Disaster Research 468

December 15, 2006

Table of Contents


  1. Look for the Next Disaster Research in 2007
  2. Bill Proenza as the New Head of the National Hurricane Center
  3. Call for Papers and Presentations: 2007 China - U.S. Conference on Disaster Management on "Natural and Technological Disasters"
  4. Call for papers: International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management
  5. New Blackwell Journal "Regulation & Governance" Looking for Papers
  6. Call for Abstracts: Institute for Business & Home Safety and ACSP Request Submissions for Scholarship Award in Planning and Natural Hazards
  7. Call for Abstracts: Seismological Society of America (SSA) Annual Meeting
  8. Opportunity for Environmental Documentary Filmmakers
  9. New Certificate Program: Emergency Management and Continuity Planning
  10. Some New Web Resources
  11. Conferences, Training, and Events
  12. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

1) Look for the Next Disaster Research in 2007

Due to the holiday season, the next Disaster Research will be posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 of the next year. Happy Holidays!

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2) Bill Proenza as the New Head of the National Hurricane Center

On December 6, 2006, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez announced the appointment of William Proenza to become the new director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), replacing Max Mayfield, who is retiring on January 3, 2007.

Proenza currently is the director of the National Weather Service's Southern Region which encompasses approximately one-fourth of the contiguous United States, including Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Southern Region has the most active and severe weather in the world.

Proenza currently directs operations in this entire region, employing nearly 1,000 professionals located at 50 offices across the southern United States.

A meterology graduate of Florida State University, Proenza has served more than 30 years in the National Weather Service and has received numerous performance commendations and awards. He has held a diverse array of field and leadership positions and his meteorological experience ranges from forecasting and warning for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to providing climate services. He has a unique familiarity with many types of weather from tropical, experienced during his "hurricane hunter" days, to intense winter weather, when he served in the Midwest United States. As a result of his experience and meteorological training, he is versed in climatology and its importance to the nation.

Proenza is an internationally recognized meteorologist. Fluent in Spanish, he has represented the U.S. government in Columbia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador.

Proenza has been a longtime member of the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society (AMS). In 2001, the AMS recognized him with its prestigious Francis W. Reichelderfer Award for outstanding environmental services to the nation. In 1998, the NWS Employees' Organization recognized Proenza nationally as the NWS Manager of the Year for his collaborative leadership with their union.

For more information about this press release, visit: http://www.iaem.com/documents/IAEMApplaudsSelectionofProenzatoHeadtheNHC.pdf

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3) Call for Papers and Presentations: 2007 China - U.S. Conference on Disaster Management on "Natural and Technological Disasters"

The U.S. Steering Committee for the 2007 China-U.S. Conference on Disaster Management: Natural and Technological Disasters held in Beijing, People's Republic of China on August 1-4, 2007 is requesting proposals for papers and interactive presentations. The program format will include paired Chinese and U.S. speakers on a range of topics as well as panel discussions, poster sessions, demonstrations and interactive exhibits. Papers and presentations from members of the international community are welcome. The U.S. Steering Committee will referee the U.S. and international papers and collaborate with the Chinese Steering Committee in determining which of the format options is best suited for a given topic. The Steering Committee members will select papers for presentations that represent best practices, promote interactive discussion, and give conference participants a clear understanding of how to apply research to practice and promote business continuity.

All submissions must address the conference topics. Submissions must include three documents: 1) a 250 word abstract, 2) a presentation summary including major points and participant outcomes, and 3) a one-page biographical sketch.

Deadline for submissions is January 15, 2007.

For more information, visit: http://www.globalinteractions.org/Disaster07/Disaster-Management.htm

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4) Call for papers: International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management

The 4th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM) will be held on May 13-16, 2007 in Delft, The Netherlands. The theme is Intelligent Human Computer Systems for Crisis Response and Management. For ISCRAM 2007, international scholars and practitioners have created 27 special sessions. In addition to regular academic papers, many of the call for papers also invite practitioners to submit presentations and demonstrations.

This is an overview of all call for papers, grouped in seven different themes:

Theme 1: Disaster Management & Internationalization ● CFP Information Systems for Humanitarian Operations ● CFP Information Systems Challenges of Crisis Response and Management in the Context of Lesser Developing Countries ● CFP ISCRAM Research in China

Theme 2: Real World Research Methods Methods ● CFP First Responder Information Technology Use: Practitioner's perspective ● CFP Grounding crisis management research in reality ● CFP Research Methods in Emergency Management

Theme 3: Human computer interaction ● CFP Human Computer Interaction in Crisis Management ● CFP Visualization in Crisis Management ● CFP Emotions in Crisis Management Systems

Theme 4: Geographic Information Systems ● CFP Geographic Information Science and Crisis Management ● CFP Rapid Environmental Assessment with GIS and Remote Sensing ● CFP Spatial Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction

Theme 5: System & Software Development ● CFP Flexible Service and Data Management Platforms for Crisis Response ● CFP Advanced Information Technologies for Crisis and Disaster Management ● CFP Crisis Information System Security ● CFP The Use of Sensor Networks for Disaster Management

Theme 6: Systems & Organization ● CFP Guidelines From High Reliability Theory and Practice For the Design of Information Systems In High-Velocity Settings ● CFP Public Engagement and Participation in Handling Crises and Recovery ● CFP Virtual Teams and Virtual Communities in Emergency Preparedness and Response ● CFP A Passion for Failures: Crisis Management Revisited ● CFP The element of surprise: Information systems supporting improvisation in incident management ● CFP Alert Chain Communication

Theme 7: Training & Simulation ● CFP Serious Gaming and crisis management ● CFP Command and Control Experimentation ● CFP Computer-supported Exercises ● CFP Micro World -Scaled World- Simulations ● CFP Modeling and Simulation of communication Technology in Disaster Mitigation Response and Recovery

The final submission date for full papers is January 15, 2007.

For more information, visit: http://www.iscram.org/.

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5) New Blackwell Journal "Regulation & Governance" Looking for Papers

Regulation & Government is looking for papers that deal with the governance and regulation of climate change issues as well as innovative ideas and solutions that will transform the way people think about governance and regulation. They are looking for papers by scholars who can cross disciplinary boundaries and provide integrative papers on the regulatory, governance and ecological challenges of the topic.

Regulation & Governance aims to serve as a leading platform for the study of regulation and governance. Published quarterly by Blackwell beginning in March 2007, Regulation & Governance will seek to provide a forum for open and critical scholarly dialogue from different disciplines, using diverse methodologies, and from any area of regulation and governance. Through Regulation & Governance, the purpose is to advance discussions between various disciplines about regulation and governance, promote the development of new theoretical and empirical understanding, and serve the growing needs of practitioners for a useful academic reference.

Regulation & Governance is edited by John Braithwaite (Australian National University), Cary Coglianese (University of Pennsylvania), and David Levi-Faur (University of Haifa).

For further information about the journal, including submission instructions, please visit our website at: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/rego.

Manuscripts can be submitted online at: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/reggov.

If you are willing to review papers from time to time, please also visit: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/reggov and click on the "create account" note at the top right of the screen.

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6) Call for Abstracts: Institute for Business & Home Safety and ACSP Request Submissions for Scholarship Award in Planning and Natural Hazards

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), together with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), are requesting submissions for the annual scholarship award in planning and natural hazards. The mission of IBHS, a nonprofit supported by the property casualty insurance industry, is to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other property losses by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Abstracts must be submitted to ACSP between January 10 - February 21, 2007. Papers should address topics such as:

- Land use or other types of planning that incorporate natural hazards including, but not limited to: hurricanes, storm surge and river flooding, coastal erosion, land subsidence, wildfires, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
- Strategies for minimizing hazards impacts through community, regional or state planning and related mandates/laws.
- Hazard mitigation planning, implementation and evaluation
- Disaster resilient communities
- Economic Recovery/ Business Continuity with a focus on public/private collaboration

Resources and materials are available from IBHS at http://www.ibhs.org/land_use_planning/ to help stimulate thinking about these topics.

Undergraduate and graduate student papers are eligible. Only papers accepted for presentation at the ACSP Conference in Milwaukee, WI October 18-21, 2007 will be eligible for the award. Please go to http://www.acsp.org for abstract submission procedures and deadlines. Be sure to put "IBHS Award Submission" in one of the Key Word boxes of the submission form found on the website. Abstracts should be submitted directly to the ACSP conference organizers through the website and simultaneously by e-mail to aesnard@fau.edu. In the Subject line of the e-mail to Dr. Esnard, put "IBHS - ACSP award submission."

Authors whose abstracts are accepted for presentation at the conference will submit their final papers by July 30, 2007 to aesnard@fau.edu. Papers are not to exceed 20 pages and the award winner will be notified in September 2007. Hotel and conference registration fees will be covered and the winner will agree to first publication rights by IBHS.

For more information, contact Diana McClure at IBHS, dmcclure@ibhs.org or the IBHS Review Committee Chair, Dr. Ann-Margaret Esnard, aesnard@fau.edu.

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7) Call for Abstracts: Seismological Society of America (SSA) Annual Meeting

The Seismological Society of America (SSA) Annual Meeting will be meeting in Waikoloa, Hawaii on April 11-13, 2007. 1907 marks the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the SSA, which was formed due to the increased concern and need for scientific understanding of seismology following the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Last year, the SSA commemorated that event by holding its annual meeting in San Francisco and hosting several sessions and presentations on the 1906 disaster. This year, to celebrate its founding, the society invites members and others concerned about earthquakes and their consequences to travel to Hawaii, scene of a major quake last October.

The abstract deadline is January 12, 2007.
For abstract submission instructions, visit: http://www.seismosoc.org/htdocs/meetings/2007/absub/index.html.

For more information, visit: http://www.seismosoc.org/htdocs/meetings/
Email: info@seismosoc.org
Phone: (510) 525-5474

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8) Opportunity for Environmental Documentary Filmmakers

"Natural Heroes" is the Public Television series featuring independently produced films and videos with a common theme of real people making a difference for the environment and enhancing the world around us. They are seeking compelling stories that feature people challenging current environmental standards and conditions and programs that encourage thoughtful questions and realistic answers that broaden our understanding of our place in the world. "Natural Heroes" is now in its third season, and is currently being seen by PBS viewers across the United States. Accepted works are packaged for broadcast and distributed to Public Television stations.

For more information, visit: http://www.naturalheroes.org or
http://www.greentreks.org/naturalheroes/submitafilm.asp.

You can also email naturalheroes@krcb.org or call (800) 287-2722 ext 2024.

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9) New Certificate Program: Emergency Management and Continuity Planning

With the launch of a landmark partnership between Illinois public universities, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health, and the UIC College of Business Administration, the Emergency Management and Continuity Planning Online Certificate Program (EMCP) was created as part of the new homeland security field of study program in higher education for the state of Illinois.

The EMCP Certificate Program is designed to provide emergency managers, business managers, public and private sector employees and more, with the skills they need to formulate and execute the best possible response to a wide range of emergencies and disasters from extreme weather to supply chain disruptions to a terrorist attack.

The EMCP certificate is delivered entirely online and will promote the student-expert interaction through discussion groups and the use of Collaboration Sessions within the Blackboard system at UIC. All EMCP courses will focus on and promote the student's knowledge and training in: communications management, risk management, information systems, operations management, organizational behavior, organizational theory, and strategic planning.

For more information about the EMCP online Certificate program, visit www.emergencymanagement.uic.edu or call UIC External Education at (312) 355-0423, or e-mail emcp@uic.edu.

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10) Some New Web Resources

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

Hospital Decision Making in the Wake of Katrina: The Case of New Orleans
The report is volume one in a series detailing post-Katrina field investigations by the MCEER team. The study examines New Orleans hospital decision-making as it relates to disaster preparedness and emergency response, and focuses on the 15 acute care hospitals that were the primary providers of patient care in the New Orleans area before the hurricane struck.

New National Symbol for Emergency Management Unveiled
As the 2006 hurricane season thankfully comes to a quiet end, the heads of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security Preparedness Directorate, and representatives of state and local emergency managers unveiled a new icon for emergency management, to call on America not to become complacent about preparedness.

Terrorism and Other Public Health Emergencies: A Field Guide for Media
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created this guide to provide the important information that media professionals might need in the field while covering a terrorist attack or other public health emergency. This field guide is mainly aimed towards individual reporters, but may also be useful for newsroom managers and other media professional.

Assessing Your Disaster Public Awareness Program
The Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) has created a guide for strengthening public education. The material in this guide provides supplemental content and program considerations to the professionally accepted emergency management standards. This guide also serves as a checklist of activities deemed important for having a successful disaster awareness program.

A Legislator's Checklist to Emergency Preparedness & Public Communication
The Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) has created checklists intended to guide legislators through individual preparedness steps. This guide serves as a point of reference for making professional improvements.

Manual for First Responders to a Radiological Emergency
The International Atomic Energy Agency has produced a manual that provides practical guidance for those responding within the first few hours of a radiological emergency. This includes the emergency service personnel who would initially respond at the local level and the national officials who would support this early response.

Interim Guidance on Planning for the Use of Surgical Masks and Respirators in Health Care Settings during an Influenza Pandemic
This document synthesizes traditional infection control and industrial hygiene approaches to enhancing protection of health care personnel during an influenza pandemic. It emphasizes that surgical mask and respirator use are components of a system of infection control practices to prevent the spread of infection between infected and non-infected persons. It also reflects concerns that additional precautions are advisable during a pandemic.

Nourishing an Academic Degree: Promoting Growth in Emergency Administration and Planning at the University of North Texas
The following paper discusses how to nourish a nascent emergency management program based on the experience of the Emergency Administration and Planning Program at the University of North Texas. The paper highlights ways to increase program visibility, enhance customer service, and improve curriculum (among other things) - all with the purpose of augmenting student enrollment in emergency management degree programs.

Tabletop Exercises for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in Local Public Health Agencies
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a report that presents a fully customizable template for a tabletop exercise for pandemic influenza preparedness that can be used by state and local health agencies and their healthcare and governmental partners as an exercise in training, in building relationships, and in evaluation.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Disaster Relief: Continued Findings of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) provided this testimony before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to address whether FEMA provided improper and potentially fraudulent rental assistant payments, duplicate assistant payments, and IHP payments to non-US residents.

9/11 Commission Recommendations: Implementation Status
This report provides a review of the 9/11 Commission recommendations and the status of their implementation at the end of the 109th Congress. The discussions are organized on the basis of policy themes that are at the core of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, rather than through a review of each numbered item set out in the Commission's final report. The analysis was produced by a large team of CRS Specialists, analysts, and attorneys who are responsible for the wide variety of policy areas covered by the 9/11 Commission in its work.

New Book: A Climate of Injustice: Global Inequality, North-South Politics, and Climate Policy
The global debate over who should take action to address climate change is extremely precarious, as diametrically opposed perceptions of climate justice threaten the prospects for any long-term agreement. In "A Climate of Injustice," J. Timmons Roberts and Bradley Parks analyze the role that inequality between rich and poor nations plays in the negotiation of global climate agreements.

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11) Conferences, Training, and Events

[Below are some recent announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. For a comprehensive list of upcoming hazards-related meetings, visit our Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/conferences.html.]

2007 National Conference on Disaster Planning for the Carless Society—New Orleans, Louisiana: February 8-9, 2007.
Organizer: University of New Orleans.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed how vulnerable carless residents are in emergency situations. Evacuation plans in most major cities across America fail to adequately take into account the needs of the elderly, disabled, and transit dependent populations. The goal of this conference is to bring together government officials, professionals, and experts to discuss how we can better prepare for those that are in most need. This conference will seek to better integrate the fields of transportation planning, emergency management, and health care. For more information, visit: http://www.carlessevacuation.org or call Maria Noveva at (504) 280-6680 or (800) 258-8830.

National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Mid-Year Conference—Alexandria, Virginia: February 10-15, 2007.
Organizer: NEMA.
This conference provides an opportunity for people to come together in the nation's capitol to discuss the many challenges that face us today, share solutions, grow professionally and network with peers. During the conference we will hear from those involved in shaping the future of homeland security and emergency management, strengthen relationships with our partner organizations, and share NEMA's views on all hazards emergency preparedness with the leadership in Washington. NEMA's goal is to enhance the overall capabilities of emergency management to meet the challenge of any and all disasters facing our country. For more information, visit: http://www.nemaweb.org/?1740.

ICISF 9th World Congress on Stress, Trauma, & Coping—Baltimore, Maryland: February 24-18, 2007.
Organizer: International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. The 9th World Congress on Stress, Trauma and Coping is the premier forum for multidisciplinary exchange of ideas and information among those who provide crisis intervention services. The major content themes are: emergency services, public safety; disasters and terrorism applications; military; business, industry, EAP; faith-based community; schools, children; healthcare, public health; and community crisis response. For more information, visit: http://9thworldcongress.org/.

47th Annual North American Snow Conference—Saint Paul, Minnesota: April 22-25, 2007.
Organizer: American Public Works Association.
More than 1,000 public works professionals from streets, roads, and transportation departments from all across the Snow Belt of the U.S. and Canada will be coming together to share their experience and knowledge of snow fighting and winter road maintenance. The American Public Works Association is the public works community's top resource for information and expertise on winter operations. APWA's Snow Conference combines four days of quality education programs and technical tours with opportunities to network with manufacturers, distributors, consultants and other public works professionals. More than 120 companies will showcase everything you need in equipment, technology, products and services for snow & ice removal and winter operations. For more information, visit: http://www.apwa.net/Events/eventdetail.asp?ID=613.

2007 World Continuity Congress—Singapore: April 17-18, 2007.
Organizers: Disaster Recovery Institute Asia and Business Continuity Management Institute.
This year, the DRI Asia's World Continuity Congress is being held at a new location. With brand new program content, unique speakers and sponsors' exhibits, the congress is widely recognized as the business continuity event for the year. A good business continuity plan will ensure that your business critical functions are up and running, that you have retained your reputation, protected and recovered both intellectual and physical assets. For companies that currently have a business continuity plan in place, this congress will help ensure that your company is taking into account all the considerations that need to be made for the IT infrastructure and extended enterprise. For more information, visit: http://www.worldcontinuitycongress.com/.

2007 American Planning Association National Planning Conference—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: April 14-18, 2007.
Organizer: American Planning Association.
The people who attend our annual conference-the premier event in the planning field-are key decision makers: agency directors, CEOs, and senior managers who buy products and services for their agencies and firms. Share your industry knowledge and expertise and seize the year's best opportunity to show off your business to this enthusiastic and influential group. There will be sessions on planning for transportation, transit, and transit-oriented development; affordable housing; planning technologies including GIS, remote sensing and GPS; historic preservation; tourism; community development; revitalizing small towns; and dozens of other topics. For the first time, there will be a series of sessions on planning for the disabled. A program on urban form will feature the planning legacy of Philadelphia's own Edmund Bacon. For more information, visit: http://www.planning.org/2007conference/.

2nd National Forum on Socioeconomic Research in Coastal Systems—New Orleans, Louisiana: May 20-23, 2007.
Organizer: Center for Natural Resources Economics and Policy (CNREP).
The catastrophic damage associated with the 2005 hurricane season has focused national attention on the environmental challenges faced by the Gulf Coast region. This multidisciplinary conference will highlight the status and challenges of socioeconomic research on and policy for coastal systems focus on restoration, resiliency of communities and resources, and the economics of extreme events. The deadline for abstract submission is February 15, 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.cnrep.lsu.edu/.

2007 World Environmental and Water Resources Conference—Tampa, Florida: May 15-19, 2007.
Organizer: ASCE.
This congress has become an important annual opportunity for those in water and environmental fields to convene and focus on topics of the day. In this era shifting coastlines, urban sprawl, raging storms, and extreme acts by humans and nature, it is imperative that those working on the front lines - at the environmental/water nexus - share insights from research and case studies in the field, to generate best practices for the future. This Congress will focus on Habitat Restoration with a dozen technical tracks covering issues from coast to coast and around the globe. For more information, visit: http://content.asce.org/conferences/ewri2007/index.html.

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-701 Multiagency Coordination System (MACS) Course.
This web-based course offers training in how to coordinate the components of a multi-agency coordination system and how relationships between all elements of the system are established. In combining all incident-support facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications, such an integrated system is the means for coordinating and supporting domestic incident management activities. For more information, visit: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is701.asp.

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12.) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Lecturer in Environmental Science and Policy
New Jersey Institute of Technology

The New Jersey Institute of Technology invites applications for a lectureship in environmental science and policy in the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science. The successful candidate must have a PhD in environmental science, environmental policy, environmental engineering, or a related field. The lecturer will be expected to teach undergraduate courses related to society and environment and to contribute to the graduate program in environmental policy. Areas of specific interest include industrial ecology, life-cycle analysis, and sustainability. Please send a cover letter and curriculum vitae to: Ms. Gayle Katz, Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102 or by email to katz@njit.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis.

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Supervisory Program Specialist (Resettlement Advisor)
FEMA, Transitional Recovery Office, New Orleans, LA

This position is located at the Transitional Recovery Office (TRO) in New Orleans, LA. This position reports directly to the Section Chief for Planning. The incumbent's function is to help Louisianans displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita resettle in the home community or community of choice. The incumbent acts as the TRO Director's representative to all meetings, task forces, or initiatives related to repatriation, resettlement, or FEMA housing assistance to out-of-state Louisianan. The incumbent will work closely with the TRO Director's Office and the Office of Gulf Coast Recovery. The incumbent will develop policy and contribute to the development and implementation of strategies, policy changes, and actions regarding the resettlement of displaced persons and FEMA's on-going involvement in related housing assistance. This includes developing and analyzing comprehensive surveys on evacuee's demand for returning to Louisiana as well the supply of available housing, and the speed which housing may become available. The incumbent is also responsible for identifying, requesting, and disseminating all FEMA data necessary to support hurricane evacuee resettlement efforts.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirements as contained in the OPM's Qualification Operating Manual. These are available on line at http://www.opm.gov. The manual states that one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade in the Federal service is required. Specialized experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of that position.

Applicants meeting the basic qualification requirements and any selective placement factor stated in this Employment Opportunity will be rated and ranked on the following Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSA`s). Applicants must submit a separate written statement addressing any selective placement factor and each KSA. Failure to address the selective placement factor and each KSA separately will result in the applicant receiving no further consideration.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of resettlement programs done domestically or internationally, the Stafford Act, disaster programs of other Federal, state, local and volunteer agencies, to perform operational, resource and program planning, and strategic planning

2. Skill in improving work methods and procedures used to produce work products, overseeing the development of technical data, estimating statistics, suggestions, and other information useful to higher level managers in determining which goals and objectives to emphasize.

3. Knowledge of international best practices for assisting displaced people and refugees and the ability to translate those practices to domestic U.S. resettlement efforts

4. Skill in gathering facts/information, presenting facts, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations on substantive program issues. Ability to network, working with large groups of people, organizations and government agencies.

Applicants meeting basic eligibility requirements will be rated and ranked on the knowledge, skills and abilities, and other characteristics (KSA's) required to perform the duties of the position. Please review KSA's carefully. Include in the write-ups such things as experience in and out of Federal service that gave you the specific knowledge, skill or ability; objectives of your work; and evidence of your success (such as accomplishments, awards received, etc.). Applications will be reviewed to determine if the applicant meets the minimum qualifications as described in the announcement (either through experience and/or education) and any other legal requirements.

Applicants can apply for this position by submitting a resume, the Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612) or any other written format. The resume or application must contain:

1. The Employment Opportunity number, title and grade of the job for which applying (indicate the lowest grade level that you will accept if applying for a position advertised at multiple grade levels);
2. Full name, mailing address, day and evening phone numbers, social security number, country of citizenship, branch and date of military service, if applicable;
3. High school name and location, date of diploma or highest grade completed, college name and location, majors, type and year of any degrees received;
4. Work experience that includes job titles, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and ending dates, hours per week and salary; and
5. List of other qualifications such as job related training courses, job related skills, job related certificates and job related honors, awards and special accomplishments.

Complete application packages must be received in the office by the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. All forms should be sent to:

FEMA Human Resources Division
Building 712, P.O. Box 129
Berryville, VA 22611
Attn: Lon Cabot

Complete email packages must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Please list the job opportunity announcement number in the subject line. Email: DISASTER-STAFFING@dhs.gov

Complete faxed packages must be received by the closing date of the announcement. Fax to Lon Cabot: 540-542-7049.

To obtain additional information about employment opportunities, visit our website at http://www.dhs.gov, or call 800-879-6076. Applicants needing TDD/TTY assistance should call the Federal Information Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

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Public Safety Director
Seminole County, FL Government

Seminole County, FL Government is accepting applications for the Public Safety Director position. A Bachelor's Degree is required in Public or Business Administration with a minimum of five (5) years responsible administrative experience over a multi-functional Public Safety Department. A Master's Degree in an appropriate field is desirable. Certification as an Emergency manager is required with considerable knowledge of management practices and procedures and their practical application and considerable knowledge of Public Safety field and the services and practices provided by a County Operation. The applicant must have the ability to plan, organize, motivate and direct effectively the operation of a Public Safety Department and the ability to work effectively with elected officials, other County departments and staff, other public agencies and the general public. The applicant should have the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing and be skilled in preparing and presenting budget reports and establishing goals and objectives with an innovative approach to solving public safety problems. A comparable amount of education, training or experience may be substituted for the minimum qualifications.

Salary: $82,814.87 - $136,644.54

Send applications to Human Resources at:
1101 East First Street, Sanford, FL 32771
Resume may be faxed to: (407) 665-7939
E-mail: hr@seminolecountyfl.gov
Or apply online at: http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov

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If you or your organization would like to add a job posting here in the DR, please feel free to email the information to hazctr@colorado.edu.


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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