Natural Hazards Observer
| May 2006 | Volume XXX | Number 5 |
Below are the most recent conference announcements received by the Natural Hazards Center. A comprehensive list of hazards/disaster meetings is posted on our Web site: www.colorado.edu/hazards/conf.html.
National Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Conference. Hosts: California Citizen Corps, California Service Corps Office of the Governor, California Office of Homeland Security, and California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Los Angeles, California: May 15-17, 2006. This conference will offer a general CERT track in addition to tracks in program management and train-the-trainer. It is open to all CERT program managers, coordinators, volunteer managers, volunteers, and other first responders from across the country. To learn more, contact the National CERT Conference Committee, c/o LASD-CLEPP Room 144, 4700 Ramona Boulevard, Monterey Park, CA 91754; (323) 526-5015; e-mail: info@certconference2006.com; www.certconference2006.com/.
9th Annual By Invitation Emergency Management and Homeland Security/Defense Higher Education Conference. Host: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute. Emmitsburg, Maryland: June 6-8, 2006. This conference provides a forum for academics to discuss problems and issues surrounding hazards, disaster, emergency management, and homeland security/defense educational programs. It is designed for representatives of colleges and universities that have such programs in place or are attempting to develop and implement them. This year’s theme is “Catastrophe Readiness and Response.” To learn more, contact Wayne Blanchard, FEMA; (301) 447-1262; e-mail: wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov or Barbara Johnson, FEMA; (301) 447-1452; e-mail: Barbara.L.Johnson@dhs.gov; http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/edu/educonference06.asp.
International Conference on Emergency Telecommunications (ICEC-2006). Conveners: Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland’s Ministry of the Interior, and the Finnish Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Tampere, Finland: June 19-20, 2006. The subject of ICEC-2006 is the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, the international treaty facilitating the use of telecommunications in international response to disasters. To learn more, contact Tampere Congress and Export Service TAVI Ltd., Congress Secretariat, TAVI Congress Bureau, Sari Kamula, Papinkatu 21, FI-33200 Tampere, Finland; +358 3 233 0430; e-mail: icec2006@tavicon.fi; www.icec2006.com/.
Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC-2006). Organizer: International Amateur Radio Union. Tampere, Finland: June 19-20, 2006. This conference will review the latest technological and operational developments in the application of the amateur radio service to emergency communications and the cooperation with institutional partners in emergency response and disaster relief. This is a parallel event to ICEC-2006 (see previous). To learn more, e-mail hans.zimmermann@ties.itu.int; www.rientola.fi/oh3ag/garec/.
Advances in Threat Assessment and Their Application to Forest and Rangeland Management. Organizers: Eastern and Western Threat Assessment Centers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Boulder, Colorado: July 18-20, 2006. This conference will explore the latest information on environmental threat assessment and management. It is designed to encourage meaningful exchange among those developing new knowledge and tools for threat assessment and those responsible for managing forests and rangelands. Scientists, educators, policy makers, property owners, land managers, and students are among those invited to attend. To learn more, contact John Pye; (919) 549-4013; e-mail: jpye@fs.fed.us; www.forestencyclopedia.net/Encyclopedia/Threats/.
Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting. Organizer: American Geophysical Union (AGU). Beijing, China: July 24-27, 2006. This meeting is for AGU members and members of the sponsoring societies in the Western Pacific to discuss the needs of geophysicists interested in studies in the Western Pacific region. The conference will include sessions on volcanology, seismology, climate variability, hydrology, sustainable urban development, and geophysics. To learn more, contact the AGU Meetings Department, 2000 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; (800) 966-2481 x330; e-mail: wp-help@agu.org; www.agu.org/meetings/wp06/.
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Annual Conference and Exposition. Orlando, Florida: August 6-10, 2006. This conference will feature presentations on homeland security and public safety communications technology, including development tracks on management and planning, interoperability, legislative and regulatory issues, and more. To learn more, contact APCO, 351 North Williamson Boulevard, Daytona Beach, FL 32114; e-mail: apco@apcointl.org; www.apco2006.org/.
Second Latin-American Congress of Seismology/III Columbian Congress of Seismology. Organizer: Latin-American and Caribbean Geosciences Association. Bogota, Columbia: August 8-12, 2006. This meeting is concerned with the seismotectonic and volcanic behavior in the Latin American and Caribbean region, including issues related to exploration by nonconventional geophysical methods and the social impacts of seismic and volcanic hazards and how they contribute to the sustainable development of the region. To learn more, e-mail congresosismologia@geoslac.org; www.geoslac.org/congreso/english/.
Joint Australasian Fire Authorities Council/International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre Conference. Melbourne, Australia: August 10-13, 2006. Participants at this conference will share research and information on community safety, fire suppression, land management, weather, and firefighter health and safety. Emergency management professionals from emergency services organizations; local, state, and federal governments; nongovernmental organizations; community groups; and industry from around the world are invited to attend. To learn more, e-mail Simon Monk at sm@asnevents.net.au or Steve Robin at sr@asnevents.net.au; +61 (0)3 5983 2400; www.afac2006.org/.
7th Natural Hazards Management Conference 2006. Organizer: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS). Christchurch, New Zealand: August 23-24, 2006. This conference will provide a forum to discuss the integration of hazards information into effective risk management, including best practice planning, new technologies and advances in science applications, natural hazards mitigation for industry, and creating resilient communities by integrating science into practice. The target audience is emergency managers, planners, risk assessors, asset and utility managers, and natural hazards researchers and scientists. To learn more, contact Daryl Barton, GNS Science, 1 Fairway Drive, Avalon, PO Box 30-368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand; +(04) 570 1444; e-mail: d.barton@gns.cri.nz; www.gns.cri.nz/news/conferences/.
RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2006: Global Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability. Host: Royal Geographic Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG). London, United Kingdom: August 30-September 1, 2006. This conference will serve as a forum to engage practitioners and policy makers with research agendas related to social justice and environmental sustainability. Proposed sessions include Coastal Partnerships Delivering Integrated Coastal Zone Management; Climate Change and Variability; and Disasters, Development, and Generosity, among many others. To learn more, call +020 7591 3020 or e-mail AC2006@rgs.org; www.rgs.org/category.php?Page=ac2006.
First European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology. Organizers: Swiss Society for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, Swiss Seismological Service, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and Swiss Federal Office for the Environment. Geneva, Switzerland: September 3-8, 2006. This joint event of the 13th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and the 30th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission will facilitate discussions between the earthquake and seismology communities. Common sessions include Historical Investigations of Earthquake Effects, Damage, and Vulnerability; Early Warning, Shaking, and Loss Scenarios; Strategies in Earthquake Mitigation; and Secondary Earthquake Hazards: Tsunami, Landslide, Rock Fall, Liquefaction. To learn more, contact Symporg, 7, avenue Krieg, CH-1208 Geneva, Switzerland; +41 22 839 84 84; e-mail: ECEES2006@symporg.ch; www.ecees.org/.
III International Conference on Avalanches and Related Subjects. Sponsors: International Glaciological Society and Institute of Geography of Russian Academy of Sciences Glaciological Society. Kirovsk, Murbansk, Russia: September 4-8, 2006. The objective of this conference is to sum up the results of avalanche research completed since the international avalanche conferences in 1996 and 2001 and to communicate ideas and information between Russian avalanche researchers and members of the world avalanche community. To learn more, contact Pavel Chernouss; 00 7 81531 96230; e-mail: Pchernous@apatit.com; www.cas.kirovsk.ru/conference.htm.
8th Annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference and Exposition. Sponsors: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice, and U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense. Atlanta, Georgia: September 6-8, 2006. This conference will highlight the technologies and tools currently available and being developed for the emergency responder community. It will offer opportunities for emergency responders, business and industry representatives, academics, and elected federal, state, and local stakeholders to network, exchange ideas, and address common critical incident technology and preparedness needs and solutions. To learn more, e-mail Lisa Hecker at lhecker@ctc.org; www.regonline.com/eventinfo.asp?EventId=88623.
National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) 2006 Annual Meeting and Workshop. San Antonio, Texas: September 6-8, 2006. Participants in this meeting will include local, state, and federal flood and stormwater management officials from throughout the United States. The meeting will provide opportunities to share information with colleagues and to discuss critical issues. To learn more, contact the NAFSMA, 1301 K Street NW, Eighth Floor East Tower, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 478-1734; www.nafsma.org/Meetings/meetings_upcoming.htm.
International City/County Management Association (ICMA) 92nd Annual Conference. San Antonio, Texas: September 10-13, 2006. The educational program of this conference is organized into six tracks, including one on Emergency and Disaster Management, under the theme of “Sustaining Our Communities in an Uncertain World.” Public and private sector experts will share knowledge and address new and recurring challenges facing local government managers. To learn more, contact the ICMA, 777 North Capitol Street, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20002; (202) 289-4262; e-mail: ICMAConference@icma.org; www.icma.org/.
Dam Safety ‘06. Organizer: Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Boston, Massachusetts: September 10-14, 2006. This conference is dedicated to dam safety engineering and technology transfer. Engineers; geologists; hydrologists; dam owners; state, local, and federal officials; industry representatives; and others working in the field of dam safety are invited to share their experiences in all aspects of dam safety. Presentations will be designed to heighten awareness, share experiences and case studies, advance technology transfer, improve communication, and demonstrate state-of-the-art practices. To learn more, contact Susan Sorrell at (859) 257-5146 or sasorrell@damsafety.org; www.damsafety.org/.
Fall World 2006. Organizer: Disaster Recovery Journal. San Diego, California: September 17-20, 2006. This conference will focus on all aspects of disaster recovery, contingency planning, and business continuity. Attendees will gain knowledge and information through sessions, workshops, exercises, and networking opportunities. An exhibit hall will showcase the latest industry trends, products, and services. Among other things, attendees can participate in a real-time disaster simulation (limited to 200 participants). For more information, call (314) 894-0276 or e-mail drj@drj.com; www.drj.com/conferences/sd2006/.
Fifth National Seismic Conference on Bridges and Highways. Organizer: Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER). San Francisco, California: September 18-20, 2006. The theme of this conference is “Innovations in Earthquake Engineering for Highway Structures.” Its purpose is to increase awareness of seismic and geological hazards and to enhance the technical expertise of engineering professionals to mitigate the risk of failure or damage to bridges and highways. The conference will be tailored to the needs of engineers, design consultants, researchers, and others responsible for transportation facilities who are interested in learning about advances in earthquake-resistant design and retrofitting, highway system performance, and the latest in research results. To learn more, contact Jerome O’Connor, MCEER, Red Jacket Quadrangle, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14261; (716) 645-3391 x107; e-mail: jso7@buffalo.edu; http://mceer.buffalo.edu/meetings/5nsc/.
Managing Drought and Water Scarcity in Vulnerable Environments: Creating a Roadmap for Change in the United States. Organizer: Geological Society of America. Boulder, Colorado: September 18-20, 2006. The goals of this meeting are to create an integrated, interactive, future-oriented forum for understanding and improving the management of drought and water scarcity in the United States and to stimulate national debate through the publication and wide distribution of a science- and policy-based discussion document. The focus of the meeting will be on identifying successful strategies for drought and water scarcity management and on developing a decisive action plan. To learn more, contact Deborah Nelson, Geological Society of America; (303) 357-1014; e-mail: dnelson@geosociety.org; www.geosociety.org/meetings/06drought/.
3rd International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management: Reducing the Vulnerability of Societies against Water Related Risks at the Basin Scale. Sponsors: International Association of Hydrological Sciences and International Commission on Water Resources Systems. Bochum, Germany: September 26-28, 2006. This symposium will address how to cope with the water-related vulnerability of societies, including environmental risks, floods, droughts, pollution, water logging, and the opportunities for creating resilience against these risks. To learn more, contact Conventus, Congressmanagement & Marketing GmbH, Markt 8, 07743 Jena, Germany; +49 3641 35 33 221; e-mail: water@conventus.de; http://conventus.de/water/.
Fourth International Conference on Earthquake Engineering. Organizer: National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering ( Taiwan). Taipei, Taiwan: October 12-13, 2006. The purpose of this event is to promote international collaboration and facilitate the exchange of research findings in earthquake preparedness, response, and recovery. The conference will cover earthquake engineering, structural control, smart structures, and structural health monitoring to integrate enabling technologies and improve the hazards resilience of civil infrastructure systems. To learn more, contact Chiun-lin Wu, National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, 200, Sec. 3, Xinhai Road, Taipei, Taiwan; +886 2 6630 0891; e-mail: icee@ncree.org.tw; http://conf.ncree.org.tw/index_eng.aspx?conf_id=i0951012.
Eighth Regional Training Course on Flood Disaster Risk Management. Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Bangkok, Thailand: October 16-27, 2006. This course offers an integrated approach to the development of flood risk reduction strategies that involves engineering, settlement, development, public administration, community-based strategies, and land use planning (with environmental considerations). To learn more, contact the Training and Education Division, ADPC, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4 Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; e-mail: tedadpc@adpc.net; www.adpc.net/trg/trg_files/brochureFDRM-8.pdf.
National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Education Conference: Backyards and Beyond. Sponsors: National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Working Team and Firewise Communities. Denver, Colorado: November 2-4, 2006. This conference will provide an opportunity to network with other like-minded professionals and to share best practices. Participants will be able to customize their educational experience by choosing from more than 70 educational sessions over six conference tracks: Using Technology, Research, Firewise Communities/USA, Planning and Mitigation, Firewise and Emergency Operations, and Communicating the Firewise Message. To learn more, visit www.firewise.org/conference06/.
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. To learn more, contact the Training and Education Division, ADPC, Asian Institute of Technology, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; e-mail: tedadpc@adpc.net; www.adpc.net/training/brochure/DMC-34brochure.pdf.
American Water Resources Association (AWRA) 2006 Annual Water Resources Conference. Baltimore, Maryland: November 6-9, 2006. This conference will provide an opportunity for water resource practitioners from diverse disciplines to discuss cutting-edge water resource 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, water (homeland) security, watershed management, dam rehabilitation or removal, drought and flood management, and ecological restoration of wetlands and stream corridors. To learn more, contact Patricia Reid, AWRA, PO Box 1626, Middleburg, VA 20118; (540) 687-8390; e-mail: pat@awra.org; www.awra.org/meetings/Baltimore2006/.
6th Asian Seismological Commission General Assembly/Symposium on Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation. Bangkok, Thailand: November 7-10, 2006. This event will focus on increasing understanding of the physical processes of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami, sharing scientific knowledge and technology, strengthening multidisciplinary cooperation in the field of earthquake/tsunami preparedness and mitigation policy, and enhancing the observation networks and data exchanges in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. To learn more, contact the Local Organizing Committee, Thai Meteorological Department, 4353 Sukhumvit Road, Bang Na, Bangkok 10260, Thailand; e-mail: asc2006_loc@tmd.go.th; http://asc1996.netfirms.com/asc2006/.
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 2006 Annual Conference and Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expo. Orlando, Florida: November 12-15, 2006. The theme of this year’s conference is “Going All the Way . . . Putting Plans into Action.” Its purpose is to provide a forum for sharing current trends, topics, and the latest tools and technology in emergency management and homeland security and to advance IAEM’s committee work. Sessions encourage stakeholders at all levels of government, the private sector, public health, and related professions to exchange ideas on collaborating to protect lives and property from disaster. To learn more, contact IAEM, 201 Park Washington Court, Falls Church, VA, 22046; (703) 538-1795; e-mail: info@iaem.com; www.iaem.com/events/annual/intro.htm.
3rd International Fire Ecology and Management Congress. Host: Association for Fire Ecology. San Diego, California: November 13-17, 2006. This meeting will provide an opportunity for fire and land managers, scientists, resource professionals, agency administrators, local government representatives, consultants, university staff, students, and the concerned public to learn from specialists and each other about the science and technology related to wildland fire management. Topics will include fire effects on vegetation and wildlife, fire in a landscape context, fuels management, postfire rehabilitation, and the latest technology for predicting and monitoring fire. An exhibit will showcase new products, technology, and tools. To learn more, contact Detlef Decker, Washington State University Extension, 305 Hulbert Hall, PO Box 646230, Pullman, WA 99164-6230; (509) 335-2811; e-mail: ddecker@wsu.edu; http://emmps.wsu.edu/firecongress/.
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, operational, as well as national and international perspectives, will be represented. To learn more, contact Anne Eyre, Trauma Training, PO Box 2590, Leamington Spa, Warks CV31 1GQ, UK; +01926 427939; e-mail: anne.eyre@traumatraining.com; www.fireservicecollege.ac.uk/Conferences+and+Events/Research+Event/.
2006 IBHS Annual Conference on Property Loss Reduction. Organizer: Institute of Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Lake Buena Vista, Florida: November 16-17, 2006. This annual congress on property loss reduction brings together professionals in the insurance industry, emergency management, government agencies, and academic institutions to discuss the latest developments in natural hazards mitigation. To learn more, contact the IBHS, 4775 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617; (813) 286-3400; e-mail: info@ibhs.org; www.ibhs.org/congress/.