Seeking Information About Best Practices in Emergency Management
Hi, My name is Isabel McCurdy and I am currently doing a multidisciplinary master's in policy and practice at the University of Victoria (Canada). I have been unsuccessful in my research on Best Practice in Emergency Management - definition, what it is, and how it is applied - or is there no best practice in emergency management? Can you help me? Many thanks. Isabel imccurdy@rogers.wave.ca
My name is Erin Burke and I am studying geography at William Paterson
University in Wayne, New Jersey. This semester I am writing a paper
dealing with population and the environment. I am interested in forced
migration due to natural disasters but I am having trouble finding
information that deals with the victims. I would like to know more
about where people go after their homes are destroyed. One case that
stands out in my mind is Montserrat. If you have any suggestions for
me on where or how I can find more information on forced migration as
a result of natural disasters I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Erin Burke
ccb163@bellatlantic.net
With a click of a mouse, emergency managers, fire safety educators,
and community volunteers can now have instant access to brochures,
fact sheets, activity guides, and other resources for raising
awareness and educating the public about disasters. The FEMA Disaster
Preparedness & Mitigation Library is now available on CD-ROM.
FEMA's CD-ROM library offers:
In addition to PDF files, which look like images printed from the
Internet, the FEMA Disaster Preparedness & Mitigation Library on
CD-ROM includes high-resolution printer files and instructions for
producing high-quality color brochures at a professional print shop.
PC and Mac computer discs are included in the package.
The FEMA CD-ROM Library is specifically designed for disaster
educators who provide information about multiple hazards and who want
to produce high-quality educational materials at a professional print
shop. People wanting single copies of materials can obtain them from
the FEMA Web site at
http://www.fema.gov. To order the FEMA Disaster Preparedness &
Mitigation Library on CD-ROM, call (202) 736-1648; fax: (202) 331-3003; or
e-mail
valca_valentine@oar-wash.com.
For program information, e-mail CFP Program Manager Ralph Swisher at
ralph.swisher@fema.gov; or
write to him at FEMA, Training Division, Preparedness, Training, and
Exercises Directorate, Room 625, 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472.
The new ASFPM Web site includes information on how to become a member,
the organization's constitution and bylaws, directories of officers
and committees, a publications list, information on upcoming
conferences, a history of the association, and other useful
information and Internet links.
http://www.batnet.com/spangle/
http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/IHC/gender/
http://www.unex.ucr.edu/EMEN/EMEN.html
http://inform.dia.govt.nz:8080/mocd
Subsidized Inequities: The Spatial Patterning of Environmental Risks
and Federally Assisted Housing. Funding agency: U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development; $50,000; 12 months. Principal
Investigators: Susan Cutter, Michael Hodgson, and Kirstin Dow,
Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
29208; e-mail:
uschrl@ecotopia.geog.sc.edu
GIS-Based Hazards Assessment for Georgetown County, South Carolina.
Funding agency: South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division;
$15,000; four months. Principal Investigator: Susan Cutter, Department
of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208;
e-mail:
uschrl@ecotopia.geog.sc.edu
The Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Association
International (DERA) now sponsors an awards program to honor students
from around the world who conduct research into disaster-related
topics or who undertake mitigation or preparedness projects within
their communities. Initially the project involves providing schools
and colleges with guidelines, award certificates, and medals for
student recognition, but the program will eventually provide
scholarships and stipends for students pursuing advanced studies in
disaster preparedness or emergency management. Anyone wishing to
promote or otherwise contribute to this program, or anyone desiring
additional information, is encouraged to contact the DERA Disaster
Science Project, P.O. Box 280795, Denver, CO 80228; (303) 809-4412; e-
mail: dera@disasters.org;
WWW:
http://www.disasters.org/dera.html.
The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is a regional resource
center established in Bangkok in 1986 to promote disaster reduction
for safer communities and sustainable development across Asia and the
Pacific. The center supports several ongoing projects and programs and
offers various courses and conferences year-round. The proposed 1998
calendar is provided below (all events take place in Bangkok, unless
otherwise noted):
Additional courses are being considered. For details, contact: Sanny
R. Jegillos or Aloysius Rego, Learning and Professional Development
Unit, ADPC, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; tel:
(66 2) 524-5386/5391/6225; fax: (66 2) 524-5360; e-mail:
lpdadpc@ait.ac.th;
WWW: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th.
This spring (February through June) the University of California,
Berkeley-Extension is offering a series of one- to five-day intensive
courses on continuity planning as part of its Emergency Preparedness
Planning and Management Program. Classes are held in San Francisco.
For more information, see:
http://www.unex.berkeley.edu:4243/em or call (510) 643-7143.
Business Continuity Workshops. Offered by Survive! Business Continuity
Group. London, England: February 23-26 and March 2-5, 1998. Contact:
Survive! Secretariat, The Chapel, Royal Victoria Patriotic Building,
Fitzhugh Grove, London SW18 3SX, U.K.; tel: 0181-874 6266; fax: 0181-
874 6446; e-mail:
surviveuk@cityscape.co.uk;
WWW: http://www.survive.com.
The ABC of Business Continuity Planning. Offered by Survive! Business
Continuity Group. Oxfordshire, England: March 9-11 and June 15-17,
1998. Contact: Survive! Secretariat, The Chapel, Royal Victoria
Patriotic Building, Fitzhugh Grove, London SW18 3SX, U.K.; tel: 0181-
874 6266; fax: 0181-874 6446; e-mail:
surviveuk@cityscape.co.uk;
WWW: http://www.survive.com.
Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting. Boulder, Colorado:
March 16-18, 1998. Includes sessions on "Seismic Hazards from the
Rocky Mountain Region to the Great Basin," "GPS and Seismology," "The
Tenth Anniversary of the Predicted Parkfield Earthquake," "Theory and
Simulations of the Earthquake Source," and other hazards-related
topics. Contact: Susan Newman, SSA, 201 Plaza Professional Building,
El Cerrito, CA 94530; (510) 525-5474; fax: (510) 525-7204; e-mail:
snewman@seismosoc.org.
Lessons from the 1997 Colorado State University Flood: Emergency
Preparedness at Colleges and Universities. Colorado Springs, Colorado:
March 20, 1998. "On July 28, 1997 Colorado State University
experienced a disastrous flash flood. All the books ordered for the
fall semester were destroyed; 22 buildings were uninhabitable; the
lifework of hundreds of people were destroyed; the library suffered
immense damage - more than 425,000 books were destroyed; and more than
$120 million in losses were incurred by CSU. We can anticipate some
problems, and if we cannot prevent catastrophes, our preparation will
help us cope during and after an emergency." For more information,
contact: Eve Gruntfest, Department of Geography, 1420 Austin Bluffs
Parkway, P.O. Box 7150, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO
80933-7150; e-mail:
ecg@mail.uccs.edu;
WWW:
http://www.uccs.edu/~geogenvs/conference.html.
Workshop on Seismic Analysis, Design, and Retrofitting of Bridges.
Offered by: College of Engineering, Earthquake Engineering Research
Center, University of California at Berkeley-Extension. Berkeley,
California: March 23-26, 1998. Contact: Continuing Education in
Engineering, University Extension, University of California, 1995
University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720-7010; (510) 642-4151; fax: (510)
642-6027; WWW:
http://www.unex.berkeley.edu:4243/eng.
1998 South Carolina Hurricane Conference. Organizers: South Carolina
Emergency Preparedness Division. Charleston, South Carolina: March 31-
April 1, 1998. Contact: Nell Shealy, SCEPD, 1429 Senate Street,
Columbia, SC 29201; (803) 734-8020, (800) 968-3569; fax (803)
734-8062; WWW:
http://www.state.sc.us/epd.
Hazard Mitigation Conference: Joint Conference of the South Carolina
Association for Hazard Mitigation and the North Carolina Association
of Flood Plain Managers. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: April 5-8,
1998. Contact: Jim Fanning, (803) 796-6700, ext. 207.
Natural and Anthropogenically Induced Hazards: Frequency-Magnitude
Relationships in Earthquake and Fault Populations - Implications for
Seismic Hazard. Offered by: European Science Foundation, 1998
Programme of European Research Conferences. Acquafredda di Maratea,
Italy: May 16-22, 1998. Deadline for applications: February 20.
Contact: Dr. Josip Hendekovic, European Science Foundation, 1 quai
Lezay-Marnesia, 67080 Strasbourg Cedex, France; tel: +33 3 88 76 71;
fax: +33 3 88 36 69 87; e-mail:
euresco@esf.org;
WWW: http://www.esf.org/euresco.
National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) Mid-Year Meeting and
Scientific Assembly. Incline Village, Nevada: July 8-10, 1998.
Abstracts due March 16 (all selected abstracts will be published in
"Prehospital Emergency Care," the official journal of NAEMSP).
Questions and requests for abstract submission forms can be directed
to the NAEMSP Executive Office, (800) 228-3677. Abstract forms and
complete submission rules can also be found in "Prehospital Emergency
Care," Vol. 2, Num. 1, Jan 1998. The NAEMSP Web site is:
http://www.naemsp.org.
National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM) 1998
Annual Conference and Exhibit. Norfolk, Virginia: November 7-10, 1998.
Presentation proposals due March 10. Contact: NCCEM Annual Conference,
111 Park Place, Falls Church, VA 22046-4513; (703) 538-1795; fax:
(703) 241-5603; e-mail: nccem@aol.com;
WWW: http://www.nccem.org.
Seismic Risk Assessment and Aseismic Design of Structures - Training
Course for Engineering Applications and Practice. Offered by: Asian
Center for Engineering Computations and Software (ACECOMS), School of
Civil Engineering, Asian Institute of Technology, in conjunction with
the United Nations University and the World Seismic Initiative (WSSI).
Bangkok, Thailand: March 17-April 17, 1998. Contact: ACECOMS, School
of Civil Engineering, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4,
Klongluang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; tel: (66 2) 524-5539, (66 2)
524-5533, (66 2) 516-0110-44; fax: (66 2) 524-6059, (66 2) 524-5539;
e-mail: acecoms@ait.ac.th; WWW:
http://www.acecomsx.ait.ac.th.
Seeking Information on Forced Migration Due to Natural Disasters
A special announcement from FEMA's Community & Family Preparedness
Program: CD-ROM for Disaster Educators Now Available
Internet Resources
http://www.floods.org
The Association of State Floodplain Managers is an organization
of professionals involved in floodplain management; flood hazard
mitigation; the National Flood Insurance Program; and flood
preparedness, warning, and recovery. The group has become a respected
and influential voice in floodplain management practice and policy in
the United States because it represents flood hazard specialists from
across jurisdictions and disciplines. The ASFPM supports comprehensive
nonstructural and structural management of the nation's floodplains
and related water resources, and believes that, through coordinated,
well-informed efforts, the public and private sectors can:
To help reach these goals, ASFPM fosters communication among those
responsible for flood hazard activities; provides technical advice to
governments and other entities about proposed actions or policies that
will affect flood hazards; and encourages flood hazard research,
education, and training.
Spangle and Associates, an urban planning and research consulting
firm in California, recently published the results of a National
Science Foundation-funded study that evaluated the usefulness of the
Los Angeles Recovery and Reconstruction Plan following the Northridge
earthquake. The study concluded that the plan helped city staff know
what to do after the disaster and enabled them to proceed with
recovery tasks with a minimum of confusion. The report is available
for $10, and a second volume containing summaries of interviews is
available for $15. Prepaid orders should be sent to Spangle
Associates, 3240 Alpine Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028; (415) 854-
6001; fax: (415) 854-6070. In the meantime, a summary of the report,
selected excerpts, and full appendices are available from the Web site
above.
An initial Gender and Disaster Network Web page has recently been
established at the address above. The authors urge any persons with
knowledge and interest in this area to submit information; the page is
intended to be a dynamic resource for the entire community of scholars
and other interested persons concerned about gender issues in disaster
management.
EMEN - the Emergency Management Education Network - is a Web-
based resource that addresses a broad range of issues regarding
emergency management, including business continuity and disaster
recovery. Developed by the University of California Extension,
Riverside, which offers courses in these fields, EMEN offers in-depth
information for interested laypersons as well as emergency management,
business continuity, and disaster recovery professionals. It also
provides links to information about what lessons have been learned
from previous disasters, what approaches are being taken by various
organizations to lessen the impact of disasters, and ideas for the
future from academia, professionals, and the public-at-large.
The New Zealand Office of Civil Defense deals with natural and
technological hazards and emergencies - providing national co-
ordination and a range of support for local government and other
emergency services. The office's Web site describes the agency, its
programs and available training; offers tips on personal preparedness
as well as an overview of New Zealand hazards and disasters,
particularly volcanoes; provides updates on ongoing emergencies; and
furnishes an on-line version of the office's excellent periodical,
"Tephra Magazine."
Grants Recently Awarded to South Carolina's Hazards Research Lab
DERA Offers Student Awards
ADPC Conferences and Training in 1998
Title Dates
----- -----
Asian Regional Meeting on February 2-5
El Nino-Related Crises
Workshop on the Role of Media in February 6
Accurate Reporting of the El Nino
Event
Twenty-Third Basic Course on March 2-20
Disaster Management
Second Regional Learning Workshop on April
Urban Disaster Mitigation
First Regional Workshop on April
Implementing Multi Local Learning (immediately following
Organizations for Urban Disaster the previous workshop)
Mitigation in Asia
Second Regional Course on May 10-23
Community-Based Approaches to
Disaster Management
First Regional Learning Workshop on June
Technological Hazards: Risk Mitigation
in Cities (to be held in Delhi, India)
Second Regional Training Course on April, May, or June
Road Accident Rescue (10-day course)
First Regional Course on July 15-20
Safety, Health, and Environment
Management Systems
First Regional Course on July 21-27
Safety, Health, and Environment:
Auditing Systems and Practice
Sixth Regional Course on Seismic August 15-September 7
Hazard Risk Reduction (location to
be determined)
Conferences and Training
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