Sociology

Traditionally, crisis management was known to be an institution that responded to catastrophic weather related events and other natural calamities that affected the wellbeing and functioning of the society. However, this perception changed at the end of the last century when the emergency events took a different turn. The increase in the terrorist attacks in the US led to the active engagement of crisis or emergency management agencies in planning and coordination of emergency response.
It is in this consideration that this paper explicitly explores how the roles of the crisis work have changed since the September eleventh episode. In order to enhance a harmonic consideration, it will analyze the approaches that are presently undertaken with respect to the event and its repercussions.
Changes in crisis work since 911
To begin with, Rosner and Gerald (2006) indicate that the disaster response and management team has adopted more multifaceted approaches to crisis management. Unlike in the past, the current crisis management team has several programs that seek to address the emergent threats that include chemical, biological, nuclear, incendiary and explosive scenarios. Notably, attention is no longer concentrated on terrorist activities. Resources that can be used to effectively manage these scenarios have also been put in place and the relative machinery is maintained accordingly.
The training of the personnel involved in the crisis management has also become more real. In this regard, Mason et al (2002) ascertains that the exercises and drills are undertaken more frequently and the underlying attitudes have now shifted from what if to when. The exercises and drills play a critical role in enhancing public understanding and building trust in the emergency equipment and capacities.  In addition, the current approach is holistic in manner due to the fact that awareness creation is now public oriented. In this regard, Finnegan (2006) affirms that unlike in the past, the last eight years have been characterized by intensive awareness creation in the public sector. This is in an attempt to equip the public with necessary skills regarding emergency management and response. It is believed that a public that is well informed about these strategies can be very instrumental providing critical aid during emergency situations.
Further, it can not be disputed that in the past, crisis work was considered to be a quiet role that solely involved relevant agency officials. After September eleventh, Tarpley (2007) indicates that this has changed and the local communities presently participate actively in the development and assessment of emergency plans. For instance, he ascertains that the local communities are increasingly being actively involved in threat assessment and various state plans for anticipated emergency events that are likely to involve weapons of mass destruction.
In their study, Rosner and Gerald (2006) also note that the roles of emergency management personnel have changed. Traditionally, these were solely charged with the responsibility of providing vital resources and coordinating accordingly with various partners at the local level during emergencies. However, new responsibilities have been introduced and presently, emergency management teams also coordinate homeland security. Notably, networking between major security stakeholders and emergency management agencies has improved in the later part of the decade. In this regard, Finnegan (2006) points out that the communication infrastructure has been improved from the local to the national level. The security agencies like the FBI presently collaborate with the emergency management teams during the execution of their duties. In addition, safety the emergency management team has also established closer working relations with the safety personnel (Rosner  Gerald, 2006). This has gone a long way in making the response more effective and customized.
Furthermore, the September eleventh episode has prompted the need for establishment of more emergency operational centers in cities, capitals and counties across the nation. Indeed, Mason et al (2002) shows that emergency offices have been established in different parts of the nation. These are vital as they help in coordination of various activities in response to the unfolding events. Furthermore, more than ever, businesses have gained increased interest in emergency planning. Various cities across the nation are now enacting relevant legislations in an attempt to enhance emergency planning. Specific areas of concern have been high rise evacuation training, stringent emergency planning and other strategies that are geared towards attaining better response.
Conclusion
From the analysis, it is clear that the September eleventh episode prompted more stringent security measures and enhanced the coordination between various stakeholders. This has led to the redefinition of the crisis work and presently, emergency management is not only charged with the responsibility of coordinating emergency services, but it also provides homeland security services. In addition, it is certain that the communication network has been improved to cater for the emergent security needs at different levels. Of great concern however is the increased participation of the local communities in assessment of security threats and planning for state security. It is in this consideration that this paper concludes that crisis work has changed significantly since 911. In deed, it is clear that various approaches have been adopted in respect to the event and its repercussions.