Case Review: The Action Plan for the Chicago Center Fire Accident: The Role of Leadership in Emergency Response

Abstract

Collaboration is essential for dealing with natural and technological hazards and disasters and the consequences of terrorism. Generally, it is accepted that all administrative agencies require a combination of transactional and trans formational leaders, especially within emergency management agencies . How ever, conflicts arose from creating the Department of Homeland Securit y (DHS) to impose a command and control system on a collaborative organizational culture within a collaborative sociopolitical and legal context. The significant factors are the ability and willingness to appropriately distinguish the needs a nd priorities of disaster management apart from civil defense needs and pref erences; the selection of well-qualified disaster management leaders with a background in natural and accidental disasters; and the quality of implementation of programs including administrative execution, number and level of presidential disaster declarations, and timely presidential involvement in catastr ophes. To what extent is crisis management related to emergency m an agement, change management, and transformational leadership? How are these distinctions illustrated at a competency level? While change management is essential, it must be targeted and time-sensitive. Competencies were identified as influential leaders’ important characteristics or behaviors during crises. New leadership strategies that derive their power from adequate strategies practical to the transformational power of a compelling vision rather tha n from hierarchy, rank, or standard operating procedures are recommended.