Strengthening Disaster Response in Illinois: How Universities and Community Organizations Build Local Resilience

Yu, Suyang

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/133190 Copy

Description

Title

Strengthening Disaster Response in Illinois: How Universities and Community Organizations Build Local Resilience

Author(s)

Yu, Suyang

Issue Date

2026-02-25

Keyword(s)

• Emergency
• Public
• COVID
• Illinois
• Responses

Date of Ingest

2026-05-08T17:29:40-05:00

Geographic Coverage

Illinois

Abstract

Illinois faces mounting threats from both natural disasters and public health emergencies. The state has experienced a sharp rise in billion-dollar weather events and recorded over 40,000 deaths from COVID-19. This policy brief examines how universities and community organizations contributed to Illinois’s capacity for disaster response, drawing on interviews with 29 emergency professionals across 10 counties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) advocates a whole community approach, emphasizing collaboration among government agencies, private organizations, nonprofits, and individuals to enhance disaster resilience (Dai & Azhar, 2024; Kapucu et al., 2010). While many partnerships proved essential during the pandemic, persistent challenges remain. These include gaps in volunteer systems, resource disparities between rural and urban counties, and insufficient training for novel disaster scenarios. Illinois policymakers can transform pandemic lessons into lasting preparedness infrastructure. Formalizing partnerships, investing in rural capacity, and integrating universities as permanent emergency response partners will build resilience for future crises. Timely action—before the next emergency—can prevent the inequities and coordination failures of the COVID-19 response.

Type of Resource

text

Genre of Resource

technical report

Language

eng

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25417/uic.31751326

Owning Collections