





































Published
JOINTLY by

The Pennsylvania 
PoliTical science 
associaTion

AND

The legislaTive office 
for research liaison

Pennsylvania house of 
rePresenTaTives

COMMONWEALTH

 of political
    science

C
O

M
M

O
N

W
EALTH

: SPEC
IAL EM

ER
G

EN
C

Y M
AN

AG
EM

EN
T ISSU

E • VO
L. 15, N

O
. 1, M

AY 2009

VOL. 15, nO. 1, MAY 2009

The Pennsylvania Political 

Science Association (PPSA) 

was founded in 1939 to 

further scholarship

within the discipline.

The Legislative Office for 

Research Liaison (LORL) 

was founded in 1976 by 

the Pennsylvania House of 

Representatives to provide 

research linkage to the 

academic community.

a journal

Special Policy Issue:
emergency 
management in 
pennsylvania: 
selected issues



© Copyright 2009 by the Pennsylvania Political Science Association and the Legislative Office 
for Research Liaison, Pennsylvania House of Representatives ISSN 0890-2410. Printed by the 
Pennsylvania House of Representatives with assistance from the Democratic and Republican 
caucuses. Copyright on volumes published prior to 2007 are held by the Pennsylvania Political 
Science Association.

Back issues of Commonwealth and the Speaker’S Journal are available online at:
www.house.state.pa.us/CJPs



i

COMMONWEALTH: A Journal of Political Science

SPECIAL POLICY ISSUE

“Emergency Management in Pennsylvania:

Selected Issues”

Special Issue Editor:
Beverly A. Cigler

Penn State Harrisburg

Associate Editor for
Policy Issues:

Michael R. King
Legislative Office for Research Liaison

Copy Editor:
Barbara C. Stone

Legislative Office for Research Liaison



ii

COMMONWEALTH: A Journal of Political Science

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Gerard J. Fitzpatrick, Ursinus College

ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes University
Donald G. Tannenbaum, Gettysburg College
Michael R. King, Legislative Office for Research

Liaison, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

BOOK REVIEW EDITOR: Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes University

MANAGING EDITOR: Michael E. Cassidy, Office of the Democratic Caucus
Chair, Pennsylvania House of Representatives

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Aryeh Botwinick
Temple University

M. Margaret Conway
University of Florida

Roger H. Davidson
University of Maryland

Jean B. Elshtain
University of Chicago

Richard F. Fenno
University of Rochester

Marianne Githens
Goucher College

Susan W. Hammond
American University

Samuel Krislov
University of Minnesota

G. Calvin Mackenzie
Colby College

Michael J. Malbin
State University of NY, Albany

Harvey C. Mansfield, Jr.
Harvard University

Kenneth F. Mott
Gettysburg College

Craig N. Murphy
Wellesley College

Steven A. Peterson
The Pennsylvania State University

Mark P. Petracca
University of California, Irvine

H. Mark Roelofs
New York University

Bruce M. Russett
Yale University

J. David Singer
University of Michigan



iii

PENNSYLVANIA POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION
Officers and Executive Council

2008-09

PRESIDENT
Paula Holoviak

Kutztown University
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Stanley Berard
Lock Haven University

TREASURER
Thomas Brogan
Albright College

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Brooke Harlowe

Lock Haven University

SECRETARY & WEBMASTER
Fran Moran

New Jersey City University

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

2007-2010 Term

Joseph Rish
King’s College

Michael Dillon
LaSalle University

2008-2011 Term

Kyle Kreider
Wilkes University

Joseph Melusky
St. Francis University

2009-2012 Term
Steven Peterson
Penn State - Harrisburg

John Kennedy
West Chester University of

Pennsylvania

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

PAST PRESIDENT
Thomas J. Baldino
Wilkes University

PAST PRESIDENT
Joseph Melusky

St. Francis University

EDITORIAL STAFF OF

COMMONWEALTH: A JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Gerard J. Fitzpatrick

Ursinus College
ASSOCIATE EDITOR &
BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
Thomas J. Baldino
Wilkes University

ASSOCIATE EDITOR &
SPECIAL ISSUE EDITOR

Michael R. King
LORL, PA House of Representatives

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
FOR POLITICAL THEORY
Donald G. Tannenbaum
Gettysburg College

MANAGING EDITOR
Michael Cassidy

Office of the Democratic Caucus Chair
PA House of Representatives



iv

LEGISLATIVE OFFICE FOR RESEARCH LIAISON (LORL)
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2218

Hon. Keith R. McCall
The Speaker of the House of Representatives

Hon. Todd Eachus
The Majority Leader

Hon. H. William DeWeese
The Majority Whip

Hon. Samuel H. Smith
The Minority Leader

Hon. Mike Turzai
The Minority Whip

2009 - 2010 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE FOR RESEARCH LIAISON (LCRL)

Hon. James R. Roebuck, Jr.
LORL Committee Chair

Hon. H. Scott Conklin

Hon. Stephen P. Samuelson

Dr. Richard DiEugenio
Special Assistant to the President for
Governmental Affairs
The Pennsylvania State University

Hon. Samuel H. Smith
Republican Leader

Hon. Kate Harper

Hon. Matt Gabler

Dr. James Moran III
Vice Chancellor for Academic and

Student Affairs
PA State System of Higher Education

2009 - 2010 UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE FOR RESEARCH LIAISON (UCRL)

Dr. Richard L. Rosen
Associate Professor of History and Politics
Drexel University

Dr. Grant D. Venerable, II
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Lincoln University

Dr. Richard DiEugenio
Special Assistant to the President
for Governmental Affairs
The Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Michael G. Hagan
Director, Institute for Public Affairs
Temple University

Dr. Michael R. King
LORL Executive Director

Dr. George E. Klinzing
Vice Provost for Research

University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Kathleen Howley
Assistant Vice Chancellor for

Academic and Student Affairs
PA State System of Higher Education

Mr. Ronald Uroda
Vice President for Research

AICUP

Dr. Andrew Rudczynski
Associate Vice President of Finance and
Executive Director of Research Services

University of Pennsylvania



v

Contents

Volume 15, Number 1............................................................. May 2009

About the Authors...............................................................................vi

Preface by Michael R. King.............................................................. viii

Emergency Management: Selected Policy Issues .............................. 1

Beverly A. Cigler, PhD, Penn State Harrisburg

Utilization of Private Resources to Supplement Government
Resources in Case of Emergency ........................................................ 5

Christopher J. Moran, BA, MPIA, University of Pittsburgh

Regional Response to All-Hazards Events: A Commonwealth
Perspective ...........................................................................................17

Gregory G. Noll, CSP, CHMM, South Central Task Force Program
Manager

Managing Risk in Real Time: Integrating Information Technology
into Disaster Risk Reduction and Response.......................................27

Louise K. Comfort, PhD; Daniel Mosse, PhD; Taieb Znati, PhD;
University of Pittsburgh

Joint Readiness Center B Pittsburgh: A Model of Military-Civilian
Readiness and Response .....................................................................47

George A. Huber, Esq.; David R. Campbell, RN, MS, NHA;
Keith G. Dorman; Leigh A. McIntosh, CEcD; Joint Readiness
Center B Pittsburgh Task Force

Residency Requirements for First Responders ..................................61

Karen Finkenbinder, PhD Candidate, Penn State Harrisburg

The State Role in Emergency Management: Significant
Challenges ...........................................................................................75

Beverly A. Cigler, PhD, Penn State Harrisburg



vi

About the Authors

David R. Campbell, RN, MS, NHA, is Executive Director at Laurelbrooke
Landing, a continuing care retirement community, in Brookville, Pennsylvania.
Campbell holds his diploma in nursing from Sewickley Valley Hospital, a BS in
Health Services from Point Park University, and a MS in Health Services
Administration from the University of St. Francis in Illinois.

Beverly A. Cigler, PhD, is a Professor of Public Policy and Administration at
Penn State Harrisburg. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public
Administration and has published widely on intergovernmental relations, fiscal
issues, alternative service delivery, governance, and emergency management.

Louise K. Comfort, PhD, is Professor of Public and Urban Affairs at the
University of Pittsburgh. She is principal investigator of the National Science
Foundation project, Designing Resilience for Communities at Risk.

Keith G. Dorman is Director, Public Affairs for Burson-Marstellar, LLC
(Burson), working with the firm’s Pittsburgh office counseling clients on a wide
range of communications and public policy initiatives. Dorman, a native of
Pittsburgh, earned a BS degree at the Georgetown University School of Foreign
Service in Washington, DC.

Karen J. Finkenbinder is a former sergeant with the Carlisle Police
Department and is retired from the U.S. Army Reserves. She has an MPA and is
currently finishing her dissertation for her PhD in Public Administration at Penn
State – Harrisburg.

George A. Huber, Esq., is a Professor of Public Health Practice and Associate
Dean for Public Policy at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public
Health, Of Counsel to the Office of the University counsel, and a consultant to
the law firm of Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney. Huber has a BS from the
United States Naval Academy, an MSIE from the University of Pittsburgh, an
MSSM from the University of Southern California, and a JD from the Duquesne
University School of Law.

Leigh A. McIntosh, CEcD, is Senior Vice President of Special Projects and
Executive Director of the Joint Readiness Center – Pittsburgh Task Force, with
the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Leigh received her BS
degree in Public Administration from The Pennsylvania State University and an
MBA in management from Eastern University, and is a certified economic
development practitioner through the International Economic Development
Council.



vii

Christopher J. Moran, BA, MPIA, received his undergraduate degree in
Anthropology from Indiana, University of Pennsylvania. He went on to receive
a Master of Public and International Affairs degree in Security and Intelligence
Studies and is certified in Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response
through the University of Pittsburgh. Chris served as a Seabee in the United
States Navy. He currently works as a Planner for the PA Region 13 Task Force.

Daniel Mosse, PhD, is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of
Pittsburgh. He is co-principal investigator for the NSF project, Designing
Resilience for Communities at Risk.

Gregory G. Noll, CSP, CHMM, is Program Manager for the South Central
(PA) Regional Task Force and Hazardous Materials/WMD Manager for PA
Task Force-1 Federal Urban Search and Rescue Team. Greg is the co-author of
nine textbooks on hazardous materials emergency response and management
topics, and received an MPA from Iowa State University.

Taieb Znati, PhD, is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of
Pittsburgh. He is co-principal investigator for the NSF project, Designing
Resilience for Communities at Risk.



viii

PREFACE

“Emergency Management in Pennsylvania: Selected Issues” is the second in a
series of policy issues of COMMONWEALTH. It is the result of the partnership
between the Pennsylvania Political Science Association and the Legislative
Office for Research Liaison of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(LORL). In this partnership, LORL has been given responsibility for developing
policy issues of COMMONWEALTH using the expertise of faculty members at the
more than 100 colleges and universities affiliated with LORL and experts from
government and private industry.

We wish to offer our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Beverly Cigler, Professor of Public
Policy and Administration in the School of Public Affairs at Penn State
Harrisburg, who served as the editor of this issue. Her previous service to the
state executive and legislature includes a two-year stint as a LORL Visiting
Scholar and assistance with many LORL legislative inquiries and projects.
Dr. Cigler is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and
presently serves as a Pennsylvania State University Faculty Associate in LORL.

The authors of the articles in this Symposium were drawn from the academic,
practitioner and consultive communities in emergency management, public
health, public administration and related fields. Because this is a policy issue,
the authors were asked to go beyond their basic findings and to offer policy
recommendations derived from their research. These conclusions and
recommendations belong to the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the
position, if any, of the editor of the volume, the Pennsylvania Political Science
Association, the Legislative Office for Research Liaison or the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives.

Special thanks are due to Barbara Stone, LORL Research Analyst/Copy Editor,
who did the proofreading and layout work for this volume, and to the staff of the
House Democratic Legislative Publications Office who so ably handled the
production and printing.

Michael R. King, PhD

Associate Editor for Policy Issues
And

Executive Director, LORL


