Crisis management is
|“||[t]he process of managing an institution’s operations in response to an emergency or event which threatens business continuity. An institution’s ability to communicate with employees, customers, and the media, using various communications devices and methods, is a key component of crisis management.||”|
Crisis management encompasses crisis response — the immediate activities in the wake of a disaster — as well as the longer-term 'consequence management' activities associated with addressing disasters past, present, and future to improve planning, preparedness, mitigation, and recovery efforts.
By its nature, crisis management is a very challenging process. It draws on the capabilities and resources of multiple organizations, including national, state, and local government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector (and, depending on the location and scale of the disaster, on international organizations and other national governments).
Efforts may encompass many functional areas, including transportation, communications, public works and engineering, firefighting, law enforcement, mass care, health and medical support, urban search and rescue, hazardous materials management, food supply, and energy supply. Information technology needs include telecommunications, information management, geographic information systems, remote sensing, and models and simulations.
- "Overview" section: Information Technology Research, Innovation, and E-Government, at 54-55.