DISASTER RESEARCH 307

November 22, 1999

Dear Friends,
I am looking for help. The subject is: the role of the pharmacist - working for the hospital - in the disaster preparedness guidelines of the hospital. My hospital is preparing plans for disaster preparedness and would like to define the role and contribution of pharmacists. Cordially,
Gurkan Ersoy, MD
E-mail: ersoyg@cs.med.deu.edu.tr

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New Quick Response Report from the Natural Hazards Center

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. The latest report is:

QR121: Disaster Recovery in an On-Going Hazard Situation on Montserrat: The July 20, 1999 Volcanic Dome Collapse, by Jack L. Rozdilsky, 1999. It is available at: http://www.Colorado.EDU/hazards/qr/qr121.html.

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: janet.kroeckel@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.

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ATC Seeking User Feedback on Guideline Use

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) is seeking organizations and individuals who have conducted surveys of buildings using ATC's Procedure for Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards (ATC-21). The council is trying to determine the ease of use and overall technical quality of the screening procedure. This call for users' feedback is being issued as the initial stage in the recently initiated ATC-21 Update Project, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will update the handbook, published in 1988, that is the basis for the screening process.

Persons or organizations wishing to provide voluntary user feedback can obtain a copy of a "User's Feedback Form" by contacting Dr. Charles Scawthorn, Project Director, ATC, 555 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 550, Redwood City, CA 94065; (650) 595-1542; fax: (650) 593- 2320; e-mail: atc@atcouncil.org. An electronic version is available from the ATC Web site: http://www.atcouncil.org. The visual screening handbook, FEMA #154, is also available from the site.

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New Information on the Web

[Here are a few of the latest and more useful Internet resources we've discovered. 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.fema.gov/mit/bpat
Federal Emergency Management Agency Building Performance Assessment Teams (BPATs) are activated following disasters to assess building and infrastructure performance and subsequently to recommend improvements in construction codes and standards, designs, methods, and materials used for both new construction and postdisaster repair. The BPAT Web site provides current BPAT news, success stories and reports from surveys of recent disasters, as well as complete copies of the BPAT newsletter, BPAT Update. The latest reports concern the Midwest tornadoes of May 3, 1999 and Hurricane George. FEMA is currently recruiting qualified persons to join the BPAT Roster Database. Details are also available from the BPAT Web site.

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NDPC to Hold Hearing in Los Angeles

The National Drought Policy Commission (NDPC) was established by an act of Congress in 1998 to conduct a thorough study of national drought policy and to recommend ways to integrate federal, state, tribal, and local policy; improve public awareness of drought issues; and consolidate federal policies and programs (see DR#303). The commission has already held several meetings and hearings around the country and will conduct its next hearing in Los Angeles, California, December 1 and 2, 1999. The public is invited to comment. For more information, contact Leona Dittus, Executive Director, National Drought Policy Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 6701-S, Stop 0501, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-0501; (202) 720-3168; fax: (202) 720-9688; e-mail: leona.dittus@usda.gov.

Minutes from previous meetings and more information are available from the commission's Web site: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/drought.

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EERI Announces Student Paper Competition

The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has announced its Annual Student Paper Competition, which promotes active involvement of students in earthquake engineering and the earthquake hazards research community. Instructions for preparing and submitting a manuscript can be obtained from the EERI Web site: http://www.eeri.org, or from EERI, 499 14th Street, Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612; (510) 451-0905; fax: (510) 451-5411. Papers must be received by March 31, 2000.

Up to four authors will be invited and receive support to attend the EERI Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, May 31-June 2, 2000. The papers will also be considered for publication in the EERI journal, Earthquake Spectra.

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Conferences and Training

[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]

International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance. Offered by: Center for International Health and Cooperation, Hunter College, City University of New York; in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.

Geneva: January 30-February 26, 2000
New York: June 11-July 8, 2000

The course will be conducted in English. A limited number of scholarships will be available. For more information or an application, contact: Michel Veuthey, Academic Coordinator, IDHA5, 15 Pierre Longue, CH-1212 Geneva/Grand Lancy, Switzerland; e-mail: michel.veuthey@ties.itu.int.

Tools for Urban Water Resource Management and Protection. Sponsors: Chicago Botanical Garden, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Chicago, Illinois: February 7-10, 2000. Contact: Bob Kirschner, c/o Urban Water Quality Conference, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022; (847) 835-6837; fax: (847) 835-6874; WWW: http://www.chicago-botanic.org.

HAZUS Training Workshops. Offered by: Federal Emergency Management Agency. Emmitsburg, Maryland: February 7-10, 2000; April 17-20, 2000; June 19-22, 2000. Contact: Lillian Virgil, FEMA, Emergency Management Institute, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447- 1490; e-mail: lillian.virgil@fema.gov.

Fire-Rescue Med: Critical Issues in Fire Service Based EMS. Sponsor: International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Las Vegas, Nevada: April 17-19, 2000. Contact: Professional Development Department, IAFC, Suite 300, 4025 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033-2868; (703) 273-9815; fax: (703) 273-9363; e-mail: education@iafc.org; WWW: http://www.iafc.org.

22nd Annual National Hurricane Conference. Sponsors: American Meteorological Society, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and just about every other agency - government and non - concerned with hurricanes. New Orleans, Louisiana: April 17-21, 2000. Contact: National Hurricane Conference, 2952 Wellington Circle, Tallahasee, FL 32308; (850) 906-9224; e-mail: nhc@nettally.com; WWW: http://www.nettally.com/nhc.

After Disaster: Addressing Management Issues. Sponsors: Coventry Centre for Disaster Management and the Economic and Social Research Council. Coventry University, U.K.: April 25-26, 2000. Contact: Dr. Anne Eyre, Centre for Disaster Management, Coventry University, Coventry, U.K. CV1 5FB; tel/fax: 01203-838485; e-mail: a.eyre@cov.ac.uk.

Global Disaster Information Network Third International Conference. Organizers: Turkish Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, General Directorate of Disaster Affairs; Disaster Management Implementation and Research Center, Middle East Technical University. Ankara, Turkey: April 26-28, 2000. More information is available on the World Wide Web: http://www.deprem.gov.tr/gdin2k/index.html; -or- tel: (90) 312-287 3645 or (90) 312-287 8803; fax: (90) 312-285 5304 or (90) 312-287 8924; e-mail: gdin2k@deprem.gov.tr or afetundp@tr-net.net.tr.

International Hazardous Materials Response Team Conference. Sponsor: International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Hunt Valley, Maryland: June 1-4, 2000. Contact: Alice Pottmyer, IAFC, 4025 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033-2868; (703) 273-9815, ext. 340; fax: (703) 273-9363; e-mail: prodevelopment@iafc.org; WWW: http://www.iafc.org.

Fourth Annual Search and Rescue/Disaster Response World Conference and Exposition (SR/DR 2000). Sponsor: "Responder" Magazine. Miami Beach, Florida: June 2-5, 2000. Contact: SR/DR 2000, 4418 East Wall Street, Eagle River, WI 54521; (715) 477-0170; e-mail: support@srdr.com; WWW: http://www.srdr.com.

Advanced Summer Course on Public Health and Humanitarian Aid. Offered by: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). Brussels, Belgium: July 17-28, 2000 (Optional course July 10-14 on Computer Publication in Disaster Management). Contact: Caroline Michellier or Regina Below, CRED, Ecole de Sante Publique, Catholic University of Louvain, 30.94 Clos Chapelle-aux-Champs, 1200 Brussels, Belgium; tel: +32-2-764-3369 or +32-2-764-3327; e-mail: caroline.michellier@epid.ucl.ac.be -or- below@epid.ucl.ac.be.

Fire-Rescue International 2000. Sponsor: International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Dallas, Texas: August 25-28, 2000. Contact: David Gudinas, IAFC, Suite 300, 4025 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033- 2868; (703) 273-9815; fax: (703) 273-9363; e-mail: dirprodev@iafc.org; WWW: http://www.iafc.org.

Coastal Environment 2000: Third International Conference on Environmental Problems in Coastal Regions. September 18-20, 20000.
and
Oil Spill 2000 Second International Conference on Oil and Hydrocarbon Spills, Modelling, Analysis and Control. September 20-22, 2000. Organized by: Wessex Institute of Technology. Both conferences will be held at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Contact: Wessex Institute of Technology, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, SO40 7AA; tel: 44 (0) 238 029 3223; fax: 44 (0) 238 029 2853; WWW: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences. Conference Secretariat: Sally Walsh; e-mail: slwalsh@wessex.ac.uk; Marketing Co-ordinator: Karen Neal; e-mail: kneal@wessex.ac.uk.

Risk 2000: Second International Conference on Computer Simulation in Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation. Organized by: Wessex Institute of Technology. Bologna, Italy: October 11-13, 2000. Contact: Wessex Institute of Technology, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, SO40 7AA; tel: 44 (0) 238 029 3223; fax: 44 (0) 238 029 2853; WWW: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2000/risk2000/. Conference Secretariat: Susan Hanley: e-mail: shanley@wessex.ac.uk; Marketing Co-ordinator: Karen Neal: e-mail: kneal@wessex.ac.uk.

Summit 2000: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting and Exposition. Reno, Nevada: November 12-15, 2000. Field trip and session proposals are due January 10, 2000. For more information, see the GSA Web site: http://www.geosociety.org; or contact: GSA Meetings Department, 3300 Penrose Place, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140; (303) 447-2020 or 1-800-472-1988; fax (303) 447-0648; e-mail: meetings@geosociety.org.

North American Conference on Wind Engineering. Sponsors: American Association for Wind Engineering and others. Clemson, South Carolina: June 3-6, 2001. Contact: Professor Scott Schiff, Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0911; (864) 656- 0456; e-mail: scott.schiff@ces.clemson.edu.

Tenth International Conference and Field Workshop on Landslides (ICFL). Sponsors: International Landslide Research Group and others. Various locations across Poland: September 2002. Contact: David G.Howell, U.S. Geological Survey, MS 975, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025; (650) 329-5430; fax: (650) 329-4936; e-mail: dhowell@octopus.wr.usgs.gov.

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