Back to the Home Page.Due to the recent shutdowns of the federal government, the consequentuncertainty of federal funds, and the lack of planning time availableto the many federal employees involved in preparing for the meeting,the American Society of Civil Engineer's International Conference andExposition on Natural Disaster Reduction, scheduled for Washington,D.C., March 5-8, has been postponed to the first week of December1996. Details about the rescheduled conference will be published herewhen they become available.
We recently received a note from the U.S. Geological Survey'sEarthquake Hazards Program explaining that the recent governmentshutdown and fiscal constraints are causing delays in the distributionof the 1997 External Research Program Announcement. Normally theannouncement would be distributed by about February 1 with FY 1997proposals due April 4.
To ensure that the grant proposal information is distributed in atimely fashion, the 1997 Program Announcement will be available viathe Internet, by February 1, at:
An individual can also obtain the documents explaining the program andgrant application process through the USGS EARTHFAX (fax-back) system.One need only call this system via a touchtone phone and enter thecorrect document number(s) (see below), and the documents will be sentback via fax.
The EARTHFAX phone number is: (703) 648-4888.Documents available: Document No.
Everyone is asked to use one of these two means to obtain thedocuments; however persons without access to the World Wide Web or afax machine can contact the Survey at (703) 648-6723; e-mail:erp@gccmail.cr.usgs.gov for a hard copy, if absolutely necessary.
My name is Brett Vaughan. I am a cartographer with the Defense MappingAgency in Washington D.C. I am also a part-time graduate student atJohns Hopkins University. I am currently putting together a proposalfor my graduate research project: GIS Applications for DisasterPreparedness, Response, and Mitigation.
An integral part of my project planning is the selection of andcoordination with a faculty sponsor. This sponsor must have knowledgeand experience in the subject project area. This faculty sponsor willbe primarily responsible for approval of the paper proposal andguiding the general direction of research on the project. I amcurrently searching for [such] a faculty sponsor . . .
This is an open call to anyone interested in serving as my facultysponsor on this project. If you are interested or have any questionsplease do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at vahnz@interramp.comor phone (w) 301-227-3050, (h) 703-379-6837. You may also contact myadvisor at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Bjorn Gunnarsson, via e-mailat bjorn@jhu.edu.
Thank you,
Brett M. Vaughan
Arlington, VA
vahnz@interramp.com
[The following note appeared on the "Networks in Emergency Management"e-mail list a couple of weeks ago]
Over the last year I've monitored the evolution of the Internet andhave seen many thoughts and ideas for emergency preparedness. I amlooking for some general ideas on how to PROMOTE the net for thatpurpose. I would like thoughts oriented on how to say to localgovernment decision-makers "these are the reasons you should fund anInternet link and organize and train to use it for emergencypreparedness." For example: it is a great research tool to tap intoFEMA, or you can get OSHA requirements, etc. These are obviousreasons, but I need more specific and hard hitting reasons. Pleasesend your responses to: panact@ix.netcom.com
Thanks,
Tim Pasquarelli
Panaction Response International
Golden, CO
(303) 384-9885; fax: 384-9886
panact@ix.netcom.com
Summary of casualties and damage in Kobe quake of Jan. 17, 1995:
A) Correction: Re: the Pacific Emergency Management Center Web Site:Having shipped out a web address to the world, that our server has nowseen fit to change, we are humbly and with chagrin, putting out thecorrected web address. It is
Sorry for any trouble this has caused. . .
Wesley D. Balda, Ph.D.
Chief Project Officer
Pacific Emergency Management Center
wbalda@simeon.org
(909) 626-1399
Fax: (909) 626-1499
112 N. Harvard Ave., Suite 30
Claremont, CA 91711
wbalda@simeon.org
B) I have created a WWW site that I use for planning purposes andwould like to share it with the readers of DR. It is constantly underconstruction, but it will always provide useful links to resources.Please look it over:
http://www.teleport.com/~alany/uscg/ready.html
Alan Yelvington
LTjg, USCGR
alany@mdhost.cse.TEK.COM
C) One of the best places on the Web to garner volcano information isthe Cascades Volcano Observatory home page:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/home.html
Specifically, the volcanic hazards page under this home page ("Indexand Information on Volcanic Hazards and Phenomena"):
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Hazards/framework.html
is replete with volcano hazards material, including a couple of goodgeneral on-line introductions to volcanic hazards and terminology;maps, photos, and other graphics; lists of abstracts, publications,and on-line reports; and articles on the volcanic hazards associatedwith specific peaks of the Cascadia region.
D) Now, if its landslide information you're after, check out the USGSNational Landslide Information Center's home page:
http://gldage.cr.usgs.gov/html_files/nlicsun.html
which also is full of landslide information and indexes to landslidepublications available both in hard copy and on-line.
E) For lightning information, check out the National Lightning SafetyInstitute (NLSI - see DR #179) site:
http://adgrafix.iserver.com/nlsi/home.htm
It includes tip sheets on lightning safety and descriptions of themany services available from NLSI.
F) The International Center for Disaster-Mitigation Engineering(Incede) at the University of Tokyo is now on-line at:
http://incede.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/Incede.html
The site includes a description of Incede, back issues of the Incedenewsletter and other Incede reports and publications, informationabout current Incede investigations, general disaster information, alist of upcoming seminars and workshops, and a page devoted to KOBEnet(see DR #186).
G) The Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time (ALERT) Flood WarningSystem now has a site on the Web:
http://www.io.com/~rooke/alert/alert.html
For more information, contact: Andy Rooke; (800) 766-5272, ext: 7945;fax: (512) 473-3551; e-mail: rooke@io.com.
H) The Emergency Response and Research Institute (ERRI) is also now onthe Web:
ERRI specializes in current news regarding disasters and emergencies,but the institute's Web site includes numerous pages devoted tovarious aspects of emergency management - from terrorism to EMS tohazardous materials incident management and more.
I) Finally, the Natural Hazards Mitigation Group at the University ofGeneva:
has a lot of material available via the Web. Including informationabout the group's volcano mitigation team, the Swiss disaster team,and the group's seismic hazard studies; pictures of volcanic hazards;an extensive hot list; and information about the group's trainingprogram: the "Certificat d'Etude des Risques Geologiques" (CERG) (seebelow).
The University of Geneva, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology inLausanne, the University of the United Nations in Tokyo, and theUniversity of the West Indies are organizing a postgraduate course onAnalysis of Geological Risks this summer in Jamaica, targetingattendants from Caribbean and Central America (though it is open toany other applicant).
The objective of the "Certificat d'Etude des Risques Geologiques"(CERG) is to develop expertise in risk evaluation and its practicalapplication in disaster prevention and reduction planning as anintegral part of developmental and environmental planning. This shouldlimit the number of victims, and reduce the direct costs (damage),indirect costs (monetary losses, loss of markets) from disasters. Thetraining will focus on an integrated set of preventive strategies forland-use management (including legal enforcement and incentivemechanisms), designing monitoring systems to detect and follow naturalhazards as a help for early warning and alarm, and determiningprotective engineering measures.
Geologists, engineers and decision makers can be trained in fieldssuch as seismic, volcanic, flooding, landslide hazards and theirimpacts and then apply mitigation strategies in their respectivecountries.
The course will be given in English and includes theoretical subjects,laboratory exercises and field work. The basic teaching will be heldat the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, Kingston,Jamaica, July 8-August 17, 1996. During this time, one week will bespent in Montserrat, for a situation assessment.
The main subjects will be - Risk and Disaster Management - VolcanicRisks - Seismic Risks - Risks Related to Unstable Terrains, and -Hydrological Risks.
For more information, contact the CERG's secretariat: CERG, Universityof Geneva, 13 Rue des Maraichers, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; tel:+ 41 22 702 6602; fax: + 41 22 320 5732; e-mail: cerg@sc2a.unige.ch;or consult the CERG WWW page: http://www.unige.ch/hazards/cerg/
The Natural Hazards Center has just added two more Quick ResponseReports to its QR page on the World Wide Web (see DR #182 for adescription of this new service and a list of other reportsavailable). Quick Response Reports from #76 on are available from theHazards Center Web site:
http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/Home.html
The newest additions are:
The Department of Public Administration and the Institute forEmergency Administration and Planning at the University of North Texasinvite applications for a tenure-track position in publicadministration at the assistant or, subject to available funding, atthe associate professor level. The appointment begins September 1,1996. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstratedresearch interest in emergency planning and administration. Applicantswith previous experience in the emergency administration field willalso be given preference. Candidates must be qualified to teachcourses in the emergency administration undergraduate program andassist in developing a concentration in emergency planning andadministration in an accredited Masters of Public Administrationprogram. The Institute of Emergency Administration and Planning,within the Department of Public Administration, offers an in-residencebachelor of science degree, the only one of its kind in the nation.
To ensure full consideration, candidates should submit a letter ofapplication, vita, and three letters of reference to: Chair, FacultySearch Committee, Department of Public Administration, P.O. Box 13136,Denton, TX 76203-6176.
The University of North Texas, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,has 25,000 students, one-fourth of whom are graduate students. UNT isan affirmative action and equal opportunity employer; applicationsfrom women and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged.
Case Western Reserve University recently established the Center forDesign of Special Facilities and to Resist Extreme Loads (sic). Thedirector of the new center is John D. Stevenson.
The center was created to develop design and construction standardsfor special or critical facilities, systems, and components whosefailure would significantly impact public health, safety, and theenvironment. Although a number of academic and research centers aredevoted to a particular hazard, such as earthquakes, extreme wind, orfloods, this new center will address all extreme events, includingboth human-caused disasters and natural hazard phenomena.
As an initial effort, the center will conduct a 4 and 1/2-day courseon "Malevolent Vehicle Blast Effects and Mitigation Actions Applicableto Civilian Structures, Systems, and Components," April 22-26, 1996.The course will address the vulnerability of buildings to bomb blasts,provide strategies to mitigate blast impacts, and introduce a newlydeveloped computer-aided design program to evaluate such threats.
For more information about the center or the course, contact John D.Stevenson, Department of Civil Engineering, Room 210A, BinghamBuilding, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue,Cleveland, OH 44106-7201; (216) 368-2406 or (216) 587-3808; fax: (216)368-5229 or (216) 587-2205.
Environmental Risk Decision Making and Conflict Resolution with GIS,United Nations Environment Program, $50,000, 12 months. PrincipalInvestigators: Ron Eastman and Sri Emani, Clark Labs for CartographicTechnology and Geographic Analysis, The George Perkins Marsh Insitute,Clark University. 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477; (508)793-7283; fax: (508) 793-8842; e-mail: SEMANI@vax.clarku.edu.
Enabling the Next Generation of Hazard Researchers, National ScienceFoundation, $171,411, 24 months. Principal Investigator: Dennis E.Wenger, Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A&M University,College Station, TX 77843-3137; (409) 845-7813; fax: (409) 845-5121;e-mail: wenger@archone.tamu.edu.
(The Coming Drought Could Be Far Worse Than You Imagined)
The Southern California Environment and History Conference presents"Southern California Before 1900: Landscape, Climate and Ecology"(includes sessions on disasters and extreme events), to be held atCalifornia State University, Northridge, September 20-22, 1996. A callfor papers has been issued; deadline for submission is April 1, 1996.This will be an interdisciplinary conference, bringing togetherresearchers and archivists to increase understanding of southernCalifornia's evolutionary landscape. The conference format willinclude panel and roundtable sessions and exhibitions. Contact:Southern California Environment and History Conference, c/o Departmentof Geography, California State University, Northridge, CA 91330-8249;Attn: Lorna Fenenbock - Conference Coordinator; (818) 885-3532; fax:(818) 885-2723;; e-mail: environmental.history@csun.edu
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.
Seismic Design of Steel Buildings After the Kobe and NorthridgeEarthquakes. Sponsor: The Society for Earthquake and Civil EngineeringDynamics. London, England: January 31, 1996. Contact: Miss M.Kinsella, 0171-839-9827.
Conference on Stormwater and Water Quality Management Modelling.Sponsors: American Society of Civil Engineers Water Resources Council,American Water Resources Association, EPA, and others. Toronto,Ontario, Canada: February 22-23, 1996. Contact: E. James, CHI, 36Stuart Street, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1E 4S5; (519) 767-0197; fax:(519) 767-2770.
11th International Conference on Emergency Management Technology.Sponsor: State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group(SALEMDUG). Contact: (904) 413-9839, (904) 413-9879; modem (SALEMDUGBBS): (708) 739-1312, (800) 538-4408.
Storms and Floods '96: "Mitigating the Past - Planning for the Future"1996 Annual Conference of the Illinois Association for Floodplain andStormwater Management (IAFSM). Chicago, Illinois: March 13-14, 1996.Contact: IAFSM, 153 Nanti, Park Forest, IL 60466; (708) 747-5273.
American Concrete Institute (ACI) Convention. Denver, Colorado: March14-19, 1996. Includes sessions on "Seismic Response of ReinforcedConcrete Buildings: A Perspective from Northridge," "Earthquake-Resistant Concrete Bridges," and other earthquake-related issues.Contact: ACI, Conventions and Meetings, P.O. Box 19150, Detroit, MI48219-0150; (313) 532-2600; fax: (313) 538-0655.
91st Annual Meeting of the Seismological Society of America.St. Louis, Missouri: April 1-3, 1996. Contact: Robert Hermann,Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, St. Louis University,3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103; (314) 977-3120; fax: (314)977-3177; e-mail: rbh@eas.slu.edu; WWW: http://www.eas.slu.edu/
Equine Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Short Course. Raleigh,North Carolina: May 3, 1996. Contact: Extension Horse Husbandry, NorthCarolina State University, Box 7523, Raleigh, NC 27695; (919) 515-5784.
4th Annual [Canadian] West Coast Disaster Response Conference (WCDRC).Richmond, British Columbia, Canada: May 6-7, 1996. Contact: WCDRC, c/oEpicentre, Suite 480-1500 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6G 2Z6,Canada; (604) 682-6005
13th Annual Conference of the Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time(ALERT) Users Group. Ventura, California: May 14-17, 1996. Contact:Joe Madruga, Monterey County Water Resources Agency, P.O. Box 930,Salinas, CA 93902; (408) 755-4864; fax: (408) 424-7935.
Natural and Anthropogenically Induced Hazards: Large Earthquakes inthe Geological Record. Sponsor: Programme of European ResearchConferences, European Science Foundation. Isthmia, Corinth, Greece:May 18-24, 1996. Contact: Dr. Josip Hendekovic, European ScienceFoundation, 1 quai Lezay-Mamesia, 67080 Strasbourg Cedex, France; tel:(33) 88 76 71 35; fax; (33) 88 36 69 87; e-mail: euresco@esf.org; WWW:http://www.esf.org
International Conference on Renal Aspects of Disaster Relief. Ohrid,Macedonia: May 24-26, 1996. Contact: Prof. Momir Polenakovik,Department of Nephrology, Medical Faculty, Vodnjanska 17, 91000Skopje, R. Macedonia; tel: 389-91-112-179, 389-91-114-093; fax:389-91-220-935, 389-91-226-628; e-mail: mpolen@SKOPJE.USIS.BG.
Continuing Emergency Disaster Studies & Strategies CEDSS Symposium.University Park, Pennsylvania: May 28-June 1, 1996. Contact: Dr.William J. Rothwell, Workforce Education and Development, ThePennsylvania State University, 104 Rackley Building, University Park,PA 16802-3202; or ksb120@psu.edu
Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Sociology. Quezon City, Manila,Philippines: May 28-31, 1996. Contact: Professor John Western,Chairperson of Conference Planning Committee, College of Arts andSciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072,Australia; tel: 61+7+3365 3152; fax: 61+7+3365 1544; e-mail:j.western@mailbox.uq.oz.au; or Dr. Corazon Lamug, ConferenceCo-ordinator, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Philippines,Los Banos, Laguna 4031, Philippines; tel: 63+94 2761; fax: 63+94 2761;e-mail: cbl@mudspring.uplb.edu.ph
Response '96. Sponsor: National Association for Search and Rescue(NASAR). Denver, Colorado: May 29-June 1, 1996. Contact: NASAR, 4500Southgate Place, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 22021; (703) 222-6277; fax:(703) 222-6283; e-mail: nasar@laser.net.
Flashfloods: What We Have Learned Since the Big Thompson Flood -Twenty Years Later. Sponsors: Federal Emergency Management Agency andothers. Fort Collins, Colorado: July 10-13, 1996. Abstracts dueFebruary 15. Contact Eve Gruntfest, Big Thompson Symposium, Universityof Colorado-Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150; (719) 593-3513; fax:(719) 593-3019; e-mail: ecg@sprint.uccs.edu; for updated informationon the symposium, take a look at: http://www.uccs.edu/~geogsymp/
Veterinary Disaster Medicine Symposium. Louisville, Kentucky: July 22,1996. Contact: American Veterinary Medicine Association, (708) 925-8070.
Reconstructing Livelihoods: Towards a New Model of Resettlement forDevelopment Displacees and Refugees. Sponsor: Refugee StudiesProgramme, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. Oxford, U.K.:September (dates to be announced), 1996. Abstracts are currently beingsolicited. Contact: Dr. Christopher McDowell, Refugee StudiesProgramme, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford, 21 St. Giles,Oxford OX1 3LA, U.K.; e-mail: christopher.mcdowell@qeh.ox.ac.uk; tel:+44 (0) 1 865 270722 or +44 (0) 1 865 270436 (direct line); fax: +44(0) 1 865 270721.
National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Annual Conference.San Diego, California: September 22-25, 1996. Contact: NEMA, P.O. Box11910, Lexington, KY 40503; (606) 244-8162; fax: (606) 244-8001.
Natural Disaster Reduction Conference (NDR96). Sponsors: AustralianAcademy of Science and many others. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia:September 29-October 2, 1996. Contact: Conference Organiser NDR96,P.O. Box 931, Palm Beach, Queensland, Australia 4221; internationalfax: 61-7-559 83607.
Third U.S.-Japan Conference on Corporate Earthquake Programs. Sponsor:College of Engineering, San Jose State University. San Jose,California: November 5-7, 1996. Contact: Dr. Steven Vukazich, San JoseState University, Department of Civil Engineering, One WashingtonSquare, San Jose, CA 95192-0083; (408) 924-3858; fax: (408) 924-4004;e-mail: vukazich@isc.sjsu.edu.
Conference On Hail Damage Mitigation and Hail Science. Sponsor: NorthDakota Atmospheric Resource Board, State Water Commission, and others.Bismarck, North Dakota: March 19-20, 1996. Contact: AtmosphericResource Board, 900 East Boulevard, Bismarck, ND 58505-0850; (701)328-2788; e-mail: dlanger@water.swc.state.nd.us.
Fifth International Symposium on Fire Safety Science. Melbourne,Australia: March 3-7, 1997. A call for papers and posters has beenissued, with complete papers due May 31, 1996, and poster abstractsdue September 8, 1996. Contact: 5th IAFSS Symposium Organisers,Waldron Smith Management, 93 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, VIC 3207,Australia; tel: (+61) 3 9690 6744; fax: (+61) 3 9690 7155; e-mail:asaa@latrobe.edu.au
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