Preparing Officers to Build a Culture of Preparedness: A Case Study of the Boston Marathon Bombings

Abstract

The theory and practice of emergency management and homeland security continues to evolve. Specifically, public safety professionals must adopt an all-hazards approach to managing disasters and emergencies, and the creation of a safe and resilient nation is not solely the responsibility of the public safety community. Rather, it is the responsibility of the whole community. Using the Boston Marathon Bombing of 2015 as a case study, this chapter examines the extent to which law enforcement officers have embraced Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s concept of creating a culture of preparedness. In doing so, it reviews after-action reports from the incident to identify areas contributing to creating this culture as well as potential gaps and lessons learned. This chapter concludes with a set of recommendations for building and sustaining a culture of preparedness moving forward.

Citation

Knox, C.C., Linskey, D. and Tyler, J. (2021), "Preparing Officers to Build a Culture of Preparedness: A Case Study of the Boston Marathon Bombings", Landahl, M.R. and Thornton, T.E. (Ed.) The Role of Law Enforcement in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (Community, Environment and Disaster Risk Management, Vol. 24), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 203-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-726220210000024011