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[The following recently appeared on the Emergency Management Forum's e-mail list on recovery (recovery@emforum.org). For more information on this and other e-mail lists available from the Forum, see http://www.emforum.org.]
To whom it may concern,
My name is John Mellor and I'm the Flood Recovery Coordinator for
the Katherine Region (11,000 people) in the Northern Territory of
Australia. We had a devastating flood in January of last year, which
left the area crippled for a period of time. Our situation is unique
as we live in a very remote area with limited infrastructure.
Fortunately we have an air force base nearby, which helped
tremendously. Two reasons why I am corresponding with you:
With support from the National Science Foundation, the Natural Hazards Center sponsors "Quick Response" research - studies of the effects of and immediate response to disasters. Upon completing their work, quick response researchers submit brief reports of their findings to the center, which publishes them immediately via the World Wide Web. Below are the three newest full-text reports available on-line.
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr110/qr110.html
QR110: Emergent Coordinative Groups and Women's Response Roles in
the Central Florida Tornado Disaster, February 23, 1998, by
Jennifer Wilson and Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel, 1998
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr111/qr111.html
QR111: Public Health Emergency Response: Evaluation of
Implementation of a New Emergency Management System for Public
Health in the State of Georgia, by Lora S. Werner, Matt Naud, and
Anita Kellogg, 1999
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr112.html
QR112: Impact of Hurricane Bonnie (August 1998): North Carolina and
Virginia with Special Emphasis on Estuarine/Mainland Shores and a
Note About Hurricane Georges, Alabama, by David M. Bush, Tracy
Monegan Rice, Andrew S. Coburn, Robert S. Young, and Matthew Stutz,
1999
The entire list of quick response reports is available at: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr.html. In addition, printed copies can be purchased for $5.00 each, plus shipping charges ($3.00 for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; $4.00 for international surface mail; and $5.00 for international air printed matter). Orders should be directed to the Publications Clerk, Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, Campus Box 482, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0482, (303) 492-6819; fax: (303) 492-2151; e-mail: jclark@colorado.edu. For overseas costs, contact the Publications Clerk at the address above or consult the Hazards Center on-line publication order form: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/puborder.html .
We realize that on-line material concerning the Y2K conundrum abounds, but nevertheless, we have added a brief page to our own Web site to direct emergency managers and others interested in the hazard/disaster implications of this looming problem to good starting (and ending) points for Y2K information. If you're interested, see: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/y2k.html
Earlier this month, the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion
introduced a new toll-free Y2K information line:
At the same time, the President's Council has created a special consumer information area on its Web site: http://www.y2k.gov, and has issued a quarterly report summarizing existing industry and public- sector assessments for key areas that could be affected by Y2K problems (see the Web site for a copy). In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has issued three publications for consumers on Y2K: one on consumer electronic products, one on home office equipment, and one on personal finances. These publications are available on-line at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC also offers a "Business Fact Sheet" on Y2K.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to provide considerable information on the problem through the Y2K section of its Web site: http://www.fema.gov/y2k. The agency recently announced that in February and March, it will conduct Y2K Consequence Management Workshops around the country to identify critical issues, assess vulnerabilities, review contingency plans, and consider policies and decisions that need to be taken to deal with possible Y2K consequences. Participants will include state Y2K emergency coordinators, emergency managers, and state fire marshals, as well as regional representatives of FEMA's Federal Response Plan partners.
Finally, the entire 24-page January issue of the IAEM Bulletin - the newsletter of the International Association of Emergency Managers - focuses on Y2K issues for emergency management. It includes articles by "hands-on" emergency managers on: recent surveys of progress on Y2K remediation, possible scenarios to plan for, planning and exercising, schools, citizens groups, and public information. Extra copies are available by contacting Sharon Kelly at IAEM headquarters; e-mail: iaem@aol.com by Friday, January 22. The cost is $2.50 per copy. The issue will also be posted electronically on the IAEM Web site: http://www.iaem.com.
Persons involved or interest in wind engineering and/or natural disaster mitigation issues are invited to join a new cross-disciplinary, moderated e-mail discussion group - wind_haz_mit@egroups.com - dedicated to furthering wind hazard mitigation. Sponsorship of this service is provided through the Partners-In-Mitigation Fellowship under a grant from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Questions should be directed to: James Cohen, PE, PIM Fellow; (609) 730-0510; fax: (609) 730-0511; e-mail: jccpc@msn.com; WWW: http://www.egroups.com/info/help.html.
Research on human ecology and human dimensions of global change can often benefit from projects that try to understand individual, household, community, organizational, and institutional responses to disasters. Responses to toxic spills and other anthropogenic disasters and severe climate events, such as the recent hurricanes and typhoons can be studied to provide valuable insights that can help in understanding basic human ecological processes and provide guidance for disaster preparedness and relief. The natural hazards research community has a distinguished history of this kind of work. Researchers on climate change and on technological risk are becoming more interested in this approach. At a recent meeting of the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change, it became clear that the human dimensions community may not be aware of funding that allows researchers to move quickly in response to such situations. Elke Weber of Ohio State did some checking for the committee, and I wanted to share her work with you.
The U.S. National Science Foundation provides Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGERs). These are grants to capture data that are "perishable" in the sense that the data must be collected quickly. The SGER program is intended to allow researchers to get approval and get into the field quickly. A short preliminary proposal and budget is reviewed by an NSF program officer and then a somewhat more detailed proposal and clarifications are requested. Funds are typically under $50,000 but sometimes as much as $100,000. Grants must go to U.S. institutions, but data can be collected anywhere in the world. The proposals are handled by the staff in existing programs. For more information, contact the appropriate program officer at NSF via the NSF Web site: http://www.nsf.gov.
Tom Dietz
Chair, U.S. National Research Council Committee on Human Dimensions of
Global Change
Professor of Sociology and Environmental Science & Public Policy
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 993-1435
Fax: (703) 993-1446
Home/sabbatical:
Address: 300 Route 2,
Grand Isle, VT 05458
(802) 372-4389
Fax: (802) 372-4389
WWW: http://members.aol.com/tdietzvt/Dietz_home_page.html
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's publication FEMA 273 - National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings, and the related FEMA 274 - NEHRP Commentary, are now available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.degenkolb.com/fema273/index.html.
Both documents can be viewed and downloaded in their entirety. The seismic maps that accompany FEMA 273 are available at http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov/eq/. This Web site also offers FEMA 273 users a mechanism for transmitting comments and recommendations to FEMA for improving and clarifying the existing document.
FEMA and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) are converting FEMA 273 into a prestandard - the first step in turning FEMA 273 and 274 into an ASCE/American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved national consensus standard, which can be referenced by building codes and contracts. The prestandard will be completed by June 2000. The principal investigator for the project is Chris Poland, president and senior principal, Degenkolb Engineers, San Francisco, CA. For more information, contact Jim Rossberg, ASCE; (703) 295-6196; e-mail: jrossberg@asce.org.
The IDNDR Secretariat recently listed several of this year's events
that will conclude the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction. They include:
The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) seeks qualified candidates for the position of executive director.
Established in 1986 by the Asian Institute of Technology, ADPC has achieved a worldwide reputation as the primary politically neutral focal point in Asia and the Pacific promoting disaster awareness and supporting the development of local institutionalized disaster management and mitigation. The center is a Regional Focal Point for the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). ADPC programs are diverse, addressing all types of hazards, natural as well as technological, and covering all aspects of the disaster management spectrum. In 1999 the center will become a fully autonomous independent foundation, though remaining as a tenant on AIT's campus 42 km north of Bangkok, Thailand. To know more about the center please visit: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th.
The executive director is the chief executive officer of the center
and is responsible for the overall conduct of its affairs, overseen by
a board of trustees. This is a challenging opportunity to lead a
unique and valued regional resource. Candidates for the position
should have:
To apply please send your CV to the Acting Director, ADPC Foundation, P.O. Box 4, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; tel: (66-2) 524-5354; fax: (66-2) 524-5360; e-mail: adpccons@ait.ac.th. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in Bangkok.
Would you like to spend the summer in Washington, D.C.? Can you speak any two of the four official OAS languages: English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese? Are you interested in international work experience related to Latin America and the Caribbean?
The Natural Hazards Project (NHP) of the Organization of American States (OAS) is looking for energetic, well-rounded undergraduate and graduate students interested in natural disaster vulnerability reduction and prevention to work as interns with the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE) during the summer of 1999. The NHP works on flood hazard mitigation, transportation corridor vulnerability reduction, and school building vulnerability reduction to natural hazards in the Americas. Applicants with architecture, cartography, civil engineering, economics, environmental, geography, new media (Internet), or statistics backgrounds are encouraged to apply; however all interested applicants will be fully considered.
For more information about the Organization of American States and the internship program see the OAS Web Page: http://www.oas.org. Interested persons should send their applications directly to USDE/NHP. To find out more about the Natural Hazards Project and current activities, please go directly to the project Web page: http://www.oas.org/en/prog/nhp; or contact us directly: Organization of American States, Natural Hazards Project, Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment, 1889 F Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006; (202) 458-6295; e-mail: natural-hazards-project@oas.org.
PricewaterhouseCoopers' National Operational Systems Risk Management (OSRM) group is looking for qualified personnel who can identify and assess mission critical business functions and systems, recognize the likelihood of disruption, and estimate the cost, impact, and required recovery time frame. Other duties will include establishing effective risk and damage mitigation measures, preparing business continuity plans, testing strategies and back-up facilities, and evaluating facilities to ensure ongoing maintenance.
Ideal candidates will have 3-7 years of Big 5 or other consulting firm experience with knowledge and skills in operational risk services. Top candidates should fax or e-mail their resume and salary requirements to: Attn: TGS-DR; fax: 800-606-9801; e-mail: abasjobs@us.pwcglobal.com.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will consider individuals who are U.S. citizens or nationals, permanent residents, temporary residents, or refugees. PricewaterhouseCoopers is an equal opportunity employer.
The National Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI) intends to edit a book - Lightning Safety: Theory and Practice - to be published in the year 2000. Modeled after Golde/1977, the book is aimed at authorities having jurisdiction for lightning protection issues. We seek authors interested in making contributions to the text, either with original works or with re-writes of past papers. Topics include air terminals, grounding, bonding, shielding, transient limiters, personal safety, safety to structures, case studies, detection and detectors, maintenance and testing, medical aspects, etc. For details, please contact: Richard Kithil, NLSI, 891 North Hoover Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027; (303) 666-8817; fax: (303) 666-8786; e-mail: rich@lightningsafety.com; WWW: http://www.lightningsafety.com.
As a fund-raiser, the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) is holding a fire book sale this month. The association is offering numerous titles at 15% off list price. For a list and additional information about the books, see the IAWF Web site: http://www.wildfiremagazine.com/bookstor.shtml; or contact Jason M. Greenlee, Wildfire Magazine and International Association of Wildland Fire, East 8109 Bratt Road, Fairfield, WA 99012; (509) 523-4003; fax: (509) 523-5001; e-mail: greenlee@cet.com.
Disaster Prevention Management: An International Journal (DPM) from MCB University Press recently began offering an "e-mail alert service" for the journal. This service is part of a comprehensive subscription package that enables all subscribers to keep up to date regarding any new articles published on-line. Within this information resource, subscribers can find case histories; empirical research findings; a database covering marine, pollution, weather, volcano, railway, fire and explosion, and aviation disasters; conference reports; and book reviews. To find out more visit http://www.mcb.co.uk/dpm.htm, or contact Denise Feeley, e-mail: dfeeley@mcb.co.uk.
Interested persons can sample both the e-mail service and the on-line journal through a free, no obligation 30-day trial subscription by sending an e-mail to Sarah Lane, slane@mcb.co.uk.
The Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP) is pleased to announce the availability of a "Higher Education" mailing list - highered@emforum.org - in support of FEMA's Higher Education Project, and in coordination with Dr. Wayne Blanchard, FEMA Project Manager. This mailing list is being provided to foster communication between educators at the post-secondary level with existing or planned programs in emergency management, and others supporting those efforts. For more information, contact the EIIP project manager, Amy Sebring, e-mail: asebring@emforum.org, or see the EMForum Web site: http://www.emforum.org.
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) will moderate a monthly Round Table session on the Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP) Emergency Management Forum Web site starting Tuesday, January 26, 1:00 p.m. EST. These dialogues will be moderated by Phyllis Mann, IAEM president-elect.
The EIIP site is open to any EIIP partner, and the organization encourages all interested groups concerned with emergency management to join and use this communication/education tool. The EMForum managers will teach interested person how to moderate on-line.
In February, two other partners are taking the lead in the Round Table. The February schedule includes:
"The Legacy of Northridge . . . 5 Years Later": A Two-Day Commemorative Conference. Sponsors: City and County of Los Angeles and others. Los Angeles, California: January 27-28, 1999. Contact: Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, 1275 North Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063; (323) 980-2266 -or- (323) 769-0869; fax: (323) 881-6897; WWW: http://www.KFWB.com/northrid.html.
Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference. Sponsor: American Psychological Association. Laramie, Wyoming: February 11-15, 1999. Contact: Barbara Barnes, Conferences & Institutes, University of Wyoming, School of Extended Studies & Public Service, P.O. Box 3972, Laramie, WY 82071-3972; 1-800-448-7801 ext. 2 -or- (307) 766-2124; e-mail: highplains140@usa.net -or- larlion@hotmail.com.
Certified Lightning Safety Professional Two-Day Workshop. Offered by: National Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI). Louisville, Colorado: February 25-26, 1999. Contact: Richard Kithil, NLSI, 891 North Hoover Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027; (303) 666-8817; fax: (303) 666-8786; e-mail: rich@lightningsafety.com; WWW: http://www.lightningsafety.com.
Northwest Weather Workshop. Seattle, Washington: February 26-27, 1999. This year's main themes will be West Coast precipitation, flooding, and hydrological prediction. For information and registration see: http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~cliff/NWworkshop.html -or- contact: Clifford F. Mass, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Box 351640, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195; e-mail: cliff@atmos.washington.edu; (206) 685-0910; fax: (206) 543-0308.
Third International Congress of Notwill, Switzerland: Management of Public Health in Case of Disaster. Nottwil, Switzerland: March 3-5, 1999. Contact: Liz Theytaz, Ausbildungszentrum SRK am Sempachersee, CH-6207 Nottwil, Switzerland; tel: +41 41 939 50 50; fax: +41 41 939 50 30; e-mail: ausbildungszentrum.nottwil@bluewin.ch; WWW: http://www.resch.ch.
Eastern Sociological Society 68th Annual Meeting - includes session on "Disaster Research and Collective Behavior: Session in Honor of Russell R. Dynes and Henry Quarantelli." Boston, Massachusetts: March 4-7, 1999. Contact: Eastern Sociological Society, Department of Sociology, Park Hall 402, Box 604140, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA 14260-4140; (716) 645-3665; fax: (716) 645-3934; e-mail: ess-ub@acsu.buffalo.edu; WWW: http://wings.buffalo.edu/ess.
Year 2000 Contingency Planning and Emergency Management for Municipalities and Local Government. Offered by: International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC). Atlanta, Georgia: April 13-14, 1999 (Pre-conference and Post-conference workshops - April 12 and 15). Contact: IQPC, 150 Clove Road, P.O. Box 401, Little Falls, NJ 07424- 0401; 1-800-882-8684 -or- (973) 256-0211; fax: (973) 256-0205; e-mail: info@iqpc.com; WWW: http://www.iqpc.com.
28th Annual Short Course on Hierarchical-Multiobjective Approach in Water Resources Management - 1999 Theme: Risk Assessment and Management. Offered by: The Center for Risk Management of Engineering Systems and the Systems Engineering Department, University of Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia: May 10-14, 1999. Contact: Center for Risk Management of Engineering Systems, University of Virginia, Thornton Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22903; (804) 924-0960; fax: (804) 924-0865.
The Emergency Planning Society (EPS) Annual Conference. Edinburgh, Scotland: July 19-21, 1999. Contact: Peter Brodie, Business Manager, Emergency Planning Society, Pyramid House, Fourth Way, Wembley, Middlesex, U.K. HA9 0LJ; tel: 0181 937 4958; fax: 0181 937 4957; e-mail: Conference@emergplansoc.org.uk; WWW: http://www.emergplansoc.org.uk.
1999 Annual Conference of the Society for Risk Analysis-Europe. Rotterdam, the Netherlands: October 10-13, 1999. Contact: Louis Goossens, Conference Director, or Gemma Vanderwindt, Conference Secretariat, SRA-Europe Annual Conference 1999, c/o Safety Science Group, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5050, NL-2600 GB Delft, the Netherlands; tel: +31.15.278.1477; fax: +31.15.262.2235; e-mail: srae1999@wtm.tudelft.nl.
Second Meeting on Seismology and Seismic Engineering of Mediterranean Countries - Sismica99. Sponsor: Escola Superior de Tecnologia of Universidade do Algarve and the Sociedade Portuguesa de Engenharia Sismica. Faro, Portugal: October 27-29, 1999. Contact: Comissao Organizadora do 4o, Encontro sobre Sismologia e Eng, Sismica, Universidade do Algarve (EST), Campus da Penha, 8000 Faro, Portugal; tel/fax: +351 (0)89 803561 (ext. 6545); fax: +351 (0)89 823539; e-mail: seismic99@ualg.pt; WWW: http://www.ualg.pt/est/adec/sismica99/sismica99gb/index.htm.
Fourth International Conference of Local Authorities Confronting Disasters and Emergencies - LACDE 4. Reykjavik, Iceland: August 28-31, 2000. Contact: The Union of Local Authorities in Israel, 3 Heftman Street, P.O. Box 20040, Tel Aviv 61200, Israel; tel: +972-3-695-5024; fax: +972-3-691-6821; e-mail: ulais@netvision.net.il; WWW: http://www.ladpc.gov.il.
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