Crisis during recovery:lessons from 1904 Baltimore fire

摘要

Purpose - A recovery crisis is an occasion when there is a subsequent calamity after a major crisisrnsuch as the recovery crisis following the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy or the recovery crisisrnfollowing the devastation in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina. Consequently, this paper seeksrnto focus on what can be done to prevent or limit the ill effects of a crisis during recovery.rnDesign /methodology/approach - An examination of the details of the great Baltimore fire of 1904rnreveals why there was a crisis during their recovery; and by studying the lessons they learned, it willrnbe evident that some of these lessons should be considered for dealing with present day recoveryrncrises.rnFindings - While many people worked together to bring the fire under control during the greatrnBaltimore fire many of the same people fought each other in a crisis that followed the fire during thernrecovery of Baltimore's 70 block business district. That is, initial passions changed abruptly fromrnworking unselfishly together for the greater good during the 30-hour fire to self-serving actions duringrnthe rebuilding of the city,in fact, the political conflict was so stressful after the fire that Baltimore'srnmayor committed suicide.rnPractical implications - The findings of this article focus on sound measures that should bernconsidered today.rnOriginality/value - The paper is an application of historical lessons learned. The experiencesrndescribed in this paper can be helpful in discussions today about crisis management.