San Francisco 1906 and 2006: An Emergency Management Perspective

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 159-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucien G. Canton
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Cautionary Note ◽  
Emergency Plans ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Management Techniques

Despite a distance of 100 years the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire still has much to teach the emergency managers of 2006. The response to the 1906 disaster foreshadows many modern emergency management techniques and sounds a cautionary note about areas where work still needs to be done. By comparing the city's response in 1906 with modern emergency plans, this paper examines how San Francisco might deal with a similar event in 2006. While many issues that marred the 1906 response have been resolved and much has been done to build resiliency, San Francisco in 2006 is in many ways still very similar in attitude to the San Francisco of 1906. Further, the recent example of Hurricane Katrina suggests that some of the more critical issues that arose in 1906 have still not been fully resolved.

Design Principles for Crisis Information Management Systems

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 26-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Marie Nikolai ◽  
Troy Johnson ◽  
Michael Prietula ◽  
Irma Becerra-Fernandez ◽  
Gregory R. Madey
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Information Management Systems ◽  
Training And Research

Since Hurricane Katrina, a lot of research has gone into improving disaster management through the use of crisis information management systems (CIMS). There has been much interest in how to design dynamic CIMS, particularly with respect to web-based emergency management systems. In the authors' research, they set out to design and develop a distributed web-based training and research tool for emergency managers and scholars. In order to develop their training system, they needed to simulate the CIMS that emergency managers use during a crisis and with which they could run training and research simulations. This raised the question: What exactly is a CIMS, and how does one design one? In order to answer this question, the authors engaged in nine months of field research at the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center in Miami-Dade County, FL. Through their field research and the emergency management experience of one of the authors, they identified several additional design principles for CIMS in today's technological and communication landscape. This paper outlines the resulting recommendations.

Disaster Volunteers

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Forthcoming Article ◽  
Emergency Managers

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science. Please check back later for the full article. Emergency managers, community leaders, and organizations can recruit and deploy volunteers to make a difference when disasters occur. Leveraging the social capital such volunteers produce can expedite disaster response and recovery if managed effectively. Recent research brings to light the benefits and consequences of volunteerism, including the personal meaningfulness found in disaster service. Evidence-based best practices for organizing, recruiting, preparing, deploying, and debriefing volunteers inform those who seek to understand and use volunteers. Disaster volunteers may be spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers (SUVs) or affiliated with experienced organizations. The benefits each can provide vary. Trends that have influenced today’s disaster volunteers include the professionalization of disaster voluntary organizations, training and education, and social media. The development of inter-organizational partnerships represents one such trend, particularly the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) movement toward Points of Consensus on volunteer management. Cases illustrating turning points in the history of disaster volunteerism and trends over time in the United States can be drawn from the Johnstown flood (1889), the Galveston hurricane (1900), the San Francisco earthquake (1906), hurricane Camille (1969), the Mississippi River floods, hurricane Katrina (2005), and SuperStorm Sandy (2012). Internationally, examples of best practices can be drawn from the research and experiences in the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), the Haiti earthquake (2010), and Japan’s multiple, cascading events of 2011.

Fear, history, stigma, and bias in the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
Kevin Kupietz, PhD ◽  
Lesley Gray, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction: The greatest enemy of a global pandemic is not the virus itself, but the fear, rumor, and stigma that envelopes people. This article explores the context and history of fear and stigma relating to pandemic, summarizing key actions to mitigate the harms during an active pandemic.Method: Our article draws from accounts in literature and journalist accounts documenting the relationship between infectious diseases and major disease outbreaks that have garnered fear and stigmatization. Results: Fear, stigma, and discrimination are not new concepts for pandemics. These social effects run the risk of diverting attention from the presenting disease and government responses. Reactions to fear, stigma, and discrimination risk sabotaging effective efforts to contain, manage, and eradicate the disease.Conclusion: Emergency managers have an important role in dispelling myths, disseminating appropriate and evidence-based information without exacerbating fears. Knowledge about the roots of fear and bias along with a good understanding of historical plagues and pandemics is vital to ensure those in the field of emergency management can effectively manage irrational fears.

An approach to evaluation of emergency plans for unconventional emergency events based on soft fuzzy rough set

Kybernetes ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Bingzhen ◽  
Ma Weimin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Set Theory ◽  
Rough Set ◽  
Rough Set Theory ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Fuzzy Rough Set ◽  
Emergency Plans ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emergency Events

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a new method for evaluation of emergency plans for unconventional emergency events by using the soft fuzzy rough set theory and methodology. Design/methodology/approach – In response to the problems of insufficient risk identification, incomplete and inaccurate data and different preference of decision makers, a new model for emergency plan evaluation is established by combining soft set theory with classical fuzzy rough set theory. Moreover, by combining the TOPSIS method with soft fuzzy rough set theory, the score value of the soft fuzzy lower and upper approximation is defined for the optimal object and the worst object. Finally, emergency plans are comprehensively evaluated according to the soft close degree of the soft fuzzy rough set theory. Findings – This paper presents a new perspective on emergency management decision making in unconventional emergency events. Also, the paper provides an effective model for evaluating emergency plans for unconventional events. Originality/value – The paper contributes to decision making in emergency management of unconventional emergency events. The model is useful for dealing with decision making with uncertain information.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Storm Prediction Center's Convective Outlooks and Watches on Emergency Management Operational Planning

2021 ◽  
pp. 36-46
Author(s):  
Heather A. Cross ◽  
Dennis Cavanaugh ◽  
Christopher C. Buonanno ◽  
Amy Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Severe Weather ◽  
Emergency Operations ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
Severe Thunderstorms ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Storm Prediction ◽  
Near Term ◽  
The Impact

For many emergency managers (EMs) and National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters, Convective Outlooks issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) influence the preparation for near-term severe weather events. However, research into how and when EMs utilize that information, and how it influences their emergency operations plan, is limited. Therefore, to better understand how SPC Convective Outlooks are used for severe weather planning, a survey was conducted of NWS core partners in the emergency management sector. The results show EMs prefer to wait until an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms is issued to prepare for severe weather. In addition, the Day 2 Convective Outlook serves as the threshold for higher, value-based decision making. The survey was also used to analyze how the issuance of different risk levels in SPC Convective Outlooks impact emergency management preparedness compared to preparations conducted when a Convective Watch is issued.

scholarly journals Increasing the Value of Uncertain Weather and River Forecasts for Emergency Managers

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frauke Hoss ◽  
Paul Fischbeck
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Local Network ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Many

Abstract Emergency managers (EMs) use National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts to prepare for and respond to severe weather events. To effectively facilitate such decision making, the NWS needs to understand this large and important group of clients. EMs translate the forecasts to local topography, suggest actions to take in preparation of high water levels, and use their local network and reputation to make people act. For this study, 17 EMs in towns along rivers were interviewed and asked to describe their use of river and weather forecasts. Forecast uncertainty is one of the many uncertainties an EM has to manage when coordinating an emergency response. Each of the interviewed EMs who uses river forecasts was acutely aware that river forecasts often have substantial uncertainty. To cope with this uncertainty, EMs engage in extensive information gathering before forming their own judgments. However, EMs often do not communicate their judgment of the situation to the public, fearing potential liability claims and backlash from the media. For emergency management decisions, while EMs do consider forecast data, they rely heavily on recorded data and monitoring crews, limiting the benefits of forecasts that can be made with significant lead time. This paper arrives at recommendations for the NWS on how to increase the value of river and weather forecasts for decision making in emergency management.

Research on the Promotion Path of Collaborative Emergency Response Capability of Smoke-Free Cities in the Digital Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 5230-5245
Author(s):  
Qian Yuhao ◽  
Chen Junshi ◽  
Wang Chen ◽  
Liu Chen
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Control Mode ◽  
Disaster Prevention ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Emergency Plans ◽  
Information Resource Integration ◽  
Integration Mode

In recent years, major public safety incidents occur frequently in smoke-free cities. Under the complex and severe situation, the emergency preparedness capacity of smoke-free cities in China needs to be improved. In this paper, 50 fire emergency plans in smoke-free City F are taken as samples, and the qualitative comparative analysis method of clear set (csqca) is applied to explore the improvement path of emergency preparedness ability. Three influence paths are obtained to improve the emergency preparedness ability, which are information resource integration mode, business collaboration pre control mode and system route mode. The results provide reference for improving the effectiveness of pre disaster prevention, enhance the emergency preparedness capacity of smoke-free cities and improving the effect of emergency management.

Local emergency management social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 83-97
Author(s):  
Sean Hildebrand, PhD ◽  
Brandon Waite, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Times

The purpose of this special issue of the Journal of Emergency Management is to assess the state of disaster preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article adds to this discussion by examining the results of a national survey of emergency managers in the United States regarding the social media platforms they use to communicate information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, how proficient they feel using them, and what value they see in these technologies during the times of crisis. The authors’ findings help make sense of government responses to the pandemic, as well as contribute to the body of literature on communication and emergency management more broadly. Furthermore, their findings have important implications for emergency management practitioners and educators. 

The Library as Lifeboat

2016 ◽  
pp. 494-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Mabe
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Hurricane Irene ◽  
Management Professionals ◽  
Chesterfield County ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Effective Reaction

According to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned (2006), emergency management professionals realized first-hand that preplanning and coordination is essential when mounting an effective reaction to natural disasters. This chapter describes how leaders in Chesterfield County, VA learned similar lessons in 2001 during Hurricane Irene. In comparison to Katrina the amount of damage caused by Irene was minimal but the impact on county leaders was severe. Based on lessons learned during Irene and an unexpected wind storm nine months later, Chesterfield County leaders now include the Chesterfield County Public (CCPL) in their official disaster relief plans. When activated, CCPL will serve as an information hub, double as a daytime relief shelter and participate in mass feeding if necessary. Selected library branches are available to be used as overnight relief shelters for mass care when the activation of a standard sized shelter facility is not warranted. These changes have made a notable difference.

Mitigating Impacts of Natural Hazards on Fishery Ecosystems

2008 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Natural Disaster ◽  
Marine Debris ◽  
Ecosystem Goods And Services ◽  
Reef Restoration ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Emergency Managers ◽  
Land Use Decisions ◽  
Management Advice

<em>Abstract</em>.—The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami left a vast amount of destruction in its wake on land and in the sea. About 60% of coral reefs in the affected areas of Thailand were damaged, at least in the shallowest 10–20-m (33–66-ft) depth zones. Many damaged reef, beach, and mangrove areas in Thailand and Sri Lanka were high value tourist attractions or provided other important ecosystem goods and services. We were part of a fortuitous partnership of people with experience in reef restoration, coral reef science, marine debris removal, construction, professional scuba diving, business, marketing, and environmental nongovernmental organizations. We helped organize and fund multiple restoration and cleanup projects that restored damaged and detached sea fans in Similan Islands Marine National Park, restored hard corals, removed more than 453.59 metric tons of marine debris, and provided sustainable management advice to local stakeholders and decision makers. We later became involved in advising emergency management agencies on disaster preparedness and response. We use our reef-dominated experiences as a case study to suggest broader lessons learned for natural scientists to be involved in, and for emergency managers to consider, for mitigating and planning for future natural disaster impacts on fishery ecosystems. We also provide some coral-reef specific lessons regarding reattachment of large sea fans, triaging and organizing large-scale volunteer marine debris recovery, and other coral ecosystem restoration efforts. We argue that “natural” disasters can cause significant damage to reefs and other ecosystems and that much damage results from human sources that are not natural and can be mitigated or prevented (such as siting and land-use decisions that lead to debris affecting reefs). Thus, we disagree with those who say natural events like hurricanes or tsunamis “are not appropriate for reef restoration” (Precht 2006; Symons et al. 2006). Further, governments need to recognize the economic and inherent values of ecosystem goods and services in natural disaster response legislation and policies (e.g., The Stafford Act in the United States) to improve outcomes for society. We also argue that ecosystem advocates need to adopt the language of emergency management.

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