Disaster Research 471
February 8, 2007
Table of Contents
- Welcome Laurie!
- Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Request for Applications
- PERI Announces Challenge Grant to Support Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Fund
- Mary Fran Myers Gender and Disaster Award: 2007 Nominees Sought
- DHS Announces Four Grant Opportunities
- Request for Survey Responses
- New Version of the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database (SHELDUS) Released
- Call for Papers: Canadian Risk and Hazards Network
- New Tornado Rating System
- Some New Web Resources
- Conferences, Training, and Events
- Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
1) Welcome Laurie!
The Natural Hazards Center is happy to welcome Laurie Schmidt, who joined the staff in early February as the Center's Editor. In that position, Laurie will compile and edit the Observer newsletter and assist with coordination of special projects and publications.
Laurie holds a M.S. degree in science communication and a B.A. in English. Before joining the Natural Hazards Center, she worked on the Phoenix Mars Lander mission in Tucson, Arizona, developing educational content for the mission's Web site. Prior to that, she served as editor of NASA's DAAC Alliance Annual publication from 2001-2005, based at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder.
Her interests include communicating earth science concepts to lay audiences, particularly with
regard to correcting public misconceptions about geologic processes and natural hazards.
2) Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Request for Applications
Mary Fran Myers was co-director of the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado for 16 years until her untimely death in 2004. Reducing disaster losses, both nationally and internationally, was her life's work.
Each summer, the Hazards Center hosts an invitational Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Boulder, Colorado. The Hazards Workshop brings together over 400 members of the hazards community who are working to alleviate the pain and loss inflicted by disasters, and the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship provides financial support to recipients so that they can attend and participate in the Hazards Workshop and further their research or community work and careers. This scholarship covers part or all of the costs of transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, and workshop registration fees.
The Mary Fran Myers Scholarship is awarded annually to at least one potential workshop participant, who is then formally invited to the workshop. Each year, the recipient or recipients are recognized at the workshop and may be asked to serve as panel discussants, where they can highlight their research or practical experiences in the hazards and disasters field.
All hazards researchers, students, and practitioners are eligible for the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship. However, preference is given to individuals with demonstrated financial need and those who have not previously attended the Hazards Workshop.
The scholarship application and more information are available by visiting
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/awards/myers-scholarship.html.
Applications must be received by Friday, April 13, 2007.
3) PERI Announces Challenge Grant to Support Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Fund
The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) and the Natural Hazards Center have launched the 2007 PERI Challenge Grant Campaign to increase the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Fund.
Mary Fran Myers Scholarships provide financial support to worthy participants who would otherwise not be able to attend the Annual Hazards Workshop in Boulder, Colorado. The scholarship was established in 2003 and, since then, funds have been used to bring students, international participants, and local practitioners to the workshop to further their research, community service, and careers. However, the grant oversight committee quickly recognized that far more qualified people applied for scholarships than could be accommodated. Hence PERI has agreed to help increase the fund's endowment to allow more people to attend the workshop.
As part of the campaign, PERI has offered to match up to $10,000 in contributions made to the scholarship fund before July 1, 2007. To manage grant campaign contributions, the Hazards Center has established a gift account with the University of Colorado Foundation.
The Center is asking all members of the hazards community to consider contributing to that fund-- both to support the advancement of hazards management across the nation and globe and to honor the memory of the Center's former co-director and hazards mitigation pioneer. To help meet the goal of raising $10,000 before July 1, 2007, please send your check, made out to the "University of Colorado Foundation," to the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship Fund, Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado, 482 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0482, USA.
For more information about the Mary Fran Myers Scholarship, please visit
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/awards/myers-scholarship.html.
4) Mary Fran Myers Gender and Disaster Award: 2007 Nominees Sought
The Gender and Disaster Network and the Natural Hazards Center invite nominations of those who should be recognized for their efforts to advance gender-sensitive policy, practice, or research in the areas of disaster risk reduction.
Established in 2002, the Mary Fran Myers Award recognizes that vulnerability to disasters and
mass emergencies is influenced by social, cultural, and economic structures that marginalize
women and girls, and may also expose boys and men to harm. The award was so named to
recognize Myers' sustained efforts as co-director of the Natural Hazards Center to launch a
worldwide network promoting women's opportunities in disaster-related professions and
supporting research on gender issues, disasters, emergency management, and higher education.
The intent of this award is to recognize women and men whose advocacy, research, or
management efforts have had a lasting, positive impact on reducing disaster vulnerability.
The award committee is especially interested in soliciting nominations from outside the United States and strives to enable award recipients with high travel costs to attend the Natural Hazards Center workshop in Colorado.
There are three steps to nominate someone and all materials should be submitted electronically:
- Submit your full name and contact information (mailing address, e-mail, telephone, fax) and that of the nominee;
- Attach a current resume or curriculum vitae of the nominee;
- Write a letter of nomination detailing specifically how this individual's work fits the award criteria as described above.
- Optional: A one one-page letter of support from another person or organization may also be submitted.
The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2007.
Please direct any questions and submit nomination materials to Elaine Enarson at enarsone@brandonu.ca or by phone, (204) 571-8575.
More information about the Mary Fran Myers Award is available at http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/awards/myers-award.html.
5) DHS Announces Four Grant Opportunities
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued four grant announcements for new "Centers of Excellence (COE)." This program funds university-based research and training
centers around specific homeland security themes and subject. Five centers were established
between 2002 and 2005: Risk Analysis (USC), Food Safety (Minnesota), Foreign Animal and
Zoonotic Diseases (Texas A&M), Terrorism (Maryland), and High Consequence Events (Johns
Hopkins). All of these centers are consortiums involving
multiple institutions.
The new announcements are for centers focusing on:
Maritime, Island, and Extreme/Remote Environment Security
Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management
Explosives Detection, Mitigation, and Response
Border Security and Immigration
Five-page white papers are due on February 28, 2007. Complete applications
are due on April 30, 2007.
6) Request for Survey Responses
Gerald Smith, a graduate student conducting research on geographic-information requirements for people affected by disaster, is looking for people who have experienced a disaster or were associated with community evacuation and other disaster-response efforts to complete a short survey.
The survey is available here: http://www.surveyshare.com/survey/take/?sid=48936.
7) New Version of the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database (SHELDUS) Released
The Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute has released a new version (5.1) of the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database for the United States (SHELDUS): http://www.sheldus.org.
SHELDUS is a county-level hazard data set for the United States for 18 different natural hazard events types, such thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tornados.
For each event the database includes the beginning date, location (county and state), property
losses, crop losses, injuries, and fatalities that affected each county. The new version of
SHELDUS contains more than 400,000 records and spans the years from 1960 through 2005.
New to this version is the compilation of event-specific loss data for major disasters (e.g.,
Hurricane Katrina), loss information on selected presidential disaster declarations, and
information on the global disaster identifier initiative (GLIDE).
8) Call for Papers: Canadian Risk and Hazards Network
The Annual Symposium of the Canadian Risk and Hazards Network (CRHNet) is a premier
meeting ground for practitioners and researchers involved in hazards, disasters, and risk
management. The symposium draws practitioners in fields ranging from emergency management,
emergency social services, disaster management planning, engineering, public health, and
government, and researchers from the natural sciences, engineering, health, social sciences,
policy, and interdisciplinary studies. Participants come from across Canada and internationally.
This year's symposium, which will be held November 6-8, 2007, in Vancouver, focuses on the theme of Forging Partnerships for Disaster Resilient Communities.
The symposium organizers especially welcome abstracts from emergency planners and other professionals, as well as academics and researchers. Organizers particularly encourage presentations that demonstrate and/or discuss research-practice partnerships.
Abstracts may be submitted for individual oral presentations, organized sessions, panels, or
posters. For further information and abstract submission, please visit the symposium Web site:
http://www.jibc.ca/crhnet/papers/papers.htm.
Abstracts must be submitted online and are due March 31, 2007.
Contact Prof. Stephanie Chang, Program Committee Chair (stephanie.chang@ubc.ca), with any
questions.
9) New Tornado Rating System
On February 1, one day before a tornado killed 20 people in central Florida, the National Weather Service released a new scale to rate the intensity of tornadoes.
The new scale, termed the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, will replace the original Fujita scale and will align wind speeds more closely with actual damages. The new scale, like the old, is a set of wind estimates based on damages. But the original scale, experts worried, may overestimate wind speeds associated with certain damages.
The EF scale, with additional damage indicators and degrees of damage, will continue to rate tornadoes on a scale of one to five, and an F5 tornado rated years ago will still be an F5, though the wind speeds associated with that tornado may now be somewhat less.
For more information on the new Enhanced Fujita scale, visit http://www.spc.noaa.gov/efscale/.
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 www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/.]
2006 Disasters in Numbers
The Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) has released this two-page
document of hazard and disaster statistics for 2006. A total of 395 disasters were recorded in
2006, with 226 floods, 66 windstorms, and 30 related to extreme temperatures. Disasters in 2006
killed 21,342 people, with economic damage of about $19 billion.
Identifying People's Needs in Major Emergencies and Best Practice in Humanitarian Response
This report, commissioned by the British Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, presents an
assessment of people's psycho-social needs following events such as natural disasters and
terrorism. The report offers best practice guidelines based on the most effective methods of
humanitarian assistance in the immediate, short-term, and longer-term aftermath of major
emergencies.
How Well Forecast Were the 2004 and 2005 Atlantic and U.S. Hurricane Seasons?
The 2005 North Atlantic hurricane season was the most active and destructive on record, and this
report examines how well the seasonal outlooks anticipated the exceptionally high Atlantic and
US hurricane activity in both 2004 and 2005.
Tools for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction: Guidance Notes for Development Organizations
This resource contains 14 short chapters focusing on how to take into consideration hazard-related concerns during development initiatives in hazard-prone countries. The short, practical guidelines
include information on collecting and using hazard-related data, poverty reduction strategies,
budget support, and much more.
Lessons for a Safer Future
Drawing on the experience of numerous individuals and organizations after the 2004 Indian
Ocean tsunami, this 15-page report offers 11 lessons on how nations and communities can
become better prepared for and reduce the risk of natural hazards.
ProjectDisaster
ProjectDisaster describes itself as a place for the latest news, information and discussion regarding
disasters, terrorism, emerging infectious diseases, disaster response, mitigation, and preparedness.
Much of the content comes from mainstream news articles, with added expert commentary.
ProjectDisaster aggregates a variety of hazard- and disaster-related items of interest into one
place.
American Public Works Association (AWPA) Reporter
The AWPA Reporter is the monthly magazine of the American Public Works Association, and
covers all facets of public works. The January edition focuses on emergency management, and
includes articles on aid during disaster, emergency preparedness and response, urban search and
rescue, floodplain mapping, and more.
Vivir con el Riesgo
"Living With Risk: A Global Review of Disaster Reduction Initiatives," a book from the
UN/ISDR, is now available in Spanish, giving tips for reducing vulnerability to natural hazards.
This 400-page book is seen as a guide to disaster management, and the Spanish translation will
allow for a broader audience in a region plagued by natural disaster.
FEMA's Earthquake Safety Checklist
This 16-page document includes a checklist of necessary supplies to have on hand for any
emergency: water, food, flashlights, tools, a radio, etc. It also includes information specific to
earthquakes, including what to do to your home before, during, and after an earthquake to
minimize injury and damage; a guide of how to perform an earthquake drill; and other helpful
instructions.
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 www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/conferences.html.]
EPICC Forum 2007--Vancouver, Canada: February 19-21, 2007.
Organizer: Emergency Preparedness for Industry and Commerce Council (EPICC).
EPICC is a nonprofit society whose mission is "to lead businesses in preparing to survive a disaster." The purpose of this forum is to inform businesses about business continuity and emergency preparedness and to assist them in planning and implementing disaster mitigation measures.
For more information, visit http://www.epiccforum.org/.
Gulf Coast Floods Recovery: Mission Mitigation--New Orleans, Louisiana: April 9-12, 2007.
Offered by: The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM).
This training workshop will identify mitigation measures Gulf Coast states and communities can undertake to minimize future damage as they cope with recovery and reconstruction. The target audience is flood hazard management staff at all levels of government and decision makers from flooded communities. The topics will include flood mitigation planning and program options, sources of funding, construction standards, lessons learned, success stories, insurance issues, recovery mapping, grant applications, coastal challenges, legal implications, and more.
For more information, visit
http://www.floods.org/Conferences,%20Calendar/MissionMitigation.asp.
5th Annual Homeland and Global Security Summit--Washington, D.C.: April 11-12, 2007.
Organizer: Equity International.
This invitational, business-oriented summit combines breakout sessions and networking opportunities with an exhibit showcasing the latest information on programs and funding in emergency response, public safety, border protection, and other areas related to domestic security.
For more information, visit http://www.globalsecurity.biz.
5th Annual Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) National Leadership and Training Conference--
Providence, Rhode Island: April 17-20, 2007.
Each MRC community is invited to send a representative to this development conference, which will feature knowledge sharing among federal government and nongovernmental organizations, emergency response and public health experts, and MRC members.
Visit http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/Conference/2007.
2007 AIR Spring Conference--Boca Raton, Florida: April 22-25, 2007.
Organizer: Applied Insurance Research (AIR) Worldwide Corporation.
At this meeting, guest speakers from the business and scientific communities will review the latest research on the influence of climate on hurricane frequency and severity, discuss best practices in catastrophe modeling, and provide perspectives on changes in the risk modeling industry over the past two decades. Executives from the major risk rating agencies also will discuss the impact of new ratings models.
See http://www.air-worldwide.com/_public/html/2007_Spring_Conf.asp.
American Institute of Hydrology Annual Meeting and International Conference--Reno, Nevada:
April 22-25, 2007.
Organizer: American Institute of Hydrology (AIH).
"Integrated Watershed Management: Partnerships in Science, Technology, and Planning" is the theme of this year's AIH conference, intended to provide an opportunity for scientists and managers in all water-related disciplines to share research and project case studies. A wide range of technical topics will be covered, including social and legal issues. The effects of urbanization, agriculture, industry, forestry, and more will also be discussed.
Visit http://www.aihydro.org/conference.htm for more information.
Continuity Insights Management Conference--New Orleans, Louisiana: April 23-25, 2007.
Offered by: Continuity Insights magazine.
Discussions of continuity strategies take center stage at this conference, with presentations of recovery strategies from leading corporations such as Wal-Mart, NIKE, Expedia, Toyota, Reuters, Fidelity, Dell, and Wells Fargo. The conference offers networking opportunities, along with a display of relevant products and technology for business and information technology continuity.
See http://www.continuityinsights.com/Conference.html.
9th Annual Midwest Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference--Rockford, Illinois: May
9-11, 2007.
Organizers: Winnebago County Illinois Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and Rock County Wisconsin LEPC.
This conference will cover elements associated with emergency and disaster planning, preparedness, and response. Sessions will discuss how a local church managed sheltering flood victims, hazardous materials response, how preplanning saved all workers in a factory building hit by a tornado, pandemic influenza, special needs planning, and more.
For more information, see http://www.winn-lepc.org.
Storms Over the Urban Forest National Conference--Atlanta, Georgia: May 21-22, 2007.
Organizer: The National Arbor Day Foundation.
This conference focuses on the planning, response, and recovery processes necessary to address storms affecting urban and community trees. Nearly 20 speakers will cover topics that will prepare communities to protect the urban landscape and to more effectively respond when disaster hits.
Visit http://www.arborday.org/STORMS for more information.
12.) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Assistant Professor of Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies (ADES)
Brandon University; Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Brandon University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies (ADES). The ADES program has been in place since 2001 and has an established student base. Brandon University has invested significantly in library holdings and information technology, including a fully equipped Emergency Operations Lab, to support teaching and research. ADES offers four-year Baccalaureate degrees in Arts or Science (B.A. or B.Sc.). Required ADES courses include introduction to disaster studies and to emergency management, hazards, disaster risk assessment, policy and law, recovery, mitigation, preparedness planning and response management. Current electives range from sociology of disasters to international comparisons.
The successful candidate will teach courses from the core topics and deliver elective courses in their area of specialty. Preference will be given to candidates who can teach courses in natural and
technological hazards, risk assessment and modeling, or similar disaster science courses. This
position will complement the department's current strengths in vulnerability science, health
issues, rural resilience and gender analysis. Evidence of successful teaching, research and scholarship in the field of disaster studies and emergency management is required. The candidate should also have practical or applied experience in the area and understanding of the challenges posed by an interdisciplinary approach
to the field. This is an applied program so the successful candidate will have the ability to effectively link university-based activities with public and private agencies and institutions.
The position requires a Ph.D. in emergency management or disaster studies, taken as a specialty from such fields as Anthropology, Earth Sciences, Economics, Engineering, Geography, Management, Planning, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, or Sociology. A Masters degree in these areas combined with sufficient relevant experience will also be considered.
Applications are invited by April 16, 2007. The appointment will take effect August 1, 2007 or upon candidate availability. Salary and rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, transcripts, citizenship or Canadian immigration status, and the names and email addresses of three referees to:
Dr. Austin Gulliver
Dean of Science
Brandon University
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
gulliver@brandonu.ca
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Short-listed candidates will be expected to provide copies of credentials at time of interview.
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Emergency Management Faculty
Harper College; Palatine, Illinois
RESPONSIBILITIES: This is a full time tenure track faculty position in the Emergency Management program beginning August 2007. Responsibilities include teaching in the new Emergency Management program as well as serving as a liaison for the EMS program.
QUALIFICATIONS: Master's degree in Emergency Management, Criminal Justice, Fire Science or Public Administration is preferred. Bachelor's degree is required. Two years of teaching experience is preferred. Five years of related occupational experience. Must have documented experience in Emergency Management.
CONTACT: 847-925-6837; Fax: 847-925-6051; psaltzma@harpercollege.edu. For more information or to apply, go to: http://jobs.harpercollege.edu.
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Emergency Manager
City of Eugene, Oregon
The Emergency Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating all of the City's
emergency management activities, including ensuring NIMS compliance, maintaining the City's
Emergency Management Plan and Emergency Operations Center; developing hazard mitigation
plans and strategies; and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities. The
Emergency Manager represents the City to the public and other organizations and is responsible
for promoting effective interagency and interdepartmental coordination and leading
multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary work groups and task forces.
The Emergency Manager is responsible for overseeing, coordinating or designing tabletop, functional and full-scale exercises to prepare the City for effective response to major emergency and to test departmental and city-wide preparedness. The Emergency Manager leads the City's Disaster Operations Task Team (DOTT), which includes representatives from all City departments. The DOTT regularly reviews and updates the Emergency Plan and participates in emergency exercises.
Qualifications include four years of increasingly responsible professional experience in emergency preparedness and response and one year of supervisory experience. A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Emergency Services, Emergency Management, or related fields, or equivalent is required. Candidates for this position are subject to a police background investigation.
The Emergency Management Program is part of the Risk Services Division. Risk Services is
responsible for the identification, evaluation, treatment, and monitoring of the City's operational
risks. The Risk Services Division provides centralized services to the organization and the public
and is recognized as offering comprehensive, highly effective programs and services. This
centralized organizational structure is effective in promoting interdepartmental coordination and
cooperation. In addition to Emergency Management, the division includes the following program areas: safety, loss control/environmental services; general & auto liability; workers'
compensation; property & other miscellaneous insured risks; employee benefits; employee health & fitness; unemployment insurance. Risk Services is part of the Central Services Department,
which also includes the City Manager's Office, Finance, Human Resources, Information Services,
Facilities, City Prosecutor's Office and Municipal Court.
Learn more about the job and apply online at http://www.eugene-or.gov or obtain an application packet from Human Resource and Risk Services, 777 Pearl Street, Room 101, Eugene OR 97401. Out of area applicants may call (541) 682-6027 or e-mail application.requests@ci.eugene.or.us to receive application materials. This position requires a completed on-line or paper City of Eugene Application and Supplemental Questionnaire. The City of Eugene values diversity in its work force and is committed to affirmative action.
$52,540 - $65,499 Annual Salary
Closing Date: February 23, 2007
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Coastal Hazards Intern
NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration); Honolulu, Hawaii
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Services Center (PSC) works in partnership with the coastal and ocean management communities of the Pacific, including Hawai`i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and makes NOAA's products and services available to these communities.
The NOAA Pacific Services Center's primary goal is to promote resilient and sustainable island
communities. This is accomplished through various projects that integrate global, science-based
approaches with local knowledge of the resources based upon generations of experience. To make
this happen, PSC fosters partnerships with organizations in all levels of government and the
private sector to share information, conduct trainings, and develop management solutions for the
islands. Each effort brings PSC closer to its goal and strengthens the ties between NOAA and the
coastal managers of the Pacific.
PSC has a deep understanding of the vulnerability of Pacific Islands to coastal hazards and has
focused considerable effort into providing the region with disaster risk management related
products and services that build resilience. Such activities include supporting regional
coordination bodies, developing information technology products and services, and providing
technical assistance to state, territorial, and local government. Beyond the Pacific Region, PSC is
also contributing to the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System along with their NOAA partners
and other U.S. federal agencies.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Project Duration: 1 year
Start Date: February 15, 2007
Hours per week: 20
Pay: $15.00 per hour
BENEFITS: The work of this position will provide experience on the issues facing local communities and coastal resource and disaster managers and help establish a network of professional connections that will be useful throughout their career.Funds may be available for training and travel as required.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The primary objective of this position is to support coastal hazard related projects and activities at PSC. Tasks may include the review and/or development of hazard outreach materials, review and testing of hazard related decision support tools, conducting literature reviews, technical assistance with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other tasks as assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-Enrollment in or recent completion of a Bachelor's or post-graduate degree in a related discipline
-Strong attention to detail
-Excellent interpersonal communication skills
-Working knowledge of computer software (MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
-Basic knowledge and/or interest in coastal hazards.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
-Experience working with GIS software
-Experience with digital image editing and graphics software
-Excellent writing skills
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: To apply please send a cover letter, resume, and three professional or academic references (contact information) to Lindsey Wong, NOAA Internship Program Coordinator, at lwong@eco.org. Please be sure to indicate which position you are applying for in your cover letter and subject line of your email.
For more information, visit
http://www.eco.org/site/apps/kb/cs/contactdisplay.asp?c=dnJLKPNnFkG&b=1046793&sid=fsJRJ2NGKiJVK2NHKpG.
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Director
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency; Framingham, Massachusetts
POSITION SUMMARY: The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the
state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources
during and immediately following emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards,
disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the
citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare
for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. The disaster life
cycle describes the process through which emergency managers prepare for emergencies and
disasters, respond to them when they occur, help people and institutions recover from them,
mitigate their effects, reduce the risk of loss, and prevent disasters such as fires and floods from
occurring.
The Director of MEMA is responsible for accomplishing the goals set forth by the
Commonwealth's State Homeland Security Strategy, which addresses:
- enhancing the Commonwealth's ability to assess risk and prevent future attacks or critical
incidents;
- improving the Commonwealth's ability to collect, analyze, disseminate, and manage key
information;
- improving preparedness by enhancing regional coordination;
- improving the ability of first responders to communicate at the scene of a terrorist attack or other
critical incident;
- improving the Commonwealth's ability to recover from a terrorist attack or other critical
incident.
At every stage of a disaster, it is the responsibility of the Director of MEMA to ensure that the state agency charged with building and supporting the Commonwealth's emergency management system provides a well-trained emergency management team with a grasp of the growing body of knowledge needed to evaluate the threats of terrorism and natural disasters and respond to all types of catastrophic events.
QUALIFICATIONS:
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have at least (A) six years of
full-time, or equivalent part-time, supervisory or managerial experience in business
administration, business management, or public-administration and (B) of which at least four
years must have been in a managerial capacity.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of emergency program management, public
administration, emergency planning, mitigation and coordinated response to emergencies which
require timely effective response actions.
- Thorough knowledge of all federal, state and local regulatory requirements applicable to
emergency management and major issues which require effective coordinated actions.
- Considerable knowledge of the principles, practices and procedures of supervision, organization
and administration.
- Ability to plan, implement, and coordinate technical and administrative programs.
- Ability to express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Ability to formulate, interpret, and apply regulations and policies relating to a civil preparedness program.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, co-workers, elected and appointed officials and members of diverse cultural and linguistic background regardless of race, religion, age, sex, disability or political affiliation.
- Demonstrated strong leadership background in emergency preparedness and response.
- Demonstrated ability to work within a culturally diverse community.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with local and state officials.
- Demonstrated ability to manage administrative operations and supervise staff.
- Demonstrated skills in program development.
EXPERIENCE NECESSARY:
- A minimum of three years of successful work experience in emergency management, law enforcement, terrorism preparedness, fire and emergency services, public administration, military intelligence, domestic intelligence gathering or a related field.
- Thorough experience in developing protocols and procedures for implementation of emergency plans and response, mitigation, and recovery actions.
- Experience in operational planning, financial management, and budgeting.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please send resume and cover letter to:
Irma L. Gutierrez, Director of Human Resources
Executive Office of Public Safety
One Ashburton Place, Room 2133
Boston, MA 02108
For more information, and a more complete listing of job responsibilities, visit
http://ceo.hrd.state.ma.us/ceo.nsf/7e766c4d4be0f11985256a2b005f4415/1fe8cfe32054872f85257
2660064eb2e?OpenDocument.
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Hazard Mitigation Specialist (Planner 1)
Atlanta, Georgia
QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from a four year college or university in Geography, Planning, Public Administration or related field with proven skills and ability in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis. Master's degree preferred. Candidate must have prior work experience
and demonstrated proficiency in ESRI GIS platforms, preferably ArcGIS 8.x or higher software.
Strong oral and written communication skills, analytical, research and personal computer skills
desired with experience in MS Office and Lotus Notes. Prior experience in local, regional or state
government GIS or planning office with a public agency a plus.
DUTIES: Under limited supervision, the successful candidate will carry out various
responsibilities related to the implementation of the State's comprehensive and coordinated
hazard mitigation planning program. Primary focus will include, but not be limited to, GIS
analysis and mapping products. Work products must meet stringent federal and state grant
requirements. Other duties as assigned. Travel required.
Specific duties will include:
-Perform lead GIS analysis and mapping for the Hazard Mitigation Division, including GIS
liaison for GEMA to other state and federal agencies.
-Manages and administers GIS related databases, data layers, and related information on behalf of
state agency.
-Provide technical assistance to state agencies and local governments in meeting the hazard
mitigation planning requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000
-Prepares or consults on preparation of grant and project proposals.
-Maintain a consistent, high quality, customer-focused orientation when conducting and providing
services or products to clients, the general public and other external customers.
-Interacts with all levels of government in a way that promotes respect, encourages cooperation
and contributes to excellent performance.
-Maintains knowledge of current trends and developments in the field. Applies relevant new
knowledge to performance of responsibilities.
-Creates and maintains a high performance environment characterized by positive leadership and a
strong team orientation.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of a bachelor's degree in a field appropriate to the
area of assignment as identified by the hiring agency from a four-year college or university or
completion of a bachelor's degree in any field from a four-year college or university and two years
of professional level work experience in the area of assignment as identified by the hiring agency
or four years of professional, programmatic work experience in the area of assignment as
identified by the hiring agency.
Note: applicants will be further assessed for skill in the use of computer applications (word
processors, spreadsheets, databases, etc.) appropriate to the position during the agency screening
process.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of a master's degree in a field appropriate to the area of assignment as identified by the hiring agency.
SALARY RANGE: $34,533/yr - $60,487/yr
CLOSING DATE: February 16, 2007
INSTRUCTIONS: Mail or fax resume or State of Georgia Application of Employment to:
Kaye Adamson, Finance Division
Georgia Emergency Management Agency
P.O. Box 18055
Atlanta, Georgia 30316-0055
Fax (404) 635-7205
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Federal Coordinating Officer
Federal Emergency Management Agency; Denton, Texas
RESPONSIBILITIES: Incumbent serves as the principal staff advisor to the Director, FEMA in
leading and coordinating the timely delivery of all Federal disaster assistance to support state and
local governments and affected communities. To achieve the timely delivery of full disaster
assistance, the FCO will maintain a balance between sound management practices and pressure to
satisfy stakeholders' interests. Specifically will perform the following duties: Establishes the
Federal presence as the President's at the disaster operation site. Coordinates the relationships
betweens Federal, State, local and FEMA personnel in partnership with the State Coordinating
Officer (SCO) and advises the Governor on the status of the Federal response. Establishes
response, recovery and mitigation operations with the SCO. Manages media, community and
other external relations to communicate the availability of assistance to Congress, applicants and
the general public as well as establishing communications links with the media and elected
officials. Establishes a disaster assistance site to administer relief services and coordinates
activities of state and local governments, activities of Federal agencies and volunteer
organizations. Works with the Disaster Recovery Manager, Regional Director and/or FEMA to
implement appropriate financial controls and to coordinate and monitor Federal program and
administrative activities.
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirements as contained in the OPM's Qualification Operating Manual. These are available on line at 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.
CONTACT:
Shelley S. Miller
1-800-879-6076
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