Project Summary: Week 1 Discussion for Disaster Management class MUST REPLY TO TWO PEERS! Per FEMA: Emergency vs. Disaster The terms emergency and disaster are often used interchangeably. This common use of terms can be confusing. It is easiest to understand the terms emergency and disaster as being at two ends of a scale, in which the size of an incident and the resources to deal with the incident are matched to varying degrees. Emergency at one end of the spectrum, emergencies are generally small-scale, localized incidents that are resolved quickly using local resources. However, small-scale emergencies can escalate into disasters when there has been inadequate planning and wasteful use of resources. At the other end of the spectrum, disasters are typically large-scale and cross geographic, political, and academic boundaries. Disasters require a level of response and recovery greater than local communities can provide.