Disaster Research 405

April 28, 2004

Table of Contents

  1. In Memoriam
  2. Scholarship Opportunity
  3. Attention Emergency Management Students!
  4. Disaster Management in Africa
  5. On-Line USGS Products
  6. Summer Internship Opportunities
  7. Multi-Hazard Building Design Summer Institute
  8. Wildfires: Beware and Prepare - Science Teacher Kit
  9. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
  10. Some New Web Resources
  11. Conferences and Training

1) In Memoriam

It is with deep sadness and love that the Natural Hazards Center mourns the passing of Mary Fran Myers. She died on April 1, 2004, after a long battle with cancer. Mary Fran was for many years the co-director of the Center, and reducing disaster losses, both nationally and internationally, was her life's work. She was an innovator, a mentor, and a creative spirit, who touched many lives and had a lasting impact on the global hazards community. The world is better for Mary Fran having been a part of it.

Mary Fran came to the Natural Hazards Center in 1988. During her time here, she was instrumental in maintaining the Center's international reputation as a driving force in the hazards field in many numerous and far-reaching ways. Her work helped to bring about a fundamental change in national and international perspectives regarding hazards and helped institute a new, more far-sighted and sustainable way of dealing with extreme environmental events. The issue of gender and disaster was especially close to her heart, and in 2002, the Gender and Disaster Network established the Mary Fran Myers Award in her honor. The award recognizes her sustained efforts to launch a worldwide network among disaster professionals to advance women's careers and to promote research on gender issues, disasters, emergency management, and higher education (see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/mfmaward/ for more information).

For those of us at the Center, Mary Fran was much more than her job title. She provided leadership, guidance, grace, and laughter, as well as a standard of excellence that will always be something we strive for. She once said that she couldn't imagine having a better job than working with the Center, and we all loved working with her.

2) Scholarship Opportunity

**PLEASE NOTE: The correct title for this scholarship fund is the Nick Winter Scholarship Fund**

The New England Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association, Inc. (NEFSMA), together with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) and the ASFPM Foundation, announce the Nick Winter Memorial Scholarship Fund Award Competition. The award will be granted for the 2004-2005 academic year to a full time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an area of study related to floodplain management or a student who has applied to a graduate program in a related field.

Eligible applicants include current undergraduates in a four-year college program, applicants to a graduate program, or current graduate students. Eligible areas of study include civil or environmental engineering, planning, emergency management, environmental sciences, or other disciplines with a demonstrable link to floodplain and stormwater management.

Applications are due May 28, 2004. Applicants must write an essay describing their interest or involvement in floodplain and/or stormwater management that demonstrates how their studies relate to the discipline. Selection preference will be given to those applicants demonstrating civic or volunteer service, in addition to meeting the basic qualifications. Four copies of this essay, along with a brief cover letter (including full contact information, university and degree information, and all supporting documentation) and contact information for a reference, must be sent to Peter A. Richardson, P.O. Box 96076, Boston, MA 02196; e-mail: peter@nefsma.org.

3) Attention Emergency Management Students!

All emergency management students are invited to participate in an on-line survey. The survey has been created by students who are participating in the upcoming Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) conference on higher education. The data collected from this survey will be analyzed and data trends and relationships will be presented at the conference.

The survey addresses the following areas: basic program information, program evaluation, general faculty evaluation, job placement and internship opportunities, distance learning, and student demographics. The goal of the survey is to evaluate how well student needs are met and outline areas for improvement.

The survey is available at http://www.disasterstudent.com and should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. A summary of survey findings will be posted to that web site in July 2004. Questions can be directed to Jill Garcia, the web site manager and one of the survey authors at javabookworm@yahoo.com.

4) Disaster Management in Africa

The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS) is sponsoring a one month interactive Internet conference on disaster management. The conference began on April 18 and will run through May 17, 2004.

The overall theme for the conference is "Disaster Management in Africa: Is There a Need?" Topics change weekly. The current topic is about the possibilities of developing disaster management as a profession in Africa, and upcoming themes include integrating risk reduction activities into development planning and a discussion about what is needed to make disaster management more effective in Africa. Each weekly topic is moderated by a different individual. A virtual wrap-up and conference closing will take place on May 16 and 17.

At the beginning of each week, a short paper on the week's topic is sent to participants. During the remainder of the week, participants post comments on the paper or topic through an e-mail listserv. Conference contributions will be archived and posted on the TIEMS web site.

Information on signing up for and participating in the conference is available at http://listserv.tiems.org/mailman/listinfo/virtualconference. Additional questions may be directed to TIEMS, Shire of Yarra Ranges, P.O. Box 105 Lilydale, Victoria, Australia 314; tel: 61 03 9294 6703; http://www.tiems.org/.

5) On-Line USGS Products

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announces some new on-line goodies.

The first two surficial geological maps prepared for the Memphis/Shelby County Urban Seismic Hazard Mapping Project are now available on-line: SIM 2822: Surficial Geologic Map of the Southeast Memphis Quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee(http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2004/2822/); and SIM 2823: Surficial Geologic Map of the Southwest Memphis Quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee, and Crittenden County, Arkansas (http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2004/2823/).

Also available is a poster of Earthquakes in the Central United States: 1699-2002. This large-format, full-color poster shows the sizes and locations of 804 earthquakes that occurred in parts or all of ten Midwestern States, from Little Rock to southwestern Michigan and from northwestern Alabama to central Iowa. The poster was designed by the USGS and the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium for educational and preparedness purposes. The map area includes the New Madrid seismic zone, the scattered seismicity to the north between the seismic zone, St. Louis, and Indianapolis, and sparser earthquakes from Little Rock and Huntsville on the south to Cedar Rapids, Chicago, and South Bend on the north.

The poster is available free on-line at http://pubs.usgs.gov/imap/i-2812/. For paper copies, call 1-888-ASK-USGS and ask for map I-2812 ($7 per copy plus $5 shipping and handling).

All materials from USGS include metadata information and access to earthquake files and GIS base data files.

6) Summer Internship Opportunities

The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) has announced two summer internship programs for upper-division undergraduate students with an interest in earthquake engineering. These programs, the "research experience for undergraduates" (REU) program and the PEER summer internship program, provide research opportunities in earthquake engineering. PEER's educational programs are designed to introduce, stimulate, cultivate, and educate undergraduate and graduate students with the knowledge that will enable them to contribute to the earthquake-engineering profession from a variety of disciplines and perspectives.

In addition to these internships, PEER's education division also has a program to provide research experience for teachers (RET) to participate in earthquake-related research, with the goal of taking their knowledge back to the classroom.

Information about all of these internship opportunities, detailed descriptions, eligibility requirements, and stipend amounts, can be found at http://peer.ucsd.edu/ or by contacting PEER Headquarters, 1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804; (510) 231-9554; e-mail: peer_ctr@peer.berkeley.edu.

7) Multi-Hazard Building Design Summer Institute

One of the central missions of FEMA is protection of the public from natural and human-made hazards. FEMA provides technical assistance to design professionals on approaches to mitigate the effects of wind, flood, earthquakes. One way this is accomplished is through the multi-hazard building design summer institute (MBDSI). The Institute is designed to provide instructional tools to support engineering and architectural professors in conducting building design courses.

There are still places available at this summer's tuition-free courses for engineering and architectural faculty. The following courses will be offered: Flood Mitigation Design, Fire Safe Design, Wind Mitigation Design, and Topics in Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering. Each course will address state-of-the-art design research and applications to protect buildings against various hazards. Courses run from July 19-22 and July 26-29, 2004.

There is no charge for registration, tuition, or textbooks, and partial funding for travel expenses will be available to most participants.

If you have specific questions, or are interested in learning more about these opportunities, contact Finley Charney, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 200 Patton Hall, Mail Stop 0105, Blacksburg, VA 24061; (540) 231-1444; e-mail: fcharney@vt.edu; http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/MBDSI/.

8) Wildfires: Beware and Prepare - Science Teacher Kit

To help teachers explain wildfire hazards to students and educate about how to protect themselves, their families, their homes, and their communities, Firewise Communities and Lifetime Learning Systems have developed an educational program entitled, "Wildfires: Beware and Prepare," for students in grades 6 through 8. Students will learn how wildfires start, how they can be prevented, what makes a home or community susceptible to wildfires, and safety features that can be implemented at home or in the community to help reduce the risk and damage of wildfires.

The program components include a teacher's guide with student activity sheets, letters to parents and caretakers, suggestions for additional activities, an eight-page news article titled "Wildfire Awareness," and a double-sided wall poster.

These materials are available to educators for only the price of shipping. For more information, visit https://secure.donet.com/firewise/audiovisual/index.htm and scroll down until you reach "resources for the science teacher." If you have specific questions abut these materials, contact Amy Schneider, Firewise, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269; (314) 982-8638, e-mail: schneida@fleishman.com; http://www.firewise.org.

9) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

[Below are a few recent job vacancies that are related to some of the myriad activities in which DR readers engage. Please contact the organizations directly for more information.]

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Information Technologist

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), a regional intergovernmental agency, is seeking applications for the position of information technologist. The position, based at the agency's headquarters in Barbados, is open to nationals of CDERA participating states and is available for two years.

The successful candidate must be well-versed in information technology with demonstrated experience and knowledge in windows and Linux operating systems. The incumbent will join a dynamic team which is responsible for maintaining an effective, up-to-date, and reliable Local Area Network, intranet, and website at the CDERA Coordinating Unit.

The ability to write programs in MySQL and PHP, familiarity with Perl, or skills in HTML, XML, Javascript, Flash, and Photoshop, or a background in mass communication would be an asset.

Applications are due May 5, 2004. Applicants should submit a CV along with the names and contact information of three references to: VACANCY: Information Technologist, CDERA, Building #1 Manor Lodge, Lodge Hill, St Michael, Barbados; e-mail: cdera@caribsurf.com. More information about the vacancy can be found at http://www.cdera.org/vacancy/.

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Government Affairs Director

The American Geological Institute (AGI), a nonprofit federation of 42 geoscience societies, is seeking a Director of Government Affairs.

This position is responsible for all phases of AGI's government affairs program, including working actively with member societies, Congress, and federal agencies; serving as a focused voice for the shared policy interests of the geoscience profession; monitoring and analyzing legislation and policy developments affecting the geosciences; and developing AGI congressional testimony and policy positions on national geoscience issues.

Candidates should have a degree in the geosciences and relevant professional experience in science and public policy. Outstanding written, verbal, and organizational skills are a must.

Candidates should submit a resume and a cover sheet that includes salary requirements and the names of three references to: Government Affairs Director Search, AGI, 4220 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302-1502; e-mail: jobs@agiweb.org. For more information on the program, see http://www.agiweb.org/gap.

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Homeland Security Professionals and Administrative Staff

Advancing National Strategies and Enabling Results (ANSER), a public sector research institute, is seeking motivated professionals for mid-level and senior positions, in support of homeland security missions. ANSER performs technical, operations, and systems analyses for several U.S. Government agencies to mitigate the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and strengthen homeland security. Ideal candidates will have advanced degrees or senior level expertise in one or more of the following disciplines: engineering, mathematics, operations research, chemistry, biology, physics, economics, public health, medicine, computer science, behavioral science.

Information about these positions can be found at http://www.homelandsecurity.org/bulletin/ImagesJC/031904/announcement_page.htm. Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for references, to ANSER, Attention: Recruiting Office, 2900 South Quincy Street, Suite 800, Arlington VA, 22206; e-mail: jobs@anser.org; http://www.anser.org/.

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Disaster Planning for Healthcare and Emergency Medical Services

The Saint Barnabas Health Care System, the largest healthcare system in New Jersey, has internship opportunities to work within its Office of Disaster Preparedness and Center for Health Care Preparedness for students currently enrolled in a related course of study. The exact guidelines, hours and objectives of the internship will be fit to the specific abilities, time, and goals of the student. Potential areas of concentration include but are not limited to: participating in the revision and instruction of the hospital decontamination course; the revision and strategic restructuring of the emergency operations plans for the eight system hospitals; academic and scientific research related to hospital preparedness programs, patient decontamination systems and methods, and hospital disaster procedures; developing and delivering training programs for hospital personnel and first responders related to large scale events; procedures and training for the special operations unit; or other opportunities. This internship was designed to allow a students to interact with a variety of disaster preparedness personnel.

Interested applicants should send a resume and a statement outlining personal and academic internship parameters to Ryan S. McCormick, Disaster Preparedness Specialist for the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, 368 Lakehurst Road, Toms River, New Jersey 08753; e-mail: rmccormick@sbhcs.com; http://www.sbhcs.com/.

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Program Operations Specialist (Systems Analyst)

The U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) coordinates and provides the U.S. government humanitarian assistance in response to natural disasters and complex emergencies caused by civil strife, war, and lack of security. The Program Support Division in OFDA provides the business operations that support the humanitarian assistance. Program support functions include budget/finance, procurement, human resources, facilities management, computer support, telecommunications, and management information systems.

This position is in a fast-paced office with frequently changing priorities. The staff performs a variety of duties and tasks and must possess the ability to multitask and move quickly from one duty to another. Excellent people skills with an emphasis on teamwork, and creative thinking with attention to details is required. The candidate must have demonstrated experience in developing business processes, as well as documented experience with using knowledge management tools to enhance business operations.

The vacancy closes May 10, 2004. To apply or find out more information about this position, contact GlobalCorps, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: analyst@globalcorps.com; http://www.globalcorps.com/.

10) Some New Web Resources

[Below are some new or updated Internet resources we've discovered. For an extensive list of useful Internet sites dealing with hazards, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/sites.html.]

http://www.duryognivaran.org/indexnew.php
Hazards turn into disaster only when societies, communities and structures become too weak and vulnerable to withstand risk, shock and seasonality. Hazards are part of nature yet disasters are consequences of vulnerability. Disaster effects different social groups differently. The Duryog Nivaran network was established to fill a void in cross border dialogue and experience sharing among organizations, governmental or otherwise, working throughout South Asia, the world's most disaster-prone region.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
The U.S. Geological Survey has updated its global earthquakes page on this web site with the addition of hemispheric views and maps to enhance its current web-based materials.

http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/droughtassessment/index.asp
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a nonprofit scientific research organization that specializes in agricultural water use and integrated management of water and land resources. IWMI has launched a large-scale regional assessment across India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in a common effort to find ways to mitigate the effects of recurrent droughts. The project has two principal aims: to review the current status of drought research and management in the region, and then identify gaps in order to develop interim recommendations to improve drought management for regional governments, relief agencies, and local communities.

http://www.continuitycanada.com/
This new web site was designed to help promote the overall field of business continuity and risk management throughout Canada. The site is in its infancy, and Canadians are invited to help it grow by adding news, links, and everything and anything related to business continuity in Canada.

http://www.iiees.ac.ir/English/Bam_report_english.html
The International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) web site contains a number of new documents about the 2003 Bam earthquake.

http://www.fireleadership.gov/
This wildland fire leadership program website is designed to provide information for users about the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) wildland fire leadership development program. The site is a resource for those looking to improve their performance level through self-directed learning opportunities.

http://www.geog.utah.edu/~cova/evac64.swf
http://www.geog.utah.edu/~cova/evac50sd.swf
The University of Utah has posted two animations of the spatial and temporal relationship of the wildfires and evacuation orders in the Old and Grand Prix Fire in the Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and the Cedar and Paradise Fires in San Diego County.

http://www.emcomm.org/
EMCOMM is a web site dedicated to emergency communications personnel, both professional and volunteer. It contains links to other sites, an electronic newsletter, and information about upcoming events and training.

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applications/fdonline/
The National Fire Department Census Database provides an on-line searchable address listing of U.S. fire departments registered with USFA as well as some basic information about each fire department. The purpose of the census, which is ongoing, is to create a national database for use by USFA to conduct special studies that will guide program decision making and improve direct communication with individual fire departments.

http://earthobservations.org/
In 2003, thirty-three nations plus the European Commission adopted a Declaration that signified political commitment to move toward development of a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system. Declaration updates, and the framework for a 10-Year Implementation Plan, along with supporting documents and member nation information, is available here.

http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/partnerships/partnerships.htm
The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) has launched a new on-line database of CSD-registered partnerships for sustainable development. The database contains more than 260 partnership initiatives that have been initiated in the context of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The database aims to increase the sharing of experience and knowledge required to implement sustainable development practices, as well as assist individual partnership initiatives to attract new partners and donors. The database can be searched by geographic scope or theme.

11) Conferences and Training

[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming hazards-related meetings and training is available from our web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html.]

National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Annual Conference. Anchorage, Alaska: May 9-12, 2004. Sessions include lessons learned from TOPOFF 2, improving hospital preparedness, public health emergency response planning, managing foodborne disease outbreaks, and more. Conference information can be obtained from NEHA, 720 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 970-S, Denver, CO 80246; http://www.neha.org.

Second Annual Symposium: Successful Partnerships in Contingency Planning. Sponsor: Association of Contingency Planners (ACP), D.C. and Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Arlington, Virginia: May 14, 2004. Sessions include Arlington County community alert system overview, the Columbia disaster, regional planning efforts, public private partnerships, and lessons learned from Hurricane Isabel. Information can be obtained from ACP, 7044 South 13th Street, Oak Creek, WI 53154; http://www.acp-international.com.

Critical Infrastructure Information: A Conference on the Issues. Sponsors: American University, American Library Association, OMB Watch, Center for Public Integrity. Washington, DC: May 14-16, 2004. Newly implemented Homeland Security regulations place significant restrictions on critical infrastructure information, including sharing basic information about cities, environmental hazards, transportation, and energy. Unanswered questions surround what regulations concerning critical infrastructure actually are in effect, how they are enforced, and how to protect the public's right to know during crises. Registration information can be obtained American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; (202) 885-2037; e-mail: simpson@american.edu; http://american.edu/radiowave/CII_splash.htm.

The 2004 Certified in Homeland Security National Conference. Sponsor: American Board for Certification in Homeland Security (ABCHS). Arlington, Virginia: May 19-21, 2004. The emphasis of this conference is on communication, collaboration, and cooperation among those working with homeland security issues. Sessions include post-disaster trauma: mental health and crisis intervention, private sector emergency response and preparedness, transportation security, and terrorism issues. More information is available from ABCHS, 2750 East Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65804; (800) 423-9737; http://www.certifiedhomelandsecurity.com.

The Second Annual Meeting of the NEES Consortium. Sponsor: Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). San Diego, California: May 20-22, 2004. This annual conference will focus on the activities related to NEES, including site visits, breakout sessions, and opportunities to share research results and ideas. Information is available from the NEES Consortium, Inc., 1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804; (510) 231-5664; e-mail: info@nees.org; http://www.nees.org/membership/annual_meeting04.html.

Homeland Security Summit and Exposition. Sponsor: McGraw-Hill Companies. Washington, D.C.: June 2-4, 2004. This conference is a combination of general sessions, in-depth concurrent sessions, and exhibits with an overall focus on best practices, burning issues involving homeland security, and profiling those who work in the field. Complete information is available from Ryan Leeds, McGraw-Hill Companies, Two Penn Plaza, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10121; (212) 904-3892; e-mail: ryan_leeds@mcgraw-hill.com; http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/summit.

Canadian Conference on Disaster Management: Emergency Management, Business Continuity, and Security Strategies. Sponsor: Canadian Information Exchange. Vancouver, British Columbia: June 14-16, 2004. This conference will give public and private sector emergency management professionals up-to-date information on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural or human induced disasters. Participants will focus on case studies, workshops, panel discussions, and interactive lectures. Conference details are available from Heather Sharpe, Canadian Information Exchange, 29 Ridley Gardens Toronto, Ontario M6R 2T7, Canada; (416) 516-7833 ext.24; e-mail: hsharpe@informationexchange.ca; http://www.informationexchange.ca.

Practical Homeland Defense: A New Focus...A New Resolve. Sponsor: The American Civil Defense Association (TACDA). San Diego, California: June 25, 2004. The focus of this meeting is reasonable and practical homeland defense strategies and solutions. Participants will gain a firm understanding of some of the major threats and issues facing our country today, and gain the knowledge and resources necessary to prepare themselves, their families, their communities, and their constituents to respond to disasters. Information can be obtained by contacting TACDA, P.O. Box 1057, Starke, Florida 32091; (904) 964-5397; http://www.tacda.org/.

2004 ESRI International User Conference. Sponsor: ESRI. San Diego, California: August 9-13, 2004. GIS technology is making a difference in how digital data is being used for planning, policy, projects, and data management. This conference includes sessions on designing and managing a GIS database, system architecture design, introductions to spatial modeling and basic GIS, and special sessions on public safety, law enforcement, and homeland security, as well as applications related to natural resources, planning, and hazards. Student internships are available. Conference information is available from James Cox, ESRI, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373; (909) 793-2853 ext. 1-1363; e-mail: ucregis@esri.com; http://www.esri.com/events/uc/.

Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting. Sponsor: American Geophysical Union (AGU). Honolulu, Hawaii: August 16-20 2004. Along with many conference sessions, of special interest to hazards researchers will be a session on "Natural Hazards and the Public," which posits that an understanding of natural hazards in the Pacific and elsewhere must be balanced with effective warning systems and prepared communities. This session will explore hazards mapping, warning systems, risk, mitigation, and the social science of hazards. General information about the meeting can be found from the AGU Meetings Department, 2000 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009; http://www.agu.org/meetings/wp04/, and specific information about the hazards session can be obtained by contacting session co-conveners Gerard Fryer (e-mail: gerard@hawaii.edu) or Chris Gregg(e-mail: cgregg@soest.hawaii.edu).

2004 APWA International Public Works Congress and Exposition. Sponsor: American Public Works Association (APWA). Atlanta, Georgia: September 12-15, 2004. This annual meeting on public works includes emergency management, stormwater/flood control, traffic operations, best practices, technology, and networking. Registration information can be obtained form APWA, c/o Custom Registration, Inc., 2020 Randal Mills Road, Suite 307, Arlington, TX; (817) 277-7187; http://www.apwa.net/Meetings/Congress/2004/introduction.asp.

Fall World 2004. Sponsor: Disaster Recovery Journal (DRJ). San Diego, California: September 19-22, 2004. This event is designed to meet the needs of all levels of contingency planners. Registration information is available from DRJ, Registrar, P.O. Box 510110, St. Louis, MO 63151; (314) 894-0276; e-mail: mercedes@drj.com; http://www.drj.com.

17th Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference. Sponsors: Insurance Bureau of Canada, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, University of British Columbia, City of Vancouver, and others. Vancouver, British Columbia: October 25-27, 2004. The theme of this conference is "action plans for the future," and sessions will cover disaster resilient communities, climate change, use of maps in emergency management, how insurance fits into the recovery process, and more. Complete information can be found by contacting the Emergency Preparedness Conference, 900 Heatley Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6A 3S7 Canada; (604) 665-6097; e-mail: info@epconference.ca; http://www.epconference.ca/.

International All-Risk Symposium. Sponsor: Oklahoma State University. Baltimore, Maryland: October 26-28, 2004. The focus of this symposium is on bringing together the resources and experiences of all of the agencies that would be involved in a national disaster, be it human-caused or natural. Sessions include integrated risk management, inter-agency communication, credentialing, public education, organizational effectiveness, leadership, diversity issues, and more. Information is available from OSU/FPP, 930 North Willis, Sillwater, OK 47078; (405) 744-2919; e-mail: coordinator@osu-iars.org; http://www.osu-iars.org/.

2004 Annual IBHS Congress. Sponsor: Institute of Business and Home Safety (IBHS). Orlando, Florida: November 4-5, 2004. IBHS holds an annual congress on property loss reduction, which traditionally brings together professionals in the insurance industry, emergency management, government agencies, and academic institutions, for the purpose of discussing the latest developments in natural hazard mitigation. Information is available from IBHS, 4775 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617; (813) 286-3400; e-mail: info@ibhs.org; http://www.ibhs.org/congress/.

Symposium in the Sun 2004: National Symposium for Leaders of Volunteer/Combination Departments. Sponsor: International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Orlando, Florida: November 11-14, 2004. Symposium details are available from the IAFC Registration Center c/o J. Spargo & Associates, Inc., 11212 Waples Mill Road, Suite 104, Fairfax, VA 22030; e-mail: iafcregistration@jspargo.com; http://www.iafc.org/conferences/vcos/index.asp.

Coping with Risks Due to Natural Hazards in the 21st Century. Sponsor: Swiss Natural Hazards Competence Center. Ascona, Switzerland: November 28-December 3, 2004. Risks due to natural hazards have continuously increased during the last decades. To address this situation there is a prioritized need for integrated risk management strategies including prevention, intervention, recovery, and insurance measures. This workshop will also focus on those aspects in risk management related to understanding risk perception, risk aversion, acceptable levels of risk and risk dialog. Information is available from Centro Stefano Franscini, Monte Verità, Via Collina, CH-6612 Ascona, Switzerland; http://www.cenat.ch/index.php?userhash=1300501&nav=672,814,814,814&l=e

World Conference on Disaster Reduction: A Safer World for All. Sponsors: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). Kobe, Japan: January 18-22, 2005. This conference will provide extensive discussion, related sessions, and networking opportunities, while assessing progress on the "Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action" from 1994 with the international goal of raising awareness of vulnerability, disasters, policy development, and action. Additional details can be found at UN/ISDR, Palais des Nations, CH 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; tel: 41-22-917-2103; e-mail: isdr@un.org; http://www.unisdr.org/eng/wcdr/First-Announcement-WCDR-eng.pdf.

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