Incentives Drive Outcomes More Than Intentions

Emergency management is a profession built on good intentions.

We intend to protect the public.
We intend to build resilient communities.
We intend to coordinate across agencies, levels of government, and the private sector to reduce suffering and stabilize systems when disaster strikes.

But intentions, no matter how noble, do not drive outcomes.

Incentives do.

That distinction matters more than many emergency managers are willing to admit. Because while our profession is full of mission-driven people who care deeply about public safety and community resilience, the systems we operate within often reward something entirely different.

And when incentives and intentions diverge, incentives almost always win.