Leadership Development

Our military long ago discovered that its prospective leaders ... leaders who can effectively function and lead well on a battlefield... must be given leadership training under conditions of high stress, fatigue, confusing situations, and demand for immediate decisions that focus on correct battlefield solutions.

In my opinion, emergency managers need leadership training similar to the military ... and I don't see this happening. Major disasters often resemble a battlefield, and emergency managers need to perform well and correctly under those conditions. FEMA needs to adjust its leadership/ emergency manager training programs accordingly.

If FEMA cannot afford to give all emergency managers the type of training herein suggested, that training should be given to senior managers for each region/ district ... so that every area of the U.S. has at least a few local managers who have the advanced training suggested. All of this instruction should be given during multiple simulated/ realistic disaster situations.