Conceptualizing and Measuring Disaster Preparedness

Abstract

Disaster preparedness has been identified with planning, resource identification, warning systems, trowing and simulations, and other predistister actions intended to improve the safety and effectiveness of community response to disaster. Despite its acknowledged importance, little attention has been given to clarifying the conceptualization and strengthening the measurement of preparedness. This paper presents an empirically based summative measure of preparedness, documents its reliability, and offers evidence of construct validity.