Overview

Over the last century, the scale of Canada’s domestic disaster response system has grown significantly due to the country’s increased capacity for emergency management and the rise in natural hazards. However, there has been no systematic assessment of how effectively this multilevel system, which includes all levels of government and the military, has been integrated, and how efficient this system actually is at responding to high-level disasters. Using in-depth archival analysis and interviews with senior military and civilian officials on the inside, Boots on the Ground provides a detailed examination of Canada’s disaster response system. Including policy recommendations focused on the expansion of emergency management networks, the maintenance of Canada’s decentralized emergency management system, and disaster response resources for First Nations communities, Boots on the Ground aims to highlight opportunities to improve Canada’s urgent disaster response. Boots on the Ground offers helpful lessons for students, policy makers, emergency management practitioners, and military officers, ensuring that readers gain concrete insights into the strategic and efficient implementation of disaster response initiatives.

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9781487529789

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"""Botha has clearly done his homework when it comes to policies, mandates, and bureaucratic realities, and his many interviews help him get to the heart of disaster response."" -- Kelly S. Thompson * <em>Literary Review of Canada</em> *"

In Boots on the Ground, Johanu Botha casts much-needed light on the Canadian Armed Forces' vital contribution to how governments respond to natural disasters. It is a ground-breaking book that should become required reading for those interested in emergency management in Canada. Moreover, at a time when climate change will force us to confront a growing number of natural disasters in the years ahead, this innovative study provides valuable insights about the current strengths of our disaster response system and where opportunities for improvement may be found. - Luc Juillet, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and Institute of the Environment, University of Ottawa Johanu Botha's Boots on the Ground is an outstanding contribution to scholarship on and practical understanding of the craft of emergency management and its interaction with Canadian federalism. It conveys a compelling mix of scholarly and managerial insights of value to policy-makers, practitioners, and anyone interested in the role of the Canadian Armed Forces as a crucial backstop to Canada's emergency response networks. - Geoffrey Hale, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Lethbridge This book is a unique, comprehensive analysis of the significant role played by the Canadian Armed Forces in disaster response. In addition to rich description, it offers a robust evaluation of how well the military has been integrated into emergency management. It also makes pragmatic recommendations to improve civilian-military collaboration. Botha's work is a novel and substantial contribution to scholarship on emergency management and public administration more broadly. - Daniel Henstra, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo

Author Information

Johanu Botha leads the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Government of Manitoba.

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