DISASTER RESEARCH 429

May 27, 2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Law Includes Strengthening of U.S. Tsunami Warning Capabilities
  2. FEMA Debuts Public Affairs News Desk Web Page
  3. NOAA Seeks Members for Science Advisory Board
  4. Call for Papers: Natural Hazards Review
  5. New Quick Response Report from the Natural Hazards Center
  6. Reader Request: Wildfire Communication Processes
  7. Common Alerting Protocol Version 1.1 Public Comment Open
  8. Twelve Days Of Hurricane Season Preparedness
  9. Some New Web Resources
  10. Conferences and Training
  11. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

1) Law Includes Strengthening of U.S. Tsunami Warning Capabilities

On Wednesday, May 11, 2005, the president signed into law the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005 (Public Law 109-13), which includes $17.24 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support the expansion and enhancement of NOAA tsunami warning capabilities and $8.1 million for the U.S. Geological Survey to accelerate improvements of its seismic monitoring capabilities and information delivery systems. Additionally, the new law provides $656 million for tsunami recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the Indian Ocean. The complete text of Public Law 109-13 is available in any federal repository library and on the Library of Congress Web site at http://thomas.loc.gov/.

2) FEMA Debuts Public Affairs News Desk Web Page

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has launched a new Web page for its Public Affairs News Desk. “In the News” features facts on emerging issues, official statements, background material, and downloadable high-resolution photos. The Web page provides the latest information on what FEMA is doing in the areas of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Visit “In the News” at http://www.fema.gov/media/. For more information, contact FEMA-News-Desk@dhs.gov.

3) NOAA Seeks Members for Science Advisory Board

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting nominations for members of the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is the only federal advisory committee with the responsibility to advise the under secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the NOAA administrator on long- and short-range strategies for research, education, and application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction. The SAB consists of 15 members reflecting the full breadth of NOAA’s areas of responsibility and assists NOAA in maintaining a complete and accurate understanding of scientific issues critical to the agency’s missions. As a federal advisory committee, the SAB’s membership is required to be balanced in terms of viewpoints represented and the functions to be performed as well as including the interests of geographic regions of the country and the diverse sectors of our society (business and industry, science, academia, and the public at large).

The SAB meets at least twice each year, exclusive of subcommittee, task force, and working group meetings. Panel members must be willing to participate in periodic reviews of the conduct, support, and use of science in NOAA laboratories and programs. Panel members are appointed for a three-year term. Nominees, if accepted, will be appointed as special government employees and will be required to complete confidential financial disclosure forms.

Nominations must be received electronically by June 8, 2005, and should be submitted electronically to noaa.sab.2005@noaa.gov. Nominations should include (1) the nominee’s full name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information; (2) the nominee’s area(s) of expertise; and (3) a short description of the nominee’s qualifications relative to the kinds of advice being solicited. Inclusion of a resume is desirable. For more information, contact Dr. Michael Uhart at michael.uhart@noaa.gov or (301) 713-9121 x159.

4) Call for Papers: Natural Hazards Review

The Natural Hazards Review provides innovative and practical solutions to the problems and challenges faced by all sectors of the hazards community, including government, academia, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations. The journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers on every aspect of loss reduction. Articles containing detailed case studies are complemented by ones reporting original research findings to describe both practical projects and the latest cutting-edge knowledge on significant hazards issues.

This is the first cross-disciplinary journal to bring together engineering, the regulatory and policy environments, and the social, behavioral, and physical sciences to natural hazards loss and cost reduction. Extending well beyond the boundaries of one traditional discipline, it serves as a forum for holistic approaches to natural hazards mitigation.

The Natural Hazards Review is a publication of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The editors are currently seeking submissions. Send manuscript submissions, editorial inquiries, comments, or suggestions to the American Society of Civil Engineers, Journals Production Department, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191. For more information, visit http://scitation.aip.org/nho/.

5) New Quick Response Report from the Natural Hazards Center

The following Quick Response report has been posted on the Natural Hazards Center’s Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qrrepts.html.

QR177 Snowbirds and Senior Living Developments: An Analysis of Vulnerability Associated with Hurricane Charley, by Burrell E. Montz and Graham A. Tobin. 2005.

These researchers studied senior living developments in Florida affected by Hurricane Charley to see how “snowbird” (seasonal resident) populations and manufactured housing affected vulnerability and recovery. Preliminary results indicate that permanency of residence, age of the population, and structural characteristics do have an effect on resilience and recovery and that these socioeconomic factors are as important as geophysical factors when assessing vulnerability.

6) Reader Request: Wildfire Communication Processes

Michele Burns from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Fort Collins Science Center submitted the following request:

We are preparing an article for publication about the communication processes before, during, and immediately following a wildfire. We discuss the importance of phone banks and would like to add information on how many phone lines are needed for a given community size. Our specific question is, how many phone lines are needed during an emergency for a given population? For instance, if the community is 10,000 people, how many lines would be needed for a phone bank to run efficiently?

To respond to Michele, contact her at michele_burns@usgs.gov or (970) 226-9441.

7) Common Alerting Protocol Version 1.1 Public Comment Open

The OASIS Emergency Management Technical Committee (TC) has posted a public review draft specification for Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) version 1.1. This draft will be open for public comment between May, 16, 2005 and July 15, 2005. The draft specification is available at http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/12649/CAPv1-1.pdf.

The CAP 1.0 OASIS Standard was approved in April 2004 to provide a standard message format for emergency alert and notifications to be packaged and sent in an XML format. The TC is now announcing the first revision to the CAP. Several changes have been made as a result of real-world implementation by participating groups.

Public review from potential users, developers, and stakeholders is an important part of the OASIS process to assure interoperability and quality. Comments are solicited from all interested parties. Comments may be submitted to the TC via a Web form at http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/emergency/. Click the “Send A Comment” button at the top of the page. Submitted comments will be publicly archived for viewing at http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/emergency-comment/.

8) Twelve Days Of Hurricane Season Preparedness

Florida’s American Red Cross chapters have launched a hurricane preparedness campaign focused on preparing Floridians for the 2005 hurricane season. Entitled the Twelve Days of Hurricane Season, the campaign recommends the purchase of a different disaster preparedness or mitigation item each day over the first twelve days of hurricane season, June 1 through June 12. During this same time period, Florida’s Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Exemption will allow individuals and families to purchase many of these supplies without paying sales tax. For more information, visit http://www.FloridaPreparesNow.org/.

9) 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/.]

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/pfd.pdf
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/children.pdf
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/pfd_all.pdf
Four preparedness booklets supplement the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s recently rereleased Are You Ready. They are Preparing for Disaster, Helping Children Cope with Disaster, Food and Water in an Emergency, and Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs. These guides and more can be found at http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/prepare_guides_links.shtm.

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/step/
The U.S. Geological Survey has launched this public Web page that shows the probability of earthquake shaking in the next 24 hours in California. These maps graphically illustrate the change in earthquake probability during aftershock and possible foreshock sequences. They are not intended to be used to predict an upcoming earthquake; however, based on previous earthquake sequences, an increase in probability will be seen before about half of California’s larger earthquakes. The maps are updated at least once an hour.

http://www.asce.org/files/pdf/Tsunami.pdf
This article from the American Society of Civil Engineers’ journal Civil Engineering examines the possibility of a tsunami, such as the one that struck in the Indian Ocean in December, could happen in the United States, off the coast of Southern California in particular.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32837.pdf
The report Science and Technology Policy: Issues for the 109th Congress was recently released by the Congressional Research Service.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RL32920.pdf
The report Federal Counter-Terrorism Training: Issues for Congressional Oversight was recently released by the Congressional Research Service.

http://nhss.cr.usgs.gov/
The U.S. Geological Survey’s new Natural Hazards Support System is a Web-based tool that helps monitor, respond to, and analyze natural hazards events across the country and around the world. The Web site contains dynamic, near real-time natural hazards information from a wide range of sources.

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/jobmarket.asp
The April 2005 report Emergency Management and Related Labor Market Data and Statistics, 2005, conducted for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Higher Education Project, is available here. The report was in response to requests from collegiate academics and administrators interested in developing emergency management type programs on their campuses.

http://www.redcross.org/financialplanning/
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the AICPA Foundation, the National Endowment for Financial Education, and the American Red Cross have launched this new, broad-based disaster preparedness and planning guide to help consumers take steps to minimize financial loss before a disaster strikes.

http://www.pdc.org/perspectives/2004_hurricanes.pdf
The Pacific Disaster Center has released this report, 2004 - Year of the Storms or Typical Storm Year? A Warning Worth Heeding, as part of its Perspectives publications series.

http://www.pdc.org/atlas/html/atlas-init.jsp
The Pacific Disaster Center has redesigned and enhanced its Web-based hazards atlas to support disaster management and humanitarian assistance communities in the Asia-Pacific region and Hawaii. The updated atlas provides a geospatial framework through which a wealth of hazards-related information can be viewed, including real-time and historical tropical cyclone tracks, earthquake locations, wildfires, and tsunami runup zones.

http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/nps-cvi/
In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the National Park Service’s (NPS) Geologic Resources Division, began conducting hazard assessments and creating map products to assist the NPS in managing its vulnerable coastal resources. The most recent report, “Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CAHA) to Sea-Level Rise,” is available here along with details about the project and assessments of other national park units.

http://www.disaster-timeline.com/ttl.html
The latest version of the Terrorism Time Line chart, which includes events and outcomes from 1993 through 2004 is now available online and for purchase. It shows major focusing events and the influences each event had on major outcomes - reports and analyses; federal statutes, regulations and executive orders; federal response plans; and major federal organizational changes.

10) 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.]

5th International Workshop On Remote Sensing and GIS Applications to Forest Fire Management: Fire Effects Assessment. Organizers: EARSeL Special Interest Group on Forest Fires, Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics Fire Implementation Team. Zaragoza, Spain: June 16-18, 2005. The structure of this workshop will be based on five invited lectures, three poster sessions, and two roundtable discussion sessions. The lectures will deal with global burned scar mapping projects, atmospheric effects of fire, environmental dynamics after fire, new sensors for fire detection, and modeling efforts for fire danger estimation. Poster sessions will cover fire prevention, fire detection, and fire effects assessment. The roundtables will encourage the participation of end-users (fire managers, fire ecologists, and global change scientists) in remote sensing developments. For more information, contact Madeleine Godefroy, EARSeL Secretariat, 2 avenue Rapp, 75340 Paris cedex 07, France; (33) 145567360; e-mail: earsel@meteo.fr; http://www.unizar.es/WorkshopForestFires/.

Roundtable Workshop 14: The Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster: Implications for U.S. and Global Disaster Reduction and Preparedness. Sponsor: Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies. Washington, DC: June 21, 2005. Countries around the world and international bodies are determined to learn from the Indian Ocean tsunami and are currently reexamining their own needs as well as those of other at-risk-societies. This Disasters Roundtable workshop will consider (1) early knowledge gained by researchers investigating various aspects of the disaster and its implications for implementing effective tsunami mitigation, detection, warning, and emergency response systems; (2) emerging U.S. initiatives and how they are expected to tie into regional and global efforts to reduce the impacts of such disasters; and (3) implications of the disaster for multihazard mitigation and preparedness at the national and international scale. For more information, contact the Disasters Roundtable, The National Academies, 500 5th Street NW, Keck 610, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 334-1964; http://dels.nas.edu/dr/f14.shtml.

23rd Annual Meeting Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP): Science and Preparedness vs. Pseudo-Scientific Alarmism; The Battle for the Decade. Las Vegas, Nevada: July 16-17, 2005. For more information, contact the DDP, 1601 North Tucson Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85716; (520) 325-2680; http://www.oism.org/ddp/.

Emergency Readiness Conference and Expo 2005. Organizers: University of Texas at Dallas School of Management, CyberSecurity and Emergency Preparedness Institute. Richardson, Texas: August 10-12, 2005. This year’s plenary sessions’ themes will be interoperability of information systems and preparedness. Sessions tracks and workshops will focus on interoperability in emergency management information management systems, school officials preparedness, an and all-hazards approach to disaster medicine. For more information, visit http://som.utdallas.edu/erc2005/.

Oceans 2005 MTS/IEEE. Sponsors: Marine Technology Society (MTS), IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society. Washington, DC: September 19-23, 2005. This annual technical and professional conference is a forum for ocean scientists, engineers, industry end users and suppliers, technologists, educators and researchers, policymakers, and the public around the world to present their latest research results, state-of–the-art technologies, future concepts, and innovative ideas as they pertain to the future of our oceans. Plenary themes are homeland maritime security; global observation and exploration; emerging ocean science, technology, and engineering; ocean education and outreach; and proactive global cooperation and engagement. For more information, visit http://www.oceans2005.org/.

Tall Timbers 23rd Fire Ecology Conference: Fire in Grassland and Shrubland Ecosystems. Host: Tall Timbers Research Station. Bartelsville, Oklahoma: October 17-20, 2005. The purpose of this conference is to provide an international forum for discussion of research and research needs in the area of fire ecology. It will present the current state-of-the art research and management efforts and bring to light areas where new research and management information is needed in grassland, shrubland, and grassland-woodland ecosystems. Abstracts are due July 1, 2005. For more information, contact Kaye Gainey, Tall Timbers Research Station, 13093 Henry Beadel Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312; (850) 893-4153; e-mail: kaye@ttrs.org; http://www.ttrs.org/23FEconference/.

World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR): Focus on Corporate Sector Role and Responsibility. Organizer: Global Forum for Disaster Reduction (GFDR). Mumbai, India: November 16-18, 2005. The objective of this conference is to connect government agencies, relief organizations, and the corporate world to better mitigate the human suffering caused by disasters. It is a follow up to the WCDR conference held in Kobe, Japan, in January, where the need to involve all stakeholders in the disaster mitigation process was identified and enforced. This conference aims to identify sectors’ strengths and highlight the areas where they can make a difference. Abstracts are due June 30, 2005. For more information, contact the GFDR Secretariat, B-302, Twin Arcade, Military Road, Marol, Andheri (East), Mumbai-400 059, India; + 91 22 28516690; http://www.wcdr.gfdr.org/.

Cities on Volcanoes 4. Hosts: The Geophysical Institute of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Cities on Volcanoes Commission of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior, Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement of France. Quito, Ecuador: January 23-27, 2006. This meeting provides a forum where volcanologists, urban planners, civil defenders, community authorities, and business and health specialists can meet to discuss ways to mitigate the effects of volcanic eruptions and minimize their impact upon humanity through better science, technology, communication, and education. Symposia include new computational techniques for mitigating volcanic hazards, volcano studies and monitoring, risk management, emergency management, and human health impacts of volcanism. Workshops, field trips, and other scientific activities will also be offered. Abstracts are due August 1, 2005. For more information, e-mail citiesonvolcanoes4@igepn.edu.ec; http://www.citiesonvolcanoes4.com/.

11) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

_________________________________
Marketing Coordinator (who’s not afraid of phone calls)
Disaster Recovery Journal, Brookline, Massachusetts

Reporting directly to the president, the successful candidate will be responsible for helping to identify and implement partnerships, customizing/designing brochures, and increasing sales/awareness in the disaster recovery/business continuity industry.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

  • Identifying new opportunities for sales and partnerships (associations, trade shows, previously overlooked industries)
  • Customizing fliers, brochures, and sell sheets for marketing efforts (must be proficient in Photoshop, Quark, etc.)
  • Contacting new prospects and building relationships with partners

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, journalism, or communications
  • Minimum two years marketing and/or business development experience, preferably with high proficiency in business-to-business marketing, public relations, business development, and written and verbal communications
  • Creative marketing skills (Photoshop, Quark, Web site updates, etc.)
  • Teamwork and creative problem solving skills
  • Excellent project management and time management skills
  • Excellent written communications
  • Strong organization and analytic skills
  • Excel skills
  • Start-up minded (wear many hats if needed)
  • Disaster recovery experience of any kind is a plus

Salary: $35,000 plus incentive and bonus

Reply to Doug Tanger, Edwards Information, Edwards Disaster Recovery Directory, PO Box 1600, Brookline, MA 02446; (617) 264-2300, (800) 990-9936; fax: (617) 264-2323; http://www.EdwardsInformation.com/.

_________________________________
Hurricane Relief Caseworker
The Guatemalan Maya Center, Lake Worth, Florida

Position description: Must be bilingual in Spanish and English; perform case management in a caring and professional manner; attend county long-term recovery meetings; and network with member agencies to assist Palm Beach County victims in meeting unmet needs from the September 2004 hurricanes. Also, must have computer skills to enter all information in several databases on weekly basis. To be eligible, applicants must have been unemployed for 15 out of the last 26 weeks.

How to apply for the position: Mail or fax resume with a cover letter specifying the position and applicable qualifications to the Guatemalan Maya Center, 110 North “F” Street, Lake Worth, FL 33460; fax: (561) 586-6446. No phone calls please.

Questions for the readership and contributions to this e-newsletter are encouraged. Questions and messages should be indicated as such and sent to hazctr@colorado.edu.

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