Moment of Truth
The Nature of Catastrophes and How to Prepare for Them
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We are woefully unprepared for our next major disaster—but the lessons we’ve learned post-9/11 in NYC can show all of America the way to true resilience. “Miami Beach Devastated by Monster Category 5 Hurricane” “Times Square Incinerated by Homemade Nuclear Bomb” “Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake Reduces Downtown Seattle to Rubble” These aren’t actual headlines—but they could be. Even though they sound like next summer’s blockbuster movies, each of these worst-case scenarios is a real threat—a threat for which America is hugely underprepared. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This is not a book about disasters. Instead, Moment of Truth will tell you what these genuine threats mean for society as a whole, as well as for your region or town—or you. All we have to do is open our eyes and look beyond the “brick wall of hope” that clouds our vision in collective denial. In addition to advice for government, Moment of Truth contains practical steps that you can take now to keep you and your family safe in the face of the next catastrophe. Because it may come down to just you.
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When a book has a near-perfect blend of theory and practice, you know you're onto something. McKinney has the street cred to take authoritatively about emergency management, but I appreciated the curiosity implied by the narrative. There is a desire to want to know, and the writing invites the reader into a conversation with the author.
For my part of that conversation, I will say that I began using the idea of “get big enough, fast enough” as soon as read it. I find that simple phrase re-frames the preparedness planning process for groups that might be struggling with an emergency support function (ESF) approach. If it's not productive to think of the resources we have organized by function, shift to cataloging scenarios that could impact your organization or community. Then, start asking what does BIG look like for this scenario followed by, “How quickly could we get everything we need to handle this?”
McKinney didn't say it exactly like this, but I see myself letting planning groups talk-out their thoughts on the most likely scenarios they'll face. Once they coalesce around a few ideas, asking them to “add 20%” to the impacts across all spectra can push them beyond complacency, to get into that head space that can foster innovation, without blowing past the realm of the plausible.
This book is a good read that is simultaneously conceptual and practical, with enough big ideas to get the wheels turning in your mind and enough brass tacks advice to improve your emergency management program almost immediately.
