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Because natural and manmade disasters can occur at any time, individuals, communities, and governments must be prepared. RAND has developed guidelines for individual preparedness in response to terrorist attacks; evaluated, modeled, and enhanced preparedness policy options for government officials at all levels; and recommended actions that communities should take to prepare for bioterrorist attacks, pandemic flu outbreaks, and other large-scale emergencies.

Commentary
Healthy Nation, Safe Nation: Build Health Security into National Security
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a need for a more-robust health security paradigm within the broader national security context. But addressing preparedness and response shortfalls for national-level challenges might not be fully possible without first addressing the glaring seams and gaps between the various stakeholder communities.
Mar 17, 2023
Essay
An Early Warning System for Landslides Protects Sitka, Alaska
A 2015 landslide that killed three people in Sitka, Alaska, changed how residents looked at the steep hills all around them. The community worked with researchers to develop a warning system to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Mar 14, 2023

Explore Emergency Preparedness

Journal Article
Changes in Poison Center Calls for Intentional Exposure During Public Health Emergencies: COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri in Dallas County, Texas
This study explored changes in the volume of calls to poison control centers for intentional exposures in Dallas County, Texas. Changes in call volume varied by gender and age and increased during the local COVID-19 surge.
Mar 23, 2023
Report
An Initial Methodology for Evaluating Social Equity Performance in Disaster Mitigation Grants: The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program
The authors explore how the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program addresses the greatest natural hazard risks for mitigation (predisaster actions to reduce damage and ease recovery) while also integrating social equity factors.
Mar 22, 2023
Blog
Opioids in America, Silicon Valley Bank, Semiconductors: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on addressing America's illicit opioids problem, Silicon Valley Bank’s demise, Taiwan’s semiconductor dominance, and more.
Mar 17, 2023
Blog
A Look Back at the War in Afghanistan, National Secuirty Risks, Hospice Care: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why the United States “stayed the unfavorable course” in Afghanistan, the Ohio train derailment, state data on gun deaths, and more.
Mar 3, 2023
Journal Article
Community-Level, Participatory Co-Design for Landslide Warning with Implications for Climate Services
This paper describes a community-level co-design process among academic, state, and federal scientists and the community of Sitka, Alaska to develop a novel landslide warning system for the small coastal town.
Mar 1, 2023
Commentary
Ohio's Train Derailment—Not Spy Balloons—Is the Real National Security Threat
The slow degradation of infrastructure and disaster response is less a spectacle than an overflying balloon, but the train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio highlights just how bizarre such a focus on perceived external national security threats has become. The far greater threat may be from within.
Feb 20, 2023
Journal Article
Gender Differences in Patients' Experience of Care in the Emergency Department
Previous work has reported gender differences in diagnosis and treatment in ED settings. However, little is known about gender differences in patient experience in the ED, though such differences are reported in other settings.
Jan 25, 2023
Commentary
Grounded: The FAA Alert System Failure Could Be a Wake-Up Call
It turned out to be a system failure that grounded thousands of flights on January 11, but U.S. critical infrastructure faces a range of threats—from Russian hackers, to weather events, to angry individuals with guns. The government and organizations responsible for critical infrastructure can take steps to actively manage these risks.
Jan 13, 2023
Multimedia
Emergency Management in California: Reflections by Mark Ghilarducci
During a November 2022 webinar, Mark Ghilarducci, the Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), reflected on his more than 30 years of experience and diversified service in public safety and emergency management at the local, state, and federal levels.
Dec 30, 2022
Commentary
Toward 'Smarter' Federal Funding of Public Health Emergencies
The next public health emergency or large-scale disaster may be looming. It may be time to rethink the way federal relief funds are sought and allocated so that aid is more rapidly, accurately, and fairly distributed to hospitals and health systems. This could help ensure patients and communities get the care when and where they need it when crisis hits.
Dec 20, 2022
Journal Article
Policymaking to Support Resilience in Democratic Countries: An Examination of Sweden, Israel, and Australia
This article identifies measures that contribute to resilience in democracies. Policymakers in democratic countries should anticipate emerging trends and threats to enhance their resilience in a complex and dangerous security environment.
Nov 8, 2022
Brochure
Disaster Management and Resilience
This brochure describes RAND's work, which directly supports decisionmakers in developing actionable planning and policy for disaster management and resilience.
Oct 20, 2022
Q&A
Q&A with the Experts: Puerto Rico
When Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico on September 18, electricity went out across the island. It was a reminder that recovery from 2017's Hurricane Maria is far from complete. RAND researchers discuss the difficulties Puerto Rico is still facing.
Oct 10, 2022
Commentary
Is Our Response to the Pandemic a Preview of How We May Deal with Climate Change?
Do Americans have the stomach for tough times, hard work, and sacrifice? Or will many of the same problems experienced in responding to COVID-19 arise as Americans confront the challenge of climate change?
Sep 26, 2022
Commentary
The Disaster Bills Coming Due
The United States largely waits for a disaster to strike and then spends billions to repair damages. Investing in resilience today can significantly reduce the costs to recover after a disaster strikes.
Sep 20, 2022
Report
Harnessing the Power of Science and Technology Communities for Crisis Response
In this Perspective, RAND researchers describe how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could leverage science and technology communities to support the use of science, technology, innovation, and analytical capabilities during crisis response.
Sep 19, 2022
Multimedia
A Conversation About Biodefense with Experts and House Intelligence Committee Member Brad Wenstrup
On September 16, 2022, RAND welcomed Rep. Brad Wenstrup from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for a conversation with experts on biological threats and weapons, with opening remarks from RAND CEO Jason Matheny and Ranking Member of the Committee, Rep. Mike Turner.
Sep 16, 2022
Journal Article
Informality, Violence, and Disaster Risks: Coproducing Inclusive Early Warning and Response Systems in Urban Informal Settlements in Honduras
This research examines the coproduction of early warning systems linked with response capacities for floods and landslides through the case study of work in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with a focus on nine urban informal settlements with high levels of territorial gang violence.
Sep 2, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Emergency Preparedness

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Michelle Woods

Associate Director, RAND Homeland Security Research Division

Michelle Woods is the associate director of the RAND Homeland Security Research Division (HSRD), which operates the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC). She is also a senior defense researcher at the RAND Corporation.
Daniel Elinoff

Defense Analyst

Daniel M. Elinoff is a defense and homeland security analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he works in security cooperation, strategic planning, workforce development, disaster recovery, and homeland security policy. He came to RAND from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he…

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