching burden on emergency services systems during a disaster. They are also more likely to engage in community preparedness activities, which, too, contributes to the community's resilience, and are more capable of facilitating a more effective recovery for themselves and their families. Having both resilient responders and community members, the community can build a stronger, more robust emergency management system. 

Conclusion

 The field of emergency management is not just a profession but a calling that demands dedication, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the complexities of disasters and crises. Though I desire to serve in the physical security side of the field, this academic program has underscored my understanding of the critical importance of preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. I can see that each phase is interdependent and that success in one contributes to strength in the others. Both emergency management and security emphasize preparedness. While emergency management focuses on community-wide readiness for disasters, security professionals prepare to prevent and respond to threats within specific environments or around specific individuals. Roles between emergency managers and security directors intersect during emergencies, where security measures are essential for maintaining order and safety. I have learned to have a better appreciation for effective communication and understand that clear, timely, and accurate information dissemination is vital for the safety and resilience of communities. I have completed the ESA program and now have the knowledge to take with me into my future of leadership, systems thinking, psychological resilience, and optimal response. 

References

Blanchard, B. W. (2008, October 22). Guide to emergency management and related terms, definitions, concepts, acronyms, organizations, programs, guidance, executive orders & legislation: A tutorial on emergency management, broadly defined, past and present. Homeland Security Digital Library. https://www.hsdl.org/c/view?docid=484779

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (2014). Crisis & emergency risk communication. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

FEMA. (2021, August 13). IS-240.c: Leadership and influence. FEMA Emergency Management Institute. https://emilms.fema.gov/is_0240c/groups/235.html

Pikes Peak State College. (2023). Emergency service administration. Programs. https://www.pikespeak.edu/programs/emergency-service-administration/

Southwick, S., & Charney, D. (2018). Resilience: The science of mastering life's greatest challenges. Cambridge University Press.

The Link. (2022, October 14). Emergency management careers: An overview. Columbia Southern University. https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2022/october/emergency-management-careers 

Ward, T. (2019, June 16). The systems behaviors - Public policy correlation [PowerPoint slides]. MyCourses/D2L. https://bannercas.cccs.edu/authenticationendpoint/login