Public Emergency Laws & Regulations: Understanding Constraints & Opportunities

Abstract

Abstract The thrust of this article is to provide emergency managers with a general introductory overview of major issues involved in public emergency law and review some basic issues which comprise elements of the legal framework of crisis management. This article is designed to be an informative piece for emergency managers about the law as it relates to handling a crisis event. The goal is to increase awareness of some of the major legal issues associated with a crisis regardless of magnitude and determine the extent to which this information may guide planning, preparedness and response options for the various local and state governments involved. This article, however, the authors outline a way to encourage a dialogue between emergency managers and corporate counsel, at least annually, to review legal issues and trends. The authors’ does not present legal advice. Instead, a primary goal is to clarify and illustrate some of the emergency manager’s legal duties and point out the possible risks of legal liability.