Winston Churchill once said, ““When the situation was manageable it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure. There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalog of the fruitlessness of experience and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong–these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.”
The after action reports found here have lesson we should learn from and not unfortunately as we historically demonstrate, lean towards repeating mistakes.
Southern California 2003 Wildfire
Southern California 2007 Wildfire
September 11, 2001 Pentagon Attack
2004 Chlorine Rail Car Accident
Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations Regarding DHS Oversight
FEMA Disaster Housing and Hurricane Katrina: Overview, Analysis, and Congressional Issues