The finance officer's role in disaster management.(from the editor)

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In no sector is disaster planning a more salient issue than in local government. Surveys conducted by the National League of Cities reflect the increased concern with this issue after 9-11. In the NLC's pre-9-11, 2001, survey of local governments, 28 percent of city officials said their jurisdictions had an increased need for survival services (food, shelter, heating, and the like). By the 2004 and 2006 surveys, that percentage had grown to more than 40 percent. In addition, in the 2006 survey, 51 percent of respondents said they had revisited their disaster planning as a result of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. (1) The finance officer plays a critical role in planning and recovery;, as described in several of the articles in this issue.

Stephen E. Flynn presents his own perspective on the need for an enhanced ability to withstand and recover from disasters. His article, Rebuilding a Resilient Nation, is a call to action. Other articles in this issue, such as Shayne Kavanagh's Stepping Back from the Edge of Disaster. Capital Planning for Resiliency, present concrete suggestions for how finance officers can help to assure stability for their jurisdictions before, during, and after wide-scale emergencies.

The equipment, personnel, and training necessary for disaster preparedness is expensive and can present budgeting dilemmas. Vicki Wilson's article, Being Prepared for Disaster: Strategies and Tactics for Finance Managers, offers tips for funding a community's disaster preparedness.

As Comptroller of the City and County of San Francisco, Ed Harrington has experience working with FEMA and other agencies in financing the recovery process. His article Working with FEMA suggests procedures that need to be in place prior to a disaster and solutions for field work and organizing financial records following a disaster in order to comply with complex reimbursement regulations.

The Gulf Coast is still recovering from the 2005 hurricane season. For his article, Walking on Water: A Look Back at Rita and Katrina, Daniel Bliss interviewed several finance officers in the area about their entities' financial processes throughout the disaster and what they learned.

Emergency preparedness activities must be planned, managed, and funded. And when disasters occur, funds must be made available for equipment, supplies, and contractors, and employees need to be paid. Consequently, as natural and manmade disasters continue to be high on the list of local governments' concerns, finance officers will continue to play an important role. In addition to this special Government Finance Review issue, the GFOA offers training, publications, and recommended practices (http://www.gfoa.org/downloads/budgetBusiness_ContinuityRP.pdf) to assist finance officers in this area.

Anne Spay Kinney

Editor in Chief

Note

(1.) National League of Cities, Research Brief on America's Cities, 2006-2 (March 2006).

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