Journal of Emergency Management最新文献

The Disaster Response Complex (DRC) is a year-round training complex that specializes in training emergency responders in realistic indoor and outdoor environments. The outdoor site is comprised of 3 acres of secured customizable space for various exercises. The indoor site is designed to include an indoor facility with a full-size city street, complete with storefronts and motor vehicles that can be configured for emergency response training exercises, and a train or subway station where mockups of derailments can be simulated. The DRC includes large parking areas to accommodate multiple vehicles, allowing trainees the space needed to set up equipment and tactical operations. In addition, a campus office space is also available for an off-site operations center.

This paper presents a simulation modeling study that examines the potential benefit of arming public school staff members with concealed carry weapons (CCWs) in combination with school resource officers (SROs) during active shooter events. By simulating real or hypothetical situations and altering various parameters, simulation modeling allows researchers to explore the potential factors that may influence the outcome of such situations. This study will analyze literature on active shootings to identify key characteristics that may impact the outcome of an event and will use an actual school active shooter event as a basis for developing a simulation model. The researchers will then introduce a CCW carrier and an SRO into the scenario to assess the potential impact and outcomes of such a change. The results of this study may inform the development of effective policies and procedures for addressing active shooter events in public settings.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected our lives in all aspects, including key fields such as social interaction and economic supply chains. The field of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive substances (CBRNE) was already directly affected by the pandemic in that the COVID-19 virus is, in a sense, a biological agent. This paper elaborates on how the field of CBRNE has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It does so by drawing on the results of an interview study with CBRNE practitioners (Fire Brigades, Law Enforcement Agencies, etc.) conducted as part of the European Union project PReparedness against CBRNE threats through cOmmon Approaches between security praCTItioners and the VulnerablE civil society, as well as findings from research literature on links between CBRNE and COVID-19. This paper highlights four areas where the influence of the pandemic on the CBRNE field has been evident. The four areas are as follows: preparedness for CBRNE incidents and likelihood of future CBRNE incidents (with a focus on terrorist attacks), CBRNE training and education, increased awareness of CBRNE-related behaviors and measures among the general public, and greater awareness of the needs of vulnerable groups (older people, etc.).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed people's interactions dramatically, be it with the government, the outside world, or one another. It has compelled society to change the standards for decision-making in areas such as health and education, and how people live, work, play, and do business. As a result of the new behavioral patterns imposed by governments around the world, including the South African government, there has been technological advancement through the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). In South Africa, key economic sectors such as healthcare, education, and finance have served as digital change engines. Without a doubt, technology has been able to halt the spread of the virus. The main objective of this paper is to raise awareness of 4IR and to identify opportunities presented by 4IR for South Africa and the challenges presented by 4IR in resolving COVID-19 issues. It examines the relationship between evolving technological advances brought about by 4IR and COVID-19. Following a review of the relevant literature, the study's findings revealed that prior to the pandemic, several sectors were wary of, and slow to accept, 4IR. Despite the benefits of 4IR, many African countries face difficulties across various sectors. Almost all African countries are unprepared for 4IR, with the exception of South Africa, which is considered partially ready and ranks 22nd on the automation readiness index. African countries that have embraced digital transformation have cited South Africa as a case study due to its adoption of 4IR. Despite the benefits, several barriers to the adoption and use of 4IR technologies have been identified in developing countries, including South Africa, which has the opportunity to adopt consistent 4IR.

This editorial discusses the urgent need to finalize the emerging emergency management profession. Points of reference in the years immediately preceding and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic are recounted and frame some of the essential forward work slated to be started or completed this year in 2024. Activity taking place by connected associations and members of the emerging profession is shared. Legislation filed in Massachusetts to finalize the emerging profession is also shared. Activities needed for the emerging profession are described, and how professionals can help in their role to continue to move these fundamental initiatives forward is outlined. Present considerations should be accounted for, as they threaten the fabric of the emerging profession while at the same time giving us undeniable reasons for why we need to finalize this critical work in 2024 before the next major global disaster.

Ashfall from the April 2021 La Soufrière volcano eruption significantly impacted the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent. Out of all infrastructure sectors, transportation was the most affected across the island, with damages totaling $27.5 million (USD). Removal of ash is a debris management, public health, and disaster concern. This study uses the United States Geological Survey Ash3d model to estimate the thickness of ashfall covering roads, structures, and agricultural lands, totaling 9.4 million ft.³ on roadways, 4.8 million ft.³ on structures, and 147 million ft.³ in agricultural areas. Total ashfall on the island was estimated at 1.3 billion ft.³ Long-term planning and recovery challenges include the remote island location, limited resources, and the existing social and humanitarian needs intensified by the disaster. A staged approach to cleanup, debris management, temporary storage of ash, and sustainable reuse of ash as an aggregate for paving and building materials is proposed. The benefits of new technologies for converting ash into building materials using both off- and on-island systems should be considered for reconstruction materials. Using alternatives to sand mining and developing the adaptive reuse of disaster debris would support long-term recovery and resilience.

Background: Most research examining first responders of terrorist incidents has been conducted in early post-disaster periods, utilized quantitative research methods, and focused on psychopathology such as post-traumatic stress.

Methods: Longitudinal follow-up assessments of 124 workers from 181 baseline volunteer rescue and recovery workers originally studied were completed nearly a quarter century after the terrorist bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Open-ended qualitative interviews were used in the follow-up study.

Results: The rescue and recovery work, vividly described decades later, was gruesome. These workers' descriptions captured their mental toughness and their professional missions, as well as the emotional and mental health (MH) toll on their lives.

Conclusions: The extreme nature of rescue and recovery work in the aftermath of terrorism suggests potential utility for MH interventions to address the psychological toll that can be expected of human beings under the most extraordinary circumstances.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) and emergency managers (EMs) around the country are tasked with communicating severe weather information to the public. Frequent interaction between professionals and residents is essential to building effective partnerships. This paper investigates these interactions and also explores the perspectives of NWS forecasters, EMs, and rural residents related to the efficacy of warning communication, message understanding, preferred platforms, and engagement in protective actions. Data for this study were collected through three original survey instruments that were directed to NWS forecasters and EMs across the country, and residents in four rural communities. Findings reveal that residents generally understand warning messages and generally feel tornado risk communication is effective in their communities. However, residents do not appear to have a plan of action formulated prior to a warning and are, therefore, making, rather than implementing, a plan when warning is issued. This study gives rural residents a voice in the warning communication process and a chance for forecasters and EMs to gain valuable information as they better plan to serve these communities.

Hierarchical command-style structures are commonplace in the management of disasters, though researchers have begun to recommend the exploration of networked approaches to incident management. Furthermore, few studies are explicitly looking at the rural context of disaster management. This study seeks to contribute to both topics by examining the motivations for emergent collaboration in the direction of the response and initial recovery to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in a rural West Virginia community. Between March 2020 and March 2022, the primary investigator moderated regular briefings of a community task force convened to coordinate the pandemic response and recovery. As regular operations concluded, members completed a survey, and 10 randomly selected members participated in semistructured interviews regarding their experiences in the task force. Survey responses suggest that common motivations for collaboration in nondisaster contexts (as they appear in the scholarly literature) and potential benefits of networked approaches highlighted in the incident management literature could also serve as motivators within the disaster context. Qualitative interview data extend that discussion and identify the need to gain clear information regarding the concerned authorities and specific local information to better inform the expenditure of limited resources as two additional motivators for collaboration.

In August 2020, Sonoma County experienced the Walbridge Fire (part of the Lake-Napa Unit Complex Fire). Following the repopulation of evacuated residents, the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management circulated a Resident Experience Survey to learn from stakeholders how the fire impacted their lives, how emergency response to the fire met their needs, and to gather information to improve future disaster response activities. A total of 1,583 English and 55 Spanish surveys were completed. This paper describes a mixed-method research using survey data to understand broader mental health implications of the Walbridge Fire on residents. This study developed a quantitative Global Worry Model to explore which survey factors contributed to poorer mental health outcomes. Quantitative analytics looked at how language, loss, emergency alerts, and family size were measured for significance with a survey reported on a mental health questionnaire. Open-ended survey responses surrounding previous disaster experience, pre-existing health issues, and environmental conditions (smoke and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic) were contributory to responder's stress and anxiety. Final data analysis concluded that those who faced immediate loss presented with significant self-declared stress and anxiety.