DISASTER RESEARCH 453

May 18, 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Call for Papers: Natural Hazards Review
  2. Call for Papers: Symposium of the Canadian Risk and Hazards Network
  3. World Bank E-Discussion: Disasters and People with Special Needs
  4. FEMA Releases Preparedness DVD
  5. 2006 Nick Winter Memorial Scholarship
  6. National Hurricane Preparedness Week: May 21-27, 2006
  7. Trivia Time: Atlantic Hurricane Names
  8. Some New Web Resources
  9. Conferences and Training
  10. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

1) Call for Papers: Natural Hazards Review

The Natural Hazards Review is currently seeking manuscripts for publication in upcoming issues. The journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers on all aspects of natural hazards 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.

The Natural Hazards Review is the first cross-disciplinary journal to bring together engineering, the regulatory and policy disciplines, and the social, behavioral, and physical sciences to natural hazards loss reduction. Extending well beyond the boundaries of a single traditional field, 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 Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Manuscript submissions, editorial inquiries, comments, or suggestions may be sent to the American Society of Civil Engineers, Journals Production Department, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Additional information, including complete manuscript preparation instructions, is available online at http://scitation.aip.org/nho/.

2) Call for Papers: Symposium of the Canadian Risk and Hazards Network

Researchers and practitioners in social sciences and physical sciences are invited to submit their presentation or poster session proposals related to the theme “A Dynamic Risk Management Partnership: Lead by Example” for the Third Annual Symposium of the Canadian Risk and Hazards Network to be held in Montreal, Canada, from October 11-13, 2006. The proposals may cover a wide range of fields related to risk and disaster.

Presentation or poster session proposals can be submitted individually or by a group. The maximum duration of a presentation is 20 minutes. The deadline for submitting a proposal is June 9, 2006. The call for papers is available online at http://www.geo.uqam.ca/crhnet2006/call_papers.htm. For further information, contact Michel Dufault, Universite du Quebec a Montreal; (514) 987-3000 x4887.

3) World Bank E-Discussion: Disasters and People with Special Needs

The World Bank will host an e-mail-based discussion on the issue of Disasters and People with Special Needs. The e-discussion is designed to solicit information on special needs populations and natural disasters to help develop guidance on the inclusion of disabled and vulnerable people in disaster-related activities. The conclusions will be made available to emergency and development agencies, including the World Bank, policy makers, and civil society.

The e-discussion is open to all interested parties. There is no cost for joining, but participants should register before May 22, 2006, to be included in the discussion from the beginning. The discussion will be structured in three one-week segments. Each week will be dedicated to one of the following subtopics:

* May 22-26: Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation
* May 29-June 6: Emergency Response/Relief
* June 5-9: Short/Medium-Term Social-Economic Recovery and Reconstruction (with mitigation)

To join the e-discussion, send a blank e-mail to join-Disaster-Disability@dgroups.org. For more information about this event, visit http://www.dgroups.org/groups/worldbank/Disaster-Disability/.

4) FEMA Releases Preparedness DVD

"Getting Ready for Disaster - One Family’s Experience” a citizen preparedness DVD from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has been released to help people get ready for disasters that may impact their families and communities. The DVD guides viewers through important steps of disaster preparedness and addresses critical issues in seven segments: Getting Informed, Making a Plan, Assembling a Disaster Supplies Kit, Food and Water in an Emergency, Helping Children Cope with Disaster, Disability and Special Needs Populations, and Getting Involved - Citizen Corps. The DVD was designed to be used with Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness and the accompanying facilitator manual for teaching preparedness principles in small group or classroom settings.

Free copies of the DVD (FEMA 500) and the Are You Ready guides (IS-22 and IS-22FG) are available through the FEMA Distribution Center at (800) 480-2520. Requests are currently limited to one DVD per caller. In the coming months, the DVD will be translated into Spanish and will be available in both languages on a single DVD. Video files, a transcript, and the guide can also be downloaded from http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/.

5) 2006 Nick Winter Memorial Scholarship

The New England Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association (NEFSMA), the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), and the ASFPM Foundation will grant a $2,000 scholarship for the 2006-2007 academic year to a full-time college junior or senior currently enrolled in an undergraduate program related to floodplain/stormwater management or a student enrolled in a graduate program in a field related to floodplain/stormwater management.

Applicants must complete a 2006-2007 scholarship application form, which can be downloaded from NEFSMA’s Web site at http://www.nefsma.org/. To be considered, the Scholarship Review Committee must receive four signed copies of the 2006-2007 scholarship application form and a separate reference letter prior to May 31, 2006.

6) National Hurricane Preparedness Week: May 21-27, 2006

The National Hurricane Center’s National Hurricane Preparedness Week is scheduled for May 21-27, 2006. A Web site has been dedicated to the effort with the goal of informing the public about the hurricane hazards and providing knowledge that can be used to take action. Find out more about hurricane history, hazards, and preparedness and download a Hurricane Preparedness Week poster at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml.

7) Trivia Time: Atlantic Hurricane Names

The names Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan, and Wilma, all players in the historic 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, were “retired” by an international hurricane committee of the World Meteorological Organization. These five storms will not reappear on the list of potential storm names that is otherwise recycled every six years.

Retirement is saved for storms so deadly or costly that the future use of the names would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. Retiring the names also helps to establish distinction within the scientific and legal communities.

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center and now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The lists featured only women’s names until 1979, when men’s and women’s names were alternated. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2005 list will be used again in 2011 with new names replacing those that were retired.

The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1, 2006. Here are the names for this year’s Atlantic tropical cyclones:

Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, William

For more information about hurricane names, visit the National Hurricane Center online at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml.

8) 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 www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/.]

GAO Report: FEMA Factors for Success and for Organizational Placement
This report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) includes the testimony of the GAO’s director of homeland security and justice issues before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. The statement includes factors for success and other issues that Congress may wish to consider as it determines what changes to make to improve the nation’s readiness and ability to respond effectively to major disasters, including the organizational placement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Former FEMA Director’s Katrina E-mails
This Web site has made available 928 pages of e-mail messages to and from former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Michael Brown during the period from August 26 to September 8, 2005, just before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. The Center for Public Integrity obtained the documents on May 5, seven months after filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. FEMA withheld additional e-mails, citing FOIA exemptions related to personnel, internal decision making, and privacy concerns.

Rapid Needs Assessment of Two Rural Communities after Hurricane Wilma
The April 21 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report features the report “Rapid Needs Assessment of Two Rural Communities After Hurricane Wilma - Hendry County, Florida, November 1-2, 2005.” The report finds that more than half of the households surveyed lived in homes that were damaged but still habitable, and approximately 73 percent of households had not received information about how to remain safe during clean-up activities.

USGS National Flood Summary Reports
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has made national flood summary maps and data from 1970-1998 available on their Web site, which provides a tool to compare current or possible flood conditions with past historical flood information by state and year.

USGS/NOAA Fact Sheet on Improving Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings
The fact sheet, “Improving Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings for the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Coast,” developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), describes a project for earthquake and tsunami monitoring along vulnerable coastal regions in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean.

New NASA Hurricane Posters Available Online
Two new informative hurricane posters are now online at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Web site. One poster features Hurricane Katrina and the other, titled “Spin Cycle: Hurricane Energetics,” highlights the various components of a hurricane as observed by NASA satellites.

Current Hurricane-Related Spending
The current tally of spending related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita from the U.S. Senate Budget Committee can be found here.

Report on Katrina Response and Latinos
A new report from the National Council of La Raza concludes that the federal government and the American Red Cross are unprepared to address the needs of Latinos and other diverse communities in the event of a disaster. The report, In the Eye of the Storm: How the Government and Private Response to Hurricane Katrina Failed Latinos, also makes a series of recommendations to improve both the public and private response in future disasters.

University of Washington Special Needs Preparedness Web Site
The University of Washington has completed the University of Washington Seattle Campus Report on Emergency Preparedness for Special Needs Populations, a study funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which characterizes special needs populations on campus and recommends steps for the university to enhance special needs emergency plans. The 70-page report is available on this Web page along with useful information about special needs emergency preparedness.

Nobody Left Behind
This Web site provides information on the Nobody Left Behind project, a three-year study conducted by a research team at the University of Kansas investigating how 30 counties and cities in the United States identified and planned for people with mobility impairments during disasters.

Measurement and Indicators for Disasters: Topical Bibliography
The Center for Hazards Research and Policy Development at the University of Louisville has made available the working paper Measurement and Indicators for Disasters: Topical Bibliography.

Centre for Natural Risks and Development Bayreuth
This Web site of the Centre for Natural Risks and Development at the University of Bayreuth in Germany provides information on current debates, projects, and meetings in the field of social science oriented hazards and disasters research in developing countries.

EMPOWER: Emergency Management Organization for Women
Emergency Management Professional Organization for Women’s Enrichment (EMPOWER) was established as a nonprofit organization to provide a forum to strengthen the presence and excellence of women in the field of emergency management. This Web site was created to help build a platform where professionals can come together to share experiences, build skills, and expand and deepen industry knowledge.

Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership
Colorado’s Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership is an interagency program that reduces wildland fire risks through fuels treatments that are economically feasible, socially acceptable, and ecologically sustainable. This Web site includes research and community links and information on community wildfire protection plans, fuels reduction, and fire education. The report, Living with Fire: Protecting Communities and Restoring Forests: Findings and Recommendations of the Front Range Fuels Treatment Partnership Roundtable, released on May 18, is also available here for downloading.

Infamous Wildland Fires around the World
The International Association of Wildland Fire has compiled this list by calendar date of infamous, multiple fatality wildland fires around the world over the last 150 years.

9) Conferences and Trainings

[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.]

Rebuilding for Health, Sustainability, and Disaster Preparedness in the Gulf Coast Region. New Orleans, Louisiana: June 1-2, 2006. Organizer: National Academies. This workshop will address how areas of the Gulf Coast region could be rebuilt for health, sustainability, and disaster preparedness. It will bring together groups from affected regions and participants from other regions of the United States, including experts involved in rebuilding efforts; members of the academic community, including public and environmental health specialists, urban planners, environmental scientists, and economists; government officials from the local, state, and federal levels; architects; representatives from major industries in the region; and members of civil society. For more information, contact the National Academies Institute of Medicine, 500 Fifth Street NW, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 334-2352; e-mail: iomwww@nas.edu; http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/4897/34146.aspx.

World Planners Congress. Vancouver, British Columbia: June 17-20, 2006. Organizers: Canadian Institute of Planners and Planning Institute of British Columbia. This event will be a regional, national, and international conference for planning and related professionals from across Canada and around the world. The theme of the congress is “Sustainable Urbanization: Turning Ideas into Action.” For further information, contact Dave Crossley; (604) 696-5031; e-mail: info@wpc2006.com; http://www.wpc2006.com/.

World Urban Forum. Vancouver, British Columbia: June 19-23, 2006. Organizer: United Nations (UN) - HABITAT. During this conference on urban sustainability, participants from around the world will meet to examine and identify solutions to the challenges or urbanization. A few of the forum’s topics include Urban Safety and Security: Taking Responsibility; Energy: Local Action, Global Impact; and Public Engagement: The Inclusive Approach. For more information, contact the World Urban Forum; +1 604 666 1293; e-mail: info@wuf3-fum3.ca; http://www.unhabitat.org/wuf/.

2nd Annual Disaster Human Services Conference. Brookville, New York: June 27-28, 2006. Organizers: New York State Emergency Management and New York State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. This conference will discuss organizational leadership and disaster human services planning. A series of expert panels, workshops, and facilitated discussions will be presented over the course of two days ending with a tabletop exercise. For additional information, contact Amy Carroll, Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, One Helen Keller Way, 4th Floor, Hempstead, NY 11550; (516) 505-4422; e-mail: acarroll@hwcli.com; http://www.nysvoad.com/conference.html.

Floodplain Management Association 2006 Annual Conference. Coronado, California: September 5-8, 2006. The theme for this year’s conference is “Challenges in Sustainable Floodplain Management and Development.” The technical component of the conference will include contributions in many areas, such as mitigation planning, postdisaster response, mapping, public education and outreach, and more. Abstracts are due June 1, 2006. For more information, contact the Floodplain Management Association at admin@floodplain.org; http://www.floodplain.org/.

Disaster Mental Health Conference. Rapid City, South Dakota: September 7-9, 2006. Organizer: Disaster Mental Health Institute at the University of South Dakota. The theme of this conference is “Innovations in Disaster Psychology 2006: Culturally Responsive Disaster Mental Health.” The conference is intended for disaster mental health professionals and health and mental health professionals. The overall objective is for participants to learn more about cultural responsiveness and sensitivity in disaster psychology. For further information, contact the Disaster Mental Health Institute, University of South Dakota, SDU 114, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069; (605) 677-6575; email: dmhi@usd.edu; http://www.usd.edu/dmhi/conference.cfm.

American Public Works Association (APWA) International Public Works Conference and Exhibition. Kansas City, Missouri: September 10-13, 2006. This event will include sessions on stormwater and flood control, snow and ice, emergency management, as well as numerous sessions on the importance of disaster planning and engineering solutions for vulnerable geographic areas. To learn more, contact the APWA, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 500, Kansas City, MO 64108; (800) 848-2792; e-mail: congress@apwa.net; http://www.apwa.net/Meetings/Congress/2006/.

Oceans ‘06 MTS/IEEE: Revolutionizing Marine Science and Technology. Boston, Massachusetts: September 18-21, 2006. Organizers: Marine Technology Society (MTS) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The technical program of this event will emphasize the traditional core areas of marine science and technology development and include topics such as Ocean Data Visualization, Modeling, and Information Management and Marine Law, Policy, Management, and Education. Researchers from academia, industry, and government are encouraged to attend. For more information, e-mail info@oceans2006americas.org; http://www.oceans06mtsieeeboston.org/.

American Water Resources Association (AWRA) 2006 Annual Water Resources Conference. Baltimore, Maryland: November 6-9, 2006. This conference provides an opportunity for water resource practitioners from diverse disciplines to gather to discuss cutting-edge water resource-related research and project case studies from all over the country and the world. In addition to offering a broad range of technical, social, and legal topics, a number of sessions will focus on current topics, including infrastructure asset management, watershed management, dam rehabilitation or removal, sustainability of drinking water supplies, drought and flood management, and ecological restoration of wetlands and stream corridors. For further information, contact Patricia Reid, AWRA, PO Box 1626, Middleburg, VA 20118; (540) 687-8390; e-mail: pat@awra.org; http://www.awra.org/meetings/Baltimore2006/.

34th Regional Training Course on Disaster Management. Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Bangkok, Thailand: November 6-24, 2006. The purpose of this course is to provide comprehensive disaster management knowledge and skills to enhance the capabilities of professionals working in disaster management, development, and donor agencies to effectively integrate disaster management into development programs and policies. For more information, contact the Training and Education Division, ADPC, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; e-mail: tedadpc@adpc.net; http://www.adpc.net/training/brochure/DMC-34brochure.pdf.

Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) VI General Assembly. Bangkok, Thailand: November 7-10, 2006. The ASC 2006 symposium is titled “Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation.” It will focus on increasing understanding of the physical processes of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, exchanging up-to-date scientific knowledge and technology, strengthening multidisciplinary cooperation in the field of earthquake and tsunami disaster preparedness and mitigation policy, and enhancing the observation networks and data exchanges in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, particularly, through prompt and accurate earthquake information, tsunami warnings, and rescue operations. For more information, e-mail asc2006_loc@yahoo.co.th; http://asc1996.netfirms.com/asc2006/.

Global Environmental Change: Regional Challenges - An Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) Global Environmental Change Open Science Conference. Beijing, China: November 9-12, 2006. The purpose of this event is to present progress in the understanding of the natural and social systems of global environmental change. Conference topics include Earth System Science Approach, Science for Sustainability, Integrated Regional Studies, and Global Change in Monsoon Asia. Prior to the main conference, the Second International Young Scientists’ Global Change Conference will take place November 7-8, 2006. For more information, contact Martin Rice, ESSP; e-mail: mrice@essp.org; http://www.essp.org/essp/ESSP2006/.

Fire Related Research and Developments: Annual Conference at the Fire Service College. Moreton-in-Marsh, United Kingdom: November 15-16, 2006. This conference will include participants from across the emergency services, the fire industry, research communities, and other private and/or public organizations interested in the latest fire-related issues, developments, and concerns. A broad range of backgrounds and professional approaches, including technical, engineering, legal, social, psychological, economic, and operational, as well as national and international perspectives, will be represented. For additional information, contact Anne Eyre, Trauma Training, PO Box 2590, Leamington Spa, Warks CV31 1GQ; +01926-427939; e-mail: anne.eyre@traumatraining.com; http://www.fireservicecollege.ac.uk/Conferences+and+Events/Research+Event/.

10) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

_________________________________
Emergency Management Specialist
Federal Emergency Management Agency: Washington, DC

Three positions are open in the Risk Reduction Branch of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Mitigation Division, which is associated with the management of the agency’s five hazard mitigation assistance programs. The positions will serve as senior program/project manager, policy advisor, and/or team leader for hazard mitigation assistance programs and/or functions. Candidates should be technical experts in the development, implementation, oversight, and evaluation of hazard mitigation assistance programs.

Position responsibilities include the following:

  • Interpret new or existing legislative or regulatory authorities to develop and establish policies, procedures, and guidelines for program implementation
  • Monitor program resources and conduct special studies that have an impact on the implementation of mitigation programs nationwide
  • Serve as team leader responsible for providing technical guidance and direction to other team members for special projects or for assigned program area(s)
  • Attend seminars, conferences, and professional meetings and present speeches, briefings, and other presentations as a representative of the section or branch
  • Develop and oversee publication of guidance, regulations, and policy and decision documents to be used by management in adopting new or modified hazard mitigation assistance program policies, procedures, tools, or systems
  • Determine curriculum for, oversee planning of, and conduct training for federal, state, and local staffs involved with hazard mitigation activities
  • Perform other duties as assigned

The closing date is May 24, 2006. For a complete job description, see vacancy #RB-06-283-JP online at http://www.fema.gov/career/publicSearch.do?action=Display%20Groups&groupId=6. For more information, contact JoAnn Sellman, FEMA Human Resources Division; (202) 646-4087.

_________________________________
Senior Emergency Planner
Innovative Emergency Management: Various Locations

Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) is seeking senior emergency planners for full-time positions with experience in earthquake response and recovery planning in the following locations: Alabama, Arkansas, Washington DC, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.

IEM seeks to enhance its staff in the areas of earthquake planning and response. The position is intended to be a single point of coordination and to provide subject matter expertise, direct planning support, and strategic guidance to various states as well as the federal government. It is anticipated this position will have hands-on planning responsibilities as well as a coordination and advisory role to better prepare these states for earthquakes.

Requirements:

  • Eight years of progressive responsibility in disaster planning and response, including three years managing project teams of 10 or more with multiple subcontractors and consultants
  • Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, milestones, schedules, and complex time-critical support activities
  • Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred
  • Experience in strategic and operational planning, team building, and consensus building
  • Exceptional presentation and communication skills
  • Operational knowledge of Microsoft Office

For additional information, visit http://www.iem.com/Career_Info/hotjobs.htm or contact Jamie Quistgaard at jamie.quistgaard@iem.com.

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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