One often relies on government at all levels to protect one’s long-term interests, to be ready for unforeseen eventualities. In an emergency, all that needs to be done is open a manual and follow the instructions. Preparedness and training support this readiness assumption. Yet, real emergencies and disasters never resemble those we anticipate and for which we train. Thus, improvisation, flexibility and thinking outside the box must all be exercised for real-time events.