I don't recall that the document addresses the issue of "how well government has handled past disasters" it is relating to how the affected population reacts to the situation - alleged panic, looting, etc. It does mention how individual public workers - police, fire , medics, individually respond, and it does come to a favorable conclusion, althou definitely citing adverse examples.

In that regard, I think of the motorcycle patrolman, speeding to his duty station in the predawn darkness immediately after the initial shock in the 1994 Northridge quake, found that a highway overpass had collapsed - the hard way. From what I have seen of the public service workers around here, they are pretty darn competent and go all out in emergencies.