Disaster Research 215

January 28, 1997


Table of contents

  1. Seeking Information on the Effects of Foreign Aid on National Disaster Management Capabilities
  2. Seeking Examples of Internet Use in Emergency Management
  3. Seeking Information on Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams
  4. Seeking Information on Deployable Hospitals
  5. Hazards Management/GIS Reference List Available
  6. A Few Web Sites
  7. Introducing the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance and the COE Web site
  8. Introducing the Bar-Ilan Mass Emergencies Project and the MEP Web Site
  9. Re-Introducing the CDERA and the CDERA Web Site
  10. New Reports Available from NHRAIC
  11. ASPEP Journal Calling for Papers
  12. 1997 NOAA Postdoctoral Program in Climate and Global Change
  13. ASFPM Looking for Someone to Upgrade/Manage FRC
  14. UNDP Also Looking for a Few Good People
  15. More Help Wanted
  16. The Virtual Fire and Rescue Expo
  17. New Risk Management Manual for Fire Departments Now Available
  18. Upcoming ADPC Courses
  19. Conferences and Training


Seeking Information on the Effects of Foreign Aid on National Disaster Management Capabilities

I am a graduate student at Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan in the field of International Economics and Development Studies. I am interested in the issue of disasters and development. I am doing research for my thesis on the impact of foreign aid related to disaster to the disaster management capacity of the recipient country. Any information or assistance with this endeavor will be greatly appreciated. Please reply to: m-aguja@hoffman.cc.sophia.ac.jp

Thanks,
Mario Joyo Aguja
Sophia University


Seeking Examples of Internet Use in Emergency Management

I am looking for specific examples of how the Internet has been utilized in disaster management, response/relief, disaster medicine, mitigation, assessment, communication in general, training and education, etc. I have plenty of documentation from Kobe, Oklahoma City, Oregon floods, and California earthquakes. Anything else, though, would be welcome. You can contact me at: paul@website.tamc.amedd.army.mil
Your input will be greatly appreciated.
Paul S. Piper
Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance
E-mail: paul@website.tamc.amedd.army.mil


Seeking Information on Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams

Does anyone in this group have any information about neighborhood emergency response teams (used on the West Coast)? I've been trying to establish a link with my community's neighborhood liaison on emergency preparedness, and this sounds like an existing program that might help us get the word out about flood and wildfire dangers. But I have no idea where to go to get information. If you have info on this subject, please contact me via e-mail at macintyrel@ci.boulder.co.us, or by phone, (303) 441-3122.
Thanks,
Linda MacIntyre


Seeking Information on Deployable Hospitals

Would any subscriber who has some experience in the use of deployable rapidly assembled surgical hospital (DRASH) facilities be prepared to discuss the use of the equipment and any benefits/disadvantages they have come across? I would be interested in discussing issues such as total life cost of the equipment, durability, ease of assembly (especially using small numbers of staff), and maintenance requirements.

I am employed my the Northern Territory Health Department in Australia. The climate here ranges from desert to tropical. I am investigating the suitability of various mobile theatre structures that are deployable by air, barge, and over dirt roads. Deployment distances can be up to a thousand kilometres - mostly over dirt.

Any information about this piece of equipment would be appreciated. I have manufactures' information, but it would be nice if I could get some operational user input.

Thanks,
Ken Bourke
Policy Officer
Primary Health and Acute Care Branch
Territory Health Services
PO Box 40596
CASUARINA NT 0811
AUSTRALIA
Tel: 0011 08 89992406
E-mail:
Ken.Bourke@DWNHHSE.HEALTH.nt.gov.au


Hazards Management/GIS Reference List Available

I recently finished my masters research project at Johns Hopkins University and thought that making my project reference list available might assist other researchers doing work in this area. The project covered GIS Applications for Hazards Management. Interested persons can contact me at the address below.
Regards,
Brett M. Vaughan
Arlington, VA
E-mail:
vahnz@mindspring.com


A Few Web Sites

http://www.netsalud.sa.cr/ops/cdd/
The Pan American Health Organization's Regional Disaster Documentation Center in San Jose, Costa Rica, is perhaps the best resource available for locating hazard/disaster information pertinent to Latin America and the Caribbean. The DDC Web site offers information in both Spanish and English about the center, the extensive bibliographic data bases it maintains, and the services it offers.

http://www.statefarm.com
The State Farm Insurance Company offers a number of free brochures on preparedness, response, and mitigation of hazards - including earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and cold weather. To obtain them, look under the "Education" section of this State Farm Web site.

http://www.eas.net/index.html
This is the official internet access point for the Emergency Alert System. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) began supplementing the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) on January 1, 1997, and will replace it January 1, 1998. The new system is called the Emergency Alert System because it includes communication media other than broadcast. Some EAS information is available here for designated EAS areas across the United States, and more information is being added regularly. The Beta test for this system will encompass the Houston-Galveston, Texas area. Actual emergency alert information, operational information, and transition information will be available to the general public and official emergency personnel here. Although not all sections are now active, the site includes sections entitled: alerts, weather, media, government agencies, private agencies, preparation, about EAS, transition, equipment vendors, listservers, e-chat, e-links, system information, and e-store. For more information, about EAS and the EAS Web site, e-mail Dave Biondi, EAS Net Administrator: dbiondi@eas.net.

http://www.irba.co.nz/pubs/report2.html
Those of you interested in the use of GIS in hazards management, might consult this page, which comprises a report on "GIS in Earthquake Hazard Mapping, Wellington, New Zealand." The authors suggest that the techniques used should be applicable in many other regions of the world.


Introducing the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance and the COE Web site

The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE) was developed as a result of lessons learned in recent crises in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Balkans. The center opened its doors in October of 1994 with the goal of providing education, training, and research for civil-military operations, particularly those requiring international disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

COE is a partnership of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), the Pacific Health Services Support Area (HSSA) of Tripler Army Medical Center, and the University of Hawaii. Modeled after other academic centers of excellence, the COE's international faculty provides expertise in international and regional humanitarian operations.

Focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, the COE conducts needs assessments, curriculum development, conferences, training programs (both on-site and in the field), and research, and offers information and education through the Internet. In addition, the COE provides evaluation and development for disaster management and humanitarian assistance programs, especially where civil-military coordination is required. The COE is also collaborating with the University of Hawaii to offer Master's-level classes and eventually a degree in humanitarian assistance.

The COE Web site - http://coe.tamc.amedd.army.mil - features select links to other disaster-related Internet sites; disaster-related news and weather reports; historical data; Pacific Rim disaster-related information; information on current disasters; electronic journals and newsletters; discussion and e-mail groups; fully-searchable full-text publications including country-specific disaster management handbooks and plans; as well as considerable information about the center itself. For additional information contact the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett-White Road (MCPA-DM), Tripler AMC, HI, 96859-5000; (808) 433-7035; fax: (808) 433-1446; WWW: http://coe.tamc.amedd.army.mil/


Introducing the Bar-Ilan Mass Emergencies Project and the MEP Web Site

The Bar-Ilan University Mass Emergencies Project (MEP) was founded in 1989 by Professor Hayim Granot, its current co-ordinator, to examine emergency impacts on communities in Israel and around the world. MEP supports a broad, generic all-hazards definition of emergency and disaster. It examines human problems on all levels: individual, family, organizational, and the society at large.

Based in the School of Social Work of Bar-Ilan University, MEP promotes effective, measured intervention on all levels by mental health and welfare organizations and individuals. MEP emphasizes inherent individual capacity to cope with adversity and community- based planning and management of response to human needs in emergencies. The project is interested in both applied research and training and offers courses, workshops, conferences, and other training covering a broad spectrum of crisis and emergency management.

For more information about this program, contact Professor Hayim Granot, Director, Mass Emergencies Project, School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel; fax: (927)3-5347228; e-mail: granot@ashur.cc.biu.ac.il; WWW: http://www.biu.ac.il:80/SOC/sw/emerge.html.


Re-Introducing the CDERA and the CDERA Web Site

In light of the region's disaster experiences of the past few decades, following the conclusion of the Pan Caribbean Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Project (PCDPPP) in 1991, Caribbean governments decided there was a need for a permanent mechanism to coordinate regional disaster management. Hence, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) was founded as an intergovernmental regional disaster management organization through an agreement of heads of government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). At present, CDERA has sixteen participating states.

CDERA's main function is to launch an immediate and coordinated response to any disastrous event affecting any participating state, once the state requests such assistance. Other functions include:

A CDERA Web site - http://www.cdera.org - is currently being developed as a comprehensive source of information on disaster management in the Caribbean and on the activities of CDERA and the National Disaster Organizations (NDOs) of participating states. The site will also provide access to various publications from CDERA, NDOs, and other regional and international agencies, as well as situation reports on recent or ongoing events. The site already includes information about the agency and its member states, a list of relevant upcoming events, a set of Web links, and information about ongoing hazardous events in the region, such as the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat.

For more information, contact CDERA, The Garrison, St. Micheal, Barbados; tel: (246) 436-9651; fax: (246) 437-7649; e-mail: cdera@caribsurf.com


New Reports Available from NHRAIC

The Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center (NHRAIC) Web site:
http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/Home.html includes numerous full-text quick response reports resulting from recent disaster research. The newest additions include:

The entire list of quick response reports can be accessed directly at: http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/qr.html


ASPEP Journal Calling for Papers

The American Society of Professional Emergency Planners (ASPEP) has issued their annual call for papers to be published in conjunction with the 1997 National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) Annual Conference to be held September 13-17, 1997 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Representatives from all related disciplines are encouraged to submit papers on any aspect of emergency management. Selected papers will be published in the 1997 edition of the "ASPEP Journal," and authors of selected papers will be invited to present their research/papers at a poster session during the NCCEM Conference.

Submitted papers must meet the following criteria:
Length: 1500-4500 words
Spacing: Double
Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
Header: Title, author, affiliation, city, state, country, telephone and fax numbers
Copies: 5 (five) hard copies and 1 (one) IBM compatible 3.5" disk copy in WordPerfect 6.0 pr Microsoft Word 6.0
References: APA or MLA format

Completed papers must be submitted by June 1, 1997, to the address below. Decisions regarding acceptance will be made by August 1.

ASPEP Journal Committee
Attn: Mike Selves, CEM
111 South Cherry Street, Suite 100
Olathe, KS 66061-3441

Questions should be directed to:
Lyn M. Gross, CEM
ASPEP Journal Chairperson
(206) 776-3722


1997 NOAA Postdoctoral Program in Climate and Global Change

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) has announced the continuation of the NOAA Postdoctoral Program in Climate and Global Change. UCAR manages this NOAA-sponsored program, which pairs recently graduated postdoctorates with host scientists at U.S. institutions to work in areas of mutual interest. The objective of this program is to help create the next generation of researchers needed for climate studies. It endeavors to attract recent PhDs in sciences that address areas relevant to the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program. The overall goal of the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program is to provide predictions and assessments of global climate change and the resulting socioeconomic consequences on seasonal to centennial time scales.

Qualified scientists are encouraged to apply by sending:

Interested hosts should send:

Fellows receive a fixed annual stipend, benefits, relocation allowance, and allowance for scientific travel and other support costs. Hosts are expected to mentor the fellow as well as provide office space, a workstation, and any other unique research costs associated with this fellowship.

Application materials should be submitted by March 1, 1997 to Meg Austin, Director, UCAR Visiting Scientist Programs, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000. For further information please call (303) 497-8649, send e-mail to vsp@ncar.ucar.edu, or visit the UCAR Visiting Scientists Program Web site: http://www.vsp.ucar.edu/


ASFPM Looking for Someone to Upgrade/Manage FRC

The Floodplain Management Resource Center (FRC) is a library of over 600 books and other documents on floodplain management - a free service funded since 1989 by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). The FRC is housed at the Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado. In the past, under a contract with the ASFPM, the Mitigation Assistance Corporation of Boulder, Colorado, has reviewed and cataloged new publications for inclusion in the center. The Mitigation Assistance Corporation's contract to perform this work expires soon, and due to other pressing projects, the firm has indicated it cannot renew the FRC contract. At the same time, ASFPM and the Hazards Center are now seeking alternate methods of operating the FRC. Hence, ASFPM is issuing the following two requests for proposals:

1) FRC HOME PAGE - ASFPM is seeking a contractor to transfer the existing data base to an Internet-accessible World Wide Web site.

2) ENTERING DOCUMENTS - ASFPM is seeking a contractor to manage the addition of new documents to the data base.

To obtain details about both of these requests for proposals, contact Diane Watson, Executive Office Manager, ASFPM, 4233 West Beltline Highway, Madison, WI 53711; (608) 274-0123; fax: (608) 274-0696; e-mail: asfpm@execpc.com.


UNDP Also Looking for a Few Good People

The UNDP Office in Kigali is looking for candidates for the following assignments (of various but limited durations):

Preferred candidates will have had experience in successfully working under difficult conditions similar to Rwanda; English/French bilingualism is also much preferred. Interested candidates who possess the right qualifications should fax a copy of their curriculum vitae and cover note indicating the assignment(s) sought to the attention of the Chief of Recruitment, Office of Human Resources/UNDP in New York at 00-1-212-906-5282 REF: RWA/97.

Please note that only candidates for whom there is a further interest will be contacted.


More Help Wanted

The January issue of the "NCCEM Bulletin" - the newsletter of the National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management - listed several job openings that might be of interest to DR readers:


The Virtual Fire and Rescue Expo

Sponsored by National Fire & Rescue and the WWW Community of Emergency Services (WCES), the Virtual Fire and Rescue Expo will be open round the clock February 6-9, 1997, on the Internet at: http://fire-expo.com.

The event is organized to mimic a real-world conference; the conference program includes an opening reception (in a "live-chat" room on the Web), an exhibit hall featuring the latest innovative products for fire and rescue services, and educational workshops by leaders in the fire and rescue community. A complete description of this event and a conference program are available from: http://fire-expo.com/about.htm

Interested persons can also call 1-800-547-9398 with any technical questions. Content and materials questions should be directed to Pat West, (919) 872-5040.


New Risk Management Manual for Fire Departments Now Available

The United States Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has published a new manual that details risk management techniques and strategies for fire and emergency service departments.

"Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service" is written as a guide to help local fire and emergency service departments understand the concepts that form the foundation of risk management principles and practices. The manual emphasizes that effective risk management must be ongoing, evolving, regularly refreshed, and continuously improved. Both organizational and operational risk management are covered. In addition, the manual covers information management and provides actual examples of fire service risk management programs.

Copies of "Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service" may be obtained free of charge by writing the United States Fire Administration, Publications, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727. The publication can also be ordered via the USFA Web site: http://www.usfa.fema.gov (click on "Publications").


Upcoming ADPC Courses

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Asian Institute of Technology, recently announced that it will be offering its first Regional Course on Community Based Approaches in Disaster Management (CBDM-1), March 10-21, in Bangkok. The course will seek to enhance knowledge, skills, and outlooks of participants on methods of community awareness and participation in disaster management. It will highlight the importance of collaborative work and development of strategies for local level partnerships between government, NGOs and communities and will also provide the first opportunity ever in Asia for sharing of successful experiences and in-depth research on community issues in disaster management. For more information, contact the Senior Manager, ADPC/AIT, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; tel: (662) 524 5358; fax: (662) 524 5360; e-mail: icmadpc@ait.ac.th - or - lpdadpc@ait.ac.th

Other forthcoming ADPC training programs for 1996-1997 include:


Conferences and Training

These are the latest conference announcements we've received. Most previous issues of DR contain additional notices. For a *comprehensive* list of upcoming disaster-related meetings and training, see our World Wide Web page:
http://adder.colorado.edu/~hazctr/conf.html

Rocky Mountain Area Prescribed Fire Workshop: Overcoming Obstacles and Barriers. Sponsor: Rocky Mountain Area Rx Fire Working Group. Fort Collins, Colorado: February 24-28, 1997. Contact: Rocky Mountain Area Rx Fire Working Group, c/o Bernie Post, Colorado State Forest Service, (970) 491-6303; fax: (970) 491-7736.

1997 Annual Conference of the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM). Bloomingdale, Illinois: March 5-6, 1997. Contact: IAFSM, 153 Nanti, Park Forest, IL 60466; (708) 747- 5273.

Building Energy: Ensuring a Sustainable Future - includes "Building Strategies for Managing Risk: A Symposium for Insurers" and several sessions on disaster management, sustainable energy, and insurance. Organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA). Cromwell, Connecticut: March 12-15, 1997. Contact: NESEA, 50 Miles Street, Greenfield, MA 01301-3212; (413) 774-6051; (413) 774-6053; WWW: http://solstice.crest.org/nesea.

National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) 1997 Mid-Year Meeting. Emmitsburg, Maryland: March 15-17, 1997. Contact NCCEM, 111 Park Place, Falls Church, VA 22046-4513; (703) 538-1795; fax: (703) 241-5603; e-mail: nccem@aol.com.

The Sixth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst. Sponsors: Association of Engineering Geologists and others. Springfield, Missouri: April 6- 9, 1997. Contact: Dr. Barry F. Beck, P.E. LaMoreaux & Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 4578, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4578; (423) 483-7483; fax: (423) 483-7639; e-mail: pelaor@usit.net; WWW:http://www.uakron.edu/geology/karstwaters/6th.html.

Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) 1997 Western Regional Conference. Abstracts due February 28, 1997. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: May 5-7, 1997. Contact: ASDSO, 450 Old Vine Street, Second Floor, Lexington, KY 40507; (606) 257-5140; fax: (606) 323-1958; e-mail: damsafety@aol.com.

Basin and Range Province Seismic Hazards Summit. Sponsors: Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC), FEMA, USGS. A call for papers has been issued with titles due February 5. Reno, Nevada: May 13-15, 1997. Contact: WSSPC, 121 Second Street, Fourth Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 974-6435; fax: (415) 974-1747; e-mail: wsspc@wsspc.org; WWW: http://vishnu.glg.nau.edu/wsspc/brpshs.html.

National Watershed Coalition's Fifth Annual Conference: "Living in Your Watershed. Reno, Nevada: May 18-21, 1997. Contact: National Watershed Coalition; (703) 455-4387.

North Carolina Association of Floodplain Managers Annual Conference. Asheville, North Carolina: May 19-21, 1997. Contact: Dave Canaan, (704) 336-3736.

Geological Society of America, Cordilleran Section, 93rd Annual Meeting. Includes numerous sessions on geologic hazards. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: May 21-23, 1997. Contact: Geological Society of America Meetings Department, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140; WWW: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/.

Reflections on Water: Learning from History and Assessing the Future. New Orleans, Louisiana: May 28-31, 1997. Contact: IAIA Executive Office, NDSU-IBIB, Hastings Hall, P.O. Box 5256, Fargo, ND 58015; fax: (701) 231-1007.

International Climate Change Conference and Technologies Exhibition. Baltimore, Maryland: June 12-13, 1997. Call: (301) 695-3762.

Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P.). Organized jointly by the International Committee of the Red Cross Medical Division; the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine; and the Pan American Health Organization-Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination Program. Baltimore, Maryland: July 7-25, and Honolulu, Hawaii: July 14-August 1, 1997. For more information contact the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett-White Road (MCPA-DM), Tripler AMC, HI, 96859-5000; (808) 433-7035; fax: (808) 433-1446; WWW: http://coe.tamc.amedd.army.mil/ - or - International Committee of the Red Cross, Medical Division, H.E.L.P. 96 - U.H., 19, avenue de la Paix, 1202 GENEVA, Switzerland; tel: 022/730 28 10; fax: 022/733 96 74.

National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) 1997 Annual Conference and Exhibit. Tempe, Arizona: September 13-16, 1997. Abstracts due April 1, 1997. Contact NCCEM, 111 Park Place, Falls Church, VA 22046-4513; (703) 538-1795; fax: (703) 241-5603; e-mail: nccem@aol.com.

22nd Annual Conference of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: May 18-22, 1998. Contact: ASFPM, 4233 West Beltline Highway, Madison, WI 53711; (608) 274-0123; fax: (608) 274-0696; e-mail: asfpm@execpc.com.

Sixth U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering: "Seismic Design and Mitigation for the Third Millennium." Sponsor: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI). Abstracts due March 15, 1997. Seattle, Washington: May 31-June 4, 1998. Contact: EERI, 499 14th Street, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612-1934; (510) 451-0905; fax: (510) 451-5411; e-mail: eeri@eeri.org; WWW: http://www.eeri.org.

23rd Annual Conference of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). Portland, Oregon: May 24-28, 1999. Contact: ASFPM, 4233 West Beltline Highway, Madison, WI 53711; (608) 274-0123; fax: (608) 274- 0696; e-mail: asfpm@execpc.com.

Eighth International Symposium on Landslides. Cardiff, Wales. U.K.: June 26-30, 2000. Abstracts due September 1998. Contact: Eddie Bromhead, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee; e-mail: e.bromhead@kingston.ac.uk; WWW: http://www.king.ac.uk/~ce_s011/ isl8-000.htm.


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