If you've heard or read much about the water crisis in Flint, MI, you may have heard the term "emergency manager" used to describe the financial crisis manager assigned to the city. But aren't emergency managers the people involved in disaster planning and response? Yes, but ... in Michigan, the term is also used to describe individuals appointed to provide financial-only oversight during fiscal emergencies. Naturally, this is creating a lot of confusion in the public and concern among those of us in the emergency and disaster management field. The International Association of Emergency Managers, our primary professional association, released this statement about the confusion this terminology is causing and urging the media to more clearly differentiate between emergency managers and emergency financial managers. Emergency managers work tirelessly to prepare their communities for disasters and help them respond and recover when those incidents occur. It's important that we help the public understand the difference!
~Lauren
~Lauren
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