Back to the Home Page.I am a student working on a paper on tsunamis. I plan on focusing onthe responses/preparations to tsunamis in Scotland, and I was hopingyou could direct me to any resources that might help. I have a fewjournal articles but would like to find out about any other goodinformation sources you know of. Of special interest to me are anynational laws or regulations on the subject. My local address is 7320Hawthorn Avenue, Apt 410, Los Angeles, CA, 90046. Thank you very much.Jameson Stalanthas Yu jamesony@usc.edu
I am a London-based television producer currently working on a scienceprogramme for the Channel Four Television UK and the DiscoveryChannel. Our film will examine why some people survive disasters whileothers don't. Is this simply a question of fate, or can we demonstratethat some people react better - or to be accurate - more appropriately- to threat and fear, and if so, why? And what makes some people hangon in the aftermath of a ferry sinking, or while buried after anearthquake or avalanche, when others, sometimes physically betterequipped, give up?
We want to find people anywhere in the world who have survived a majordisaster - natural or man-made - and whose testimony may shed somelight on this subject. I would also welcome any thoughts from academicresearchers who may have considered this area.
Thank you
Denman Rooke
October Films
Phone: (44)171 916 7198
Fax: (44)171 916 7201
E-mail: octfilm@demon.co.uk
63/64 Camden Lock Place
Chalk Farm Road
London NW1 8AF
Home Phone: (44) 171 249 9077
E-mail: 101352.1235@compuserve.com
I am a librarian at the Australian Emergency Management Institute,searching for recent material on evacuation management. Thisinformation is required by some of our teaching staff in support of ashort course to be held at the Institute.
In particular I need reports, articles etc. that evaluate the successor failings of previous evacuation efforts, as well as the social andpsychological impacts upon communities and individuals. Both on-lineand printed materials would be appreciated. I am particularlyinterested in Internet sites that may allow me to access thisinformation.
Any help would be appreciated, thanks for your help. Please direct anyreplies to Michael Marriott, e-mail: robf@vifp.monash.edu.au.
I am delivering a paper on European consulting companies that areinvolved with work in humanitarian aid, rehabilitation ofinfrastructure, economic reconstruction, rule of law and human rights.Can anyone suggest net sites or sources of information?
Thomas Burial
E-mail: T.BUROLA@ICVAZG.ZTN.APC.ORG
Hello,I am an emergency planner responsible for planning and managing theevacuation plan and drill for a five-story office building with 1500to 2000 occupants. I am looking for information and tips on how tomake a plan and carry it out. This information will possibly be usedfor the improvement of our existing plan.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Marianne SaneiNejad
saneinejad#m#_marianne@mmac.is.lmsc.lockheed.com
I'm doing research regarding emergency management for the hotel/moteland insurance industries. Since the Hyatt and MGM Grand events I'venot heard much except from the fire community, and I've been wonderingif anyone is looking at it from either the operational or executive/corporate EM policy level. Also, do you know of any WEB sites thatserve the hotel/motel or insurance industries? Anyone with anyinformation can contact me at: mrz77@aol.com. I'll appreciate it.
Thanks.
Mike Zanotti
mrz77@aol.com
The International Emergency Management Electronic Information Service(IEMEIS) will be launched in the new year. The service is designed toprovide a dedicated information resource on the world Wide Web (WWW)for the field of Disaster and Emergency Management. The service isbeing set up to serve the International Emergency Management communityand we hope it will provide a service that will benefit you. We areaiming to be funded only by sponsorship, select related advertising,and donation of funds and services as we don't believe that peopleshould pay for a service of this nature.
So what services will we supply? Initially we intend to supply aninformation service during our development stage as we expand and finetune the system. This will include information about conferencesaround the world, academic establishments offering courses inemergency related subjects. The information service will also supplyand maintain homepages for organisations wanting representation underour information server or are unable to provide an Internet presencethemselves.
As the project develops in the early part of 1996 we intend to add the'On-Line Journal'. This will be a journal service on the Internetaccessible all over the world. The On-Line Journal will provide a'talking-shop' for the Emergency Management community and willregularly publish articles and information sent in by contributorsfrom all over the world. To ensure the quality of these articles andto preserve the professional nature of our service, we are enrolling apanel of Emergency Services professionals to make sure articles are ofthe highest standard to be provided to the world via our services.
We hope that the IEMEIS will prove to be a useful service for you inthe future. For further information you can contact the projectofficer, Dominique JH Egre, at djhegre@itl.net
or
International Emergency Management EIS,
Les Goues,
Rue de Catillon,
La Hougue Bie,
Grouville,
JERSEY - Channel Islands.
If you are interested in becoming a contributor, sponsor or wish to beconsidered for the article assessment team for the journal, do nothesitate to contact the project co-ordinator at the above addresses.We hope you will help us make the IEMEIS the most useful Emergencyrelated service on the Internet. If you wish us to provide a link toyour homepages, please send us the address and a brief description ofwhat your pages are about. We will be launching a limited test serviceas soon as our servers in the USA and Jersey (Channel Islands) comeon-line so you will be able to assess the quality of our serviceyourselves - if you are interested, we will be happy to e-mail youpersonally the URL address for the service as soon as it is available.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Dominique JH Egre
Senior Project Officer
Tulane University's new Washington, D.C. Center for InternationalDevelopment is offering an interdisciplinary and applied MS programbased on broad-based and sustainable development. This innovative newprogram will allow students to undertake one-half of their credits viadistance learning. Program specializations include - environment anddevelopment, health issues, democracy and civil society, disasterassistance, culture and development and transitional economies.Program includes use of a portable computer and free access to theInternet for full-time program participants. Program begins inJanuary, 1996, and Tulane is still accepting applications for thefirst semester. For more information contact: Director of Admissions,Tulane University, 1925 North Lynn Street, Suite 400, Arlington, VA22209; (703) 243-1556; or send the Director - Dr. Margee Ensign - amessage at 74067.3243@compuserve.com.
This fall, the University of South Carolina created a Hazards ResearchLab (HRL) within its Department of Geography at the University ofSouth Carolina. The lab will develop new ways to use geographicinformation systems (GIS) to look at hazards. Dr. Susan L. Cutter hasbeen named director.
The HRL currently has four projects underway: 1) developing a methodfor assessing the nature and magnitude of toxic risks that affectcommunities, with the goal of creating a digital spatial database ofrisks due to hazardous waste sites in South Carolina and Georgia; 2)integrating National Weather Service Doppler radar data withhydrologic data in a GIS to improve flood forecasts, and investigatingthe threat of dam failures by merging high resolution precipitationdata with the NWS DamBreak model; 3) examining the evolution ofenvironmental inequities within South Carolina using an historical andspatial time series of demographic changes in communities surroundingcurrent TRI facilities; 4) developing a digitally based atlasdepicting the regional ecology of environmental hazards within thestate.
For further information on the new HRL, contact the Hazards ResearchLab, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia,SC 29208; (803) 777-1699; fax: (803) 777-4972; e-mail: uschrl@ecotopia.geog.sc.edu; WWW: http://lorax.geog.sc.edu/hrl/home.html.
Both the eastern and western regions of Canada have active seismiczones and risk major losses due to earthquakes. Because of thecontinuing need for research in earthquake engineering, the Universityof Ottawa and Carleton University have jointly established the OttawaCarleton Earthquake Engineering Research Centre to foster research andbring together professionals from industry, government, anduniversities. The center will work to promote high quality research,technology development, and education in all areas of earthquakeengineering.
In addition, the center is seeking links with earthquake engineeringresearchers and other centers throughout the world. It welcomes qualified graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and visitingscholars.The center also offers mini-courses and seminars forpracticing engineers. For more information, contact the OttawaCarleton Earthquake Engineering Research Centre, Department of CivilEngineering, 161 Louis Pasteur, P.O. Box 450, Suite A, University ofOttawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada; (613) 562-5766; fax: (613)562-5173; or the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,3432 Mackenzie, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada;(613) 788-5784; fax: (613) 788-3951; or see the center's website: http://www.eng.uottawa.ca/profs/bruneau/oceerc.html.
[This is the second in a series of articles on the Natural HazardsCenter's ongoing research project - the Second Assessment of NaturalHazards Knowledge and Research. The first article appeared in DR #179]
Engineering Aspects
As part of the Second Assessment, the state of knowledge regarding howhazard management has influenced engineering, codes, standards,practices, control, and protection works is being examined. Twoimportant parts of the engineering contribution are to presentengineering research needs within the broader context of thisassessment and to provide the nonengineering audience with a fullerappreciation of the framework within which engineering practice isconducted, i.e., how theory and precedent are integrated to determine"accepted" practice.
Work to date includes a review of how codes and practices have evolvedin engineering in general and within the context of hazards managementspecifically. Risk analysis forms the conceptual framework because itis familiar to nonengineering as well as engineering audiences. Ourstudy revealed a dynamic process: standards of practice change overtime as technology improvements alter public attitudes towardacceptable risk.
The "bottom line" of hazards management is often expressed in terms ofreduction of death and injuries, and/or reduction of the monetarylosses associated with hazards. What is usually missing from thesestatistics is an evaluation of the benefits associated with hazardousactivities. Using reliable measures of the success of engineeringapproaches to hazards management needs to be stressed and betterunderstood. The management goal should be maximization of net benefitswith due concern for safety and public health.
The development of effective hazards management infrastructure is along and expensive process. Contemporary practices in the UnitedStates reflect continuing investments for more than a century in aprosperous country in which urbanization occurred at a relatively slowrate. By sharp contrast, megacities of 20 to 30 million people arerapidly emerging with little simultaneous investment in infrastructureand not much of an economic base to support building suchinfrastructure in the first place.
The Engineering Subgroup of the Second Assessment seeks additionalinput from engineering and other professionals. In particular, we seekcase studies of how engineering design practice related to hazardsmanagement has evolved and what combination of fixed and performance-based standards are being used. International experience in thisregard is especially needed. Send your suggestions to James P. Heaney,Campus Box 421, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0421,Boulder, CO 80309-0421; (303) 492-3276; fax: (303) 492-1347; e-mail:heaney@colorado.edu.
James P. Heaney
University of Colorado
John Peterka
Colorado State University
Prediction, Forecast, Warning, and Planning Systems
A means to warn the public in the event of an impending disaster iscritical to the reduction of loss of life and property. The emergencywarning systems for any type of disaster must provide timely andeffective notification based on an accurate prediction or forecast ofthe timing, magnitude, location, and risks from the impending event.The effectiveness of a warning system depends on a number of factors:How many people at risk will be alerted to hazards presented bypotential emergencies? When will they receive an accurate warning? Howwill they know what to do in response to such information? Will theycomply with recommendations?
The design and operation of an emergency warning system will vary tosome degree from community to community, because the best warningsystem will correspond directly to the demographic, social, economic,and geographic conditions as well as the threats prevailing in thecommunity.
The Prediction, Forecast, Warning, and Planning Subgroup of the SecondAssessment will review the state of hazard-specific knowledge ofprediction, forecast, warning systems, and planning, as well asnonhazard-specific knowledge of integrated multihazard warningsystems, public response to warnings, and public alert/notificationtechnology.
We are addressing the following general questions for each hazard andeach cross-cutting topic:
Hazards to be covered include hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, drought,volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fire, and technological hazards.
Anyone wanting to ensure that relevant literature, particularlyresearch reports and journal articles, are cited in the group'seffort, should forward such papers to John Sorensen. In addition,anyone wanting to contribute to the effort should also contact John atthe Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008; 4500N; MS 6206, OakRidge, TN 37831-6206; (423) 576-2716; fax: (423) 576-6661; e-mail:jhs@ornl.gov
John H. SorensonOak Ridge National Laboratory
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is now making earthquake informationof all sorts available through various electronic media. For example,the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden,Colorado, operates a dial-up bulletin board system (BBS) that anyonewith a computer and modem can access in order to scan the latestearthquake information, search and download available files, andcommunicate with the center and other people using the system. The BBScan be reached at (303) 273-8508.
On the Internet, a simple e-mail message (of any kind) to
elicits a response citing a wealth of sources of earthquakeinformation. The message describes voice mail, e-mail, ftp, gopher,BBS, and World Wide Web sources of information both about current andrecent seismic events and about earthquake geology and hazardsgenerally.
One of the nifty information sources cited in the help message justdescribed is the e-mail address
ask-a-geologist@octopus.wr.usgs.gov
As the name implies, using this new USGS service, anyone can send aquestion to the Survey regarding the earth sciences (including, ofcourse, earthquakes) and a geologist will reply within a day or two.The Survey asks that persons sending questions include an Internet e-mail reply address in the body of their message, and the agency isquick to point out that they cannot respond to some types of questions(e.g., "Which presidential candidate do you think is most in tune withthe geological science needs of the nation?") But for anyone seekinggeneral geological information (especially students), this serviceshould be a great resource.
In addition, the Survey has made two new map sets available via theNet. Both deal with aspects of earthquake hazards in the New Madridseismic zone of the central U.S. The first, "Elements ofInfrastructure and Seismic Hazard in the Central United States -Database," compiled by Russell L. Wheeler, Susan Rhea, and Arthur C.Tarr, has appeared in printed form as USGS Professional Paper 1538-M.The database, identified as pp1538, can be downloaded via anonymousftp from greenwood.cr.usgs.gov(136.177.48.5). The files are locatedin the directory /pub/open-file-reports/ofr-95-0241. The digital mapdatabase consists of the ESRI ARC/INFO Version 7.0.2 coverages used togenerate the plates in the professional paper. The total database sizeis 37.5 Mb.
The second set is, "Seismotectonic Maps in the Vicinity of New Madrid,Missouri - Database," compiled by Susan Rhea. This database,identified as mf2264, may also be downloaded via anonymous ftp fromgreenwood.cr.usgs.gov(136.177.48.5). The files are located in thedirectory /pub/open-file-reports/ofr-95-0574. The digital map databaseconsists of the ESRI ARC/INFO Version 7.0.3 coverages used to generatethe maps in the USGS Map Series "MF-226 A to E." The total databasesize is 4.5 Mb.
For more information, contact the database manager: Susan Rhea, U.S.Geological Survey, Box 25046, MS 966, Denver, CO 80225; (303) 273-8639; e-mail: rhea@gldvxa.cr.usgs.gov.
The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) maintains a dandystate-of-the-art Web site that includes a series of colorful mapsdepicting potential earthquake effects in the Bay area. A person canchoose not only a specific locale in the Bay area, but also a specificearthquake source (i.e., a specific fault) and then view theconsequences of the given scenario. The site includes additionalinformation about the maps, about earthquake hazards in NorthernCalifornia, and about seismic hazard mitigation generally. The ABAGhome page address is:
http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/bayarea.html
U.S.-Japan Collaborative Project on Postearthquake ReconstructionStrategies, National Science Foundation, $300,000, 36 months.Principal Investigator: George C. Lee, National Center for EarthquakeEngineering Research (NCEER), State University of New York - Buffalo,501 Capen Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260; (716) 645-2977.
Catalog of Tsunamis: 1983-1997, National Science Foundation, $208,815,24 months. Principal Investigator: James F. Lander, CooperativeInstitute for Research in Environmental Science, Campus Box 449,University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0449; (303) 497-6446; fax:(303) 497-6513; e-mail: jlander@ngdc.noaa.gov.
Overcoming Barriers in Lifeline Seismic Risk Reduction, NationalScience Foundation, $233,514, 36 months. Principal Investigators:Craig E. Taylor and Elliott Mittler, J.H. Wiggins Company, Suite #311,1650 South Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; (310) 316-2257; fax: (310) 316-2389.
Developing and Evaluating the Survivability and Effectiveness ofGovernmental "Adhocracies," National Science Foundation, $19,358, 12months. Principal Investigator: Carolyn Clark-Daniels, Iowa StateUniversity, 213 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011; (515) 294-5836.
Investigation into the Historic Seismicity of Central California,National Science Foundation, $109,965, 24 months. PrincipalInvestigator: Douglas S. Dreger, University of California - Berkeley,Berkeley, CA 94720; (415) 642-6000.
These are the latest announcements we've received regarding upcomingmeetings. Most previous issues of DR contain additional notices.Alternatively, our World Wide Web page:
http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/Home.html
contains a *comprehensive* list of upcoming disaster-relatedconferences.
Wind- and Flood-Resistant Construction Seminars. Sponsor: BuildingOfficials and Code Administrators International (BOCA), the FederalEmergency Management Agency, and the Insurance Institute for PropertyLoss Reduction. In Ellicott City, Maryland: January 3-4, 1996; Roanoke, Virginia: January 24-25, 1996;Upton, Massachusetts: February 21-22, 1996; Long Island, New York: May 1-2, 1996;Wilmington, Delaware: May 23-24, 1996; Portsmouth, New Hampshire: October 1-2, 1996; Contact the BOCA Seminar Secretary, 4051 West Flossmoor Road, CountryClub Hills, IL 60478; (708) 799-2300, ext. 329.
Retrofitting Flood-Prone Residential Buildings Course. Sponsors:Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Directorate andEmergency Management Institute. Emmitsburg, Maryland: January 29-February 2, 1996; May 6-10, 1996; and September 9-13, 1996. ContactDan Bondroff, NETC, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727;(301) 447-1278.
35th Annual Texas Emergency Management Conference. Sponsor: TexasGovernor's Division of Emergency Management. Austin, Texas: February20-22, 1996. Contact Jo Schweikhard Moss, Public Information Officer,Governor's Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department ofPublic Safety, P.O. Box 4087, Austin, TX 78773; (512) 424-2138.
Disaster Recovery Telecommunications. Sponsor: International DisasterRecovery Association (IDRA) and others. Boston, Massachusetts: March3-6, 1996. Contact IDRA, c/o BWT Associates, P.O. Box 4515, TurnpikeStation, Shrewsbury, MA 01545; (508) 845-6000; fax: (508) 842-2585.
Floodplain Hydrology Course. New Brunswick, New Jersey: March 11-15,1996. Contact: Office of Continuing Education, Cook College, P.O. Box231, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231; (908) 932-9271; fax: (908) 932-8726.
Delivering Health and Medical Services in Catastrophic Disasters 1996.Sponsor: Birmingham Regional Medical Education Center and others. SanDiego, California: March 17-21 (conference); March 16-22 (training).For details, request the booklet "Conference Educational Program andTraining Course Descriptions" from the Training and DevelopmentDivision, Emergency Medical Preparedness Office, Department ofVeterans Affairs, 101 West Ohio Street, Suite 1510, Indianapolis, IN46204-1997; (800) 872-6367, ext. 444; fax: (317) 226-5135.
Seventh Annual Corporate Contingency Planning Seminar and Exhibition.Sponsor: Disaster Recover Journal. San Diego, California: March 25-27,1996. Contact Disaster Recovery Journal, P.O Box 510110, St. Louis, MO63151; (314) 894-0276; fax: (314) 894-7474, or check out the Journal'sWeb site: http://www.drj.com.
Disaster Management Course. Sponsors: Disaster Preparedness Centre,Cranfield University; Oxford Centre for Disaster Studies. Faringdon,Oxfordshire, U.K.: July 23-August 29, 1996. Contact The Director,Disaster Preparedness Centre, Cranfield University, RMCS, Shrivenham,Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 8LA, U.K.; tel: +44 1 793 785287/785313; fax:+44 1 793 782179/783878; e-mail: disprep@rmcs.cranfield.ac.uk.
Second International Symposium on Computational Wind Engineering(CWE96). Organizers: Fluid Mechanics and Wind Engineering Program,Civil Engineering Department, Colorado State University, and others.Fort Collins, Colorado: August 4-8, 1996. Contact Janet L. Montera,CWE96 Symposium Manager, Civil Engineering Department, Colorado StateUniversity, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1372; (970) 491-7425; fax: (970)491-7727; e-mail: jmontera@vines.colostate.edu.
Fire-Rescue International 96. Sponsor: International Association ofFire Chiefs. Kansas City, Missouri: August 24-28, 1996. Contact theIAFC Conference Department, 4025 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033-2868; (703) 273-0911; fax: (703) 273-9363.
Second Australian Conference on Agricultural Meteorology - The Impactof Weather and Climate on Agriculture. Brisbane, Queensland,Australia: October 1-4, 1996. Contact Gloria Bedson, AgriculturalMeteorology Conference Secretariat, tel: 61 3 9669 4401, e-mail:G.Bedson@bom.gov.au; or Chris Ryan, tel: 61 3 9669 4546, fax: 61 39669 4695.
International Snow Science Workshop 1996. Banff, Alberta, Canada:October 6-10, 1996. Abstracts are due April 15 and should be sent toC.D. Johnston, ISSW 96 Papers Committee, Department of CivilEngineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, N.W.,Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4; (403) 220-6599; fax: (403) 282-7026;e-mail: ISSWpapers@enci.ucalgary.ca. For a conference flier, contactThe Banff Center for Conferences, P.O. Box 1020, Stn. 15, Banff,Alberta, Canada T0L 0C0; (403) 762-6308; fax: (403) 762-7502.
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth'sInterior (IAVCEI) 1997 General Assembly. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:January 19-24, 1997. Contact the Organizing Committee, Instituto deGeofisica, UNAM, Circuito Esterior, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510,Mexico, D.F.; fax: (5) 550-24-86.
Second International Wildland Fire Conference: "Wildland FireManagement and Sustainable Development." Sponsor: North AmericanForestry Commission's Fire Management Study Group. Vancouver, BritishColumbia, Canada: May 25-30, 1997. Contact the Conference Secretariat,Events by Design, 601-325 Howe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada V6C 1Z7; (604) 669-7175; fax: (604) 669-7083
Back to the Enviro Geog Page.