DISASTER RESEARCH 413

October 8, 2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. 2004 Workshop Summaries and Abstracts Now Available Online
  2. Addressing Disaster Vulnerability in Minority Populations
  3. Call for Papers
  4. Fire Safety Campaign
  5. NEES Centrifuge Research and Training Workshop
  6. Major Terrorism Events and Their U.S. Outcomes
  7. Request for Abstracts
  8. Fire Risk Understanding
  9. Sustainable Development Post Doctoral Program
  10. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
  11. Some New Web Resources
  12. Conferences and Training

1) 2004 Workshop Summaries and Abstracts Now Available Online

In July 2004, hazards researchers and professionals, including federal, state, and local government officials; representatives from nonprofit organizations and private industry; and other interested individuals, convened in Boulder, Colorado, for the 29th Annual Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. As is typical for the workshop, participants debated, explored, and shared information on a wide range of issues. This year's session topics included the National Response Plan, community-based hazards management, the Project Impact spirit, risk communication, land use planning, benefits and costs of mitigation, remote sensing and GIS, public health, the National Flood Insurance Program, and the legal aspects of hazards and disasters. Plenary sessions addressed hazards and disasters in a homeland security environment, the 2003 California wildfires, and the social impacts of the Bam earthquake and the implications for community recovery.

To share the ideas and discussions presented during the workshop, the Hazards Center publishes brief summaries of each session, abstracts of the research presented, and descriptions of the projects and programs discussed. This is a valuable resource for those who were unable to attend, as well as for those who were. Session summaries and abstracts are available online at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/workshop/2004/.

2) Addressing Disaster Vulnerability in Minority Populations

The 2005 Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Sociological Association (SWSSA)in New Orleans, March 23-26, 2004, will be hosting a special session on disaster research as it pertains to vulnerability for minority populations. Patricia Stukes, the session organizer, is hoping to encourage anyone doing disaster research, including assessing risk, mitigation, recovery and the like, especially as it pertains to vulnerability for minority populations, to submit an abstract. If you have questions about whether your research would fit under this session please e-mail her directly at jusbcas@aol.com. The session will also include research from those who have been looking at September 11 as a "disaster" event and exploring its impact on vulnerable populations.

For more information contact Patricia Stukes, Texas Woman's University, Department of Homeland Security (FEMA), 2125 Wellington Drive, Denton, TX 76209; (940) 390-4163.

3) Call for Papers

Although the events of September 11, 2001, and afterwards contribute to a sense of urgency and result in new questions to feminist analyses of war and peace, it is important not to be unduly captivated by the impact of these events. This special issue of the National Women's Studies Association will offer a perspective that is historical as well as internationalist, one that looks backwards as well as forwards, and that will engage the journal's readership in dialog with international scholars on global issues that affect us all.

Journal editors are seeking articles (25-30 pages) on feminist analyses of September 11 and its relationship with preexisting and continuing gender factors affecting war and peace; the intersections of peace and feminist studies; the traditions of women's peace activism; historic and cultural analyses of women's contributions to peace and nonviolence theory; and work on a variety of related themes.

Submissions are due November 15, 2004. For more information or to submit a manuscript contact Patsy Schweickart, Department of English, 500 Oval Drive, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; (765) 743-7970; e-mail: pschweic@sla.purdue.edu.

4) Fire Safety Campaign

The U.S. Fire Administration has launched a campaign directed toward people who are 50-plus years old. Titled "Prevent Fire, Save Lives," it includes easy-to-use, reproducible fire prevention materials and a free CD-ROM.

The program includes information on developing a "People 50-Plus Campaign" in communities along with easy-to-reproduce materials for community outreach. Complete information is available at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/50Plus or by e-mailing usfa@hagersharp.com.

5) NEES Centrifuge Research and Training Workshop

The NEES centrifuge equipment sites at University of California, Davis, is hosting the first annual research and training workshop in California on November 18-20, 2004.

The agenda includes an exploration of capabilities and research opportunities for NEES equipment (biaxial shakers, robots, advanced instrumentation) and descriptions of testing procedure and equipment in sufficient detail to help participants write proposals and an introduction to the NEES data repository.

Funding for travel and accommodation is limited. Priority for receipt of funds will be given to junior faculty that are planning to submit or participate in development of a proposal to use either of the NEES geotechnical centrifuges for NEES or other research that qualifies as NEES shared-use; research students that are planning to perform NEES shared-use centrifuge research; and faculty that are planning to submit proposals for NEES shared-use research.

For more information, an agenda, or reimbursement requirements, contact cgm@ucdavis.edu, NEES, P.O. Box 74065, Davis, CA 95617; (530) 757-6337; http://www.nees.org/.

6) Major Terrorism Events and Their U.S. Outcomes

Claire B. Rubin, William R. Cumming, and Irmak Renda-Tanali have just issued a new report, "Major Terrorism Events and Their U.S. Outcomes (2002 and 2003)." An an update to an earlier publication, this report provides information about terrorism events and outcomes for the years 2002 and 2003. It describes 22 new pieces of legislation, 22 new executive directives, 10 new national strategies, and a host of organizational and other changes since the events of September 11, 2001. Together the reports cover the past 16 years of terrorism history in the U.S.

For information about obtaining hard copies of this publication, the latest chart, and earlier publications contact Claire B. Rubin and Associates, P.O. Box 2208, Arlington, VA 22202; (703) 920-7176; http://www.disaster-timeline.com.

7) Request for Abstracts

The Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness (CCEP) is calling for presentations for the 15th World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM) which will be held in Toronto on July 10-13, 2005. The conference theme will be the "Changing Face of Disaster Management: Defining the New Normal."

Abstracts are due December 4, 2004. Presentations may be related to real events/lessons learned, emerging trends in disaster management, the human element in disaster management, technical issues/threats, disasters management principles and practices, and research and development. Complete submission guidelines are available at http://www.wcdm.org/main.html.

For more information contact Adrian Gordon, Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness; (905) 331-2552; e-mail: agordon@ccep.ca.

8) Fire Risk Understanding

Americans underestimate their risk of fire, a new survey from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has found. Choosing from a list of disasters, 31 percent of those surveyed said they felt most at risk for tornado, while only 27 percent named fire as the highest risk, followed by hurricane (14 percent), earthquake (9 percent), flood (9 percent) and terrorist attack (5 percent).

But among all those disasters, fires are actually more common and many times more deadly. Fire departments responded to 1.6 million fires in the U.S. in 2003. While tornadoes average 70 deaths a year, fires killed 3,925 people in 2003, most of them in the home. Fires also cause significant property damage, especially when compared with other disasters.

NFPA commissioned the survey on fire preparedness to mark Fire Prevention Week. The complete study report is available at http://www.nfpa.org/PDF/os.fireloss.pdf?src=nfpa.

9) Sustainable Development Post Doctoral Program

The postdoctoral fellows program in sustainable development of the planet at the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York is seeking applications from postdoctoral candidates interested in path-breaking disciplinary research as well as multidisciplinary initiatives on sustainable development issues.

The fellows program provides scholars with the opportunity to enhance their foundation in one of the Earth Institute's core disciplines while at the same time acquiring the cross-disciplinary expertise and breadth needed to address critical issues related to reducing poverty, hunger, disease, and environmental degradation.

Applications are due December 1, 2004, for fellowships beginning in the summer or fall of 2005. Candidates for the fellows program should submit a proposal for research based in Institute core areas (which can be found at http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu).

For more information contact Hilary Cisneros Dewhurst, The Earth Institute at Columbia University, 405 Low Library, MC 4335, 535 West 116th Street, New York, NY 10027; e-mail: hd6@columbia.edu; http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/postdoc/.

11) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

[Below are a few recent job vacancies that are related to some of the myriad activities in which DR readers engage. Please contact the organizations directly for more information.]

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Emergency Management Coordinator

Ramsey County, Minnesota, is seeking to fill an emergency management coordinator vacancy. The incumbent will work under the division of emergency management/homeland security and will assist with planning, coordinating, and administering Ramsey County's emergency management and homeland security programs with an emphasis on the urban area security initiative; will coordinate planning and response efforts throughout Ramsey County, the metropolitan area, and with state and federal governments, and perform related duties as assigned.

Complete information is available at http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/hr/hrjobs.asp.

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Director of Publication Sales

The "Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages" is creating a new position of director of publication sales to develop and manage the sales effort across all distribution channels, develop revenue forecasts, and travel to appropriate industry events. Qualifications include marketing or other experience in the disaster recovery and/or business continuity field, strong computer skills, and excellent communication skills.

To apply, send cover letter and resume to Doug Tanger, Edwards Information LLC, 1318 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446; (617) 264-2300; e-mail: doug@disasterrecoveryp.com.

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Risk Assessment Position

Swiss Re is searching for a candidate with strong credentials in flood/water resource management/mathematics/probabilistic modeling to work in its New York based catastrophe natural hazards team. The candidate would work on and initiate projects relating to flood hazard and related risk evaluation throughout the Americas. Next to a strong scientific base, the candidate is expected to have superior data management skills as well as good knowledge of geographical or statistical software packages (GIS).

For position details contact Gerry Lemcke, Swiss Re America Holding Corporation, 175 King Street, Armonk, NY 10504; (914) 828-8789; http://www.swissre.com/.

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Tenure-track Faculty Announcement

Stanford University's department of civil and environmental engineering invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in structural and geotechnical engineering with emphasis in infrastructure reliability and risk. Of particular interest are individuals who will pursue pioneering research that will contribute towards a new departmental initiative on engineering for a sustainable built environment. Candidates with a background in one or more of the following areas: probability and stochastic methods, random vibrations, modeling and simulation of natural and human-made hazards, lifecycle analysis, infrastructure systems risk and reliability, damage assessment, health monitoring, or advanced materials are encouraged to apply.

The appointment will be at the assistant professor or untenured associate professor level. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but applicants are strongly encouraged to send a resume, transcripts, a statement of teaching and research interests and experience, and a list of three to five potential references by October 15, 2004, to Professor Kincho H. Law, SEG Faculty Search Committee, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4020; e-mail: SEG-search@ce.stanford.edu. Program information can be found at http://cee.stanford.edu/.

11) Some New Web Resources

[Below are some new or updated Internet resources we've discovered. For an extensive list of useful Internet sites dealing with hazards, see http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/sites.html.]

http://www.wtceo.org
The World Trade Center Environmental Organization was founded in the wake of the environmental disaster of September 11, 2001, to protest the government's response which they feel was inadequate at best.

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/STORE/X51147892/ciim_display.html
This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) link provides a map of the zip-code based experiential reports of the Parkfield, California, earthquake.

http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2004-09-22/cover.html
A recent article from the "Independent Weekly" examines the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the context of both natural hazards and homeland security issues.

http://gisdata.usgs.net/website/disaster_response/
As part of the USGS National Map project, this Web site on the hazards data distribution system provides an dynamic online map interface that can be used to view USGS datasets.

http://www.benfieldhrc.org/SiteRoot/disaster_studies/working_papers/workingpaper10.pdf
The Benfield Hazard Research Centre has published a new working paper "Plague and Bio-terrorism," that uses historical and epidemiological evidence to argue that plague has serious limitations for terrorists as a potential weapon of mass destruction.

http://www.benfieldhrc.org/SiteRoot/activities/hrsr/hrsr2004_web.pdf
The Benfield Hazard Research Centre, along with PartnerRe, announce a new annual publication, "Hazard & Risk Science Review," to provide an an overview of new natural hazards research that has been published over the last 12 months with a focus on atmospheric, geological, hydrological and climate change.

http://www.publichealth.hurricane.lsu.edu/
Louisiana State University's Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes has a comprehensive Web site with a variety of related resources and links.

http://www.usgs.gov/public/press/public_affairs/press_releases/pr1931m.html
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey have surveyed the barrier islands battered by Hurricane Ivan and have prepared unique pre- and post-storm photo pairs showing extreme coastal change.

12) Conferences and Training

[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of upcoming hazards-related meetings and training is available from our web site: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html.]

Natural Hazards in a Warmer World: Recent Events and Future Prospects. Sponsor: Benfield Hazard Research Center. London, England: October 14, 2004. Topics include tropical cyclones, climate change and flood risk, assessing future flood risk, flood, and drought. For more information contact Stuart Dale, 88 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 3BP England; e-mail: stuart.dale@limit.co.uk; http://www.benfieldhrc.org/SiteRoot/activities/events.htm.

United Nations International Workshop on the Use of Space Technology for Disaster Management. Sponsors: The European Space Agency (ESA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR). Munich, Germany: October 18-22, 2004. Earth observation satellites and other space-based technologies can contribute to providing significant and unique solutions in all disaster management areas: disaster mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster relief and also disaster rehabilitation. This conference will explore these possibilities. Information can be obtained from e-mail: unoosa-workshop@dlr.de; http://www.zki.caf.dlr.de/unoosa_workshop_2004_en.html.

Rural Homeland Security Technology Expo. Sponsor: St. Francis University. Johnstown, Pennsylvania: October 21-22, 2004. The intent of this conference is to demonstrate emerging technologies designed to improve rural America's ability to prepare for and manage mass casualties resulting from a terrorist attack. For more information contact Bernadette Yeager, P.O. Box 600, Loretto, PA 15940; (814) 472-3389; e-mail: byeager@cermusa.francis.edu; http://www.cermusa.francis.edu/expo/.

12th Disasters Roundtable: Creating a Disaster Resilient America: Grand Challenges in Science and Technology. Sponsor: Disasters Roundtable of the National Academy. Washington, DC: October 28, 2004. Each year significant investments are made by federal agencies and other sectors in scientific and technological activities designed to improve the nation's resilience to disaster. These investments cut across such areas as hazard and disaster prediction, observation, and communication, and involve many types of hazard agents, including earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and terrorist actions. This workshop will provide an opportunity to take a holistic look at the challenges hazards pose to the nation. Online registration information is available at http://dels.nas.edu/dr/wkshp_reg3.asp or by contacting Disasters Roundtable, The National Academies, 500 5th Street, NW, Keck 610, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 334-1964.

International Conference on Terrorism. Sponsor: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: November 16, 2004. This conference hosts a variety of Israeli and domestic experts to explore issues related to pre-hospital and hospital preparedness, bioterrorism, and security. Conference participants will hear analysis from past terrorist incidents and gain expertise in developing strategies for safe, effective, and appropriate responses to potential acts of terrorism. For more information contact Janice Lockhart, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Suite 8330 Gibbon 111 South 11th Street, Philadelphia PA 19107; (215) 955-1777; e-mail: janice.lockhart@mail.tju.edu; http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/bioterrorism/article4615.html.

Psychosocial Aspects of Bioterrorism and Disaster Medicine. Sponsors: University of South Florida Center for Biological Defense, New York University School of Medicine, Florida Emergency Medicine Foundation. Tampa Bay, Florida: November 19, 2004. This workshop is designed for practicing health care providers and will provide useful information and tools to address patient psychosocial response to terrorist threats or attacks and help focus responses of health care teams in acute situations to fulfill leadership roles in communities. For more information contact Darcy Ravndal; (813) 974-2394; http://www.emlrc.org/pabdm/.

Disaster Recovery Planning: Insuring Business Continuity. Sponsor: American Management Association International (AMAI). Two locations: Washington, DC: November 17-19, 2004, and Scottsdale, Arizona: December 13-15, 2004. This workshop is designed to provide the knowledge and tools to develop programs to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the large and small disasters. For more information contact AMA, 1601 Broadway New York, NY 10019;(212) 586-8100; by e-mail: customerservice@amanet.org.

Fourth Regional Training Course on Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction for Cities (EVRC-4). Sponsor: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Jakarta, Indonesia: November 29-December 4, 2004. This course is designed for those concerned with the reduction of vulnerability to earthquakes in urban areas. It aims to enlighten participants about the causes and effects of earthquakes as well as the possible strategies and approaches to reduce the damage and loss of life caused by these destructive events. Applications must be received by November 15, 2004. For more information contact Clarence Carlos, ADPC, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 Thailand; e-mail: clarence@adpc.net; http://www.adpc.net.

Performance Measurement for Homeland Security Initiatives. Sponsor: Advanced Learning Institute (ALI). Arlington, Virginia: December 1-3, 2004. This conference will focus on best practices and lessons learned on how to manage for results in homeland security, including working with stakeholders, tracking outcomes, spending, etc. Complete information can be obtained from ALI, 644 South Clark Street, Suite 201, Chicago, IL 60605; (312) 362-9100; e-mail: info@aliconferences.com; http://www.aliconferences.com/conferences/homelandsecurity/1204.htm.

Emergency Communications Asia 2004. Sponsor: Ministry of Public Security of China, Motorola, Nokia. Shanghai, China: December 7-8, 2004. This conference will help the first responder community of China and the Asia-Pacific to develop and deliver reliable communication strategies and abilities. For more information contact Patricia Cheong, +65 6322-2766; e-mail: patricia.cheong@terrapinn.com; http://www.terrapinn.com/2004/eca_CN/.

2004 Satellite Direct Readout Conference: A Decade in Transition. Sponsors: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA. Miami, Florida: December 6-10, 2004. This conference is a continued focus on satellite direct readout applications for the Americas with an expanded scope to include all users world wide. The conference goal is to meet with users who receive data directly from NOAA's environmental satellites and provide a forum to help them prepare for upcoming changes as NOAA transitions into new technologies for direct broadcasts. More information can be obtained by contacting Satellite Direct Readout Conference, NOAA NESDIS E/SP3, 5200 Auth Road, FB4, Room 3320, Suitland, MD 20746-4304; e-mail: DRO.conference@noaa.gov; http://directreadout.noaa.gov/miami04/index.htm.

Symposium 2005: Best Practices in Risk Reduction for Colleges and Universities. Sponsor: University of Washington. Seattle, Washington: January 27-28, 2004. This two-day symposium is focused on helping colleges and universities become more disaster resistant. Topics include innovative approaches to disaster preparedness; setting up and supporting an office of emergency management; and networking with colleagues. Presentation submissions are due November 15, 2004. For more information contact Steven J. Charvat, 22 Gerberding Hall, Box 351275, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; (206) 897-8000; e-mail: charvat@u.washington.edu; http://www.washington.edu/admin/business/oem/symposium/index.html.

2005 National Hurricane Conference. Sponsors: American Association for Wind Engineering, Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, Institute for Business and Home Safety, and more. New Orleans, Louisiana: March 21-25, 2004. More information will soon be available at http://www.hurricanemeeting.com/.

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