I am working with a Christian organization called The Family that hasbeen doing a lot of humanitarian aid work here in Russia over theyears. Last year when the earthquake struck Neftigorsk, Sakhalin, onRussia's far east, we sent a team to the site to deliver aid. Therewere many officials along the way that were eager to relieve ourvolunteers of their aid with promises of taking care of it for them,but our team delivered the goods to the site. They found that themajority of other aid didn't make it.
After the experience of helping out in this situation I felt the needto learn a more about disaster response. It isn't our main function,but we do want to be able to help in these, thankfully, somewhat rareoccurrences that are real tragedies to the people involved. What Ineed the most is information about what a small non-profitorganization can do to prepare to help in such situations. As part ofour humanitarian aid projects we received quite a bit of clothing fromScandinavia, which we distribute to our projects here with streetchildren and ill, elderly poor pensioners. But perhaps some of this wecould set aside and begin a bit of a stockpile of especially suitablethings for disaster response. I would appreciate it if you had anysuggestions for us to help us gain practical information in thisregard.
Wish you the best,
Sincerely,
David Kees
The Family
Box 165, St.Petersburg 191123, Russia
david@thefamily.spb.su
Tel/Fax: 7-812-1843375
I am working with Black & White Communications in Canada, underauspices of the IDNDR Canadian Committee and government departments,on a risk and society project that includes working with youth - Grade7, in fact. I am drafting a survey to get a sense of their riskperception - broadly, including natural hazards - also a little onwhether they are risk takers, their social integration etc. I amanxious to see any similar work. Do you know of any surveys on thissubject of teens? Thank you very much for any guidance or thoughts.
Valerie Howe
vjhowe@ccs.carleton.ca
Since it formation in 1975, the Natural Hazards Center at theUniversity of Colorado has published hazards/disaster research workingpapers. The series was initiated to aid the rapid distribution ofresearch findings and other information to both scholars directlyinvolved in hazard research and to the larger circle of interestedpersons.
The first 93 working papers were published in printed form and can bepurchased from the Natural Hazards Center. For a complete list andordering information, consult the Hazards Center World Wide Web site:
adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/Home.html
and look under "Hazard Center Publications." Alternatively, contact the Publications Clerk, Natural Hazards Research and ApplicationsInformation Center, IBS #6, Campus Box 482, University of Colorado,Boulder, CO 80309-0482, (303) 492-6819; fax: (303) 492-2151; e-mail:jclark@colorado.edu.
Beginning with Working Paper #94, these papers are now being publishedvia the World Wide Web. The initial paper, "Hurricane Damage toResidential Structures: Risk and Mitigation," by Jon K. Ayscue,examines the damage to residential structures inflicted by hurricanesHugo, Andrew, and Iniki. The author offers numerous recommendationsfor improving building practice to improve structural performance infuture hurricanes. The direct URL for Working Paper #94 is:
adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/wp/wp94/wp94.html
Here is an Army web site that has a lot of practical info onperformance vs. sleep deprivation that I think would be of generalinterest to the disaster community:
wrair-www.army.mil/depts/Neuropsych/behavbio/behavbiohp.htm
In particular, the paragraph on the "Recuperative Value of Sleep" at
wrair-www.army.mil/depts/Neuropsych/behavbio/rvs.htm
[seems particularly appropriate]. The information comes from theDepartment of Behavioral Biology, Walter Reed Army Institute ofResearch.
[The parallels between military operations and EOC operations areclear - ed.]
[Adapted from the "NCCEM Bulletin" - the newsletter of the NationalCoordinating Council on Emergency Management]
Before adjourning this fall, Congress approved an interstate EmergencyManagement Assistance Compact (EMAC) that had already been enteredinto by 13 states and Puerto Rico. Initiated in 1993 as a Southernregional compact, the agreement was the first "all-purpose" emergencymanagement assistance agreement among states. The EMAC quickly evolvedinto a national effort that can now expand to additional states.
The compact offers legal and practical mechanisms for states to shareresources during disasters by providing parameters for reimbursementand outlining limits on liability. States that agree to participatereceive a manual of use that includes background information,information about how to request aid, a synopsis of each state's legalauthority to participate as well as information about each state'sstrengths and weaknesses in emergency management, and forms forrequesting assistance and maintaining records.
For more information on the EMAC, contact the Southern GovernorsAssociation (202) 624-5897, or Doug Munro, (410) 662-7113.
A Center for Disaster Management has been established at theYeshwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA),Pune in Maharashtra, India, to undertake research, preparedocumentation, and impart training in the area of disaster management.The objectives of the center are a) to coordinate activities relatingto disaster management in Maharashtra, both at the state and districtlevels; b) to develop a set of training modules and case studies ondisaster management; and c) to promote disaster preparedness andcapability building, through preparation of district disastermanagement plans, hosting of workshops and training programs, etc.
This center has been created with the financial support of the NaturalDisaster Management Division of the Department of Agriculture andCo-operation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. The designand development of workshops, preparation of case studies and trainingmodules, the preparation of district disaster management plans, etc.are supported by the United Nations Development Programme.
The center looks forward to cooperating with other interested groupsand individuals around the world. For more information, contact N.Vinod Chandra Menon, Professor, Centre for Disaster Management,YASHADA, Raj Bhavan Complex, Baner Road, Pune, INDIA 411007; tel:+91-212-350869; fax: +91-212-359135; e-mail: cendis@giaspn01.vsnl.net.in
U.S. and Chinese researchers in the fields of earthquake studies,earthquake engineering, and earthquake hazards mitigation are invitedto apply to participate in the US/PRC Research Exchange Program inEarthquake Studies, jointly sponsored by the National ScienceFoundation and the Ministry of Construction of the People's Republicof China. The program is coordinated by the National Center forEarthquake Engineering Research (NCEER), headquartered at the StateUniversity of New York at Buffalo. Deadline for application isDecember 6. For an application and information packet, contact AndreaDargush, Assistant Director for Research and Education, NCEER, StateUniversity of New York at Buffalo, Red Jacket Quadrangle, Buffalo, NY14261; (716) 645-3391; fax: (716) 645-3399; e-mail: dargush@acsu.buffalo.edu.
[Received the following from C. Gregory Knight cgk@psu.edu]
Pennsylvania, University Park 16802. Earth System Science Center, ThePennsylvania State University. Post-Doctoral Scholar.
Fixed-term, renewable position for a social scientist starting springor summer 1997, supported by a National Science Foundation grant tothe Earth System Science Center in the area of Human Dimensions ofGlobal Change. The new Center for Integrated Regional Assessment isdeveloping interdisciplinary research in the area of integratedassessment, focusing on research related to methods applicable at theregional level. Our research emphases include consequences of climatevariability and change, challenges of integrating spatial and temporaldata of different resolutions, public and private decision makingrelated to global change, and regional economic/environmentalmodeling. Current regional foci include the Susquehanna River Basin,the Mexico-U.S. boundary region, and Bulgaria. Earned doctorate mustbe in hand at time of appointment. A letter describing interest in andpotential contributions to our program, a complete curriculum vita,and the names and addresses of three to five referees should besubmitted by January 15, 1997, to ensure consideration. Applicationswill be accepted until the position is filled. AffirmativeAction/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouragedto apply.
Apply: C. Gregory Knight, CIRA, Earth Systems Science Center, 248Deike Building, University Park, PA 16802; e-mail cgk@psu.Edu; WWW:www.essc.psu.edu.
The National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) isexpanding its monthly newsletter, the "NCCEM Bulletin." The newsletteris now soliciting advertising to support the expanded format and islooking for contributions of articles on emergency management andrelated topics from practitioners and researchers.
Contributions may include:
To contribute or place advertising, contact the NCCEM Bulletin editor:phone/fax: (301) 588-4279; e-mail: skayec@aol.com; or NCCEM headquarters: (703) 538-1795; fax: (703) 241-5603; e-mail:nccem@aol.com.
[Adapted from "NCEER Information Service News" - a newsletter of theNational Center for Earthquake Engineering Research]
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Standards Committee onSeismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, through a cooperative agreementwith the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is updating the "NEHRPHandbook for the Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings" (FEMA 178,1992). The committee is seeking consensus approval for the documentthrough ASCE's ANSI-approved standardization process.
FEMA 178 is already considered by many to be the de facto standard forevaluating the seismic safety of existing buildings. In this update,ASCE intends to incorporate user experiences and suggestions forimprovement, as well as new knowledge and state of the art advances inthe field. New procedures for evaluating buildings to meet performancestandards beyond life safety will also be included.
The ASCE project team is interested in hearing from anyone withexperience using FEMA 178. Persons interested in providing informationand/or participating on the project committee should contact JimRossberg, Manager, Building Standards, ASCE, 1801 Alexander BellDrive, Reston, VA 20191-4400; (703) 295-6196; fax: (703) 295-6132.
[Also adapted from "NCEER Information Service News"]
The Japanese Geotechnical Society has issued a call for papers for apublished symposium based on studies of the geotechnical aspects ofthe Great Hanshin earthquake of January 17, 1995. Contributions fromaround the world are welcome. The language of the publication will beEnglish. Manuscripts are due August 29, 1997. For further information,contact: Secretariat for Soils and Foundations, Japanese GeotechnicalSociety, Sugayama Building 4F, Kanda Awaji-cho 2-23, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo101, Japan; fax: 81-3-3251-7636.
www.paho.org/english/disaster.htm
We've mentioned the Pan American Health Organization Web sitebefore, but it deserves another mention - and another look - becauseof the additional information now available there. Specifically, youmight take a look at the "Special Reports" section, which includes thecomplete text of the "Recommendations and Conclusions" from the FirstInternational Conference on Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities,held in Mexico City in February of this year.
In addition, the PAHO site provides access to the "Desindex" data baseat the Disaster Documentation Center in San Jose, Costa Rica - arepository of hundreds of documents in Spanish and English on disastermanagement; to the PAHO catalog of training materials; and to theexcellent PAHO newsletter, "Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation inthe Americas."
www.mdx.ac.uk/www/gem/fhrc.htm
The Flood Hazard Research Centre is an interdisciplinary researchcenter based in the School of Geography and Environmental Managementat Middlesex University in Britain. The center studies the interactionbetween people and the environment, analyzes environmental policy, andprovides teaching and training in these areas. Much of the center'sresearch focuses on the management of the water environment. Thecenter now maintains this extensive Web site describing the courses,research, publications, and other activities of the center.
mediccom.org
The MedicCom bulletin board system (BBS) is now accessible viathe Web at the above URL. MedicCom bills itself as the largestdisaster medicine, management, and mitigation BBS in the nation. ThisWeb site provides access not only to the messages exchanged throughthe BBS, but also to numerous downloadable files on disastermanagement archived at the site.
The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Bangkok, Thailand, hasannounced the following training classed for 1997:
For details or an application form, contact Sanny Jegillos, SeniorManager, Learning and Professional Development, Asian DisasterPreparedness Center, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 2754,Bangkok 10501, Thailand; tel: (66-2) 524-5391; fax: (66-2) 524-5360;e-mail: adpc@ait.ac.th
Thanks to support provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency,several scholarships are available to help student members or youngerEERI members (out of school less than three years) to attend the EERIAnnual Meeting in Austin, Texas, February 12-15, 1997. Scholarshipswill cover registration, lodging, and travel expenses. To apply, senda letter of request describing your current involvement in earthquakeengineering or a related field, your status as a student orprofessional, and your financial need, to the Traditional EducationCommittee, EERI, 499 14th Street, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612-1934.For more information about the conference write EERI at this addressor contact the organization at: (510) 451-0905; fax: (510) 451-5411;e-mail: eeri@eeri.org; WWW: www.eeri.org.
These are the latest conference announcements we've received. Mostprevious issues of DR contain additional notices. For a*comprehensive* list of upcoming disaster-related meetings andtraining, see our World Wide Web page:
adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/Home.html
Workshop on Disaster and Development. Sponsor: Tulane UniversityInstitute for International Development. Arlington, Virginia: November21-22, 1996. Contact: Brian Donaldson, (703) 243-1556; fax: (703)243-1358; e-mail: bdonald@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu.
U.S. Global Change Research Program Second Monday Seminar Series: TheEconomics of Climate Change Impacts and Mitigation: The Importance ofValues and Assumptions. Washington, D.C.: December 9, 1996. Contact:Anthony D. Socci, U.S. Global Change Research Program Office, CodeYS-1, 300 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20546; (202) 358-1532; fax:(202) 358-4103; e-mail: tsocci@usgcrp.gov. Additional information onthe U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and this seminarseries is available on the USGCRP home page: www.usgcrp.gov.Normally these seminars are held on the second Monday of each month.
Short Course: Engineering for Extreme Winds. Sponsor: Wind EngineeringResearch Center, Texas Tech University. Lubbock, Texas: February 5-7,1997. Contact: Birgit Rahman, Division of Continuing Education, TexasTech University, Box 41006, Lubbock, TX 79409-1006; (806) 742-2352,ext. 272; fax: (806) 742-2318.
Great Plains Symposium 1997: The Ogallala Aquifer: "Managing forDrought and Climate Change." Lincoln, Nebraska: March 10-12, 1997.Contact: Robert Kuzelka, University of Nebraska, 103 Natural ResourcesHall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0844; (402) 472-7527; fax; (402) 472-3574;e-mail: rkuzelka@unlinfo.unl.edu.
Integrated Response to Disaster Situations. Sponsors: Minneapolis/St.Paul Metro Region EMS Committee and others. Minneapolis/St. Paul,Minnesota: March 17-19, 1997. Contact: Ann Gergen, Regional EMSCoordinator, (612) 603-0105; fax: (612) 603-0101.
Sixth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineeringand Environmental Impacts of Karst. Host: Department of Geography,Geology, and Planning, Southwest Missouri State University.Springfield, Missouri: April 6-9, 1997. Contact: Barry F. Beck, P.E.LaMoreaux & Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 4578, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4578;(423) 483-7483; e-mail: pelaor@use.usit.net; WWW: www.uakron.edu/geology/6th.html.
Retrofitting Flood-Prone Residential Buildings Course. Offered by:Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Directorate andEmergency Management Institute. Emmitsburg, Maryland: April 21-25,1997. Contact: Dan Bondroff, National Emergency Training Center, 16825South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1278.
Disaster Mitigation Workshop. Offered by: Australian EmergencyManagement Institute (AEMI). Mt. Macedon, Victoria, Australia: April28-May 2, 1997. Contact AEMI, Main Road, Mt. Macedon, Victoria 3441,Australia; tel: (03) 5421 5100; fax: (03) 5421 5273; e-mail:rfleming@ema.gov.au.
Fourth Conference on Tall Buildings in Seismic Regions: "TallBuildings for the 21st Century." Los Angeles, California: May 9-10,1997. Abstracts due December 20, 1996. Contact: Los Angeles TallBuildings Structural Design Council, 800 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 510Los Angeles, CA 90017; (213) 362-0707; fax: (213) 688-3018.
Second National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways: "Meetingthe Challenge, Research and Practice." Sponsors: Federal HighwayAdministration and California Department of Transportation.Sacramento, California: July 8-11, 1997. Contact: James H. Gates,California Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 942874, Sacramento,CA 94274-0001; (916) 227-8773; fax: (916) 227-8898; e-mail:jgates@trmx3.dot.ca.gov.
VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress: Islands in the Pacific Century.Includes session on "Disasters and Development." Sponsors: PacificScience Association and the University of the South Pacific. Suva,Fiji: July 13-19, 1997. Contact: VIII Pacific Science Inter-Congress,c/o School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of the SouthPacific, Suva, Fiji; tel: +679 212 691; fax; +679 314 007.
SR/DR '97: Search and Rescue/Disaster Response Conference andExposition. Nashville, Tennessee: July 25-27, 1997. Contact: SR/DR'97, 2413 West Algonquin Road, Suite 411, Algonquin, IL 60102; (847)458-0420; fax: (847) 458-0421; WWW: www.emergency.com/srdr97/index.htm.
Retrofitting Flood-Prone Residential Buildings Course. Offered by:Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Directorate andEmergency Management Institute. Emmitsburg, Maryland: September 8-12,1997. Contact: Dan Bondroff, National Emergency Training Center, 16825South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1278.
Civil Emergency Preparedness: Risk, Crisis, Security and Vulnerabilityin Society. Sponsor: National Board of Civil Preparedness in Sweden.Umea, Sweden: September 9-10, 1997. Session proposals are due January1, 1997; abstracts are due March 1, 1997. Contact: Carola Lofstrand,Department of Social and Economic Geography, Umea University, S-901 87Umea, Sweden; tel: +46-90-167918; fax: +46-90-166359; e-mail:carola.lofstrand@geography.umu.se.
Seventh Chilean Conference on Seismology and Earthquake Engineering.Santiago, Chile: November 1997. Abstracts due January 15, 1997.Contact: Secretariat, Blanco Encalada 2120 Piso 4, Casilla 228/3,Santiago, Chile; tel: (56-2) 6784372; fax: (56-2) 6892833.
Twelfth International Conference and Workshops on Applied GeologicRemote Sensing. Includes sessions on geologic hazards. Sponsors:Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) and others.Denver, Colorado: November 17-19, 1997. Contact: Robert Rogers, ERIM,P.O Box 134001, Ann Arbor, MI 48113-4001; (313) 994-1200, ext. 3234;fax: (313) 994-5123; e-mail: raeder@erim.org; WWW: www.erim.org/CONF/conf.html.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) 1998 Annual Meeting.San Francisco, California: February 4-8, 1998. Contact: EERI, 499 14thStreet, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612-1934; (510) 451-0905; fax: (510)451- 5411; e-mail: eeri@eeri.org ; WWW: www.eeri.org.
Second International Conference on Environmental Management (ICEM2).Includes sessions on slope stability and landslide management, riskand decision making, environmental hazards legislation and policy,seismic risk and earthquake-resistant design. Wollongong, New SouthWales, Australia: February 10-13, 1998. Contact: Conference SecretaryICEM2, Department of Civil and Mining Engineering, University ofWollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; (61-42-213055; fax: 61-42-213238; e-mail: icem2@uow.edu.au; WWW:www.uow.edu.au/eng/conf/icem2.html.
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