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This July, hazards professionals from around the world gathered in Boulder, Colorado, for the 24th Annual Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. The topics examined were extremely diverse - including the Second Assessment of Research and Applications on Natural Hazards, Y2K, business vulnerability, public risk information, Hurricane Mitch, the popular culture of disasters, and how and why people die in disasters. The program also featured hour-long dialogues with some of the leading professionals in the field.
To ensure that the ideas and discussions from the workshop are available to anyone interested in these issues, the Natural Hazards Center publishes brief summaries of each session, abstracts of the hazards research presented, and descriptions of the projects and programs discussed at the meeting. A set of all workshop materials, including the agenda and participant list, costs $20.00, plus $5.00 shipping. (For orders beyond North America, contact the Publications Clerk at the address below for shipping charges or see the publications ordering information on our Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/puborder.html).
Currently, the list of all session summary and abstract titles is available on our Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/ss/ss.html. Later this fall, the complete texts of all session summaries will also be available at that site, although abstracts of hazards research, programs, and projects will not.
To order these materials, send your payment (checks should be payable to the University of Colorado) 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: janet.kroeckel@colorado.edu; WWW: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Diner's Club cards are also accepted.
A tool for hazards educators . . .
The Disaster Time Line, a new educational and informational tool, provides a unique, graphic depiction of major disasters, both natural and technological, that have affected emergency management policies in the U.S. Using colorful computer graphics, the Disaster Time Line chart (roughly 11"x32") shows not only major events and the year they occurred, but also the influence each event had on major after-action reports and analyses, federal statutes, federal regulations and executive orders, federal response plans, and major federal organizational changes.
The Disaster Time Line should prove a valuable tool for both teachers and students of emergency management; consultants who must brief clients on the history or context of emergency preparedness decisions; emergency managers at all levels who need to educate junior staff regarding significant disasters, their outcomes, and their influence on disaster policy; and any other persons interested in the recent history of hazards and disasters in the U.S.
The Disaster Time Line costs $20.00, including postage within the U.S. Contact the address below for details about bulk purchases, international mailing costs, or other mailing arrangements. Orders must be prepaid by check or money order and should be directed to Disaster Time Line, Claire B. Rubin and Associates, P.O. Box 2208, Arlington, VA 22202; (703) 920-7176; e-mail: info@disaster-timeline.com or cbrubin@aol.com. For more information, see http://www.disaster-timeline.com.
I am looking for information and resources, academic in nature, on the institutional arrangements that form during planning and deployment of 911/E911 systems. The focus of my research is not on the technical issues surrounding 911/E911, but instead on the organizational structures most likely to result in a successful 911/E911 deployment effort. Any leads will be greatly appreciated and gratefully acknowledged.
Adam Thiel
Department of Public and Int'l Affairs
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
E-mail: akthiel@aol.com
Phone: (703) 293-9422
Not only do disasters affect people, their homes, and their businesses, they also test the structures and systems that glue society together. Unless appropriate risk reduction measures are implemented, natural events will continue to destroy highways, railways, ports, power lines, fuel lines, water and wastewater lines, and telecommunications systems. Thus, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) have entered into a cooperative agreement to establish the "American Lifelines Alliance (ALA)" intended to "reduce risks to utility and transportation systems from natural hazards."
This alliance will enhance mitigation measures by developing technical documents, implementing their recommendations, and conducting public awareness programs. Although FEMA is providing initial funding for the project, the ALA is seeking other partners to provide additional support. Funds will be used to prepare guidelines, manuals, and other instructional materials.
Initially the alliance will focus on converting existing, well- established practices within the utility and transportation industries into national applicable guidelines and ultimately into national consensus documents. Other activities will include hosting technical workshops and training courses, and preparing information materials for infrastructure owners, engineers, emergency planners, and the general public.
More information about this project can be obtained from Thomas R. McLane, Project Manager, ASCE, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4400; (800) 548-2723 or (703) 295-6000; fax: (703) 295-6222; e-mail: tmclane@asce.org; or see http://www.asce.org/aboutasce/alaoverv.html on the World Wide Web.
[These are some of the latest and more useful Internet resources we've encountered. For an extended list of selected Internet sites dealing with hazards and disaster management, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/sites.html]
http://www.drought.noaa.gov/
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Drought
Information Center" is "a roundup of the various NOAA Web sites and
information on drought and climate conditions." It provides breaking
news, including current drought assessments of various kinds; monthly
roundups; and considerable background information, including sections
entitled "All About Drought"; "Normal Precipitation for U.S.
Stations"; "Billion Dollar Weather Disasters"; "All About Heat Waves";
"Fire Potential"; and other links to Web sites with information about
drought.
http://www.westgov.org
On July 16, 1998, President Clinton signed the National Drought
Policy Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-199), creating the National Drought
Policy Commission to advise Congress "on the creation of an
integrated, coordinated Federal policy designed to prepare for and
respond to serious drought emergencies." Prior to passage of that act,
the Western Governors' Association had already created the Western
Drought Coordination Council (WDCC) to deal with this recurrent
Western problem, and the council recently prepared a report on their
experiences - The Western Drought Experience: The Western Drought
Coordination Council's Report to the National Drought Policy
Commission - to assist the national effort. The WDCC concluded that
all aspects of drought response needed to be evaluated and updated in
order to better integrate preparedness, response, and mitigation
programs at all levels of government. Their report notes that the WDCC
has developed a work plan that addresses four principal activities:
monitoring/assessment/prediction, preparedness and mitigation,
response, and communications. Further, it describes the council's past
experience in these areas and provides 12 recommendations for national
drought policy. To access the report via the Internet, go to the URL
above
, select "WGA Publications," scroll down to the "Lands and Water"
section, and click on the link for the drought report.
http://www.epa.gov/
http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/
As many emergency planners and managers already know, the
Environmental Protection Agency's Web sites provide a wealth of
information that can be useful to researchers studying community and
state emergency planning and response. Starting with
http://www.epa.gov (or, if you want to go directly to the Chemical
Emergency Planning Program, http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/) researchers
have a gateway to:
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/sph/popfam/refugee/
Via their Web site, Columbia University's Center for Population and
Family Health offers the complete text of Symposium Report:
Psychosocial Effects of Complex Emergencies. The center itself
conducts research and offers courses and programs in public health
related to forced migration and disasters. More information is
available from the Web site or by contacting the Center for Population
and Family Health, Columbia School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue,
B2, New York, NY 10032; (212) 304-5221; fax: (212) 304-7024; e-mail:
refugee-health@columbia.edu.
In an effort to monitor and report in real time all consequential events that take place during the transition to the year 2000, the Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) recently announced that it will make a "Y2K Watch Desk" available on-line through its emergency service/national security Web site, http://www.emergency.com.
Through the Y2K Watch Desk, ERRI, in association with EmergencyNet News correspondents throughout the world, will monitor and report on all important or emerging events as 1999 roles over to the year 2000. The developers of the Watch Desk anticipate that corporate and government officials will want to monitor the Web site in order to spot emerging trends and anticipate potential problems as they occur in other parts of the world. In order to maintain security and offset the cost of the extensive coverage, users will probably be required to register and pay a small fee to access the Y2K Watch Desk page. For details about this service, contact the Emergency Response & Research Institute, EmergencyNet News Service, 6348 North Milwaukee Avenue #312, Chicago, IL 60646; (773) 631-3774; fax: (773) 631-4703; e-mail: webmaster@emergency.com.
Impacts of El Nino Flooding on Socio-Political Organization in the Moche Valley, Peru. Funding agency: National Science Foundation, $59,263, 24 months. Contact: Gary A. Huckleberry, Department of Anthropology, College 150, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4910; (509) 335-4807; e-mail: ghuck@wsu.edu.
Archaeology of the Cascadia Subduction Zone: Cultural Responses to Coseismic Subsidence, Tsunamis, and Earthquakes on the Southern Northwest Coast. Funding agency: National Science Foundation, $11,399, 12 months. Principal Investigators: Madonna L. Moss and Robert Losey, Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon-Eugene, Eugene, OR 97403-6076; (541) 346-6076; fax: (541) 346-0668; e-mail: mmoss@oregon.uoregon.edu.
Earthquake Disasters and Policy Change: A "Patterned Opportunism" Model of California Seismic Safety Innovations. Funding agency: National Science Foundation, $229,260, 36 months. Principal Investigator: Robert A. Olson, Robert Olson Associates, Inc., 100 Egloff Circle, Folsom, CA 95630.
Indirect Losses Due to Electric Power System Failure. Funding agency: National Science Foundation, $49,269, 12 months. Principal Investigator: Frederick Krimgold, Virginia Tech Graduate Center, 2990 Telestar Court, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Falls Church, VA 22042; (703) 698-6008; fax: (703) 698-6062; e-mail: krimgold@vt.edu.
Response to an Acute Environmental Accident Across an Ethnically Diverse Community. Funding agency: National Science Foundation, $46,144, 12 months. Principal Investigator: Elaine Vaughan, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697; (949) 824-7184 or 824-5574; fax: (949) 824-3002; e-mail: evaughan@uci.edu; WWW: http://www.seweb.uci.edu/faculty/vaughan.html .
This fall Extended Education at California State University-Fullerton, offers certificate programs in disaster preparedness and trauma response. The Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Management Program includes 115 hours of classroom instruction and a 40-hour field practicum. The program focuses on providing those responsible for emergency preparedness with the skills needed to institute an effective emergency plan for their organization. The 40-hour Trauma Response Specialist Program is intended for individuals whose responsibilities include providing initial counseling to primary and secondary victims of trauma. For more information, contact Nancy Jo Hill: (714) 278-7646; e-mail: nhill@fullerton.edu.
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has requested funding from the National Science Foundation to provide partial travel support for approximately 50 people to participate in the 12th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering to be held in Auckland, New Zealand, January 30-February 4, 2000. Contingent upon receipt of this funding, EERI will appoint a committee to review applications. The following selection criteria will be applied:
Each award will be limited to $1,000. One need not be a member of EERI nor an engineer to receive a travel grant. These funds are not expected to cover the full cost of travel, per diem, and registration, but are meant to offset expenses. Travel awards may be used for any of these expenses, with appropriate receipts. To be eligible as an expense, air travel must be on a U.S. carrier.
Applications should consist of a cover letter (not to exceed two pages), a summary curriculum vitae (also no longer than 2 pages), and a copy of an accepted paper abstract, if that is the applicant's primary involvement in the conference. The letter should clearly and briefly cover the following points:
[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming disaster-related meetings and training is available from our World Wide Web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html]
Ninth National Convention on Disaster Reduction: "Towards a Safer World in 21st Century with Hope." Porbandar, Gujarat, India: September 17-19, 1999. Contact: Joint Assistance Centre, G-17/3, DLF City Phase- 1, Gurgaon, Haryana 122002, India: tel: 0124-352141 and 353833; fax: 0124-351308 (code from Delhi is 91); e-mail: nkjain@jac.unv.ernet.in.
Twelfth Annual Pacific Northwest Emergency Preparedness Conference. Sponsors: University of British Columbia and others. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: October 19-21, 1999. Contact: Twelfth Annual Pacific Northwest Emergency Preparedness Conference, 700 West 57th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6P 1S1; (604) 322-8365; fax: (604) 322-8359; e-mail: mrogan@bcrehab.bc.ca; WWW: http://epma.bc.ca/epc.
"Integration of Environmental and Human Development Policy": Abel Wolman Distinguished Lecture, delivered by Gilbert F. White, distinguished professor emeritus of geography, University of Colorado. Washington, D.C.: November 5, 1999. Contact: Anita Hall, Water Science and Technology Board, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20418; (202) 334-3422; e-mail: ahall@nas.edu.
International Conference on the Future of European Crisis Management. The Hague, the Netherlands: November 7-9, 1999. Contact: Swedish Agency for Civil Emergency Planning; tel: 46-8/691-1301; fax: 46-8/601-1001; e-mail: harald.torner@ocb.se.
"Earthquake Analysis Methods: Predicting Building Behavior" Technical
Seminars.
Salt Lake City, Utah: November 9, 1999
Newport Beach,
California: November 11, 1999
Contact: Earthquake Engineering
Research Institute, 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.
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) 1999 Annual Meeting: "The Future of Risk Analysis in the 21st Century." Atlanta, Georgia: December 5-8, 1999. Contact: Society for Risk Analysis, 1313 Dolley Madison Boulevard, Suite 402, McLean, VA 22101; (703) 790-1745; fax: (703) 790-2672; e-mail: sra@burkinc.com; WWW: http://www.sra.org.
American Geophysical Union 1999 Fall Meeting. San Francisco, California: December 13-17, 1999. Abstracts due September 2, 1999 (postal, express mail); September 9, 1999 (World Wide Web). Contact: AGU Meetings Department, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009; (800) 966-2481 or (202) 462-6900; fax: (202) 328-0566; e-mail: meetinginfo@agu.org; WWW: http://www.agu.org.
NOTE: The above-mentioned fall AGU meeting will include a special session entitled "The Loma Prieta, California Earthquake 10th Anniversary Session." Persons with questions about this particular session should contact Ruth Harris, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025; (650) 329-4842; e-mail: harris@usgs.gov.
Third Japan-Turkey Workshop on Earthquake Engineering. Istanbul, Turkey: February 21-25, 2000. Abstracts due September 30, 1999. Contact: M. Hasan Boduroglu, Third Japan-Turkey Workshop on Earthquake Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Maslak 80626, Istanbul, Turkey; tel: +90-212-285-3797; fax: +90-212-285-6587; e-mail: bodurogl@itu.edu.tr.
Seismological Society of America (SSA) Annual Meeting. San Diego, California: April 9-12, 2000. Contact: SSA, 201 Plaza Professional Building, El Cerrito, CA 94530; (510) 525-5474; fax: (510) 525-7204; e-mail: info@seismosoc.org; WWW: http://www.seismosoc.org.
Eighth International Conference of the Natural Hazards Society. Tokushima, Shikoku, Japan: May 21-25, 2000. Abstracts due September 30, 1999 (see: http://www.drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/Hazards2000/). Contact: Russell Blong, Natural Hazards Society, c/o Natural Hazards Research Centre, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia; fax: +61-2-9850-9394; e-mail: NHS@ocs1.ocs.mq.edu.au; WWW: http://www.es.mq.edu.au/NHRC/NHS/.
8th American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Probabilistic Mechanics and Structural Reliability Conference (PMC2000). South Bend, Indiana: July 24-26, 2000. Abstracts due October 13, 1999. Contact: Kimberly Christenson, PMC2000 Secretariat, Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0767; (219) 631-5380; fax: (219) 631-9236; e-mail: pmc2000@nd.edu; WWW: http://www.nd.edu/~pmc2000/.
Cities on Volcanoes 2. Organizers: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, Auckland Regional Council, Massey University, University of Auckland, and the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior. Auckland, New Zealand: February 12- 16, 2001. Contact: Secretary, Cities on Volcanoes 2, Wairakei Research Centre, Private Bag 2000, Aupo, New Zealand; fax: 64-7-374 8199; e-mail: citiesonvolc2@gns.cri.nz; WWW: http://www.gns.cri.nz/news/conferences/cities.html.
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