Integrating authorities and disciplines into the preparedness-planning process: a study of mental health, public health, and emergency management.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Madeline; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Codispoti, Catherine R; Montgomery, Juliann M

2007-01-01

The process of integrating all necessary authorities and disciplines into an organized preparedness plan is complex, and the inclusion of disaster mental health poses specific challenges. The goals of this project were (1) to identify whether state mental health preparedness was included in state public health and emergency management preparedness plans, (2) to document barriers to entry and strategies reportedly used by state authorities in efforts to incorporate reasonable mental health preparedness into existing public health and emergency management preparedness planning, (3) to employ a theory for organizational change to organize and synthesize this information, and (4) to stimulate further discussion and research supporting coordinated preparedness efforts at the state level, particularly those inclusive of mental health. To accomplish these goals we (1) counted the number of state public health preparedness and emergency management plans that either included, mentioned, or omitted a mental health preparedness plan; (2) interviewed key officials from nine representative states for their reports on strategies used in seeking greater inclusion of mental health preparedness in public health and emergency management preparedness planning; and (3) synthesized these results to contribute to the national dialogue on coordinating disaster preparedness, particularly with respect to mental health preparedness. We found that 15 out of 29 publicly available public health preparedness plans (52 percent) included mental health preparedness, and eight of 43 publicly available emergency management plans (18 percent) incorporated mental health. Interviewees reported numerous barriers and strategies, which we cataloged according to a well-accepted eight-step plan for transforming organizations.

Emergency preparedness 1995 site support plan WBS 6.7.2.3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faulk, S.M.

1994-09-01

The Emergency Preparedness Program provides an emergency management system including occurrence notification; development, coordination, and direction of planning, preparedness, and readiness assurance for response to emergency events on the Hanford Site; and emergency management support to Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL)

Mathematical Assessment of Canada’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abba B Gumel

2008-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The presence of the highly pathogenic avian H5N1 virus in wild bird populations in several regions of the world, together with recurrent cases of H5N1 influenza arising primarily from direct contact with poultry, have highlighted the urgent need for prepared-ness and coordinated global strategies to effectively combat a potential influenza pandemic. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the Canadian pandemic influenza preparedness plan.

Building resiliency: a cross-sectional study examining relationships among health-related quality of life, well-being, and disaster preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gowan, Monica E; Kirk, Ray C; Sloan, Jeff A

2014-06-09

Worldwide, disaster exposure and consequences are rising. Disaster risk in New Zealand is amplified by island geography, isolation, and ubiquitous natural hazards. Wellington, the capital city, has vital needs for evacuation preparedness and resilience to the devastating impacts and increasing uncertainties of earthquake and tsunami disasters. While poor quality of life (QoL) is widely-associated with low levels of engagement in many health-protective behaviors, the relationships among health-related quality of life (HrQoL), well-being, and preparedness are virtually unknown. We hypothesized that QoL and well-being affect household evacuation preparedness. We performed a quantitative epidemiologic survey (cross-sectional design) of Wellington adults. Our investigation assessed health-promoting attributes that build resiliency, conceptualized as health-protective attitudes and behaviors. Multidimensional QoL variables were measured using validated psychometric scales and analyzed for associations with evacuation preparedness, and we determined whether age and gender affected these relationships. We received 695 survey responses (28.5% response rate; margin of error ±3.8%; 80% statistical power to detect true correlations of 0.11 or greater). Correlational analyses showed statistically significant positive associations with evacuation preparedness for spiritual well-being, emotional well-being, and life satisfaction. No associations were found for mental health, social well-being, or gender; physical health was weakly negatively associated. Evacuation preparedness increased with age. Regression analyses showed that overall health and well-being explained 4.6-6.8% of the variance in evacuation preparedness. Spiritual well-being was the only QoL variable that significantly and uniquely explained variance in preparedness. How well-being influences preparedness is complex and deeply personal. The data indicate that multidimensional readiness is essential, and

Guided preparedness planning with lay communities: enhancing capacity of rural emergency response through a systems-based partnership.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, O Lee; Perry, Charlene; Azur, Melissa; Taylor, Henry G; Gwon, Howard; Mosley, Adrian; Semon, Natalie; Links, Jonathan M

2013-02-01

Community disaster preparedness plans, particularly those with content that would mitigate the effects of psychological trauma on vulnerable rural populations, are often nonexistent or underdeveloped. The purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate a model of disaster mental health preparedness planning involving a partnership among three, key stakeholders in the public health system. A one-group, post-test, quasi-experimental design was used to assess outcomes as a function of an intervention designated Guided Preparedness Planning (GPP). The setting was the eastern-, northern-, and mid-shore region of the state of Maryland. Partner participants were four local health departments (LHDs), 100 faith-based organizations (FBOs), and one academic health center (AHC)-the latter, collaborating entities of the Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Health System. Individual participants were 178 community residents recruited from counties of the above-referenced geographic area. Effectiveness of GPP was based on post-intervention assessments of trainee knowledge, skills, and attitudes supportive of community disaster mental health planning. Inferences about the practicability (feasibility) of the model were drawn from pre-defined criteria for partner readiness, willingness, and ability to participate in the project. Additional aims of the study were to determine if LHD leaders would be willing and able to generate post-project strategies to perpetuate project-initiated government/faith planning alliances (sustainability), and to develop portable methods and materials to enhance model application and impact in other health jurisdictions (scalability). The majority (95%) of the 178 lay citizens receiving the GPP intervention and submitting complete evaluations reported that planning-supportive objectives had been achieved. Moreover, all criteria for inferring model feasibility, sustainability, and scalability were met. Within the span of a six-month period

Ebola Preparedness Planning and Collaboration by Two Health Systems in Wisconsin, September to December 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Kathryn Kraft; Keuler, Megan; Safdar, Nasia; Hunter, Paul

2016-08-01

We describe the collaborative approach used by 2 health systems in Wisconsin to plan and prepare for the threat of Ebola virus disease. This was a descriptive study of the preparedness planning, infection prevention, and collaboration with public health agencies undertaken by 2 health systems in Wisconsin between September and December 2014. The preparedness approach used by the 2 health systems relied successfully on their robust infrastructure for planning and infection prevention. In the setting of rapidly evolving guidance and unprecedented fear regarding Ebola, the 2 health systems enhanced their response through collaboration and coordination with each other and government public health agencies. Key lessons learned included the importance of a rigorous planning process, robust infection prevention practices, and coalitions between public and private health sectors. The potential threat of Ebola virus disease stimulated emergency preparedness in which acute care facilities played a leading role in the public health response. Leveraging the existing expertise of health systems is essential when faced with emerging infectious diseases. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:691-697).

Planning guidance for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shumpert, B.L.; Watson, A.P.; Sorensen, J.H. [and others

1995-02-01

This planning guide was developed under the direction of the U.S. Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which jointly coordinate and direct the development of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP). It was produced to assist state, local, and Army installation planners in formulating and coordinating plans for chemical events that may occur at the chemical agent stockpile storage locations in the continental United States. This document provides broad planning guidance for use by both on-post and off-post agencies and organizations in the development of a coordinated plan for responding to chemical events. It contains checklists to assist in assuring that all important aspects are included in the plans and procedures developed at each Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP) location. The checklists are supplemented by planning guidelines in the appendices which provide more detailed guidance regarding some issues. The planning guidance contained in this document will help ensure that adequate coordination between on-post and off-post planners occurs during the planning process. This planning guide broadly describes an adequate emergency planning base that assures that critical planning decisions will be made consistently at every chemical agent stockpile location. This planning guide includes material drawn from other documents developed by the FEMA, the Army, and other federal agencies with emergency preparedness program responsibilities. Some of this material has been developed specifically to meet the unique requirements of the CSEPP. In addition to this guidance, other location-specific documents, technical studies, and support studies should be used as needed to assist in the planning at each of the chemical agent stockpile locations to address the specific hazards and conditions at each location.

The public transportation system security and emergency preparedness planning guide

Science.gov (United States)

2003-01-01

Recent events have focused renewed attention on the vulnerability of the nation's critical infrastructure to major events, including terrorism. The Public Transportation System Security and Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide has been prepared to s...

Biological and chemical terrorism: strategic plan for preparedness and response. Recommendations of the CDC Strategic Planning Workgroup.

Science.gov (United States)

2000-04-21

The U.S. national civilian vulnerability to the deliberate use of biological and chemical agents has been highlighted by recognition of substantial biological weapons development programs and arsenals in foreign countries, attempts to acquire or possess biological agents by militants, and high-profile terrorist attacks. Evaluation of this vulnerability has focused on the role public health will have detecting and managing the probable covert biological terrorist incident with the realization that the U.S. local, state, and federal infrastructure is already strained as a result of other important public health problems. In partnership with representatives for local and state health departments, other federal agencies, and medical and public health professional associations, CDC has developed a strategic plan to address the deliberate dissemination of biological or chemical agents. The plan contains recommendations to reduce U.S. vulnerability to biological and chemical terrorism--preparedness planning, detection and surveillance, laboratory analysis, emergency response, and communication systems. Training and research are integral components for achieving these recommendations. Success of the plan hinges on strengthening the relationships between medical and public health professionals and on building new partnerships with emergency management, the military, and law enforcement professionals.

Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

The Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP) will develop and enhance integrated emergency preparedness capabilities in two major areas. First, the program is responsible for planning and ensuring proper DOE response to transportation incidents involving DOE shipments. Second, the program is responsible for ensuring DOE can carry out its responsibilities under regulations, the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP) to provide technical advice and assistance as needed for any transportation incident involving radioactive or mixed hazard materials. This plan proposes a strategy for developing a comprehensive Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program, including a well organized central management and coordination structure, that serves as a process to identify, verify, and establish a consolidated effort across the Department in this very important area. This plan assumes Emergency Management to be the full range of emergency activities necessary for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery while Emergency Preparedness activities are primarily those necessary in preparation for Incident Response Emergency Preparedness, which is the focus of this strategy plan, requires a well organized central coordination structure to be effective. 7 refs

Emergency planning and response preparedness in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martincic, R.; Frlin-Lubi, A.; Usenicnik, B.

2000-01-01

Disasters do occur and so do nuclear or radiological accidents. Experience has shown that advance emergency response preparedness is essential in order to mitigate the consequences of an accident. In Slovenia, the Civil Protection Organization is the responsible authority for emergency preparedness and response to any kind of disasters. The Krko Nuclear Power Plant is the only nuclear power plant in Slovenia. To date the plant has operated safely and no serious incidents have been recorded. Slovenia nevertheless, maintains a high level of emergency preparedness, which is reflected in the area of prevention and safety and in the area of emergency response preparedness. The emergency management system for nuclear emergencies is incorporated into an overall preparedness and response system. The paper presents an overview of nuclear or radiological emergency response preparedness in Slovenia and its harmonization with the international guidelines. (author)

Environmental management and emergency preparedness plan for Tsunami disaster along Indian coast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Chandramohan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The 26 December 2004 Tsunami generated by the submarine earthquake in Andaman Sea with the magnitude of 9.2 Richter scale triggered the worst destruction, widespread inundation and extensive damage in terms of life and property along the Tamil Nadu coast and Andaman Nicobar Group of Islands. The shoreline features like dunes, vegetation and steepness of beaches played vital role in attenuating the impact of Tsunami from destruction. While the low-level Marina beach experienced minimum inundation, the coast between Adyar and Cooum was inundated heavily. As the present generation of India was not aware of Tsunami, the emergency plan and preparedness were zero and so the loss of human life was huge. In this article, the authors describe the Tsunami occurred in India on 26 December 2004 and its impacts on morphology. The appropriate Emergency Preparedness plan and the Disaster Management Plan in case of reoccurrence of such natural disaster are discussed.

Non-structural Components influencing Hospital Disaster Preparedness in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Samsuddin, N. M.; Takim, R.; Nawawi, A. H.; Rosman, M. R.; SyedAlwee, S. N. A.

2018-04-01

Hospital disaster preparedness refers to measures taken by the hospital’s stakeholders to prepare, reduce the effects of disaster and ensure effective coordination during incident response. Among the measures, non-structural components (i.e., medical laboratory equipment & supplies; architectural; critical lifeline; external; updated building document; and equipment & furnishing) are critical towards hospital disaster preparedness. Nevertheless, over the past few years these components are badly affected due to various types of disasters. Hence, the objective of this paper is to investigate the non-structural components influencing hospital’s disaster preparedness. Cross-sectional survey was conducted among thirty-one (31) Malaysian hospital’s employees. A total of 6 main constructs with 107 non-structural components were analysed and ranked by using SPSS and Relative Importance Index (RII). The results revealed that 6 main constructs (i.e. medical laboratory equipment & supplies; architectural; critical lifeline; external; updated building document; and equipment & furnishing) are rated as ‘very critical’ by the respondents. Among others, availability of medical laboratory equipment and supplies for diagnostic and equipment was ranked first. The results could serve as indicators for the public hospitals to improve its disaster preparedness in terms of planning, organising, knowledge training, equipment, exercising, evaluating and corrective actions through non-structural components.

Mapping individuals' earthquake preparedness in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Guochun; Han, Ziqiang; Xu, Weijin; Gong, Yue

2018-05-01

Disaster preparedness is critical for reducing potential impact. This paper contributes to current knowledge of disaster preparedness using representative national sample data from China, which faces high earthquake risks in many areas of the country. The adoption of earthquake preparedness activities by the general public, including five indicators of material preparedness and five indicators of awareness preparedness, were surveyed and 3245 respondents from all 31 provinces of Mainland China participated in the survey. Linear regression models and logit regression models were used to analyze the effects of potential influencing factors. Overall, the preparedness levels are not satisfied, with a material preparation score of 3.02 (1-5), and awareness preparation score of 2.79 (1-5), nationally. Meanwhile, residents from western China, which has higher earthquake risk, have higher degrees of preparedness. The concern for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and the concern for building safety and participation in public affairs are consistent positive predictors of both material and awareness preparedness. The demographic and socioeconomic variables' effects, such as gender, age, education, income, urban/rural division, and building size, vary according to different preparedness activities. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical contribution and potential implementation.

Progress in Public Health Emergency Preparedness-United States, 2001-2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, Bhavini Patel; Molinari, Noelle-Angelique M; LeBlanc, Tanya T; Vagi, Sara J; Avchen, Rachel N

2017-09-01

To evaluate the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program's progress toward meeting public health preparedness capability standards in state, local, and territorial health departments. All 62 PHEP awardees completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's self-administered PHEP Impact Assessment as part of program review measuring public health preparedness capability before September 11, 2001 (9/11), and in 2014. We collected additional self-reported capability self-assessments from 2016. We analyzed trends in congressional funding for public health preparedness from 2001 to 2016. Before 9/11, most PHEP awardees reported limited preparedness capabilities, but considerable progress was reported by 2016. The number of jurisdictions reporting established capability functions within the countermeasures and mitigation domain had the largest increase, almost 200%, by 2014. However, more than 20% of jurisdictions still reported underdeveloped coordination between the health system and public health agencies in 2016. Challenges and barriers to building PHEP capabilities included lack of trained personnel, plans, and sustained resources. Considerable progress in public health preparedness capability was observed from before 9/11 to 2016. Support, sustainment, and advancement of public health preparedness capability is critical to ensure a strong public health infrastructure.

Employee Perceptions of Their Organization's Level of Emergency Preparedness Following a Brief Workplace Emergency Planning Educational Presentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren A. Renschler

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A brief emergency planning educational presentation was taught during work hours to a convenience sample of employees of various workplaces in Northern Missouri, USA. Participants were familiarized with details about how an emergency plan is prepared by management and implemented by management-employee crisis management teams – focusing on both employee and management roles. They then applied the presentation information to assess their own organization’s emergency preparedness level. Participants possessed significantly (p < 0.05 higher perceptions of their organization’s level of emergency preparedness than non-participants. It is recommended that an assessment of organizational preparedness level supplement emergency planning educational presentations in order to immediately apply the material covered and encourage employees to become more involved in their organization’s emergency planning and response. Educational strategies that involve management-employee collaboration in activities tailored to each workplace’s operations and risk level for emergencies should be implemented.

TEKNA - preparedness seminary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

The seminary contains several presentations on various aspects of preparedness in the offshore petroleum sector. The authority organization, Norwegian regulations, industrial management, planning and principles are discussed. Risk assessment and preparedness analysis is emphasized. Some technological aspects are also discussed.

Mapping individuals' earthquake preparedness in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Wu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Disaster preparedness is critical for reducing potential impact. This paper contributes to current knowledge of disaster preparedness using representative national sample data from China, which faces high earthquake risks in many areas of the country. The adoption of earthquake preparedness activities by the general public, including five indicators of material preparedness and five indicators of awareness preparedness, were surveyed and 3245 respondents from all 31 provinces of Mainland China participated in the survey. Linear regression models and logit regression models were used to analyze the effects of potential influencing factors. Overall, the preparedness levels are not satisfied, with a material preparation score of 3.02 (1–5, and awareness preparation score of 2.79 (1–5, nationally. Meanwhile, residents from western China, which has higher earthquake risk, have higher degrees of preparedness. The concern for disaster risk reduction (DRR and the concern for building safety and participation in public affairs are consistent positive predictors of both material and awareness preparedness. The demographic and socioeconomic variables' effects, such as gender, age, education, income, urban/rural division, and building size, vary according to different preparedness activities. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical contribution and potential implementation.

Review of off-site emergency preparedness and response plan of Indian NPPs based on experience of Fukushima nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Hukum; Dash, M.; Shukla, Vikas; Vijayan, P.; Krishnamurthy, P.R.

2012-01-01

Nuclear power plants in India are designed, constructed and operated based on the principle of the highest priority to nuclear safety. To deal with any unlikely situation of radiological emergency, the emergency preparedness and response plans are ensured to be in place at all NPPs prior to their commissioning. These plans are periodically reviewed and tested by conducting emergency exercise with the participation of various agencies such as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, NDMA, district authorities, regulatory body and general public. On March 11, 2011 an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni followed by tsunami waves of height 15 meters above reference sea level. This resulted in large scale release of radioactive material from Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS. This led to the evacuation of a large number of people from the areas surrounding the affected nuclear power plants. The event was rated as level 7 event in International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The event also revealed the challenges in handling radiological emergency situation in adverse environmental conditions, The experience of managing radiological emergency situation during Fukushima nuclear accident provides opportunities to review and improve emergency preparedness and response programme. The present paper presents the chronology of the emergency situation, challenges faced and handled in Fukushima. Even though the possibility of a Fukushima type nuclear accident in India is very remote due to the low probability of a high intensity earthquake followed by tsunami at NPP sites, the efforts needs to be initiated from the regulatory point of view for an effective Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans of NPP sites were reviewed in the light of unique challenges of accident at Fukushima. It is realized that multi unit events are the realities that must be addressed as part of Emergency

Review of off-site emergency preparedness and response plan of Indian NPPs based on experience of Fukushima nuclear accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Hukum; Dash, M.; Shukla, Vikas; Vijayan, P.; Krishnamurthy, P.R., E-mail: vshukla@aerb.gov.in [Operating Plants Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Mumbai (India)

2012-07-01

Nuclear power plants in India are designed, constructed and operated based on the principle of the highest priority to nuclear safety. To deal with any unlikely situation of radiological emergency, the emergency preparedness and response plans are ensured to be in place at all NPPs prior to their commissioning. These plans are periodically reviewed and tested by conducting emergency exercise with the participation of various agencies such as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, NDMA, district authorities, regulatory body and general public. On March 11, 2011 an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni followed by tsunami waves of height 15 meters above reference sea level. This resulted in large scale release of radioactive material from Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS. This led to the evacuation of a large number of people from the areas surrounding the affected nuclear power plants. The event was rated as level 7 event in International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The event also revealed the challenges in handling radiological emergency situation in adverse environmental conditions, The experience of managing radiological emergency situation during Fukushima nuclear accident provides opportunities to review and improve emergency preparedness and response programme. The present paper presents the chronology of the emergency situation, challenges faced and handled in Fukushima. Even though the possibility of a Fukushima type nuclear accident in India is very remote due to the low probability of a high intensity earthquake followed by tsunami at NPP sites, the efforts needs to be initiated from the regulatory point of view for an effective Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans of NPP sites were reviewed in the light of unique challenges of accident at Fukushima. It is realized that multi unit events are the realities that must be addressed as part of Emergency

Assessing the integration of health center and community emergency preparedness and response planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Wineman, Nicole V; Braun, Barbara I; Barbera, Joseph A; Loeb, Jerod M

2007-11-01

To assess the state of health center integration into community preparedness, we undertook a national study of linkages between health centers and the emergency preparedness and response planning initiatives in their communities. The key objectives of this project were to gain a better understanding of existing linkages in a nationally representative sample of health centers, and identify health center demographic and experience factors that were associated with strong linkages. The objectives of the study were to gain a baseline understanding of existing health center linkages to community emergency preparedness and response systems and to identify factors that were associated with strong linkages. A 60-item questionnaire was mailed to the population of health centers supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Primary Health Care in February 2005. Results were aggregated and a chi square analysis identified factors associated with stronger linkages. Overall performance on study-defined indicators of strong linkages was low: 34% had completed a hazard vulnerability analysis in collaboration with the community emergency management agency, 30% had their role documented in the community plan, and 24% participated in community-wide exercises. Stronger linkages were associated with experience responding to a disaster and a perception of high risk for experiencing a disaster. The potential for health centers to participate in an integrated response is not fully realized, and their absence from community-based planning leaves an already vulnerable population at greater risk. Community planners should be encouraged to include health centers in planning and response and centers should receive more targeted resources for community integration.

Hurricane Hugo: Emergency Preparedness Planning and Response for Mental Health Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Nancy C.; And Others

This report describes how, in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health activated its Emergency Preparedness Plan to assist mental health centers and their staff in providing crisis counseling services to the general public. The first section explains the history and structure of the involvement by the…

Implementation Aspects of Flood Warning and Preparedness Planning Alternatives

Science.gov (United States)

1981-08-01

preparedness planning, establish- ment of la -d use controls and expanded use of other techniques.? In 1974, Congress mandated the full consideration...construction in progressj or wear and tear that has not yet been repaired. It is also familia -r law that property owners are liable for injury to persons...1971. U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Civil Defense. In Time of Emergency, A Citizen’s Handbook on Nuclear Attack, Natural Disasters. March 1968

Emergency preparedness exercises and information. Annual report 1996. Project plans 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-12-01

EKO-4, Emergency preparedness exercises and information exchange, consists of two sub projects. In EKO-4.1, Exercises and scenario development, a functional exercise on dose calculation has been arranged and followed up by a seminar. In addition, a seminar for intercomparison of Nordic dispersion models has been arranged bases on results from the international full scale experiment ETEX-1. Both arrangements showed to be useful for the nuclear emergency preparedness in the Nordic countries and contributed to better knowledge about the different models. Such arrangements also strengthen the personal networks. In EKO-4.1, a survey on available tools for scenario development for national and regional exercises in the Nordic country is going on. The needs from the exercise planners point of view will be focused before further development is suggested. In EKO-4.2, Nordic system for exchange of data and information, the working group has evaluated different technical solutions. The results have been presented in a report. The work with implementing the system has been delayed but it will continue next year in close co-operation with the Nordic authorities working group on emergency preparedness (NEP). A new version of the nuclear emergency preparedness handbook has been published. There is a need for further revisions and these are planned for 1997. With the new revision, the handbook will be made available on WWW. (EG)

Basis for nuclear emergency planning and preparedness in Denmark. The farfield perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walmod-Larsen, O.; Thorlaksen, B.; Ulbak, K.

1989-01-01

The basis for the Danish Nuclear Emergency Planning and Preparedness is described. Based on calculated scenarios of hypothetical core-melt accidents at foreign nuclear power plants close to the Danish border, requirements for a farfield (medium-field) preparedness organization are set up. Early alert and adequate information to the public are essential to credibility. Sheltering is the main protective measure against external radiation and inhalation during plume passage. Rapid monitoring of radiation levels and control of foodstuffs are provided for. Evacuation before passage of the plume is not foreseen, but temporary relocation from hot spots caused by local precipitation could be considered even in the farfield region

Measuring healthcare preparedness: an all-hazards approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcozzi David E

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract In a paper appearing in this issue, Adini, et al. describe a struggle familiar to many emergency planners—the challenge of planning for all scenarios. The authors contend that all-hazards, or capabilities-based planning, in which a set of core capabilities applicable to numerous types of events is developed, is a more efficient way to achieve general health care system emergency preparedness than scenario-based planning. Essentially, the core of what is necessary to plan for and respond to one kind of disaster (e.g. a biologic event is also necessary for planning and responding to other types of disasters, allowing for improvements in planning and maximizing efficiencies. While Adini, et al. have advanced the science of health care emergency preparedness through their consideration of 490 measures to assess preparedness, a shorter set of validated preparedness measures would support the dual goals of accountability and improved outcomes and could provide the basis for determining which actions in the name of preparedness really matter.

Criteria for preparation and evaluation of radiological emergency response plans and preparedness in support of nuclear power plants: Criteria for utility offsite planning and preparedness: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podolak, E.M. Jr.; Sanders, M.E.; Wingert, V.L.; Donovan, R.W.

1988-09-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have added a supplement to NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1 that provides guidance for the development, review, and evaluation of utility offsite radiological emergency response planning and preparedness for those situations in which state and/or local governments decline to participate in emergency planning. While this guidance primarily applies to plants that do not have full-power operating licenses, it does have relevance to operating nuclear power plants

Emergency planning and preparedness for the deliberate release of toxic industrial chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, David; Simpson, John

2010-03-01

Society in developed and developing countries is hugely dependent upon chemicals for health, wealth, and economic prosperity, with the chemical industry contributing significantly to the global economy. Many chemicals are synthesized, stored, and transported in vast quantities and classified as high production volume chemicals; some are recognized as being toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). Chemical accidents involving chemical installations and transportation are well recognized. Such chemical accidents occur with relative frequency and may result in large numbers of casualties with acute and chronic health effects as well as fatalities. The large-scale production of TICs, the potential for widespread exposure and significant public health impact, together with their relative ease of acquisition, makes deliberate release an area of potential concern. The large numbers of chemicals, together with the large number of potential release scenarios means that the number of possible forms of chemical incident are almost infinite. Therefore, prior to undertaking emergency planning and preparedness, it is necessary to prioritize risk and subsequently mitigate. This is a multi-faceted process, including implementation of industrial protection layers, substitution of hazardous chemicals, and relocation away from communities. Residual risk provides the basis for subsequent planning. Risk-prioritized emergency planning is a tool for identifying gaps, enhancing communication and collaboration, and for policy development. It also serves to enhance preparedness, a necessary prelude to preventing or mitigating the public health risk to deliberate release. Planning is an iterative and on-going process that requires multi-disciplinary agency input, culminating in the formation of a chemical incident plan complimentary to major incident planning. Preparedness is closely related and reflects a state of readiness. It is comprised of several components, including training and exercising

Emergency preparedness at Ignalina NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kairys, A.

1998-01-01

Brief review of Ignalina NPP safety upgrading and personnel preparedness to act in cases of accidents is presented. Though great activities are performed in enhancing the plant operation safety, the Ignalina NPP management pays a lot of attention to preparedness for emergency elimination and take measures to stop emergency spreading. A new Ignalina NPP emergency preparedness plan was drawn up and became operational. It is the main document to carry out organizational, technical, medical, evacuation and other activities to protect plant personnel, population, the plant and the environment from accident consequences. Great assistance was rendered by Swedish experts in drawing this new emergency preparedness plan. The plan consists of 3 parts: general part, operative part and appendixes. The plan is applied to the Ignalina NPP personnel, Special and Fire Brigade and also to other contractor organizations personnel carrying out works at Ignalina NPP. There are set the following emergency classes: incident, emergency situation, alert, local emergency, general emergency. Separate intervention level corresponds to each emergency class. Overview of personnel training to act in case of an emergency is also presented

Preparation of site emergency preparedness plans for nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-10-01

Safety of public, occupational workers and the protection of environment should be assured while activities for economic and social progress are pursued. These activities include the establishment and utilisation of nuclear facilities and use of radioactive sources. This safety guidelines is issued as a lead document to facilitate preparation of specific site manuals by the responsible organisation for emergency response plans at each site to ensure their preparedness to meet any eventuality due to site emergency in order to mitigate its consequences on the health and safety of site personnel. It takes cognizance of an earlier AERB publications on the subject: Safety manual on site emergency plan on nuclear installations. AERB/SM/NISD-1, 1986 and also takes into consideration the urgent need for promoting public awareness and drawing up revised emergency response plans, which has come about in a significant manner after the accidents at Chernobyl and Bhopal

Rural transportation emergency preparedness plans.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-07-01

Improving the emergency preparedness of rural transportation systems is the overall goal of this research. Unique characteristics exist in rural transportation systems including widely dispersed and diverse populations and geographic areas. Exploring...

Criteria for preparation and evaluation of radiological emergency response plans and preparedness in support of nuclear power plants. Interim report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The purpose of this document is to provide a common reference and interim guidance source for: state and local governments and nuclear facility operators in the development of radiological emergency response plans and preparedness in support of nuclear power plants; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other Federal agency personnel engaged in the review of state, local government, and licensee plans and preparedness

Preparedness Now! An Emergency Survival Guide

CERN Document Server

Edwards, Aton

2009-01-01

In uncertain times, a solid preparedness plan is essential for every individual and family. PREPAREDNESS NOW! navigates the new realities of twenty-first century living: extreme weather, economic instability, terror attacks, and more. Packed with checklists, resources, and step-by-step instructions, PREPAREDNESS NOW! details everything needed for office, car, and home preparedness. This newly expanded and revised edition includes an extended chapter on food and water storage and urban gardening, techniques in personal defense, and the latest and best preparedness products on the market. This b

On-site emergency preparedness in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilkamo, O.

1998-01-01

General scheme of emergency preparedness in Finland is presented including legal framework, emergency organization and detailed description of plans and procedures. Emergency plan in Finland cover the following matters: classification of emergency situations and description of events and accidents, description of emergency organization, description of the arrangements for alerting and data transfer, management of an emergency situation and radiation protection, worker safety and radiation protection, on- and off-site radiation measurements during a preparedness situation, provision of information, rooms, equipment and facilities, post emergency debriefing and measures, a description of the maintenance of preparedness

Tsunami evacuation buildings and evacuation planning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuzal, Hendri; Kim, Karl; Pant, Pradip; Yamashita, Eric

Indonesia, a country of more than 17,000 islands, is exposed to many hazards. A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004. It triggered a series of tsunami waves that spread across the Indian Ocean causing damage in 11 countries. Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh Province, was among the most damaged. More than 31,000 people were killed. At the time, there were no early warning systems nor evacuation buildings that could provide safe refuge for residents. Since then, four tsunami evacuation buildings (TEBs) have been constructed in the Meuraxa subdistrict of Banda Aceh. Based on analysis of evacuation routes and travel times, the capacity of existing TEBs is examined. Existing TEBs would not be able to shelter all of the at-risk population. In this study, additional buildings and locations for TEBs are proposed and residents are assigned to the closest TEBs. While TEBs may be part of a larger system of tsunami mitigation efforts, other strategies and approaches need to be considered. In addition to TEBs, robust detection, warning and alert systems, land use planning, training, exercises, and other preparedness strategies are essential to tsunami risk reduction.

Plan for national nuclear emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-06-01

The responsibility for Denmark's preparedness for nuclear emergencies lies with the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Defense administration. The latter is particularly responsible for the presented plan which clarifies the organization and the measures to be taken in order to protect the public where, in the event of such an emergency, it could be in danger of radiation from radioactive materials. The main specifications of the plan, the activation of which covers the whole country, are that daily monitoring should be carried out so that warnings of nuclear accidents can be immediately conveyed to the relevant parties and that immediate action can be taken. These actions should result in the best possible protection against nuclear radiation so that acute and chronic damage to the health of members of the public can be restricted. The public, and relevant authorities should be informed of the situation and it should be attempted to regulate the reactions of individuals and of the society in general in such a way that damage to health, or social and economical conditions, can be restricted as much as possible. Denmark has not itself any atomic power plants, but some are located in neighbour countries and there are other sources such as nuclear research reactors, passing nuclear-driven ships etc. The detailed plan also covers possible sources of radiation, the nature of related damage to health, international cooperation, legal aspects, and a very detailed description of the overall administration and of the responsibilities of the organizations involved. (AB)

Fire disaster preparedness and situational analysis in higher learning institutions of Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob M. Kihila

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fire disasters are accompanied with devastating impact affecting both lives and properties. The magnitude of the impacts has been severe in places with low levels of fire disaster preparedness. A study was conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to investigate the level of fire disaster preparedness considering the availability and condition of firefighting facilities as well as the knowledge on fire management among the selected 10 higher learning institutions. Information for the buildings was obtained from the interviews with the managers of the buildings and field observations; information on the user’s preparedness was obtained from interviews using structured questionnaire conducted with the users of the buildings including the visitors. Results from the studied buildings indicated that 60% of the firefighting facilities were not regularly serviced; 50% stored some hazardous materials; 70% of them had not enough water storage for firefighting purposes; 60% had no identifiable fire assembly points; and 90% of the sessions conducted in the buildings involved more than 100 people in a single venue. Further results indicated that 51% of the respondents were not able to operate the installed firefighting facilities; 80.7% of the respondents had never received any training on firefighting and prevention; 95.6% of the respondents had never participated in any fire drills; and 81.5% of them were not aware of the fire responder’s contacts. General situation indicated that higher learning institutions are not well prepared to manage fire outbreaks suggesting that plans to rectify the situation are imperative.

Preparation of off-site emergency preparedness plans for nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-10-01

Safety of public, occupational workers and the protection of environment should be assured while activities for economic and social progress are pursued. These activities include the establishment and utilisation of nuclear facilities and use of radioactive sources. This document is issued as a lead document to facilitate preparation of specific site manuals by the Responsible Organisation for emergency response plans at each site to ensure their preparedness to meet any eventuality due to site emergency in order to mitigate its consequences on the health and safety of site personnel. It takes cognizance of an earlier AERB publication on the subject: Safety Manual on Off-Site Emergency Plan for Nuclear Installations, AERB/SM/NISD-2, 1988 and also takes into consideration the urgent need for promoting public awareness and drawing up revised emergency response plans, which has come out in a significant manner after the accidents at Chernobyl and Bhopal

H1N1 pandemic preparedness and business continuity plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-10-15

SaskPower's H1N1 pandemic preparedness and business continuity plan was designed to prepare SaskPower employees for elevated levels of absenteeism during a potential pandemic. Emergency management and business continuity will be facilitated if critical duties and essential services are maintained without interruption. A layered approach was used to develop a range of response measures designed to meet a range of possible pandemic threats. The plan identified essential activities, tasks and functions and outlined methods of mitigating supply disruptions and possible shortages. Methods of minimizing illness in employees were discussed, as well as methods of maintaining a safe and secure work environment. The measures were developed in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) 6 phases of pandemic alert. The plan was also designed to be read by SaskPower's key suppliers in order to ensure their pandemic readiness. 5 tabs.

Emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanev, P.I.; Hom, S.; Kircher, C.A.; Bailey, N.D.

1985-01-01

These lecture notes include the following subject areas: (1) earthquake mitigation planning - general approach and in-house program; (2) seismic protection of equipment and non-structural systems; and (3) disaster preparedness and self help program

Emergency preparedness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanev, P.I.; Hom, S.; Kircher, C.A.; Bailey, N.D.

1985-01-01

These lecture notes include the following subject areas: (1) earthquake mitigation planning - general approach and in-house program; (2) seismic protection of equipment and non-structural systems; and (3) disaster preparedness and self help program. (ACR)

Corporate preparedness for pandemic influenza: a survey of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Rissah J; Barnett, Daniel J; Links, Jonathan M

2008-09-01

We conducted a survey of corporate preparedness for pandemic influenza among biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in Montgomery County, Maryland, to determine the level of preparedness for this industry and geographic region. The survey, based on the HHS Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist, established whether a company had a preparedness plan specific to pandemic influenza, the contents of its plan, or its reasons for a lack of a plan. A total of 50 companies participated in the survey. Of these, 40 did not have any type of preparedness plan, 3 were drafting plans, 6 had general preparedness plans that could be applied to an influenza pandemic, and only 1 company had a preparedness plan specifically designed to address pandemic influenza. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in this geographic region are currently not well prepared for pandemic influenza. Public health officials should offer more help, possibly in the form of a model small business preparedness plan, and collaboration between companies should be encouraged to foster sharing of preparedness plans.

Integrating hospitals into community emergency preparedness planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, Barbara I; Wineman, Nicole V; Finn, Nicole L; Barbera, Joseph A; Schmaltz, Stephen P; Loeb, Jerod M

2006-06-06

Strong community linkages are essential to a health care organization's overall preparedness for emergencies. To assess community emergency preparedness linkages among hospitals, public health officials, and first responders and to investigate the influence of community hazards, previous preparation for an event requiring national security oversight, and experience responding to actual disasters. With expert advice from an advisory panel, a mailed questionnaire was used to assess linkage issues related to training and drills, equipment, surveillance, laboratory testing, surge capacity, incident management, and communication. A simple random sample of 1750 U.S. medical-surgical hospitals. Of 678 hospital representatives that agreed to participate, 575 (33%) completed the questionnaire in early 2004. Respondents were hospital personnel responsible for environmental safety, emergency management, infection control, administration, emergency services, and security. Prevalence and breadth of participation in community-wide planning; examination of 17 basic elements in a weighted analysis. In a weighted analysis, most hospitals (88.2% [95% CI, 84.1% to 92.3%]) engaged in community-wide drills and exercises, and most (82.2% [CI, 77.8% to 86.5%]) conducted a collaborative threat and vulnerability analysis with community responders. Of all respondents, 57.3% (CI, 52.1% to 62.5%) reported that their community plans addressed the hospital's need for additional supplies and equipment, and 73.0% (CI, 68.1% to 77.9%) reported that decontamination capacity needs were addressed. Fewer reported a direct link to the Health Alert Network (54.4% [CI, 49.3% to 59.5%]) and around-the-clock access to a live voice from a public health department (40.0% [CI, 35.0% to 45.0%]). Performance on many of 17 basic elements was better in large and urban hospitals and was associated with a high number of perceived hazards, previous national security event preparation, and experience in actual

Nuclear accident/radiological emergency assistance plan. NAREAP - edition 2000. Emergency preparedness and response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The purpose of the Nuclear Accident/Radiological Emergency Assistance Plan (NAREAP) is to describe the framework for systematic, integrated, co-ordinated, and effective preparedness and response for a nuclear accident or radiological emergency involving facilities or practices that may give rise to a threat to health, the environment or property. The purpose of the NAREAP is: to define the emergency response objectives of the Agency's staff in a nuclear accident or a radiological emergency; to assign responsibilities for performing the tasks and authorities for making the decisions that comprise the Agency staff's response to a nuclear accident or radiological emergency; to guide the Agency managers who must ensure that all necessary tasks are given the necessary support in discharging the Agency staff responsibilities and fulfilling its obligations in response to an emergency; to ensure that the development and maintenance of detailed and coherent response procedures are well founded; to act as a point of reference for individual Agency staff members on their responsibilities (as an individual or a team member) throughout a response; to identify interrelationships with other international intergovernmental Organizations; and to serve as a training aid to maintain readiness of personnel. The NAREAP refers to the arrangements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and of the United Nations Security and Safety Section at the Vienna International Centre (UNSSS-VIC) that may be necessary for the IAEA to respond to a nuclear accident or radiological emergency, as defined in the Early Notification and Assistance Conventions. It covers response arrangements for any situation that may have actual, potential or perceived radiological consequences and that could require a response from the IAEA, as well as the arrangements for developing, maintaining and exercising preparedness. The implementing procedures themselves are not included in the NAREAP, but they are required

Regional approach to building operational level capacity for disaster planning: the case of the Eastern Africa region.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazeyo, W; Mayega, R W; Orach, G C; Kiguli, J; Mamuya, S; Tabu, J S; Sena, L; Rugigana, E; Mapatano, M; Lewy, D; Mock, N; Burnham, G; Keim, M; Killewo, J

2013-06-01

The Eastern Africa region is regularly affected by a variety of disasters ranging from drought, to human conflict and population displacement. The magnitude of emergencies and response capacities is similar across the region. In order to strengthen public health disaster management capacities at the operational level in six countries of the Eastern Africa region, the USAID-funded leadership project worked through the HEALTH Alliance, a network of seven schools of public health from six countries in the region to train district-level teams. To develop a sustainable regional approach to building operational level capacity for disaster planning. This project was implemented through a higher education leadership initiative. Project activities were spear-headed by a network of Deans and Directors of public health schools within local universities in the Eastern Africa region. The leadership team envisioned a district-oriented systems change strategy. Pre-service and in-service curricula were developed regionally and district teams were formed to attend short training courses. Project activities began with a situational analysis of the disaster management capacity at national and operational levels. The next steps were chronologically the formation of country training teams and training of trainers, the development of a regional disaster management training curriculum and training materials, the cascading of training activities in the region, and the incorporation of emerging issues into the training curriculum. An evaluation model included the analysis of preparedness impact of the training program. The output from the district teams was the creation of individual district-level disaster plans and their implementation. This 4-year project focused on building operational level public health emergency response capacity, which had not previously been part of any national program. Use of the all-hazard approach rather than a scenario-based contingency planning led to the

Using exercises to improve public health preparedness in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Dausey, David J; Moore, Melinda

2014-07-27

Exercises are increasingly common tools used by the health sector and other sectors to evaluate their preparedness to respond to public health threats. Exercises provide an opportunity for multiple sectors to practice, test and evaluate their response to all types of public health emergencies. The information from these exercises can be used to refine and improve preparedness plans. There is a growing body of literature about the use of exercises among local, state and federal public health agencies in the United States. There is much less information about the use of exercises among public health agencies in other countries and the use of exercises that involve multiple countries. We developed and conducted 12 exercises (four sub-national, five national, three sub-regional) from August 2006 through December 2008. These 12 exercises included 558 participants (average 47) and 137 observers (average 11) from 14 countries. Participants consistently rated the overall quality of the exercises as very good or excellent. They rated the exercises lowest on their ability to identifying key gaps in performance. The vast majority of participants noted that they would use the information they gained at the exercise to improve their organization's preparedness to respond to an influenza pandemic. Participants felt the exercises were particularly good at raising awareness and understanding about public health threats, assisting in evaluating plans and identifying priorities for improvement, and building relationships that strengthen preparedness and response across sectors and across countries. Participants left the exercises with specific ideas about the most important actions that they should engage in after the exercise such as improved planning coordination across sectors and countries and better training of health workers and response personnel. These experiences suggest that exercises can be a valuable, low-burden tool to improve emergency preparedness and response in

Emergency planning and preparedness of the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luong, B.V.

2001-01-01

The effectiveness of measures taken in case of accident or emergency to protect the site personnel, the general public and the environment will depend heavily on the adequacy of the emergency plan prepared in advance. For this reason, an emergency plan of the operating organization shall cover all activities planned to be carried out in the event of an emergency, allow for determining the level of the emergency and corresponding level of response according to the severity of the accident condition, and be based on the accidents analysed in the SAR as well as those additionally postulated for emergency planning purposes. The purpose of this paper is to present the practice of the emergency planning and preparedness in the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute (DNRI) for responding to accidents/incidents that may occur at the DNRI. The DNRI emergency plan and emergency procedures developed by the DNRI will be discussed. The information in the DNRI emergency plan such as the emergency organization, classification and identification of emergencies; intervention measures; the co-ordination with off-site organizations; and emergency training and drills will be described in detail. The emergency procedures in the form of documents and instructions for responding to accidents/incidents such as accidents in the reactor, accidents out of the reactor but with significant radioactive contamination, and fire and explosion accidents will be mentioned briefly. As analysed in the Safety Analysis Report for the DNRI, only the in-site actions are presented in the paper and no off-site emergency measures are required. (author)

Building America Research-to-Market Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Werling, Eric [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2015-11-01

This report presents the Building America Research-to-Market Plan (Plan), including the integrated Building America Technology-to-Market Roadmaps (Roadmaps) that will guide Building America’s research, development, and deployment (RD&D) activities over the coming years. The Plan and Roadmaps will be updated as necessary to adapt to research findings and evolving stakeholder needs, and they will reflect input from DOE and stakeholders.

Emergency preparedness in obstetrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Haeri, Sina; Marcozzi, David

2015-04-01

During and after disasters, focus is directed toward meeting the immediate needs of the general population. As a result, the routine health care and the special needs of some vulnerable populations such as pregnant and postpartum women may be overlooked within a resource-limited setting. In the event of hazards such as natural disasters, manmade disasters, and terrorism, knowledge of emergency preparedness strategies is imperative for the pregnant woman and her family, obstetric providers, and hospitals. Individualized plans for the pregnant woman and her family should include knowledge of shelter in place, birth at home, and evacuation. Obstetric providers need to have a personal disaster plan in place that accounts for work responsibilities in case of an emergency and business continuity strategies to continue to provide care to their communities. Hospitals should have a comprehensive emergency preparedness program utilizing an "all hazards" approach to meet the needs of pregnant and postpartum women and other vulnerable populations during disasters. With lessons learned in recent tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina in mind, we hope this review will stimulate emergency preparedness discussions and actions among obstetric providers and attenuate adverse outcomes related to catastrophes in the future.

Assessing a decade of public health preparedness: progress on the precipice?

Science.gov (United States)

Gursky, Elin A; Bice, Gregory

2012-03-01

September 11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks marked the beginning of significant investment by the federal government to develop a national public health emergency response capability. Recognizing the importance of the public health sector's contribution to the burgeoning homeland security enterprise, this investment was intended to convey a "dual benefit" by strengthening the overall public health infrastructure while building preparedness capabilities. In many instances, federal funds were used successfully for preparedness activities. For example, electronic health information networks, a Strategic National Stockpile, and increased interagency cooperation have all contributed to creating a more robust and prepared enterprise. Additionally, the knowledge of rarely seen or forgotten pathogens has been regenerated through newly established public health learning consortia, which, too, have strengthened relationships between the practice and academic communities. Balancing traditional public health roles with new preparedness responsibilities heightened public health's visibility, but it also presented significant complexities, including expanded lines of reporting and unremitting inflows of new guidance documents. Currently, a rapidly diminishing public health infrastructure at the state and local levels as a result of federal budget cuts and a poor economy serve as significant barriers to sustaining these nascent federal public health preparedness efforts. Sustaining these improvements will require enhanced coordination, collaboration, and planning across the homeland security enterprise; an infusion of innovation and leadership; and sustained transformative investment for governmental public health.

Disaster: Prevention, Preparedness and Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, Sally

1981-01-01

Discission of threat of disaster to library archival materials focuses on prevention (building maintenance, materials storage, fire prevention), preparedness (preplanning, procedures for handling emergencies, finances of recovery operation), and action (instructions for handling damaged materials). Current library activities in disaster planning…

Development and use of consolidated criteria for evaluation of emergency preparedness plans for DOE facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerner, K.; Kier, P.H.; Baldwin, T.E.

1995-01-01

Emergency preparedness at US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities is promoted by development and quality control of response plans. To promote quality control efforts, DOE has developed a review document that consolidates requirements and guidance pertaining to emergency response planning from various DOE and regulatory sources. The Criteria for Evaluation of Operational Emergency Plans (herein referred to as the Criteria document) has been constructed and arranged to maximize ease of use in reviewing DOE response plans. Although developed as a review instrument, the document also serves as a de facto guide for plan development, and could potentially be useful outside the scope of its original intended DOE clientele. As regulatory and DOE requirements are revised and added in the future, the document will be updated to stay current

Perceived coping & concern predict terrorism preparedness in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Garry; Agho, Kingsley; Taylor, Melanie; Jones, Alison L; Barr, Margo; Raphael, Beverley

2012-12-27

In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Adults in New South Wales (NSW) completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2010 (N=2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between personal coping/concern factors and terrorism-related preparedness and avoidance behaviours, and to control for potential confounders such as socio-demographic and threat perception factors. Increased vigilance for suspicious behaviours was the most commonly reported behavioural response to perceived terrorism threat. Multivariate analyses showed that the factor combination of high perceived coping and higher concern was the most consistent predictor of terrorism preparedness behaviours and evacuation intentions, including increased vigilance (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR)=2.07, p=0.001) learning evacuation plans (AOR=1.61, p=0.05), establishing emergency contact plans (AOR=2.73, pterrorism preparedness behaviours are strongly associated with perceived high coping but that this relationship is also mediated by personal concerns relating to this threat. Cognitive variables such as coping self-efficacy are increasingly targeted as part of natural hazard preparedness and are a viable intervention target for terrorism preparedness initiatives. Raising individual coping perceptions may promote greater general and incident-specific preparedness and could form an integral element of community resilience strategies

An Examination of Hurricane Emergency Preparedness Planning at Institutions of Higher Learning of the Gulf South Region Post Hurricane Katrina

Science.gov (United States)

Ventura, Caterina Gulli

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine hurricane emergency preparedness planning at institutions of higher learning of the Gulf South region following Hurricane Katrina. The problem addressed the impact of Hurricane Katrina on decision-making and policy planning processes. The focus was on individuals that administer the hurricane emergency…

Maintenance Planning for Historic Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Plian

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The key to good maintenance of historic buildings is a long-range maintenance plan. Long-range planning recognizes a responsibility to the future to prolong the useful life of a building by preserving it in its present condition and preventing or slowing deterioration and damage from natural or other causes.

Perceived coping & concern predict terrorism preparedness in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevens Garry

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Methods Adults in New South Wales (NSW completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI in 2010 (N=2038. Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between personal coping/concern factors and terrorism-related preparedness and avoidance behaviours, and to control for potential confounders such as socio-demographic and threat perception factors. Results Increased vigilance for suspicious behaviours was the most commonly reported behavioural response to perceived terrorism threat. Multivariate analyses showed that the factor combination of high perceived coping and higher concern was the most consistent predictor of terrorism preparedness behaviours and evacuation intentions, including increased vigilance (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR=2.07, p=0.001 learning evacuation plans (AOR=1.61, p=0.05, establishing emergency contact plans (AOR=2.73, p Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that terrorism preparedness behaviours are strongly associated with perceived high coping but that this relationship is also mediated by personal concerns relating to this threat. Cognitive variables such as coping self-efficacy are increasingly targeted as part of natural hazard preparedness and are a viable intervention target for terrorism preparedness initiatives. Raising individual coping perceptions may promote greater general and

Information technology and emergency management: preparedness and planning in US states.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddick, Christopher

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of information technology (IT) on emergency preparedness and planning by analysing a survey of US state government departments of emergency management. The research results show that there has been a significant impact of IT on emergency planning. IT has proven to be effective for all phases of emergency management, but especially for the response phase. There are numerous technologies used in emergency management, ranging from the internet, Geographic Information Systems and wireless technologies to more advanced hazard analysis models. All were generally viewed as being effective. Lack of financial resources and support from elected officials is a perennial problem in public administration, and was found to be prevalent in this study of IT and emergency management. There was evidence that state governments rating high on a performance index were more likely to use IT for emergency management. © 2011 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2011.

Nuclear emergency preparedness in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

The preparedness of utilities and government agencies at various levels for dealing with nuclear emergencies occurring at nuclear reactors in Canada is reviewed and assessed. The review is centered on power reactors, but selected research reactors are included also. Emergency planning in the U.S.A., Germany and France, and international recommendations on emergency planning are reviewed to provide background and a basis for comparison. The findings are that Canadians are generally well protected by existing nuclear emergency plans at the electric utility and provincial levels but there are improvements that can be made, mainly at the federal level and in federal-provincial coordination. Ten issues of importance are identified: commitment to nuclear emergency planning by the federal government; division of federal and provincial roles and responsibilities; auditing of nuclear emergency preparedness of all levels of government and of electric utilities; the availability of technical guidance appropriate to Canada; protective action levels for public health and safety; communication with the public; planning and response for the later phases of a nuclear emergency; off-site exercises and training; coordination of international assistance; and emergency planning for research reactors. (L.L.) 79 refs., 2 tabs

Republic of Senegal Disaster Preparedness and Response Exercise: Lessons Learned and Progress Toward Key Goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Morton Hamer, Melinda J; Jordan, John J; Reed, Paul L; Greulich, Jane D; Gaye, Dame B; Beadling, Charles W

2017-04-01

The Republic of Senegal Disaster Preparedness and Response Exercise was held from June 2-6, 2014, in Dakar, Senegal. The goal was to assist in familiarizing roles and responsibilities within 3 existing plans and to update the National Disaster Management Strategic Work Plan. There were 60 participants in the exercise, which was driven by a series of evolving disaster scenarios. During the separate Disaster Management Strategic Work Plan review, participants refined a list of projects, including specific tasks to provide a "road map" for completing each project, project timelines, and estimated resource requirements. Project staff administered a survey to conference participants. A total of 86% of respondents had improved knowledge of Senegal disaster plans as a result of the exercise. A total of 89% of respondents had a better understanding of their ministry's role in disaster response, and 92% had a better understanding of the role of the military during a pandemic. Participants also generated ideas for disaster management system improvement in Senegal through a formal "gap analysis." Participants were in strong agreement that the exercise helped them to better understand the contents of their disaster response plans, build relationships across ministerial lines, and effectively enhance future disaster response efforts. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:183-189).

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Technology Preparedness and Status Report Guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blacker, P.B.; Bonnenberg, R.W.; Cannon, P.G.; Hyde, R.A.; Watson, L.R.

1994-04-01

A Technology Preparedness and Status Report is required for each Technical Task Plan funded by the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration. This document provides guidance for the preparation of that report. Major sections of the report will include a subset of the need for the technology, objectives of the demonstration, technology description and readiness evaluation, demonstration requirements, and preparedness checklist and action plan

Emergency preparedness hazards assessment for selected 100 Area Bechtel Hanford, Inc. facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-07-01

The emergency preparedness hazards assessment for Bechtel Hanford Inc. (BHI) facilities in the 100 Areas of the Hanford Site. The purpose of a hazards assessment is to identify the hazardous material at each facility, identify the conditions that could release the hazardous material, and calculate the consequences of the releases. The hazards assessment is the technical basis for the facility emergency plans and procedures. There are many other buildings and past- practice burial grounds, trenches, cribs, etc., in the 100 Areas that may contain hazardous materials. Undisturbed buried waste sites that are not near the Columbia River are outside the scope of emergency preparedness hazards assessments because there is no mechanism for acute release to the air or ground water. The sites near the Columbia River are considered in a separate flood hazards assessment. This hazards assessment includes only the near-term soil remediation projects that involve intrusive activities

Some issues on nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Ziqiang

1999-01-01

The nuclear emergency preparedness and response have comprehensively been developed over ten years in China. In order to promote the sound development of emergency preparedness and response, it is useful to retrospect the process of emergency preparedness and response, to summarize the experiences and absorb the experiences from foreign countries. The main issues are as follows: 1) The preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological accident is basically the same as the response to any accident involving hazardous material. 2) The classification of emergency planning, not only for nuclear facilities, but also irradiation installation, etc. 3) The hazard assessment-- a top priority. 4) The emergency planning zones. 5) Psychological impact

People's perspectives and expectations on preparedness against earthquakes: Tehran case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahangiri, Katayoun; Izadkhah, Yasamin Ostovar; Montazeri, Ali; Hosseinip, Mahmood

2010-06-01

Public education is one of the most important elements of earthquake preparedness. The present study identifies methods and appropriate strategies for public awareness and education on preparedness for earthquakes based on people's opinions in the city of Tehran. This was a cross-sectional study and a door-to-door survey of residents from 22 municipal districts in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. It involved a total of 1 211 individuals aged 15 and above. People were asked about different methods of public information and education, as well as the type of information needed for earthquake preparedness. "Enforcing the building contractors' compliance with the construction codes and regulations" was ranked as the first priority by 33.4% of the respondents. Over 70% of the participants (71.7%) regarded TV as the most appropriate means of media communication to prepare people for an earthquake. This was followed by "radio" which was selected by 51.6% of respondents. Slightly over 95% of the respondents believed that there would soon be an earthquake in the country, and 80% reported that they obtained this information from "the general public". Seventy percent of the study population felt that news of an earthquake should be communicated through the media. However, over fifty (58%) of the participants believed that governmental officials and agencies are best qualified to disseminate information about the risk of an imminent earthquake. Just over half (50.8%) of the respondents argued that the authorities do not usually provide enough information to people about earthquakes and the probability of their occurrence. Besides seismologists, respondents thought astronauts (32%), fortunetellers (32.3%), religious figures (34%), meteorologists (23%), and paleontologists (2%) can correctly predict the occurrence of an earthquake. Furthermore, 88.6% listed aid centers, mosques, newspapers and TV as the most important sources of information during the aftermath of an earthquake

MANAGING BUILDING CHECKIST PLANS USING BUSCLIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Zulfahmi Toh

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the software namely Building Submission Checklist System (BUSCLIS. It has been developed to manage the submission of building checklist plans process in the construction industry. BUSCLIS helps to simplify the management for acquiescence data of building plan approval for the Local Authority (LA and Country Planning in Malaysia through the web based system. BUSCLIS facilitates user through the computerization forms, which provides fast, efficient and effective service to the engineer, architect and contractor. Relevant and timely information manage by sophisticated BUSCLIS with the database management system MySQL

Involving Youth in Community Emergency Preparedness: Impacts of a Multistate Initiative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela Powell

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The National Preparedness Guidelines (2007 state, “as uniformed responders account for less than 1% of the total U.S. population, it is clear that citizens must be better prepared, trained, and practiced on how best to take care of themselves and assist others in those first crucial hours during and after a catastrophic incident.” This is increasingly more evident due to recent disasters such as hurricane Katrina. The Alert, Evacuate and Shelter (AES program identified and trained youth/adult teams to use geospatial technology to map shelter locations and evacuation routes. Training began with team building activities to strengthen and build youth/adult preparedness partnerships. Program evaluations revealed a major shift in thinking about the positive potential level of involvement of youth in emergencies. Survey results immediately following trainings revealed statistically significant increases in participant knowledge gain regarding emergency preparedness. Follow-up evaluations indicate the success of this project in meeting community preparedness goals.

Emergency preparedness exercises for nuclear facilities: Preparation, conduct and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

This publication offers guidance for operating organizations and public authorities on planning, organizing and conducting exercises, preparing scenarios and evaluating the results of exercises in order to make full use of the experience gained in improving the response planning and preparedness for radiation emergencies. The training aspects associated with achieving an adequate level of emergency preparedness are explored and examples of accident scenarios are presented

State-level emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Sharon M; Perrotta, Dennis M; Stanbury, Martha; Heumann, Michael; Anderson, Henry; Simms, Erin; Huang, Monica

2011-03-01

Prior assessments of public health readiness had identified gaps in radiation preparedness. In recent years, preparedness planning has involved an "all-hazards" approach. Current assessment of the national status related to radiation public health emergency preparedness capabilities at the state and local health department levels was needed. A survey of state health departments related to radiation readiness was undertaken in 2010 by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). States with nuclear power plants were instructed to consider their responses exclusive of capabilities and resources related to the plants given that the emergency response plans for nuclear power plants are specific and unique. Thirty-eight (76%) state health departments responded to the survey, including 26 of the 31 states with nuclear power plants. Specific strengths noted at the state level included that the majority of states had a written radiation response plan and most plans include a detailed section for communications issues during a radiation emergency. In addition, more than half of the states indicated that their relationship with federal partners is sufficient to provide resources for radiation emergencies, indicating the importance states placed on federal resources and expertise. Specific weaknesses are discussed and include that most states had completed little to no planning for public health surveillance to assess potential human health impacts of a radiation event; less than half had written plans to address exposure assessment, environmental sampling, human specimen collection and analysis, and human health assessment. Few reported having sufficient resources to do public health surveillance, radiation exposure assessment, laboratory functions and other capabilities. Levels of planning, resources and partnerships varied among states, those with nuclear power plants were better prepared. Gaps were evident in all states; however and additional training and

Medical preparedness for radiation emergency in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akashi, Makoto

1997-01-01

Medical preparedness for radiation emergency in Japan is primary for off-site public protection. Many things remains to be discussed about on-site emergency medical problems. On the other hand, each nuclear facility should have a countermeasure plan of radiation emergency including medical measures for the emergency. Disaster countermeasure act and a guideline from NSC entitled 'Off-site emergency planning and preparedness for nuclear power plants' establish the system for countermeasures in radiation emergencies. The guideline also establishes medical plans in radiation emergencies, including care system for the severely contaminated or injured. NIRS is designated by the guideline as the definite care hospital for radiation injuries and is prepared to dispatch medical specialists and to receive the injured. NIRS conducts clinical follow-up studies of the injured, researches of diagnosis and treatments for radiation injuries, and education and training for medical personnel. NIRS has the plans to serve as the reference center for emergency in Japan and also in Asia, if necessary. NIRS would like to serve as a member of WHO Collaborating Center for Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance (REMPAN). Now NIRS is making preparation for providing 24-hours direct or consultative assistance with medical problems associated with radiation accidents in local, national, and hopefully international incidents. (author)

Evaluation of awareness and preparedness of school Principals and teachers on earthquake reduction effects issues - State's actions

Science.gov (United States)

Kourou, Assimina; Ioakeimidou, Anastasia; Mokos, Vasileios; Bakas, Konstantinos

2013-04-01

It is generally accepted that the effects of the disasters can be mainly reduced if people are aware, well informed and motivated towards a culture of disaster prevention and resilience. Particularly, in earthquake prone countries, a continuous update and education of the public, on earthquake risk management issues, is essential. Schools can play a crucial role concerning training and building a disaster prevention culture, among various community groups. Principals and teachers have a key role to play in any school-wide initiative through developing and reviewing awareness policy, developing and revising emergency response plans, holding emergency drills and training the students. During the last decade, the Greek State have done a lot of efforts in order to better educate teachers and students in disaster preparedness and management, such as: a. implementation of the E.P.P.O.'s educational project "Earthquake Protection at Schools" which is addressed mainly to school Principals. The project started right after the 1999 earthquake in Athens. b. publication of educational material for students, teachers and people with disabilities and publication of guidelines concerning the development of emergency plans. c. implementation of projects and elaboration of innovative and mobile experiential educational material connected with school curricula. The aim of the present study is to assess levels of awareness and preparedness concerning earthquake protection issues, as well as risk mitigation behaviours, undertaken by teachers at individual, family and workplace level. Furthermore, the assessment of teachers' current levels of earthquake awareness and preparedness, could lead to conclusions about the effectiveness of State's current Policy. In this framework, specific questionnaires were developed and were addressed to Principals and teachers who were responsible for the preparation of their School Emergency Preparedness Plans. The sample of the survey comprises of

Beyond defense-in-depth: cost and funding of state and local government radiological emergency response plans and preparedness in support of commercial nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salomon, S.N.

1979-10-01

Inadequate, sporadic, uncertain and frustrating are words local, state and Federal officials use to describe the current hodgepodge funding approach to State and local government radiological emergency response plans and preparedeness in support of commercial nuclear power stations. The creation of a Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness Fund for State and Local Government is offered as a preferred solution. Monies for the Fund could be derived from a one time Fee of $1 million levied on the operator of each nuclear power station. Every five years, adjustments could be made in the Fee to assure full recovery of costs because of inflation, revised criteria and other cost related factors. Any surplus would be refunded to the utilities. Any state that has obtained NRC concurrence or is in the process could be reimbursed for previous expenditures up to two years prior to NRC concurrence. Concurrence in all state and local government plans is the objective of the funding program. The Fund should be administered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The report also discusses actions by Federal and state agencies and points to long range considerations, such as a training institute, including transportation and non-commercial and other fixed nuclear facilities, where preparedness could be enhanced by a coherent funding mechanism. All recommendations are based on an inquiry by the Office of state Programs, NRC, into the historical and future costs and funding of radiological emergency response plans and preparedness at the state and local government levels and are derived from discussions with many local, State and Federal officials

Employee Perceptions of Their Organization's Level of Emergency Preparedness Following a Brief Workplace Emergency Planning Educational Presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Renschler, Lauren A; Terrigino, Elizabeth A; Azim, Sabiya; Snider, Elsa; Rhodes, Darson L; Cox, Carol C

2016-06-01

A brief emergency planning educational presentation was taught during work hours to a convenience sample of employees of various workplaces in Northern Missouri, USA. Participants were familiarized with details about how an emergency plan is prepared by management and implemented by management-employee crisis management teams - focusing on both employee and management roles. They then applied the presentation information to assess their own organization's emergency preparedness level. Participants possessed significantly (p employees to become more involved in their organization's emergency planning and response. Educational strategies that involve management-employee collaboration in activities tailored to each workplace's operations and risk level for emergencies should be implemented.

Planning of installations in prefabricated buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanojević Ana D.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Planning installations is becoming an increasing problem in construction, because the number of devices for technical supply is constantly increasing with continual progress in science and technology. Since the installations of the building can not be viewed unrelated of the construction, problem of its planning is more complicated in prefabricated buildings because the elements of construction are prefabricated. Planning was formerly performed by embedding the installation in prefabricated elements. This method had a lot of flaws, and modern approach tends setting installation out of prefabricated elements except when the traditional approach proves as economical. Although the hot water heating with radiators is the most practical way of heating in prefabricated buildings, the under floor heating systems have greater and greater use. Today, prefabricated sanitary cabins have a huge use and they are much more economical in comparison to special panels for bathrooms that were once create. Approaches in terms of planning electrical installation are different, but for conventional constructed buildings, as well as prefabricated buildings, the use of lightweight prefabricated walls with embedded installations, today is recommended, when the room is loaded with a large number of this installations and if it is possible.

Architecture Design for the Space Situational Awareness System in the Preparedness Plan for Space Hazards of Republic of Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, E.; Cho, S.; Shin, S.; Park, J.; Kim, J.; Kim, D.

The threat posed by asteroids and comets has become one of the important issues. Jinju meteorite discovered in March 2014 has expanded the interest of the people of the fall of the natural space objects. Furthermore, the growing quantity of space debris is a serious threat to satellites and other spacecraft, which risk being damaged or even destroyed. In May of 2014, Korea established the preparedness plan for space hazards according to the space development promotion act which is amended to take action with respect to hazards from space. This plan is largely composed of 3 items such as system, technology and infrastructure. System is included the establishment and management of national space hazards headquarters at risk situation. Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) was designated as a space environment monitoring agency under the ministry of science, ICT and future planning (MSIP). Technology is supposed to develop the space situational awareness system that can monitor and detect space objects. For infrastructure, research and development of core technology will be promoted for capabilities improvement of space hazards preparedness such as software tools, application and data systems. This paper presents the architectural design for building space situational awareness system. The trade-off study of space situational awareness system for the Korea situation was performed. The results have shown the proposed architectural design. The baseline architecture is composed of Integrated Analysis System and Space Objects Monitoring System. Integrated Analysis System collects the status data from Space Objects Monitoring System and analyzes the space risk information through a data processing. For Space Objects Monitoring System, the all-sky surveillance camera, array radar and meteoroid surveillance sensor networks were considered. This system focuses on not only the threat of a large artificial satellite and natural space objects such as asteroids that

Pandemic preparedness - Risk management and infection control for all respiratory infection outbreaks.

Science.gov (United States)

Nori, Annapurna; Williams, Mary-Anne

2009-11-01

There has been substantial effort and activity in regards to pandemic planning, preparedness and response, mainly in the realm of public health. However, general practitioners and other primary care providers are important players in the health response to a pandemic. To discuss the importance of general practice preparedness for managing respiratory infection outbreaks and to provide a model for the general practice response. Pandemic planning and preparedness in general practice is ultimately a crucial risk management exercise, the cornerstone of which is sound infection control. As planning will be significantly aided by, and should extend to, other respiratory outbreaks, we propose a framework for managing outbreaks of respiratory infections with a focus on planned, practised and habitual infection control measures, and a stepwise response according to the extent and severity of the outbreak.

The national radiological emergency preparedness and response plan in the Philippines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valdezco, Eulinia Mendoza

2007-01-01

The use of radiation sources of various types and activities is now widespread in the fields of industry, medicine, research and education in the Philippines. These radiation sources have been under the regulatory control of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) to ensure that these materials are used in a safe manner and stored in a safe and secure location, and that those which have exceeded their useful life are appropriately disposed of. And while the safety record of the nuclear industry remains admirable compared to other industries, the occurrence of an accident affecting members of the public is always a possibility but with very low probability. In 2001, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) approved the revised National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (RADPLAN). This plan outlines the activities and organizations necessary to mitigate the effects of nuclear emergencies or radiation related accidents. An important component of this plan is the education of the public as well as the emergency responders such as the police authorities fire emergency personnel, medical responders, community leaders and the general public. The threat of nuclear terrorism as an aftermath of the September 11 incident in the United States has also been considered in the latest revision of this document. (author)

Spinoffs from radiological emergency preparedness programmes to generic emergency management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, M.E.

1986-01-01

In the USA, the radiological emergency preparedness (REP) programme for nuclear power plants is being used to enhance emergency management programmes for other types of emergencies. The REP programme is particularly useful in developing plans and preparedness measures for chemical accidents. The Integrated Emergency Management System (IEMS) approach provides a means for maximizing relationships between the REP programme and other programmes. IEMS essentially involves applying common elements of planning and preparedness to all types of emergencies, while recognizing that unique characteristics of specific natural and man-made emergencies require special planning and preparedness considerations. Features of the REP programme that make it compatible with the IEMS approach and useful in coping with other types of emergencies are: (1) the close co-operation between the national nuclear regulatory and emergency management organizations; (2) the programme integration among all levels of government, the nuclear power industry, public interest groups and the general public and (3) the comprehensiveness and sophistication of the programme. The REP programme in the USA represents a state-of-the-art emergency management capability. Some of its elements are readily transferrable to most other types of emergency preparedness programmes, while other elements can be adapted more readily to other hazard-specific programmes. The Bhopal accident has been a catalyst for this adaptation to chemical accidents, in such areas as furnishing hazard-specific information to the public, alert and notification systems, definition of the hazards and risks involved, establishing planning zones and developing close working relationships among the industry, the public and government

Hanford site post-NPH building inspection plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagenblast, G.R. Westinghouse Hanford

1996-01-01

This plan establishes consistent post-NPH building inspection procedures and defines a procedure for prioritization of buildings for inspection to ensure the safety of facilities prior to reentry. Qualification of systems for restart of operation is not included. This plan takes advantage, where possible, of existing national procedures for post-NPH inspection of buildings, of existing structural design and evaluation documentation of Hanford facilities, and current and proposed seismic instrumentation located throughout the Hanford site. A list of buildings, prioritized according to current building safety function and building vulnerability (without regard for or information about a damaging natural forces event) is provided

1986 viewpoint of emergency preparedness in the upper midwest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkyn, J.D.

1986-01-01

The recent Soviet emergency preparedness disaster has started a new round of interactions between utilities and civil governments regarding the adequacy of emergency preparedness around nuclear plants. The 1986 annual meeting of the cooperative produced several questions regarding the potentials of the plant and its impact on the public and the cooperative in the event of an off-normal situation. Emergency preparedness requires a real partnership between local civil authorities and the utility in a close spirit of cooperation with local law enforcement, which is frequently charged with the strongest burdens of emergency planning. It is more evident that the virtual veto power of local branches of government over emergency preparedness needs to be more fully recognized by utilities. Early notification and warning systems are coming under a tighter scrutiny as public perception of their fallibility increases. Another continuing problem with emergency preparedness has been the recognition that guarantees of reaching every individual, particularly in more hostile environments, can not be easily made. The lessons learned in nuclear planning indicate that this is an area too often not given a high enough threshold in the total spectrum of nuclear safety and which, from the utility standpoint, needs to be elevated to a higher threshold of importance

Detailed oil spill contingency analysis in establishment of preparedness plans for exploration drilling in environmentally sensitive areas: an integrated management process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spikkerud, Cathrine S.; Skeie, Geir Morten; Brude, Odd Willy; Gravir, Gjermund [DNV Managing Risk, Oslo (Norway)

2008-07-01

This paper describes the integrated management process leading up to a dynamic oil spill preparedness plan based on detailed analysis of oil spill contingency requirements and environmental risk in environmentally sensitive areas. Starting with a detailed environmental risk and oil spill contingency analysis, oil spill preparedness plans are developed. These plans are generic for the area possibly affected by an oil spill, and are developed in detail for environmental 'hot spots' that are highly challenging in terms of oil spill response. The detailed plans make use of detailed data sets on shoreline substrate sensitivities and cleanup methodology, photographic inventory, logistical issues and access to real-time incident data for important areas. This detailed approach ensures sufficient knowledge about the sensitive area in advance to provide fast and correct strategic and tactical operational recovery decisions. A final element of the integrated process is a web based GIS, providing all parties involved with one common situation overview, ensuring that the facts remain in focus throughout the operation and that those responsible for informing stake-holders have access to correct and timely updated information. (author)

InaSAFE applications in disaster preparedness

Science.gov (United States)

Pranantyo, Ignatius Ryan; Fadmastuti, Mahardika; Chandra, Fredy

2015-04-01

Disaster preparedness activities aim to reduce the impact of disasters by being better prepared to respond when a disaster occurs. In order to better anticipate requirements during a disaster, contingency planning activities can be undertaken prior to a disaster based on a realistic disaster scenario. InaSAFE is a tool that can inform this process. InaSAFE is a free and open source software that estimates the impact to people and infrastructure from potential hazard scenarios. By using InaSAFE, disaster managers can develop scenarios of disaster impacts (people and infrastructures affected) to inform their contingency plan and emergency response operation plan. While InaSAFE provides the software framework exposure data and hazard data are needed as inputs to run this software. Then InaSAFE can be used to forecast the impact of the hazard scenario to the exposure data. InaSAFE outputs include estimates of the number of people, buildings and roads are affected, list of minimum needs (rice and clean water), and response checklist. InaSAFE is developed by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the Australian Government, through the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR), in partnership with the World Bank - Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). This software has been used in many parts of Indonesia, including Padang, Maumere, Jakarta, and Slamet Mountain for emergency response and contingency planning.

Institutional reforms of nuclear emergency preparedness in Japan and its challenges. Case studies on stakeholder involvement in establishing nuclear emergency preparedness in France and its implications for Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugawara, Shin-etsu

2013-01-01

Based upon the experiences with the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Japan is now making a comprehensive review of nuclear emergency preparedness. The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan has changed drastically its basic concept of nuclear emergency arrangements from their dependence on the prediction methods to advance planning-oriented arrangements. In order to implement such changes in an effective enough manner, this report examines how to improve stakeholder involvement focusing on the French cases, where the Local Information Commissions (CLI) plays a critical role, and thereby derives concrete lessons for Japan. Case studies on CLI's involvement in French nuclear emergency preparedness revealed the following implications for Japan; 1. Improving continuously the disaster prevention plans of local governments and of nuclear utilities thorough recursive cycles of disaster-preparedness drill and its evaluation for the benefits of local inhabitants, 2. Setting appropriate ranges wherein local stakeholders involve constantly in establishing nuclear emergency preparedness without alienating completely other stakeholders, 3. Utilizing the prediction systems not as a means to support decision-making in emergency situations but as a tool for facilitating stakeholder involvement in the phase of advance planning, and 4. Integrating nuclear emergency preparedness into other disaster preventions for reducing complex and unrecognized risks. (author)

Drupal The Guide to Planning and Building Websites

CERN Document Server

McCourt, Cynthia

2011-01-01

A complete lifecycle guide to planning and building a site with Drupal Drupal allows you to quickly and easily build a wide variety of web sites, from very simple blog sites to extremely complex sites that integrate with other systems. In order to maximize what Drupal can do for you, you need to plan. Whether you are building with Drupal 6 or 7, this book details the steps necessary to plan your site so you can make informed decisions before you start to build.Explains how to define the scope of your projectShows you how to create a design plan taking into consideration how Drupal worksHelps y

Design and quantification of an extreme winter storm scenario for emergency preparedness and planning exercises in California

Science.gov (United States)

Dettinger, M.D.; Martin, Ralph F.; Hughes, M.; Das, T.; Neiman, P.; Cox, D.; Estes, G.; Reynolds, D.; Hartman, R.; Cayan, D.; Jones, L.

2012-01-01

The USGS Multihazards Project is working with numerous agencies to evaluate and plan for hazards and damages that could be caused by extreme winter storms impacting California. Atmospheric and hydrological aspects of a hypothetical storm scenario have been quantified as a basis for estimation of human, infrastructure, economic, and environmental impacts for emergency-preparedness and flood-planning exercises. In order to ensure scientific defensibility and necessary levels of detail in the scenario description, selected historical storm episodes were concatentated to describe a rapid arrival of several major storms over the state, yielding precipitation totals and runoff rates beyond those occurring during the individual historical storms. This concatenation allowed the scenario designers to avoid arbitrary scalings and is based on historical occasions from the 19th and 20th Centuries when storms have stalled over the state and when extreme storms have arrived in rapid succession. Dynamically consistent, hourly precipitation, temperatures, barometric pressures (for consideration of storm surges and coastal erosion), and winds over California were developed for the so-called ARkStorm scenario by downscaling the concatenated global records of the historical storm sequences onto 6- and 2-km grids using a regional weather model of January 1969 and February 1986 storm conditions. The weather model outputs were then used to force a hydrologic model to simulate ARkStorm runoff, to better understand resulting flooding risks. Methods used to build this scenario can be applied to other emergency, nonemergency and non-California applications. ?? 2011 The Author(s).

Task Force on oil spill preparedness: Offshore implementation progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devenis, P.K.

1992-01-01

Industry members of the Canadian Petroleum Association (CPA) and the Independent Petroleum Association of Canada (IPAC) undertook a review of oil spill preparedness and response capabilities in 1989. The resulting report summarized the current state of readiness, focusing on oil spills resulting from exploration and production activities in Canada. The report recommended expenditures in research and development, equipment acquisition, and training to prevent and control offshore and onshore oil spills more effectively. The release of an implementation plan for the Task Force on Oil Spill Preparedness (TFOSP) in 1990 provided the impetus for a 5-year plan to improve this state of preparedness. The plan outlined the mechanisms for implementing the 45 recommendations developed by TFOSP. It also recommended how to incorporate them into the daily business activities of the CPA member companies. It identified the appropriate groups within industry to carry out the implementation of each recommendation. It also indicated the government interfaces, the implementation schedule, and cost estimates for putting each recommendation into place. It also recommended a vigorous monitoring program to follow and report on the status of implementation. Based on the TFOSP implementation plan recommendations, work plans were developed, specific work projects identified, and a budget approved for 1991 programs. The first year of implementation of recommendations is now complete and work plans have been developed for continuation in 1992. 2 refs

Disaster Preparedness activities in Havana: the study of the Community leaders´ Perception of risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuria Gaeta Carrillo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Risk reduction and build resilience in order to prevent some disasters require not just well coordinated authorities, a sound legislation and strong institutions. It is also vital to involve the local communities in preventive measures. The design of community training and community based preparedness activities is not ofen planned properly and is done without enough information, leading to a breakdown in the intervention. Based on personal and group interviews and a survey, this study performs an exploration of community leaders´ perceptions about risks in Havana that strengthens or constrains preventive measures and enhance or not response capacities. information that helps to design capacity building activities at studied community.

Art of disaster preparedness in European union: a survey on the health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Djalali, Ahmadreza; Della Corte, Francesco; Foletti, Marco; Ragazzoni, Luca; Ripoll Gallardo, Alba; Lupescu, Olivera; Arculeo, Chris; von Arnim, Götz; Friedl, Tom; Ashkenazi, Michael; Fischer, Philipp; Hreckovski, Boris; Khorram-Manesh, Amir; Komadina, Radko; Lechner, Konstanze; Patru, Cristina; Burkle, Frederick M; Ingrassia, Pier Luigi

2014-12-17

Naturally occurring and man-made disasters have been increasing in the world, including Europe, over the past several decades. Health systems are a key part of any community disaster management system. The success of preparedness and prevention depends on the success of activities such as disaster planning, organization and training. The aim of this study is to evaluate health system preparedness for disasters in the 27 European Union member countries. A cross-sectional analysis study was completed between June-September 2012. The checklist used for this survey was a modified from the World Health Organization toolkit for assessing health-system capacity for crisis management. Three specialists from each of the 27 European Union countries were included in the survey. Responses to each survey question were scored and the range of preparedness level was defined as 0-100%, categorized in three levels as follows: Acceptable; Transitional; or Insufficient. Response rate was 79.1%. The average level of disaster management preparedness in the health systems of 27 European Union member states was 68% (Acceptable). The highest level of preparedness was seen in the United Kingdom, Luxemburg, and Lithuania. Considering the elements of disaster management system, the highest level of preparedness score was at health information elements (86%), and the lowest level was for hospitals, and educational elements (54%). This survey study suggests that preparedness level of European Union countries in 2012 is at an acceptable level but could be improved. Elements such as hospitals and education and training suffer from insufficient levels of preparedness. The European Union health systems need a collective strategic plan, as well as enough resources, to establish a comprehensive and standardized disaster management strategy plan. A competency based training curriculum for managers and first responders is basic to accomplishing this goal. Disaster medicine; Disaster preparedness

75 FR 18214 - Board of Scientific Counselors, Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-09

... Scientific Counselors, Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (BSC, COTPER) \\1\\ \\1\\ The Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response has been renamed and is..., NE., Global Communications Center, Building 19, Auditorium B3, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. This meeting...

Guidance Manual for preparing Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muhammed, Kabiru [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Seung-Young [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

The Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan(NREPRP) describes the capabilities, responsibilities and authorities of government agencies and a conceptual basis for integrating the activities of these agencies to protect public health and safety. The NREPRP addresses issues related to actual or perceived radiation hazard requiring a national response in order to: i. Provide co-ordination of a response involving multi-jurisdictions or significant national responsibilities; or ii. Provide national support to state and local governments. The objective of this research is to establish Guidance Manual for preparing a timely, organized and coordinated emergency response plan for Authorities/agencies to promptly and adequately determine and take actions to protect members of the public and emergency workers. The manual will not provide sufficient details for an adequate response. This level of details is contained in standard operating procedures that are being developed based on the plan developed. Base on the data obtain from integrated planning levels and responsibility sharing, the legal document of major government agencies participating in NREPRP form the legal basis for the response plan. Also the following documents should be some international legal binding documents. Base on the international safety requirement and some countries well developed NREPRP, we have drafted a guidance manual for new comer countries for easy development of their countries NREPRP. Also we have taken in to consideration lessons learn from most accident especially Fukushima accident.

Guidance Manual for preparing Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhammed, Kabiru; Jeong, Seung-Young

2014-01-01

The Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan(NREPRP) describes the capabilities, responsibilities and authorities of government agencies and a conceptual basis for integrating the activities of these agencies to protect public health and safety. The NREPRP addresses issues related to actual or perceived radiation hazard requiring a national response in order to: i. Provide co-ordination of a response involving multi-jurisdictions or significant national responsibilities; or ii. Provide national support to state and local governments. The objective of this research is to establish Guidance Manual for preparing a timely, organized and coordinated emergency response plan for Authorities/agencies to promptly and adequately determine and take actions to protect members of the public and emergency workers. The manual will not provide sufficient details for an adequate response. This level of details is contained in standard operating procedures that are being developed based on the plan developed. Base on the data obtain from integrated planning levels and responsibility sharing, the legal document of major government agencies participating in NREPRP form the legal basis for the response plan. Also the following documents should be some international legal binding documents. Base on the international safety requirement and some countries well developed NREPRP, we have drafted a guidance manual for new comer countries for easy development of their countries NREPRP. Also we have taken in to consideration lessons learn from most accident especially Fukushima accident

Did pandemic preparedness aid the response to pandemic (H1N1) 2009? A qualitative analysis in seven countries within the WHO European Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Ahmed; Jean-Gilles, Lucie; Hegermann-Lindencrone, Michala; Shaw, Ian; Brown, Caroline; Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan

2012-08-01

Although the 2009-2010 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic was of low severity compared with other pandemics of the 20th century, this pandemic was the first opportunity for countries to implement a real-life pandemic response. The aim of the project was to review the extent to which these plans and planning activities proved useful and to identify areas of pandemic planning that require further strengthening. We randomly selected seven countries within the WHO European Region to participate in a comprehensive, qualitative study to evaluate the pandemic preparedness activities undertaken prior to March 2009 compared with the subsequent pandemic responses mounted from May 2009 onwards. Research teams visited each country and interviewed stakeholders from health and civil response ministries, national public health authorities, regional authorities and family and hospital doctors. The following six consistent themes were identified as essential elements of successful pandemic preparedness activities: communication, coordination, capacity building, adaptability/flexibility, leadership and mutual support. Regarding future pandemic preparedness activities, an emphasis on these areas should be retained and planning for the following activities should be improved: communication (i.e., with the public and health professionals); coordination of vaccine procurement and logistics; flexibility of response and hospital surveillance. Pandemic preparedness activities were successfully undertaken in the WHO European Region prior to the 2009 pandemic. These activities proved to be effective and were generally appropriate for the response provided in 2009. Nevertheless, consistent themes also emerged regarding specific areas of under planning that were common to most of the surveyed countries. Copyright © 2012 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mass-casualty events at schools: a national preparedness survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, James; Shirm, Steve; Liggin, Rebecca; Aitken, Mary E; Dick, Rhonda

2006-01-01

Recent school shootings and terrorist events have demonstrated the need for well-coordinated planning for school-based mass-casualty events. The objective of this study was to document the preparedness of public schools in the United States for the prevention of and the response to a mass-casualty event. A survey was mailed to 3670 school superintendents of public school districts that were chosen at random from a list of school districts from the National Center for Education Statistics of the US Department of Education in January 2004. A second mailing was sent to nonresponders in May 2004. Descriptive statistics were used for survey variables, and the chi2 test was used to compare urban versus rural preparedness. The response rate was 58.2% (2137 usable surveys returned). Most (86.3%) school superintendents reported having a response plan, but fewer (57.2%) have a plan for prevention. Most (95.6%) have an evacuation plan, but almost one third (30%) had never conducted a drill. Almost one quarter (22.1%) have no disaster plan provisions for children with special health care needs, and one quarter reported having no plans for postdisaster counseling. Almost half (42.8%) had never met with local ambulance officials to discuss emergency planning. Urban school districts were better prepared than rural districts on almost all measures in the survey. There are important deficiencies in school emergency/disaster planning. Rural districts are less well prepared than urban districts. Disaster/mass-casualty preparedness of schools should be improved through coordination of school officials and local medical and emergency officials.

Mass-Fatality Incident Preparedness Among Faith-Based Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi, Qi; Merrill, Jacqueline A; Gershon, Robyn R

2017-12-01

Introduction Members of faith-based organizations (FBOs) are in a unique position to provide support and services to their local communities during disasters. Because of their close community ties and well-established trust, they can play an especially critical role in helping communities heal in the aftermath of a mass-fatality incident (MFI). Faith-based organizations are considered an important disaster resource and partner under the National Response Plan (NRP) and National Response Framework; however, their level of preparedness and response capabilities with respect to MFIs has never been evaluated. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to develop appropriate measures of preparedness for this sector; (2) to assess MFI preparedness among United States FBOs; and (3) to identify key factors associated with MFI preparedness. Problem New metrics for MFI preparedness, comprised of three domains (organizational capabilities, operational capabilities, and resource sharing partnerships), were developed and tested in a national convenience sample of FBO members. Data were collected using an online anonymous survey that was distributed through two major, national faith-based associations and social media during a 6-week period in 2014. Descriptive, bivariate, and correlational analyses were conducted. One hundred twenty-four respondents completed the online survey. More than one-half of the FBOs had responded to MFIs in the previous five years. Only 20% of respondents thought that roughly three-quarters of FBO clergy would be able to respond to MFIs, with or without hazardous contamination. A higher proportion (45%) thought that most FBO clergy would be willing to respond, but only 37% thought they would be willing if hazardous contamination was involved. Almost all respondents reported that their FBO was capable of providing emotional care and grief counseling in response to MFIs. Resource sharing partnerships were typically in place with other voluntary

The US CDC Centers for public health preparedness : building a nationwide exemplar network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, D.A.; Paulson, G.; Perry, E. [New Jersey Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry, New Brunswick, NJ (United States). School of Public Health

2005-07-01

The network of Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) was created by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response to the perception that public health professionals were inadequately prepared to respond to terrorism incidents, natural disasters and similar major events. The events of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent anthrax attacks confirmed the wisdom of a concerted approach to emergency preparedness. This paper provides an outline of the network's recent activities as well as a review of the rationale, history and progress of the network to date. In the most recent grant cycle, each center was required to allocate 20 per cent of its resources to network-wide activities, including contribution of CPHP-developed materials to a central resource center maintained by the Association of Schools of Public Health. The materials are publicly available and are to be used in the development of training programs; the establishment of 19 or more exemplar groups that focus on specific preparedness-related knowledge domains such as mental health, educational evaluation methods and field epidemiology, who are also expected to develop tool kits of validated and fully described training materials for use by any CPHP person or group. The outcome of the CPHP network activities is the development of a more comprehensive and robust core of preparedness training materials that aim to facilitate rapid and effective training, while at the same time eliminating redundancy and duplication of effort. It was concluded that the expenditure of 20 per cent of center funds on network development activities is forcing the academically based CPHPs to adopt a new collaborative paradigm in order to ensure effective nationwide preparedness. 3 refs.

Air leakage analysis of research reactor HANARO building in typhoon condition for the nuclear emergency preparedness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Goany Up; Lee, Hae Cho; Kim, Bong Seok; Kim, Jong Soo; Choi, Pyung Kyu [Dept. of Emergency Preparedness, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

To find out the leak characteristic of research reactor 'HANARO' building in a typhoon condition MELCOR code which normally is used to simulate severe accident behavior in a nuclear power plant was used to simulate the leak rate of air and fission products from reactor hall after the shutdown of the ventilation system of HANARO reactor building. For the simulation, HANARO building was designed by MELCOR code and typhoon condition passed through Daejeon in 2012 was applied. It was found that the leak rate is 0.1%·day{sup -1} of air, 0.004%·day{sup -1} of noble gas and 3.7×10{sup -5}%·day{sup -1} of aerosol during typhoon passing. The air leak rate of 0.1%·day can be converted into 1.36 m{sup 3}·hr{sup -1} , but the design leak rate in HANARO safety analysis report was considered as 600 m3·hr{sup -1} under the condition of 20 m·sec{sup -1} wind speed outside of the building by typhoon. Most of fission products during the maximum hypothesis accident at HANARO reactor will be contained in the reactor hall, so the direct radiation by remained fission products in the reactor hall will be the most important factor in designing emergency preparedness for HANARO reactor.

Air leakage analysis of research reactor HANARO building in typhoon condition for the nuclear emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Goany Up; Lee, Hae Cho; Kim, Bong Seok; Kim, Jong Soo; Choi, Pyung Kyu

2016-01-01

To find out the leak characteristic of research reactor 'HANARO' building in a typhoon condition MELCOR code which normally is used to simulate severe accident behavior in a nuclear power plant was used to simulate the leak rate of air and fission products from reactor hall after the shutdown of the ventilation system of HANARO reactor building. For the simulation, HANARO building was designed by MELCOR code and typhoon condition passed through Daejeon in 2012 was applied. It was found that the leak rate is 0.1%·day -1 of air, 0.004%·day -1 of noble gas and 3.7×10 -5 %·day -1 of aerosol during typhoon passing. The air leak rate of 0.1%·day can be converted into 1.36 m 3 ·hr -1 , but the design leak rate in HANARO safety analysis report was considered as 600 m3·hr -1 under the condition of 20 m·sec -1 wind speed outside of the building by typhoon. Most of fission products during the maximum hypothesis accident at HANARO reactor will be contained in the reactor hall, so the direct radiation by remained fission products in the reactor hall will be the most important factor in designing emergency preparedness for HANARO reactor

Emergency Preparedness: A Handbook for Families.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-06-01

Advancement of Science, 1966. FAMILY HANDYMAN MAGAZINE. America’s Handyman Book. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1980. FARACE , Richard V., Kenneth...1972. FARACE , Richard V. Communication Strategies for Crisis Relocation Planning. Washington, D.C.: Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, November 1975... FARACE , Richard V., Kenneth L. Villard, and L. Edna Rogers. Family Communication About Plans for Natural and Nuclear Disasters. Washington, D.C

24 CFR 1003.205 - Eligible planning, urban environmental design and policy-planning-management-capacity building...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... environmental design and policy-planning-management-capacity building activities. 1003.205 Section 1003.205... planning, urban environmental design and policy-planning-management-capacity building activities. (a... plans, general environmental studies, and strategies and action programs to implement plans, including...

Measures of emergency preparedness contributing to nursing home resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Sandi J; McGrady, Elizabeth

2017-12-13

Resilience approaches have been successfully applied in crisis management, disaster response, and high reliability organizations and have the potential to enhance existing systems of nursing home disaster preparedness. This study's purpose was to determine how the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) "Emergency Preparedness Checklist Recommended Tool for Effective Health Care Facility Planning" contributes to organizational resilience by identifying the benchmark resilience items addressed by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist and items not addressed by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist, and to recommend tools and processes to improve resilience for nursing homes. The CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist items were compared to the Resilience Benchmark Tool items; similar items were considered matches. Resilience Benchmark Tool items with no CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist item matches were considered breaches in nursing home resilience. The findings suggest that the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist can be used to measure some aspects of resilience, however, there were many resilience factors not addressed. For nursing homes to prepare and respond to crisis situations, organizations need to embrace a culture that promotes individual resilience-related competencies that when aggregated enable the organization to improve its resiliency. Social workers have the skills and experience to facilitate this change.

Multi-Year Program Plan - Building Regulatory Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2010-10-01

This document presents DOE’s multi-year plan for the three components of the Buildings Regulatory Program: Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards, ENERGY STAR, and the Building Energy Codes Program. This document summarizes the history of these programs, the mission and goals of the programs, pertinent statutory requirements, and DOE’s 5-year plan for moving forward.

US school/academic institution disaster and pandemic preparedness and seasonal influenza vaccination among school nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebmann, Terri; Elliott, Michael B; Reddick, Dave; D Swick, Zachary

2012-09-01

School pandemic preparedness is essential, but has not been evaluated. An online survey was sent to school nurses (from state school nurse associations and/or state departments of education) between May and July 2011. Overall school pandemic preparedness scores were calculated by assigning 1 point for each item in the school's pandemic plan; the maximum score was 11. Linear regression was used to describe factors associated with higher school pandemic preparedness scores. Nurse influenza vaccine uptake was assessed as well. A total of 1,997 nurses from 26 states completed the survey. Almost three-quarters (73.7%; n = 1,472) reported receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine during the 2010-11 season. Very few (2.2%; n = 43) reported that their school/district had a mandatory influenza vaccination policy. Pandemic preparedness scores ranged from 0 to 10 points, with an average score of 4.3. Determinants of school pandemic preparedness were as follows: planning to be a point of dispensing during a future pandemic (P nurse complete the survey (P school nurse study participant be a member of the school disaster planning committee (P schools must continue to address gaps in pandemic planning. Copyright © 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Households’ Natural Disaster Preparedness: A View from a Second Class Municipality in a Developing Country

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo T. Bagarinao

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The increasing frequency of natural disasters occurrence and severity of climate change impacts in recent years makes disaster preparedness a vital decision among households especially in developing countries like the Philippines. The study was conducted to characterize households' respondents through the use of selected socio-demographic variables. It also aimed to determine their adoption of pre-determined disaster preparedness plans and if an empirical relationship could be established between the adoption of a plan and the selected household socio-demographic variables. Using a stimulus-response framework, a natural disaster preparedness survey protocol with emphasis on households' preparedness plans was developed and implemented from May-July 2015 in one of the typhoon and flood-prone municipalities in the Philippines. With 577 respondents, the average households in the study site consist of 5 members, are below estimated poverty threshold, and residing in the area for more than 30 years. There is variability on the relationships between the socio-demographic characteristic of the respondents and their decision to adopt disaster preparedness plans. These findings call for the expansion of the current climate change adaptation and disaster risk management programs and initiatives of the municipality to include enhancement of households' capacity to prepare and deal with impacts of natural disasters.

Defense against terroristic hazards and risk by building planning law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, Richard

2012-01-01

The book on defense against terroristic hazards and risk by building planning law includes the following issues: Introduction: civil engineering and safety. Risk, hazards and urban planning: historical and actual examples for the constructional danger prevention, terroristic threat and urban planning. Risk, hazards and terrorism: sociology and risk, law and risk, terrorism - risk or hazard? Answer to uncertainty - risk prevention, catastrophe law as link. Risk, hazard, terrorism and the public building and regional planning law: regional planning law as point of origin, building law and terrorism, possibility of control by the legal building regulations.

Photovoltaics in buildings: town planning considerations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cradick, K.

1999-07-01

This report explores the significance of PV specifically from a town and country planning perspective. PV will become of interest to planners for a number of reasons. Installation of PV systems on the walls, roofs and windows of buildings will have implications for the design and appearance of buildings and the wider townscape. For this reason, it would be beneficial for the planning profession to have a general awareness of the rapidly expanding range of PV building products now available. A widespread use of the technology will raise a number of other practical planning considerations, such as the need to ensure that PV-equipped buildings are not overshadowed by subsequent development or maturing trees.The use of PV could bring planning benefits. For example, use of the technology could sometimes obviate the need to route overhead power supplies through sensitive landscapes to outlying rural settlement. As a renewable source of energy, the use of PV will be in harmony with Local Agenda 21 objectives and sustainability policies in development plans. This report is written for practising planners in local government, private practice and the voluntary sector, and has regard to the regulatory context within which planners operate. It does not seek to encourage members of the profession to exceed their powers by insisting upon the use of PV in new development. Instead, the report aims to provide an introduction to the technology so that planners may be conversant with the technology and understand both its potential and its limitations. (author)

Emergency planning and preparedness for accidents involving radioactive materials used in medicine, industry, research and teaching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This Safety Series book should be considered as a technical guide aimed at the users of radioactive materials and the appropriate local and national authorities. It does not represent a single solution to the problems involved but rather draws the outlines of the plans and procedures that have to be developed in order to mitigate the consequences of an accident, should one occur. The preparation of local and national plans should follow the technical recommendations provided in this publication, with due consideration given to local factors which might vary from country to country (e.g. governmental systems, local legislation, quantities of radioactive materials involved). Several types of accidents are described, together with their possible radiological consequences. The basic principles of the protective measures that should be applied are discussed, and the principles of emergency planning and the measures needed to maintain preparedness for an operational response to an accident are outlined

Joint radiation emergency management plan of the international organizations. Emergency preparedness and response. Date effective: 1 January 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

binding treaties and have directives and regulations that bear on emergency response arrangements among some States. There are also bilateral agreements between some international organizations that also have relevance to preparedness and response arrangements. In March 2002, the IAEA issued Safety Requirements, entitled 'Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency' (GS-R-2), jointly sponsored by the FAO, IAEA, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and WHO. These safety standards imply additional expectations with regard to operational emergency response arrangements. It is recognized by the participating organizations, and reflected in the above requirements, that good planning in advance of an emergency can substantially improve the response. With this in mind, the IAEA, the organizations party to the Conventions, and some other international organizations that participate in the activities of the IACRNA develop and maintain this 'Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations' (the Joint Plan), which describes: the objectives of response; the organizations involved in response, their roles and responsibilities, and the interfaces among them and between them and States; operational concepts; and preparedness arrangements. The various organizations reflect these arrangements in their own emergency plans. The IAEA is the main co-ordinating body for development and maintenance of the Joint Plan. All States irrespective whether they are party to one or other of the two Conventions are invited to adopt arrangements that are compatible with those described here when providing relevant information about nuclear or radiological emergencies to relevant international organizations, in order to minimize the radiological consequences and to facilitate the

The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative: An Innovative Model to Advance Public Health Preparedness and Response

Science.gov (United States)

Sobelson, Robyn K.; Young, Andrea C.; Marcus, Leonard J.; Dorn, Barry C.; Neslund, Verla S.; McNulty, Eric J.

2017-01-01

This article reports on the design, evaluation framework, and results from the Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness was a 5-year initiative based on the premise that national preparedness and emergency response is not solely the responsibility of government. From 2006 to 2011, 36 Meta-Leadership Summits were delivered in communities across the country. Summits were customized, 10-hour leadership development, networking, and community action planning events. They included participation from targeted federal, state, local, nonprofit/philanthropic, and private sector leaders who are directly involved in decision making during a major community or state-wide emergency. A total of 4,971 government, nonprofit, and business leaders attended Meta-Leadership Summits; distribution of attendees by sector was balanced. Ninety-three percent of respondents reported the summit was a valuable use of time, 91% reported the overall quality as “good” or “outstanding,” and 91% would recommend the summit to their colleagues. In addition, approximately 6 months after attending a summit, 80% of respondents reported that they had used meta-leadership concepts or principles. Of these, 93% reported that using meta-leadership concepts or principles had made a positive difference for them and their organizations. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative was a value-added opportunity for communities, providing the venue for learning the concepts and practice of meta-leadership, multisector collaboration, and resource sharing with the intent of substantively improving preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. PMID:24251597

The meta-leadership summit for preparedness initiative: an innovative model to advance public health preparedness and response.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobelson, Robyn K; Young, Andrea C; Marcus, Leonard J; Dorn, Barry C; Neslund, Verla S; McNulty, Eric J

2013-12-01

This article reports on the design, evaluation framework, and results from the Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness was a 5-year initiative based on the premise that national preparedness and emergency response is not solely the responsibility of government. From 2006 to 2011, 36 Meta-Leadership Summits were delivered in communities across the country. Summits were customized, 10-hour leadership development, networking, and community action planning events. They included participation from targeted federal, state, local, nonprofit/philanthropic, and private sector leaders who are directly involved in decision making during a major community or state-wide emergency. A total of 4,971 government, nonprofit, and business leaders attended Meta-Leadership Summits; distribution of attendees by sector was balanced. Ninety-three percent of respondents reported the summit was a valuable use of time, 91% reported the overall quality as "good" or "outstanding," and 91% would recommend the summit to their colleagues. In addition, approximately 6 months after attending a summit, 80% of respondents reported that they had used meta-leadership concepts or principles. Of these, 93% reported that using meta-leadership concepts or principles had made a positive difference for them and their organizations. The Meta-Leadership Summit for Preparedness Initiative was a value-added opportunity for communities, providing the venue for learning the concepts and practice of meta-leadership, multisector collaboration, and resource sharing with the intent of substantively improving preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

Pandemic Influenza: An Analysis of State Preparedness and Response Plans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lister, Sarah A; Stockdale, Holly

2007-01-01

.... Since 2002, Congress has provided funding to all U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia, to enhance federal, state and local preparedness for public health threats in general, and an influenza ( flu...

Transportation Demand Management Planning At Multi-Tenant Buildings, An Example Of Tdm Planning During Project

Science.gov (United States)

1988-09-01

THIS GUIDE FOR DEVELOPERS, BUILDING OWNERS AND BUILDING MANAGERS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF SAMPLES OF TDM PLANS THAT ILLUSTRATE THE DESIGN AND PROPOSED APPLICATION OF TDM STRATEGIES. THIS SAMPLE PLAN WAS PREPARED FOR A FICTITIOUS BUILDING MANAGER NEAR DO...

On Planning and Managing the Preservation of Historical Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Č. Jarský

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The process of preserving and reconstructing historical buildings poses several specific questions and raises problems which must be solved in the planning and management stage of the building process - from questions of architectural and art-historical significance, via the future purpose of use of the building, links to the surrounding buildings, environmental questions, questions of cost, time analysis, and quality assurance problems. Many of these problems can be solved with the help of a computer model of the course of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the building created by a construction technology network diagram. The CONTEC integrated project planning, management and quality control system based on these diagrams has been used for bidding, planning and managing the reconstruction process of several significant historical buildings in Prague and other cities.

Energy audit role in building planning

Science.gov (United States)

Sipahutar, Riman; Bizzy, Irwin

2017-11-01

An energy audit is one way to overcome the excessive use of energy in buildings. The increasing growth of population, economy, and industry will have an impact on energy demand and the formation of greenhouse gas emissions. Indonesian National Standard (SNI) concerning the building has not been implemented optimally due to the socialization process by a government not yet been conducted. An energy audit of buildings has been carried out at offices and public services. Most electrical energy in buildings used for air refresher equipment or air conditioning. Calculation of OTTV has demonstrated the importance of performing since the beginning of the planning of a building to get energy-efficient buildings.

24 CFR 570.205 - Eligible planning, urban environmental design and policy-planning-management-capacity building...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... environmental design and policy-planning-management-capacity building activities. 570.205 Section 570.205..., urban environmental design and policy-planning-management-capacity building activities. (a) Planning... known or suspected environmental contamination. (5) [Reserved] (6) Policy—planning—management—capacity...

77 FR 32877 - National Hurricane Preparedness Week, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

... and throughout the private and non-profit sectors to develop robust systems for disaster preparedness..., let us recommit to ensuring the safety of our loved ones and our communities, and to building a... government agencies, private organizations, schools, media, and residents in the coastal areas of our Nation...

Application of geographical information system (GIS) for the preparedness for response to nuclear emergencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhury, Probal; Pradeepkumar, K.S.; Saindane, S.S.; Suri, M.M.K.; Sharma, D.N.

2005-01-01

As recommended by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), preparedness for response to nuclear/radiological emergencies is essential for all nations including those not having nuclear facilities. Methodology and systems for quick assessment of radiological impact following any large scale radioactive release/contamination in the environment are already developed. Efforts are being made to provide Geographical Information System (GIS) support for enhancing the capability of quick decision making on the implementation of countermeasures and to strengthen the Emergency Preparedness Program. This requires development of the database of nuclear facilities, roads, buildings, agriculture land, population density and geolocating using geocoded addresses. GIS helps in the creation of custom maps that spatially show several data layers pertinent to the cities/area around the nuclear power plants. The GIS based software imports and spatially displays the predicted movement of radioactive plume and helps in the revision of emergency plans based on the periodic inputs from various systems and monitoring teams. These tools, allow the Emergency Response Centers to take decisions regarding the progress, success and future direction of response in large cities/complex sites. (author)

Challenges of the New Zealand healthcare disaster preparedness prior to the Canterbury earthquakes: a qualitative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Gauld, Robin; Lovell, Sarah; McBride, David; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Harthy, Abdullah

2013-03-15

Disasters are a growing global phenomenon. New Zealand has suffered several major disasters in recent times. The state of healthcare disaster preparedness in New Zealand prior to the Canterbury earthquakes is not well documented. To investigate the challenges of the New Zealand healthcare disaster preparedness prior to the Canterbury earthquakes. Semi-structured interviews with emergency planners in all the District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand in the period between January and March 2010. The interview protocol revolved around the domains of emergency planning adopted by the World Health Organization. Seventeen interviews were conducted. The main themes included disinterest of clinical personnel in emergency planning, the need for communication backup, the integration of private services in disaster preparedness, the value of volunteers, the requirement for regular disaster training, and the need to enhance surge capability of the New Zealand healthcare system to respond to disasters. Prior to the Canterbury earthquakes, healthcare disaster preparedness faced multiple challenges. Despite these challenges, New Zealand's healthcare response was adequate. Future preparedness has to consider the lessons learnt from the 2011 earthquakes to improve healthcare disaster planning in New Zealand.

Rural Community Disaster Preparedness and Risk Perception in Trujillo, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Matthew; Grahmann, Bridget; Fillmore, Ariel; Benson, L Scott

2017-08-01

Introduction Disasters will continue to occur throughout the world and it is the responsibility of the government, health care systems, and communities to adequately prepare for potential catastrophic scenarios. Unfortunately, low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) are especially vulnerable following a disaster. By understanding disaster preparedness and risk perception, interventions can be developed to improve community preparedness and avoid unnecessary mortality and morbidity following a natural disaster. Problem The purpose of this study was to assess disaster preparedness and risk perception in communities surrounding Trujillo, Peru. After designing a novel disaster preparedness and risk perception survey based on guidelines from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC; Geneva, Switzerland), investigators performed a cross-sectional survey of potentially vulnerable communities surrounding Trujillo, Peru. Data were entered and analyzed utilizing the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap; Harvard Catalyst; Boston, Massachusetts USA) database. A total of 230 study participants were surveyed, composed of 37% males, 63% females, with ages ranging from 18-85 years old. Those surveyed who had previously experienced a disaster (41%) had a higher perception of future disaster occurrence and potential disaster impact on their community. Overall, the study participants consistently perceived that earthquakes and infection had the highest potential impact of all disasters. Twenty-six percent of participants had an emergency supply of food, 24% had an emergency water plan, 24% had a first aid kit at home, and only 20% of the study participants had an established family evacuation plan. Natural and man-made disasters will remain a threat to the safety and health of communities in all parts of the world, especially within vulnerable communities in LMICs; however, little research has been done to identify disaster perception

Off-site emergency preparedness activities within the European Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, G.N.

1998-01-01

Increasing attention is being given by the European Commission to off-site emergency preparedness as part of its broader contribution to improving nuclear safety in Eastern Europe. The main initiatives being taken or planned by the Commission in this area are summarised. Particular attention is given to two topics: Firstly, the development of the RODOS (Real-time On-line DecisiOn Support) system for supporting off-site emergency management in the event of a nuclear accident; and, secondly, the work of an Inter-Service Group on nuclear Off-Site Emergency Preparedness (OSEP) in Eastern Europe that has been established within the Commission. The contribution that each is making to improving emergency preparedness, both in Eastern Europe and in Europe more widely, is described. (orig.)

European commission contribution to improving off-site emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, G.N.

1996-01-01

Increasing attention is being given by the European Commission to off-site emergency preparedness as part of its broader contribution to improving nuclear safety in Eastern Europe. The main initiatives being taken or planned by the Commission in this area are summarized. Particular attention is given to two topics: firstly, the development of the RODOS (Real-time On-line Decision Support) system for supporting off-site emergency management in the event of a nuclear accident; and, secondly, the work of an Inter-Service Group on nuclear Off-Site Emergency Preparedness (OSEP) in Eastern Europe that has recently been established within the Commission. The contribution that each is making to improving emergency preparedness, both in Eastern Europe and in Europe more widely, is described

Nursing Home Self-assessment of Implementation of Emergency Preparedness Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Sandi J; McGrady, Elizabeth

2016-08-01

Introduction Disasters often overwhelm a community's capacity to respond and recover, creating a gap between the needs of the community and the resources available to provide services. In the wake of multiple disasters affecting nursing homes in the last decade, increased focus has shifted to this vital component of the health care system. However, the long-term care sector has often fallen through the cracks in both planning and response. Problem Two recent reports (2006 and 2012) published by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG), elucidate the need for improvements in nursing homes' comprehensive emergency preparedness and response. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed an emergency preparedness checklist as a guidance tool and proposed emergency preparedness regulations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the progress made in nursing home preparedness by determining the level of completion of the 70 tasks noted on the checklist. The study objectives were to: (1) determine the preparedness levels of nursing homes in North and South Carolina (USA), and (2) compare these findings with the 2012 OIG's report on nursing home preparedness to identify current gaps. A survey developed from the checklist of items was emailed to 418 North Carolina and 193 South Carolina nursing home administrators during 2014. One hundred seventeen were returned/"bounced back" as not received. Follow-up emails and phone calls were made to encourage participation. Sixty-three completed surveys and 32 partial surveys were received. Responses were compared to data obtained in a 2010 study to determine progress. Progress had been made in many of the overall planning and sheltering-in-place tasks, such as having contact information of local emergency managers as well as specifications for availability of potable water. Yet, gaps still persisted, especially in evacuation standards, interfacing with emergency

Radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response. How well are we prepared?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geick, Gunther H.G.; Herrmann, Andre R.; Koch, Doris; Meisenberg, Oliver; Rauber, Dominique; Stuerm, Rolf P.; Weiss, Wolfgang; Miska, Horst; Schoenhacker, Stefan

2011-01-01

The contributions to this topic are dealing, in a broad overview, with important aspects of Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response, like the influence of the new ICRP recommendations number 103 and number 109 on emergency preparedness and on planning for response, possible problems in installing and operating emergency care centres, experience from exercises as well as the training of response personnel in Austria and Germany. Finally, measures in emergency preparedness with regard to a dirty bomb attack are reported by means of an INEX-4-exercise in Switzerland. (orig.)

Involvement of the Public Health Authority in emergency planning and preparedness for nuclear facilities in Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sztanyik, L.B.

1986-01-01

It is required by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Act and its enacting clause of 1980 that facilities established for the application of atomic energy be designed, constructed and operated in such a manner that abnormal operational occurrences can be avoided and unplanned exposures to radiation and radioactive substances can be prevented. The primary responsibility for planning and implementing emergency actions rests with the management of the operating organization. Thus one of the prerequisites of licensing the first nuclear power plant in Hungary was the preparation and submission for approval of an emergency plan by the operating organization. In addition to this, the council of the county where the power plant is located has also been obliged to prepare a complementary emergency plan, in co-operation with other regional and national authorities, for the prevention of consequences from an emergency that may extend beyond the site boundary of the plant. In preparing the complementary plan, the emergency plan of the facility had to be taken into account. Unlike most national authorities involved in nuclear matters, the Public Health Authority is involved in the preparation of plans for every kind of emergency in a nuclear facility, including even those whose consequences can probably be confined to the plant site. The paper discusses in detail the role and responsibility of the Public Health Authority in emergency planning and preparedness for nuclear facilities. (author)

Busting myths and building resilience: Practices and approaches that go beyond mere plan development.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Mark

Dwight D. Eisenhower is often quoted as saying: 'In battle, plans are useless but planning is indispensable'. How many in the business continuity profession actually think about that statement and what it really means? Audit, compliance and regulatory requirements as well as the expectations of executives and business leaders result in an inordinate amount of time and effort devoted to plan development with scant attention paid to actual planning. Practitioners need to realise that the value of the plans they develop is not derived from the finished documents but from the work devoted to completing them. Experience and practice win out above detailed plans. One need look no further than Eisenhower's D-Day invasion of Normandy as evidence. Practitioners need to learn how to be better at instituting preparedness and not simply developing better plans.

Assessment of Ebola virus disease preparedness in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Vong, Sirenda; Samuel, Reuben; Gould, Philip; El Sakka, Hammam; Rana, Bardan J; Pinyowiwat, Vason; Bezbaruah, Supriya; Ofrin, Roderico

2016-12-01

To conduct assessments of Ebola virus disease preparedness in countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region. Nine of 11 countries in the region agreed to be assessed. During February to November 2015 a joint team from WHO and ministries of health conducted 4-5 day missions to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. We collected information through guided discussions with senior technical leaders and visits to hospitals, laboratories and airports. We assessed each country's Ebola virus disease preparedness on 41 tasks under nine key components adapted from the WHO Ebola preparedness checklist of January 2015. Political commitment to Ebola preparedness was high in all countries. Planning was most advanced for components that had been previously planned or tested for influenza pandemics: multilevel and multisectoral coordination; multidisciplinary rapid response teams; public communication and social mobilization; drills in international airports; and training on personal protective equipment. Major vulnerabilities included inadequate risk assessment and risk communication; gaps in data management and analysis for event surveillance; and limited capacity in molecular diagnostic techniques. Many countries had limited planning for a surge of Ebola cases. Other tasks needing improvement included: advice to inbound travellers; adequate isolation rooms; appropriate infection control practices; triage systems in hospitals; laboratory diagnostic capacity; contact tracing; and danger pay to staff to ensure continuity of care. Joint assessment and feedback about the functionality of Ebola virus preparedness systems help countries strengthen their core capacities to meet the International Health Regulations.

Joint radiation emergency management plan of the international organizations. Emergency preparedness and response. Date effective: 1 December 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-11-01

directives and regulations that bear on emergency response arrangements among some States. There are also bilateral agreements between some international organizations that also have relevance to preparedness and response arrangements. In March 2002, the IAEA Board of Governors approved a Safety Requirements document to be issued according to the IAEA's statutory function 'to establish ... standards of safety for protection of health and minimization of danger to life and property'. These Safety Requirements, entitled 'Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency' (GS-R-2), are being jointly sponsored by the FAO, IAEA, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA/OECD), the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and WHO. These safety standards imply additional expectations with regard to operational emergency response arrangements. It has been recognized by the organizations responsible for emergency response, and reflected in the above requirements, that good planning in advance of an emergency can substantially improve the response. Moreover, one of the most important features of emergency response plans is to have clear lines of responsibility and authority. With this in mind, the IAEA, the organizations party to the Conventions, and some other international organizations that participate in the activities of the IACRNA develop and maintain this 'Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations' (the Joint Plan), which describes: the objectives of response; the organizations involved in response, their roles and responsibilities, and the interfaces among them and between them and States; operational concepts; and preparedness arrangements. These practical arrangements are reflected in the various organizations own emergency plans. The IAEA is the main co-ordinating body for development and maintenance of the

Hospital disaster emergency preparedness: A study of Onandjokwe ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study explored disaster emergency preparedness at Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital in Northern Namibia. It utilized quantitative and qualitative research methods, using a self-administered questionnaire, semi-structured key informant interviews, and a hospital disaster plan checklist. A stratified sample of 120 ...

Assessing Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacity Using Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response Methodology: Portsmouth, Virginia, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurkjian, Katie M; Winz, Michelle; Yang, Jun; Corvese, Kate; Colón, Ana; Levine, Seth J; Mullen, Jessica; Ruth, Donna; Anson-Dwamena, Rexford; Bayleyegn, Tesfaye; Chang, David S

2016-04-01

For the past decade, emergency preparedness campaigns have encouraged households to meet preparedness metrics, such as having a household evacuation plan and emergency supplies of food, water, and medication. To estimate current household preparedness levels and to enhance disaster response planning, the Virginia Department of Health with remote technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a community health assessment in 2013 in Portsmouth, Virginia. Using the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) methodology with 2-stage cluster sampling, we randomly selected 210 households for in-person interviews. Households were questioned about emergency planning and supplies, information sources during emergencies, and chronic health conditions. Interview teams completed 180 interviews (86%). Interviews revealed that 70% of households had an emergency evacuation plan, 67% had a 3-day supply of water for each member, and 77% had a first aid kit. Most households (65%) reported that the television was the primary source of information during an emergency. Heart disease (54%) and obesity (40%) were the most frequently reported chronic conditions. The Virginia Department of Health identified important gaps in local household preparedness. Data from the assessment have been used to inform community health partners, enhance disaster response planning, set community health priorities, and influence Portsmouth's Community Health Improvement Plan.

Mass casualty events: blood transfusion emergency preparedness across the continuum of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Doughty, Heidi; Glasgow, Simon; Kristoffersen, Einar

2016-04-01

Transfusion support is a key enabler to the response to mass casualty events (MCEs). Transfusion demand and capability planning should be an integrated part of the medical planning process for emergency system preparedness. Historical reviews have recently supported demand planning for MCEs and mass gatherings; however, computer modeling offers greater insights for resource management. The challenge remains balancing demand and supply especially the demand for universal components such as group O red blood cells. The current prehospital and hospital capability has benefited from investment in the management of massive hemorrhage. The management of massive hemorrhage should address both hemorrhage control and hemostatic support. Labile blood components cannot be stockpiled and a large surge in demand is a challenge for transfusion providers. The use of blood components may need to be triaged and demand managed. Two contrasting models of transfusion planning for MCEs are described. Both illustrate an integrated approach to preparedness where blood transfusion services work closely with health care providers and the donor community. Preparedness includes appropriate stock management and resupply from other centers. However, the introduction of alternative transfusion products, transfusion triage, and the greater use of an emergency donor panel to provide whole blood may permit greater resilience. © 2016 AABB.

Standardization of GIS datasets for emergency preparedness of NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saindane, Shashank S.; Suri, M.M.K.; Otari, Anil; Pradeepkumar, K.S.

2012-01-01

Probability of a major nuclear accident which can lead to large scale release of radioactivity into environment is extremely small by the incorporation of safety systems and defence-in-depth philosophy. Nevertheless emergency preparedness for implementation of counter measures to reduce the consequences are required for all major nuclear facilities. Iodine prophylaxis, Sheltering, evacuation etc. are protective measures to be implemented for members of public in the unlikely event of any significant releases from nuclear facilities. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed a GIS supported Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Program. Preparedness for Response to Nuclear emergencies needs geographical details of the affected locations specially Nuclear Power Plant Sites and nearby public domain. Geographical information system data sets which the planners are looking for will have appropriate details in order to take decision and mobilize the resources in time and follow the Standard Operating Procedures. Maps are 2-dimensional representations of our real world and GIS makes it possible to manipulate large amounts of geo-spatially referenced data and convert it into information. This has become an integral part of the nuclear emergency preparedness and response planning. This GIS datasets consisting of layers such as village settlements, roads, hospitals, police stations, shelters etc. is standardized and effectively used during the emergency. The paper focuses on the need of standardization of GIS datasets which in turn can be used as a tool to display and evaluate the impact of standoff distances and selected zones in community planning. It will also highlight the database specifications which will help in fast processing of data and analysis to derive useful and helpful information. GIS has the capability to store, manipulate, analyze and display the large amount of required spatial and tabular data. This study intends to carry out a proper response and preparedness

The Norwegian nuclear emergency preparedness system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naadland, E.; Stranden, E.

1995-01-01

A new national organisation for nuclear emergency preparedness was established in Norway in 1993, based on experiences from the Chernobyl accident. This organisation is based on authorities and research institutions which in a normal situation have responsibilities and knowledge in fields that are also of major importance in a nuclear accident situation. The national emergency preparedness organisation consists of the Ministerial Co-ordination Committee, the Advisory Committee for Nuclear Accidents and their secretariat at the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, and an Information Group. The organisations participating in the Advisory Committee operate measuring networks, stations and laboratories. In an early phase of an accident, a minor group from the Advisory Committee forms a Crisis Committee for Nuclear Accidents. This committee has been delegated the authority to make decisions in this phase. The organisation represented by its secretariat at the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority is responsible for coordinating the emergency planning, the measuring capacities and the professional needs ordinarily. The secretariat is on call 24 hours a day as point of contact according to bilateral and international agreements on early notification. In this paper the features of the emergency preparedness organisation are presented. (Author)

Digital building planning - digital construction; Digitale Gebaeudeplanung - digitales Bauen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedrichs, K. [Karlsruhe Univ. (T.H.) (Germany). Fakultaet fuer Architektur

1995-12-31

In chapter 3 of the anthology about building control the following aspects are discussed: digital building planning and digital construction, which are characterised by an increasing complexity of planning, buildings, construction technology and construction processes. In this respect the digital-technical scenarios, passive and active objects as well as digital construction are described. (BWI) [Deutsch] Kapitel 3 des Sammelbandes ueber Building Control ist den Themen Digitale Gebaeudeplanung und Digitales Bauen gewidmet, die durch die zunehmende Komplexitaet von Planung, Gebaeuden, Bautechnologien und -prozessen bedingt sind. In diesem Zusammenhang werden folgende Themen angesprochen: Digitale technische Szenarien, passive und aktive Objekte sowie digitales Bauen. (BWI)

Development of effective emergency preparedness and response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

It has been discussed that there were many differences to international standards and the delay for prior planning implementation of unclear emergency preparedness. Therefore, it was necessary to promote the study to take the concept of the international standard to the Guide 'Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Facilities', and to apply the Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) etc. as the protective actions procedure. This study was started since the fiscal year 2010 to enhance the effectiveness of the protective actions, which are corresponding to these requirements based on international aspects in the nuclear disaster occurrence. And the study was conducted to introduce the emergency action level (EAL) as decision criteria and to apply urgent protective action considering PAZ, and the results from this study will be used as the basic data necessary to modify and improve the Guide. In order to fulfill the purposes described above, in fiscal year 2011, followings are executed, (1) analysis and verification for basic evacuation area such as the PAZ, (2) analysis with regard to the EAL and prototype of protective actions for public, and (3) analysis with regard to prototype of protective actions for public including evacuation plan. However, taking account of the significance of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, Japanese emergency preparedness strategy should be studied and reconstructed in logically, systematically, and with international standard, but also being based on the reflection of individual lessons from this accident. (author)

Missouri K-12 school disaster and biological event preparedness and seasonal influenza vaccination among school nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebmann, Terri; Elliott, Michael B; Artman, Deborah; VanNatta, Matthew; Wakefield, Mary

2015-10-01

School preparedness for bioevents, such as emerging infectious diseases, bioterrorism, and pandemics, is imperative, but historically has been low. The Missouri Association of School Nurses members were sent an online survey during the 2013-2014 school year to assess current bioevent readiness. There were 15 and 35 indicators of school disaster and bioevent preparedness, respectively. Multivariate linear regressions were conducted to delineate factors associated with higher school disaster and bioevent preparedness scores. In total, 133 school nurses participated, with a 33.6% response rate. On average, schools had fewer than half of the disaster or bioevent indicators. Disaster and bioevent preparedness scores ranged from 1-12.5 (mean, 6.0) and 5-25 (mean, 13.8), respectively. The least frequently reported plan components included bioterrorism-specific psychological needs addressed (1.5%, n = 2), having a foodservice biosecurity plan (8.3%, n = 11), and having a liberal sick leave policy for bioevents (22.6%, n = 30). Determinants of better bioevent preparedness include perception that the school is well prepared for a pandemic (P = .001) or natural disaster (P nurse being on the disaster planning committee (P = .001), and school being a closed point of dispensing (P < .05). Schools are underprepared for biological events and are not on track to meet state and national biological preparedness goals. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiological emergency preparedness (REP) program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiatkowski, D.H.

1995-01-01

This talk focuses on the accomplishments of Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program. Major topics include the following: strengthening the partnership between FEMA, the States, and the Industry; the Standard Exercise Report Format (SERF); Multi-year performance partnership agreement (MYPPA); new REP Program guidance; comprehensive exercise program; federal radiological emergency response plan (FRERP); international interest; REP user fee; implementation EPA PAGs and Dose Limits; Contamination monitoring standard for portal monitors; guidance documents and training

Hospital all-risk emergency preparedness in Ghana | Norman ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

(2) The hospitals' respective abilities to handle large scale RTA's were ... The biggest challenge facing the hospitals in their emergency intervention is the lack of preemergency and emergency preparedness plans as well as the coordination of the hospitals response mechanisms. Conclusion: The paper ended with ...

Emergency preparedness for nuclear power plants in the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, S.A.

1986-01-01

In the case of an operating reactor, if it is determined that there are such deficiencies that a favourable NRC finding is not warranted and if the deficiencies are not corrected within four months of that determination, the Commission will determine whether the reactor should be shut down or whether some other enforcement action is appropriate. In any case, where the Commission believes that the public health, safety, or interest so requires, the plant will be required to shut down immediately. Emergency planning considerations must be extended to emergency planning zones, and these shall consist of an area of about 10 miles in radius for exposure to the radioactive plume that might result from an accident in a nuclear power reactor and an area of about 50 miles in radius for food that might become contaminated. To evaluate the effectiveness of the licensee programme to implement their emergency plan, a 'management oversight and risk tree' (MORT) approach was developed and used by NRC appraisal teams at all operating facilities and those close to licensing. Since April 1981, over 250 emergency preparedness exercises have been observed and annual inspections conducted at US commercial nuclear power generating facilities. As a result of this experience, licensees have generally progressed from a basic ability to implement their plan to a systematic demonstration of their emergency preparedness capabilities. Almost five years have elapsed since the inception of the upgraded emergency preparedness regulatory programme, and the NRC is evaluating the resources committed to the programme to determine if modifications are appropriate. Our goal is to ensure continued adequate readiness capability to protect the public health and safety in the event of an accident

Social justice in pandemic preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

DeBruin, Debra; Liaschenko, Joan; Marshall, Mary Faith

2012-04-01

Pandemic influenza planning in the United States violates the demands of social justice in 2 fundamental respects: it embraces the neutrality of procedural justice at the expense of more substantive concern with health disparities, thus perpetuating a predictable and preventable social injustice, and it fails to move beyond lament to practical planning for alleviating barriers to accessing care. A pragmatic social justice approach, addressing both health disparities and access barriers, should inform pandemic preparedness. Achieving social justice goals in pandemic response is challenging, but strategies are available to overcome the obstacles. The public engagement process of one state's pandemic ethics project influenced the development of these strategies.

Emergency preparedness at Barsebaeck NPP in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsson, R.; Lindvall, C.

1998-01-01

On-site emergency preparedness plan at Barsebaeck NPP is presented. In an emergency the responsibility of the NPP is to alarm the emergency organizations, spend all efforts to restore safe operation, assess the potential source term as to size and time, protect their own personnel, inform personnel and public. Detailed emergency procedures overview is provided

Emergency Preparedness

CERN Document Server

2001-01-01

The trends of RPC work in the area of preparedness for nuclear and radiological accidents are listed. RPC in cooperation with Swedish Government developed the project on preparation for iodine prophylaxis in case of accident at Ignalina NPP and arranged seminar on emergency preparedness issues in 2001.

Method for Developing a Communication Strategy and Plan for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. Emergency Preparedness and Response. Publication Date: July 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

The aim of this publication is to provide a practical resource for emergency planning in the area of public communication in the development of a radiation emergency communication plan (RECP). The term 'public communication' is defined as any activity that communicates information to the public and the media during a nuclear or radiological emergency. To avoid confusion, the term public communication has been used in this publication rather than public information, which may be used in other IAEA publications and documents to ensure consistency with the terminology used in describing the command and control system. This publication also aims to fulfil in part functions assigned to the IAEA in the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention), as well as meeting requirements stated in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2, Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. Under Article 5(a)(11) of the Assistance Convention, one function of the IAEA is to collect and disseminate to States Parties and Member States information concerning methodologies, techniques and results of research with regard to the response to nuclear or radiological emergencies. This publication is intended to provide guidance to national and local authorities on developing an RECP which incorporates the specific functions, arrangements and capabilities that will be required for public communication during a nuclear or radiological emergency. The two main features of this publication are the template provided to develop an RECP and detailed guidance on developing a communication strategy for emergency preparedness and response to nuclear or radiological emergencies. The template is consistent with the outline of the national radiation emergency plan proposed in Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (EPR-Method 2003). This publication is part of the IAEA

Lessons learned from the Fukushima accident to improve the performance of the national nuclear preparedness system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewi Apriliani

2013-01-01

A study of emergency response failure in the early phase of a nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan has conducted. This study aimed to obtain lesson learned from the problems and constraints that exist at the time of the Fukushima emergency response. This lesson learned will be adjusted to the situation, conditions and problems in nuclear preparedness systems in Indonesia, so that it can obtain the necessary recommendations to improve the performance of SKNN (National Nuclear Emergency Preparedness System). Recommendations include: improvements in coordination and information systems, including early warning systems and dissemination of information; improvements in the preparation of emergency plans/contingency plan, which includes an integrated disaster management; improvement in the development of disaster management practice/field exercise, by extending the scenario and integrate it with nuclear disaster, chemical, biological, and acts of terrorism; and improvement in public education of nuclear emergency preparedness and also improvement in management for dissemination of information to the public and the mass media. These improvements need to be done as part of efforts in preparing a reliable nuclear emergency preparedness in order to support nuclear power plant development plan. (author)

Transportation radiological emergency preparedness: STAR 95 Exercise final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Emergency response for a transportation accident involving radiological materials, while not inherently difficult, presents a challenge for several reasons. These accidents, although they can occur anywhere, are rare. Also, although the health consequences are usually slight, accidents involving radioactive materials generally cause a great deal of concern, both for the emergency responders and the general public. How can communities be prepared for an event that requires some technical knowledge, but is so rare that it will never occur in most areas, without expending an effort disproportionate to the actual risk? How can one appropriately deal with an event that may cause excessive public concern? These questions are at the heart of the preparedness issues this program addressed. The overall goal of the Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program was to establish the framework for a coordinated response by all levels of government to a transportation accident involving radioactive material. The Program involved both preparedness activities and the development, conduct and evaluation of a field exercise in Saratoga County, New York. This Report concentrates on the functional activities, lessons learned, recommendations, and action plans for improving preparedness and response to a transportation accident involving radioactive materials

Preparedness for physiotherapy in private practice: Novices identify key factors in an interpretive description study.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Robyn; McElroy, Theresa

2016-04-01

Physiotherapists in Australia deliver services to a diverse range of clients, across many settings, however little research exists examining graduate preparedness for practice, even in the populous field of private practice. To explore novice physiotherapist perspectives on preparedness for work in private practice. The qualitative approach of interpretive description was used to guide in-depth interviews with 8 novice physiotherapists from 3 universities working in 5 private practices in Melbourne. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Four main themes influencing graduate preparedness for work in private practice were identified: 1) non-curricular experiences (e.g. sports training) 2) elective curricular: practicum experiences; 3) curricular: attainment of skills specific to private practice; and 4) the private practice setting: supportive colleagues. This combination of non-curricular, curricular, and practice setting factors offered the necessary scaffolding for the graduates to report feeling prepared for work in private practice. Non-curricular activities, radiological instruction, clinical placements, building supportive colleague relations and professional development in private practice are recommended as potential means of building preparedness in novice therapists. Findings have implications for physiotherapy students, educators and private practice clinics looking to recruit new graduates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Latino disaster preparedness using social networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenman, David P; Glik, Deborah; Gonzalez, Lupe; Maranon, Richard; Zhou, Qiong; Tseng, Chi-Hong; Asch, Steven M

2009-12-01

Culturally targeted, informal social networking approaches to improving disaster preparedness have not been empirically tested. In partnership with community health promoters and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, this study tested a disaster preparedness program for Latino households. This study had a community-based, randomized, longitudinal cohort design with two groups and was conducted during February-October 2007. Assessments were made at baseline and 3 months. Analyses were carried out January-October 2008. Community-based study of 231 Latinos living in Los Angeles County. Participants were randomly assigned to attending platicas (small-group discussions led by a health promoter/promotora de salud) or receiving "media" (a culturally tailored mailer). A total of 187 (81.0%) completed the 3-month follow-up. A self-reported disaster preparedness checklist was used. Among participants who did not have emergency water pre-intervention, 93.3% of those in the platica arm had it at follow-up, compared to 66.7% in the media arm (p=0.003). Among participants who did not have food pre-intervention, 91.7% in the platica arm reported it at follow-up, compared to 60.6% in the media arm (p=0.013). Finally, among participants who did not have a family communication plan pre-intervention, 70.4% in the platica arm reported one at follow-up, compared to 42.3% in the media arm (p=0.002). Although both arms improved in stockpiling water and food and creating a communication plan, the platica arm showed greater improvement than the media group.

Communicative Planning As Institutional Capacity Building: From Discourse/Network To Opportunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delik Hudalah

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The paper redefines the ideas about communicative planning as not only participatory and democratic practice but also capacity building oriented toward the improvement of governance styles and consciousness. So far capacity building has focused on the exploitation of social resources internal to actors. These internal resources include knowledge (argumentation, debate, discourse formation etc and relational (network, coalition, alliance etc building. The paper argues that in dealing with very complex planning problems characterized by fragmented and uncertain institutional systems, the internal resources need to be coupled with the exploration of resources external to actors, namely the political opportunity structure and moment of opportunity. The analysis implies that the performance of communicative decision-making process as capacity building can be assessed in three aspects: strategic and inclusive actors’ involvement, the building of actors’ awareness on neglected but important planning issues and agendas, and consistency and deliberation in realizing and delivering agreed planning ideas, frameworks and decisions.

Building for a Changing Climate - Adaptation through planning and construction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-08-15

Adaptation through planning and construction can help to reduce the negative effects of climate change, such as flooding, landslides, landslips, and erosion. The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (Boverket) has conducted an analysis of how the Planning and Building Act can assist in the work towards climate change adaptation. This brochure provides guidance and support to for example property owners, developers, officials and decision makers in municipalities and the state

An intuitive interface for building management and planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, de B.; Buma, S.A.; Jessurun, A.J.

2006-01-01

Building management and planning professionals utilize database systems for administrative support, but these systems are inadequate for conveying architectural plans. In this article we describe the so-called Virtual Maquette that was developed at the Eindhoven University of Technology for the

The changing health priorities of earthquake response and implications for preparedness: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cartwright, C; Hall, M; Lee, A C K

2017-09-01

Earthquakes have substantial impacts on mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The academic evidence base to support Disaster Risk Reduction activities in LMIC settings is, however, limited. We sought to address this gap by identifying the health and healthcare impacts of earthquakes in LMICs and to identify the implications of these findings for future earthquake preparedness. Scoping review. A scoping review was undertaken with systematic searches of indexed databases to identify relevant literature. Key study details, findings, recommendations or lessons learnt were extracted and analysed across individual earthquake events. Findings were categorised by time frame relative to earthquakes and linked to the disaster preparedness cycle, enabling a profile of health and healthcare impacts and implications for future preparedness to be established. Health services need to prepare for changing health priorities with a shift from initial treatment of earthquake-related injuries to more general health needs occurring within the first few weeks. Preparedness is required to address mental health and rehabilitation needs in the medium to longer term. Inequalities of the impact of earthquakes on health were noted in particular for women, children, the elderly, disabled and rural communities. The need to maintain access to essential services such as reproductive health and preventative health services were identified. Key preparedness actions include identification of appropriate leaders, planning and training of staff. Testing of plans was advocated within the literature with evidence that this is possible in LMIC settings. Whilst there are a range of health and healthcare impacts of earthquakes, common themes emerged in different settings and from different earthquake events. Preparedness of healthcare systems is essential and possible, in order to mitigate the adverse health impacts of earthquakes in LMIC settings. Preparedness is needed at the community

Crisis management, capabilities and preparedness: the case of public hospitals in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Najafbagy, Reza

2010-01-01

Crises occurred in recent decades show that organizations' preparedness to predict and respond to undesired problems is directly related to the degree of their capabilities and preparedness to manage crises in this context, hospitals compared to other organizations are more viable to suffer damages if a crisis occurs. This study investigates the degree of public hospitals capabilities and preparedness to handled possible crises. Responses from hospital managers and directors show that most of them were not familiar with crisis management, while majority of them mentioned that they had crisis management plan and committee in their hospitals. Moreover, most of the respondents believed that if a crisis occurs in the hospital, patients, personnel and documents will be the first victims of the crisis. The study also indicates that having a crisis plan and crisis committee without being familiar with knowledge of crisis management, do not help managers to cope with crisis. Moreover, correlations show that older managers were more familiar with crisis management experiences abroad, and defined responsibilities contributed to setting up crisis committee, and taking crisis seriously.

Planning for chronic disease medications in disaster: perspectives from patients, physicians, pharmacists, and insurers.

Science.gov (United States)

Carameli, Kelley A; Eisenman, David P; Blevins, Joy; d'Angona, Brian; Glik, Deborah C

2013-06-01

Recent US disasters highlight the current imbalance between the high proportion of chronically ill Americans who depend on prescription medications and their lack of medication reserves for disaster preparedness. We examined barriers that Los Angeles County residents with chronic illness experience within the prescription drug procurement system to achieve recommended medication reserves. A mixed methods design included evaluation of insurance pharmacy benefits, focus group interviews with patients, and key informant interviews with physicians, pharmacists, and insurers. Most prescriptions are dispensed as 30-day units through retail pharmacies with refills available after 75% of use, leaving a monthly medication reserve of 7 days. For patients to acquire 14- to 30-day disaster medication reserves, health professionals interviewed supported 60- to 100-day dispensing units. Barriers included restrictive insurance benefits, patients' resistance to mail order, and higher copay-ments. Physicians, pharmacists, and insurers also varied widely in their preparedness planning and collective mutual-aid plans, and most believed pharmacists had the primary responsibility for patients' medication continuity during a disaster. To strengthen prescription drug continuity in disasters, recommendations include the following: (1) creating flexible drug-dispensing policies to help patients build reserves, (2) training professionals to inform patients about disaster planning, and (3) building collaborative partnerships among system stakeholders.

Solar building construction. Town planning - construction planning. 2. rev. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schempp, D.; Krampen, M.; Moellring, F.

1994-01-01

The book discusses the problems of solar energy use under the following aspects: Town planing; Typology of green solar architecture; Typologie of solar architecture; Vegetation in green solar architecture; Planning and simulation; Building materials; Ventilation, illumination; Research projects. (HW) [de

Tourism sector preparedness in zones with a high seismic risk: Case study of the Capital Region of Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Lihui, W.; Wang, D.

2017-12-01

Japan is a country highly vulnerable to natural disasters, especially earthquakes. Tourism, as a strategic industry in Japan, is especially vulnerable to destructive earthquake disasters owing to the characteristics of vulnerability, sensitivity and substitutability. Here we aim to provide theoretical understanding of the perception and responses of tourism managers towards damaging disasters in tourism destinations with high seismic risks. We conducted surveys among the mangers of tourism businesses in the capital area of Japan in 2014 and applied structural equation modeling techniques to empirically test the proposed model with four latent variables, which are risk perception, threat knowledge, disaster preparedness and earthquake preparedness. Our results show that threat knowledge affects risk perception and disaster preparedness positively. In addition, disaster preparedness positively affects earthquake preparedness. However, the proposed paths from risk perception to disaster preparedness, risk perception to earthquake preparedness, and threat knowledge to earthquake preparedness were not statistically significant. Our results may provide references for policymakers in promoting crisis planning in tourism destination with high seismic risks.

Fear of Terrorism and Preparedness in New York City 2 Years After the Attacks: Implications for Disaster Planning and Research

Science.gov (United States)

Boscarino, Joseph A.; Adams, Richard E.; Figley, Charles R.; Galea, Sandro; Foa, Edna B.

2009-01-01

Objectives To help improve disaster planning and research, we studied psychosocial predictors of terrorism fear and preparedness among New York City residents after the World Trade Center disaster (WTCD). Method We conducted a random cross-sectional survey of 1,681 adults interviewed 2 years after the WTCD. Participants were living in New York City at the time of the attack and exposed to ongoing terrorist threats. Results We found 44.9 percent (95% confidence interval [CI] = 41.9−47.9) of residents were concerned about future attacks and 16.9 percent (95% CI = 14.7−19.3) reported a fear level of “10” on a 10-point analog scale. Furthermore, 14.8 percent (95% CI = 12.8−17.0) reported they had made some plans for a future attack, a significant increase from the previous year. In addition, although 42.6 percent (95% CI = 39.6−45.7) indicated that they would likely wait for evacuation instructions following a chemical, biological, or nuclear attack, 34.4 percent (95% CI = 31.5−37.3) reported they would evacuate immediately against official advice. Predictors of high terrorism fear in a multivariate model included Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0, P = .006), lower education (OR = 4.4, P terrorism threats, terrorism fear and preparedness were related to socioeconomic factors, mental health status, terrorism exposure levels, and exposure to stressful life events. PMID:17041297

Construction engineering and planning of buildings related to the EPR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaercher, H.

1995-01-01

Among the site-independent unit buildings are the reactor building with annulus; building for safety systems with main control room; new fuel storage pit, emergency power unit, reactor auxiliaries, access building; conventional switchgear building, and the turbine building. All buildings housing safety-related systems are protected against external and internal influences. Among the design-determining external influences are earthquakes, explosion high-pressure wave and aircraft crash. Internal incidents are caused by failure of components and pipes. The most discussed incident in the connection is the failure of the reactor pressure vessel involving core melt release which is safely retained by special devices. Earlier 3D plant models made of plastic have been replaced by 3D CAE computer models. Thus the graphic data of CAD systems have been added to the immense amount of logistic programmes/process data chains. This leads to new planning tools which are able to safely process such amounts of data and at the same time notably reduce planning time and expense. The whole data processing concept is characterized by simple, consistent data structures according to a uniform data model. It enables continual treatment throughout all planning stages and data exchange through simple, uniformly structured interfaces. (orig./HP) [de

Flow-based vulnerability measures for network component importance: Experimentation with preparedness planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicholson, Charles D.; Barker, Kash; Ramirez-Marquez, Jose E.

2016-01-01

This work develops and compares several flow-based vulnerability measures to prioritize important network edges for the implementation of preparedness options. These network vulnerability measures quantify different characteristics and perspectives on enabling maximum flow, creating bottlenecks, and partitioning into cutsets, among others. The efficacy of these vulnerability measures to motivate preparedness options against experimental geographically located disruption simulations is measured. Results suggest that a weighted flow capacity rate, which accounts for both (i) the contribution of an edge to maximum network flow and (ii) the extent to which the edge is a bottleneck in the network, shows most promise across four instances of varying network sizes and densities. - Highlights: • We develop new flow-based measures of network vulnerability. • We apply these measures to determine the importance of edges after disruptions. • Networks of varying size and density are explored.

Polio infrastructure strengthened disease outbreak preparedness and response in the WHO African Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Kouadio, Koffi; Okeibunor, Joseph; Nsubuga, Peter; Mihigo, Richard; Mkanda, Pascal

2016-10-10

The continuous deployments of polio resources, infrastructures and systems for responding to other disease outbreaks in many African countries has led to a number of lessons considered as best practice that need to be documented for strengthening preparedness and response activities in future outbreaks. We reviewed and documented the influence of polio best practices in outbreak preparedness and response in Angola, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Data from relevant programmes of the WHO African Region were also analyzed to demonstrate clearly the relative contributions of PEI resources and infrastructure to effective disease outbreak preparedness and response. Polio resources including, human, financial, and logistic, tool and strategies have tremendously contributed to responding to diseases outbreaks across the African region. In Angola, Nigeria and Ethiopia, many disease epidemics including Marburg Hemorrhagic fever, Dengue fever, Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD), Measles, Anthrax and Shigella have been controlled using existing polio Eradication Initiatives resources. Polio staffs are usually deployed in occasions to supports outbreak response activities (coordination, surveillance, contact tracing, case investigation, finance, data management, etc.). Polio logistics such vehicles, laboratories were also used in the response activities to other infectious diseases. Many polio tools including micro planning, dashboard, guidelines, SOPs on preparedness and response have also benefited to other epidemic-prone diseases. The Countries' preparedness and response plan to WPV importation as well as the Polio Emergency Operation Center models were successfully used to develop, strengthen and respond to many other diseases outbreak with the implication of partners and the strong leadership and ownership of governments. This review has important implications for WHO/AFRO initiative to strengthening and improving disease outbreak preparedness and responses in the African Region in respect

Impact of the 2011 Revolution on Hospital Disaster Preparedness in Yemen.

Science.gov (United States)

Aladhrai, Saleem Ahmed; Djalali, Ahmadreza; Della Corte, Francesco; Alsabri, Mohammed; El-Bakri, Nahid Karrar; Ingrassia, Pier Luigi

2015-08-01

Hospitals are expected to serve the medical needs of casualties in the face of a disaster or other crisis, including man-made conflicts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the 2011 Yemeni revolution on hospital disaster preparedness in the capital city of Sana'a. The study was conducted in September 2011 and 2013. For evaluation purposes, the hospital emergency response checklist published by the World Health Organization (WHO) was used. Additional information was also obtained to determine what steps were being taken by hospital authorities to improve hospital preparedness. The study selected 11 hospitals. At the time of the first evaluation, 7 hospitals were rated "unacceptable" for level of preparedness and 4 were rated "insufficient," receiving a WHO checklist rating of 10 to 98. At the second evaluation, 5 hospitals were rated "unacceptable," 3 "insufficient," and 1 "effective," receiving a rating of 9 to 134. Unfortunately, this study shows that between 2011 and 2013, no significant progress was made in hospital disaster preparedness in Sana'a. In a disaster-prone country like Yemen, the current situation calls for drastic improvement. Health system authorities must take responsibility for issuing strategic plans as well as standards, guidelines, and procedures to improve hospital disaster preparedness.

Emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

According the conception of the Emergency Response Centre (ERC) of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (NRA), and the obtained experience from exercises, and as well as on the basis of recommendations of international missions, the NRA SR started, in 1997 the ERC extension. The new room enable the work for radiation protection group, reactor safety and logistic group separately. At the same time special room was build for work of the NECRA Technical Support Group of the Emergency Commission for Radiation Accidents of the SR.This group co-operates closely with ERC while evaluation the situation, and by using the information system of the NRA and database of ERC to generate the conditions of nuclear facilities in once of emergency. Extension of the mentioned rooms was carried out. The financing by the European Union helped to build the project RAMG. In this way the NRA gained a working site which, with its equipment and parameters belongs to the top working sites of regulatory bodies of developed European countries. The NRA preparation of exercise and special staff education was carried out in 1997, for employees of the NRA and members of Emergency Headquarters (EH) for work in ERC in case of nuclear installation accident. The task of education of member of EH was their preparation for carrying out three exercises. These exercises are described. In the area of emergency preparedness, in accordance with inspection plan of the Office, 7 team inspections were carried out in individual localities; in NPP Bohunice, two in NPP Mochovce and one in Bohunice Conditioning Centre for radioactive wastes. Solution of the task of development of science and technology in the area of 'Development of technical and programme means for analyses of accidents and solutions of crisis situations'continued in 1997. Another regulations were elaborated for activity of members of EH of the NRA. The following was was carried out: selection of data for transfer and the

Educational program emergency planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Tammy

2009-01-01

Tragic university shootings have prompted administrators of higher education institutions to re-evaluate their emergency preparedness plans and take appropriate measures for preventing and responding to emergencies. To review the literature and identify key components needed to prevent shootings at higher education institutions in the United States, and in particular, institutions housing radiologic science programs. Twenty-eight emergency preparedness plans were retrieved electronically and reviewed from a convenience sample of accredited radiologic science programs provided by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology Web site. The review of the 28 emergency preparedness plans confirmed that most colleges are prepared for basic emergencies, but lack the key components needed to successfully address mass-casualty events. Only 5 (18%) of the 28 institutions addressed policies concerning school shootings.

Building Process and Architectural Planning Characteristics of Daehan Hospital Main Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geauchul LEE

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the introduction process of Daehan Hospital from Japan as the modern medical facility in Korea, and the architectural planning characteristics as a medical facility through the detailed building process of Daehan Hospital main building. The most noticeable characteristic of Daehan Hospital is that it was designed and constructed not by Korean engineers but by Japanese engineers. Therefore, Daehan Hospital was influenced by Japanese early modern medical facility, and Japanese engineers modeled Daehan Hospital main building on Tokyo Medical School main building which was constructed in 1876 as the first national medical school and hospital. The architectural type of Tokyo Medical School main building was a typical school architecture in early Japanese modern period which had a middle corridor and a pseudo Western-style tower, but Tokyo Medical School main building became the model of a medical facility as the symbol of the medical department in Tokyo Imperial University. This was the introduction and transplantation process of Japanese modern ‘model’ like as other modern systems and technologies during the Korean modern transition period. However, unlike Tokyo Medical School main building, Daehan Hospital main building was constructed not as a wooden building but as a masonry building. Comparing with the function of Daehan Hospital main building, its architectural form and construction costs was excessive scale, which was because Japanese Resident-General of Korea had the intention of ostentation that Japanese modernity was superior to Korean Empire.

[Building Process and Architectural Planning Characteristics of Daehan Hospital Main Building].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Geauchul

2016-04-01

This paper explores the introduction process of Daehan Hospital from Japan as the modern medical facility in Korea, and the architectural planning characteristics as a medical facility through the detailed building process of Daehan Hospital main building. The most noticeable characteristic of Daehan Hospital is that it was designed and constructed not by Korean engineers but by Japanese engineers. Therefore, Daehan Hospital was influenced by Japanese early modern medical facility, and Japanese engineers modeled Daehan Hospital main building on Tokyo Medical School main building which was constructed in 1876 as the first national medical school and hospital. The architectural type of Tokyo Medical School main building was a typical school architecture in early Japanese modern period which had a middle corridor and a pseudo Western-style tower, but Tokyo Medical School main building became the model of a medical facility as the symbol of the medical department in Tokyo Imperial University. This was the introduction and transplantation process of Japanese modern 'model' like as other modern systems and technologies during the Korean modern transition period. However, unlike Tokyo Medical School main building, Daehan Hospital main building was constructed not as a wooden building but as a masonry building. Comparing with the function of Daehan Hospital main building, its architectural form and construction costs was excessive scale, which was because Japanese Resident-General of Korea had the intention of ostentation that Japanese modernity was superior to Korean Empire.

Public Health System Research in Public Health Emergency Preparedness in the United States (2009-2015): Actionable Knowledge Base.

Science.gov (United States)

Savoia, Elena; Lin, Leesa; Bernard, Dottie; Klein, Noah; James, Lyndon P; Guicciardi, Stefano

2017-09-01

communication barriers experienced by public health and health care personnel. Forty-eight studies provided evidence on how to create and sustain preparedness systems. Results included how to build social capital across organizations and citizens and how to develop sustainable and useful planning efforts that maintain flexibility and rely on available medical data. Twenty-six studies provided evidence on the usefulness of measurement efforts, such as community and organizational needs assessments, and new methods to learn from the response to critical incidents. In the United States, the field of public health emergency preparedness system research has been supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the release of the 2008 Institute of Medicine letter report. The first definition of public health emergency preparedness appeared in 2007, and before 2008 there was a lack of research and empirical evidence across all 4 research areas identified by the Institute of Medicine. This field can be considered relatively new compared with other research areas in public health; for example, tobacco control research can rely on more than 70 years of knowledge production. However, this review demonstrates that, during the past 7 years, public health emergency preparedness system research has evolved from generic inquiry to the analysis of specific interventions with more empirical studies. Public Health Implications: The results of this review provide an evidence base for public health practitioners responsible for enhancing key components of preparedness and response such as communication, training, and planning efforts.

Psychological Correlates of Civilian Preparedness for Conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodas, Moran; Siman-Tov, Maya; Kreitler, Shulamith; Peleg, Kobi

2017-08-01

Preparedness for emergencies and disasters is imperative for public resilience. Previous studies have revealed low levels of civilian preparedness for conflicts. Classic behavioral models prove inapt in describing preparedness patterns in victimized populations chronically exposed to this threat. In an effort to expand this perspective, we hypothesized that other psychological constructs are correlated with preparedness. A cross-sectional, Internet-based study was performed in Israel in early 2016. A sociodemographically diverse sample included 385 participants, Jews and Arabs. The tools included a preparedness index, sense of preparedness questionnaire, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Life Orientation Test, Behavioral Inhibition & Activation System scales, and ego defenses. The results suggested that optimistic and rational individuals reported significantly higher levels of preparedness, whereas those who scored highly on the trait anxiety scale and those with a tendency to use denial coping mechanisms reported significantly lower levels of preparedness. The findings suggest that additional constructs, other than classic threat perception components, might play a key role in governing preparedness behavior. In particular, psychological manipulation of dispositional optimism or optimistic thinking might be effective in motivating preparedness behavior. Future research should explore such innovative ways to promoting preparedness. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:451-459).

Study of the layout plan in the tokamak complex building for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Kazuyoshi; Yagenji, Akira; Sekiya, Shigeki; Takahashi, Hideo; Tamura, Kousaku; Neyatani, Yuzuru; Hashimoto, Masayoshi; Ogino, Shunji; Nagamatsu, Nobuhide; Motohashi, Keiichi; Uehara, Masaharu; Kataoka, Takahiro; Ohashi, Hironori

2006-03-01

This report summarizes study of the layout plan in the ITER Tokamak complex building as an invite to set up its plant in Japan. To draw up this arrangement plan, final design report (FDR), which was designed for main components and determined for the non-site specific design, was reconstructed systematically for the Japanese site. A supplementary design was performed for the insufficiency parts of FDR. An additional study was also performed for the adaptation of a regulatory framework including technical safety requirements in Japan. We proposed the tokamak complex building with seismic isolation to combine with the hot cell building. Through the studies, a layout plan has been constructed including maintenance plan for personnel access and component route with in the building from assembly to operation period. This layout plan would be used as a basis in the construction period, although final decision will be done by ITER organization. (author)

Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic

Science.gov (United States)

... Partner Tools and Resources Communication Resources Blog Infographics Social Media Graphics Videos CDC Workshop for Risk-based Funding Campaigns Safe and Well Selfie Preparedness Month Preparedness Month ...

Workplace Preparedness for Terrorism

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ursano, Robert J

2006-01-01

Comprehensive workplace preparedness for terrorism must address and integrate the psychological and behavioral aspects of terrorism preparedness and response in order to address issues of human continuity...

Preparedness to Implement Wellness Strategies: Perceptions of School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Burnett, Tena

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to survey school counselors to determine their knowledge and perceived preparedness to implement wellness strategies in school counseling programs. Wellness plans are a requirement for thousands of public school districts in the United States. There are no established standards for the training of school counselors in…

A national survey of terrorism preparedness training among pediatric, family practice, and emergency medicine programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Shelly D; Bush, Anneke C; Lynch, Julia A

2006-09-01

Domestic terrorism is a real threat focusing on a need to engage in effective emergency preparedness planning and training. Front-line physicians are an important component of any emergency preparedness plan. Potential victims of an attack include children who have unique physiologic and psychological vulnerabilities in disasters. Front-line providers need to have adequate training to effectively participate in local planning initiatives and to recognize and treat casualties including children. The goal of the survey was to assess the current state of terrorism preparedness training, including child victims, by emergency medicine, family practice, and pediatric residency programs in the United States and to assess methods of training and barriers to establishing effective training. A survey was e-mailed to a comprehensive list of all US pediatric, family practice, and emergency medicine residency programs 3 times between September 2003 and January 2004. The survey measured the perceived risk of terrorist attack, level of training by type of attack, level of training regarding children, method of training, and barriers to training. Overall, 21% of programs responded (46 of 182 pediatric, 75 of 400 family practice, and 29 of 125 emergency medicine programs). Across all of the event types, emergency medicine programs were more likely to report adequate/comprehensive training. However, terrorism preparedness funding, these data suggest that we are failing to provide adequate training to front-line providers who may care for children in a catastrophic domestic terrorist event.

75 FR 67992 - Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-04

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency [Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017] Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program AGENCY: Federal Emergency... on an initial small business plan to address small business concerns in the Voluntary Private Sector...

Gender disparities in flood risk perception and preparedness: a Serbian case study

Science.gov (United States)

Cvetković, Vladimir M.; Roder, Giulia; Tarolli, Paolo; Öcal, Adem; Ronan, Kevin; Dragićević, Slavoljub

2017-04-01

The catastrophic flood occurred in Serbia in 2014 was one of the most critical events registered in the Balkan area in the last decades. The procedures for evacuation have been tough to manage indicating a low level of perception and preparedness towards flood events. Also, the failure in the response phase showed a gender unbalance, where information did not reach men and women equally. Urgently, the Council for Gender Equality Government of the Republic of Serbia held an extraordinary meeting dedicated to the flood planning and emergency support in a gendered perspective. It concluded with the necessity of developing more gender-sensitive statistics, indicators of vulnerability, reconstruction and recovery to floods. For these reasons, we conducted an extensive interview to underlined the differences in risk perception and preparedness actions of both women and men regarding flood events in Serbia. 2500 face-to-face interviews have been conducted in 27 out of 150 municipalities being a good representative sample of the country with the use of a multi-stage random sample. The research findings indicated that is a gender disparity among men and women both in the perception than in the preparedness actions toward floods. Men seemed to be more confident in their abilities to cope with flooding, assessing a greater individual and household preparedness. This could be ascribable to their active involvement in the army where young men were educated to manage emergency situations. They displayed more trust in themselves rather than external agencies or organisation, and this could result in a general mistrust on institutions and planned evacuations. On the other hand, women displayed larger sensitivity and knowledge to these events, however, this did not translate into a capacity to react. It has been assumed that their work as child-carers and housekeepers made them unable to create a strong social network within the community being less informed and involved in the

Emergency preparedness

CERN Document Server

Cennini, E; Oortman Gerlings, P

2009-01-01

On September 19th 2008, a technical fault was at the centre of a sequence of events which hampered the performance of certain equipments of the LHC 3-4 sector. Once the first effects of this sequence of events were detected, the behaviour of the CERN staff confronted to this complex and critical situation became the centre of the risk control process. During such a downward spiral the preparation of all stakeholders is essential and should respect the (apparently) basic principles of emergency preparedness. Preparedness towards normal operation of CERN facilities towards minor up to major emergency situations will be presented. The main technical, organisational and legal frameworks of the CERN emergency preparedness will be recalled, highlighting the CERN risk management and risk control strategy. Then, the sequence of events experienced by different stakeholders on September 19th will be reported, thus starting the learned lessons process.

Emergency preparedness to nuclear accidents in the Czech Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starostova, V.; Prouza, Z.; Koldus, F.; Rutova, H.

2003-01-01

Full text: Emergency preparedness to nuclear accidents (radiation emergency preparedness) is a part of general emergency preparedness and crisis management in the Czech Republic. The bases for it were given in 1997 when radiation emergency preparedness was defined and requirements to it were given in Act No. 18/1997 Coll., so called the Atomic Act, which entered into force in July 1997. In 2000, the bases for general emergency preparedness and crisis management in the Czech Republic were given namely in two acts - in Act No. 239/2000 Coll., an integrated rescue system, and in Act No. 240/2000 Coll., on crisis management. Both these acts entered into force on 1 January 2001. The Atomic Act determines duties of licensees in the field of preparedness. One of them is obligation to prepare and submit to SUJB the on-site emergency plan as one of attachments to his application for the licence. (The licence can be issued if defined documents, including this plan, are approved.) The licensee is obliged, under conditions given in detail in one of implementing regulation, to prepare a proposal of the emergency planning zone and submit it to SUJB. In the Act, there are also given the requirements for licensee's actions in case of a radiation emergency occurrence. On the other hand the Atomic Act names what are SUJB competencies and also what are these ones from the point of view of radiation emergency. Among others SUJB establishes the emergency planning zone, controls the activity of the National Radiation Monitoring Network, provides for the activities of an Emergency Response Centre and ensures the availability of background information necessary to take decisions aimed at reducing or averting exposure in the case of a radiation accident. SUJB has its own crisis staff; it has 4 shifts, which change regularly weekly. About 50 SUJB employees divided into 12 different functions are members of this staff. The Emergency Response Centre (ERC) of SUJB organizes work of this staff

Preparedness for Protecting the Health of Community-Dwelling Vulnerable Elderly People in Eastern and Western Japan in the Event of Natural Disasters.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsukasaki, Keiko; Kanzaki, Hatsumi; Kyota, Kaoru; Ichimori, Akie; Omote, Shizuko; Okamoto, Rie; Kido, Teruhiko; Sakakibara, Chiaki; Makimoto, Kiyoko; Nomura, Atsuko; Miyamoto, Yukari

2016-01-01

We clarified the preparedness necessary to protect the health of community-dwelling vulnerable elderly people following natural disasters. We collected data from 304 community general support centres throughout Japan. We found the following in particular to be challenging: availability of disaster-preparedness manuals; disaster countermeasures and management systems; creation of lists of people requiring assistance following a disaster; evacuation support systems; development of plans for health management following disasters; provision of disaster-preparedness guidance and training; disaster-preparedness systems in the community; disaster information management; the preparedness of older people themselves in requiring support; and support from other community residents.

Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers: supporting the workforce for national health security.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Alyson L; Sobelson, Robyn K; Cioffi, Joan P

2014-01-01

The importance of a competent and prepared national public health workforce, ready to respond to threats to the public's health, has been acknowledged in numerous publications since the 1980s. The Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs) were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 to continue to build upon a decade of focused activities in public health workforce preparedness development initiated under the Centers for Public Health Preparedness program (http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/cphp/). All 14 PERLCs were located within Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredited schools of public health. These centers aimed to improve workforce readiness and competence through the development, delivery, and evaluation of targeted learning programs designed to meet specific requirements of state, local, and tribal partners. The PERLCs supported organizational and community readiness locally, regionally, or nationally through the provision of technical consultation and dissemination of specific, practical tools aligned with national preparedness competency frameworks and public health preparedness capabilities. Public health agencies strive to address growing public needs and a continuous stream of current and emerging public health threats. The PERLC network represented a flexible, scalable, and experienced national learning system linking academia with practice. This system improved national health security by enhancing individual, organizational, and community performance through the application of public health science and learning technologies to frontline practice.

Preparing for Volcanic Hazards: An Examination of Lahar Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Preparedness around Mount Baker and Glacier Peak, WA

Science.gov (United States)

Corwin, K.; Brand, B. D.

2015-12-01

As the number of people living at risk from volcanic hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest continues to rise, so does the need for improved hazard science, mitigation, and response planning. The effectiveness of these efforts relies not only on scientists and policymakers, but on individuals and their risk perception and preparedness levels. This study examines the individual knowledge, perception, and preparedness of over 500 survey respondents living or working within the lahar zones of Mount Baker and Glacier Peak volcanoes. We (1) explore the common disconnect between accurate risk perception and adequate preparedness; (2) determine how participation in hazard response planning influences knowledge, risk perception, and preparedness; and (3) assess the effectiveness of current lahar hazard maps for public risk communication. Results indicate that a disconnect exists between perception and preparedness for the majority of respondents. While 82% of respondents accurately anticipate that future volcanic hazards will impact the Skagit Valley, this knowledge fails to motivate increased preparedness. A majority of respondents also feel "very responsible" for their own protection and provision of resources during a hazardous event (83%) and believe they have the knowledge and skills necessary to respond effectively to such an event (56%); however, many of these individuals still do not adequately prepare. When asked what barriers prevent them from preparing, respondents primarily cite a lack of knowledge about relevant local hazards. Results show that participation in response-related activities—a commonly recommended solution to this disconnect—minimally influences preparedness. Additionally, although local hazard maps successfully communicate the primary hazard—97% of respondents recognize the lahar hazard—many individuals incorrectly interpret other important facets of the maps. Those who participate in response-related activities fail to understand these

Post-Occupancy Evaluation Data Support for Planning and Management of Building Maintenance Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelson Bento Pereira

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to propose a post-occupancy evaluation (POE method focused on building maintenance and then to test it on two different sets of residential buildings. The paper’s three main goals are: to obtain useful data for optimizing the buildings’ maintenance plans; to search for any correlation between the occupants’ characteristics and their expectations toward the building; to study the occupants’ willingness to pay for maintenance procedures, as well as its correlation with the occupants’ perception of the elements source of maintenance (ESM. The proposed POE method for building maintenance performance evaluation (BMPE consists of six main stages, focusing on the occupants’ opinions and their correlation with the facility manager’s. The observed case studies allowed for a preliminary validation of the POE method for BMPE. Results generically endorsed the method as a valuable tool for the rapprochement between facility management and the building’s end-users. Such findings could allow facility managers to develop more efficient maintenance plans focusing on the occupants’ real needs and expectations, raising occupant satisfaction levels and contributing to the building’s general performance.

Strengthening Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education through Hazard Vulnerability Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Fifolt, Matthew; Burrowes, Jeffrey; McPherson, Tarrant; McCormick, Lisa C.

2016-01-01

Experts have noted a great deal of variability among U.S. higher education institutions' planning and preparedness for emergency situations. However, resources are available to help campus leaders effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a multitude of disaster scenarios. One way for emergency managers and campus leaders to…

Linking Science of Flood Forecasts to Humanitarian Actions for Improved Preparedness and Effective Response

Science.gov (United States)

Uprety, M.; Dugar, S.; Gautam, D.; Kanel, D.; Kshetri, M.; Kharbuja, R. G.; Acharya, S. H.

2017-12-01

Advances in flood forecasting have provided opportunities for humanitarian responders to employ a range of preparedness activities at different forecast time horizons. Yet, the science of prediction is less understood and realized across the humanitarian landscape, and often preparedness plans are based upon average level of flood risk. Working under the remit of Forecast Based Financing (FbF), we present a pilot from Nepal on how available flood and weather forecast products are informing specific pre-emptive actions in the local preparedness and response plans, thereby supporting government stakeholders and humanitarian agencies to take early actions before an impending flood event. In Nepal, forecasting capabilities are limited but in a state of positive flux. Whilst local flood forecasts based upon rainfall-runoff models are yet to be operationalized, streamflow predictions from Global Flood Awareness System (GLoFAS) can be utilized to plan and implement preparedness activities several days in advance. Likewise, 3-day rainfall forecasts from Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) can further inform specific set of early actions for potential flash floods due to heavy precipitation. Existing community based early warning systems in the major river basins of Nepal are utilizing real time monitoring of water levels and rainfall together with localised probabilistic flood forecasts which has increased warning lead time from 2-3 hours to 7-8 hours. Based on these available forecast products, thresholds and trigger levels have been determined for different flood scenarios. Matching these trigger levels and assigning responsibilities to relevant actors for early actions, a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being developed, broadly covering general preparedness activities and science informed anticipatory actions for different forecast lead times followed by the immediate response activities. These SOPs are currently being rolled out and

Building Fire Safety Audit at Faculty X, University of Indonesia, Year 2006

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatma Lestari

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Fire may cause loss of life, material and valuable assets. The objective of this study is to conduct audit for fire safety and emergency response in the building at Faculty X, University of Indonesia, Depok. The audit results on the building fire safety facilities including emergency response and preparedness are then compared to the Building Code Australia (BCA and Indonesian regulation on the building fire safety (Kep.MenPU.No 10 and 11/KPTS/2000. The building selected are Building A, B, C, D, F and G. Building classification for A, B, D, F and G are classified as Class 5, while Building C is classified as Class 9b. Variable which are evaluated including emergency exit, building structure, fire alarm and detector, communication and fire warning system, evacuation procedure, portable fire extinguishers, hydrant, sprinkler, and emergency response preparedness. Results suggested that emergency exit is locked, and this is not comply to the regulation. Building structure has been complied to the regulation since it was made of concrete. Fire detector and alarm only provided in Building G, while other building is not available. There is no evacuation procedure available. Portable fire extinguisher has been available in all the building. Hydrant an sprinkler only available in building G. There is no emergency response preparedness in this faculty. In conclusion, the fire safety facilities in this faculty need to be improved.

Development of whole-building energy design targets for commercial buildings: Phase 1, Planning: Volume 1, Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crawley, D.B.; Briggs, R.S.; Jones, J.W.; Seaton, W.W.; Kaufman, J.E.; Deringer, J.J.; Kennett, E.W.

1987-04-01

This report describes background research for preparation of a plan for development of whole-building energy targets for new commercial buildings. The lead laboratory for this program is the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. A wide variety of expertise and resources from industry, academia, other government entities, and other DOE laboratories are used in planning, reviewing and conducting research activities. Cooperative and complementary research development, and technology transfer activities with other interested organizations are actively pursued.

324 Building fire hazards analysis implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggen, C.D.

1998-01-01

In March 1998, the 324 Building Fire Hazards Analysis (FHA) (Reference 1) was approved by the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) for implementation by B and W Hanford Company (BWHC). The purpose of the FHA was to identify gaps in compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A (Reference 2) and Richland Operations Office Implementation Directive (RLID) 5480.7 (Reference 3), especially in regard to loss limitation. The FHA identified compliance gaps in six areas and provided 20 recommendations to bring the 324 Building into compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A. Additionally, one observation was provided. To date, four of the recommendations and the one observation have been completed. Actions identified for seven of the recommendations are currently in progress. Exemption requests will be transmitted to DOE-RL for three of the recommendations. Six of the recommendations are related to future shut down activities of the facility and the corrective actions are not being addressed as part of this plan. The actions for recommendations associated with the safety related part of the 324 Building and operation of the cells and support areas were evaluated using the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) process. Major Life Safety Code concerns have been corrected. The status of the recommendations and actions was confirmed during the July 1998 Fire Protection Assessment. BVMC will use this Implementation Plan to bring the 324 Building and its operation into compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A and RLID 5480.7

Emergency preparedness source term development for the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards-Licensed Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutter, S.L.; Mishima, J.; Ballinger, M.Y.; Lindsey, C.G.

1984-08-01

In order to establish requirements for emergency preparedness plans at facilities licensed by the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) needs to develop source terms (the amount of material made airborne) in accidents. These source terms are used to estimate the potential public doses from the events, which, in turn, will be used to judge whether emergency preparedness plans are needed for a particular type of facility. Pacific Northwest Laboratory is providing the NRC with source terms by developing several accident scenarios for eleven types of fuel cycle and by-product operations. Several scenarios are developed for each operation, leading to the identification of the maximum release considered for emergency preparedness planning (MREPP) scenario. The MREPP scenarios postulated were of three types: fire, tornado, and criticality. Fire was significant at oxide fuel fabrication, UF 6 production, radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, radiopharmacy, sealed source manufacturing, waste warehousing, and university research and development facilities. Tornadoes were MREPP events for uranium mills and plutonium contaminated facilities, and criticalities were significant at nonoxide fuel fabrication and nuclear research and development facilities. Techniques for adjusting the MREPP release to different facilities are also described

Pediatric disaster preparedness of a hospital network in a large metropolitan region.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer, Rizaldy R; Balasuriya, Darshi; Iverson, Ellen; Upperman, Jeffrey S

2010-01-01

We describe pediatric-related emergency experiences and responses, disaster preparation and planning, emergency plan execution and evaluation, and hospital pediatric capabilities and vulnerabilities among a disaster response network in a large urban county in the West Coast of the United States. Using semistructured key informant interviews, the authors conducted qualitative research between March and April 2008. Eleven hospitals and a representative from the community clinic association agreed to participate (86 percent response rate) and a total of 22 key informant interviews were completed. Data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti.v.5.0, a qualitative analytical software program. Although hospitals have infrastructure to respond in the event of a large-scale disaster, well-established disaster preparedness plans have not fully accounted for the needs of children. The general hospitals do not anticipate a surge of pediatric victims in the event of a disaster, and they expect that children will be transported to a children's hospital as their conditions become stable. Even hospitals with well-established disaster preparedness plans have not fully accounted for the needs of children during a disaster. Improved communication between disaster network hospitals is necessary as incorrect information still persists.

Examining the importance of incorporating emergency preparedness and disaster training core competencies into allied health curricula.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Tammy

2015-01-01

Preparation for responding to emergency events that does not warrant outside help beyond the local community resources or responding to disaster events that is beyond the capabilities of the local community both require first responders and healthcare professionals to have interdisciplinary skills needed to function as a team for saving lives. To date, there is no core emergency preparedness and disaster planning competencies that have been standardized at all levels across the various allied health curricula disciplines. To identify if emergency preparedness and disaster training content are currently being taught in allied health program courses, to identify possible gaps within allied health curricula, and to explore the perceptions of allied health college educators for implementing emergency preparedness and disaster training core competencies into their existing curricula, if not already included. A quantitative Internet-based survey was conducted in 2013. Convenient sample. Fifty-one allied health college educators completed the survey. Descriptive statistics indicated that the majority of allied health college instructors do not currently teach emergency preparedness and disaster training core competency content within their current allied health discipline; however, their perceived level of importance for inclusion of the competencies was high. The results of this study supported the need for developing and establishing a basic national set of standardized core emergency preparedness and disaster planning competencies at all levels across various allied health curricula disciplines to ensure victims receive the best patient care and have the best possible chance of survival.

Harmonisation of Nuclear Emergency Preparedness in Central and Eastern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buglova, E.; Crick, M.; Reed, J.; Winkler, G. L.; Martincic, R.

2000-01-01

Under its Technical Co-operation programme the International Atomic Energy Agency has implementing a Regional Project RER/9/050:- Harmonisation of Regional Nuclear Emergency Preparedness for its Member States in the Europe region since 1997. The background of the project together with its achievements and future plans are presented in this paper. (author)

Proceedings of the REMPAN 97: 7. Coordination meeting of World Health Organization collaborating centers in radiation emergency medical preparedness and assistance network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

Special reports and panels are presented in these proceedings covering the following subjects: emergency planning and preparedness, biology, biological effects, radiation effects and therapy, internal contamination and irradiation, and national programs and activities related to radiation accident preparedness and assistance

Severe accident management at nuclear power plants - emergency preparedness and response actions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawar, S.K.; Krishnamurthy, P.R.

2015-01-01

This paper describes the current level of emergency planning and preparedness and also improvement in the emergency management programme over the years including lessons learned from Fukushima accident, hazard analysis and categorization of nuclear facilities into hazard category for establishing the emergency preparedness class, classification of emergencies based on the Emergency Action Levels (EAL), development of EAL’s for PHWR, Generic Criteria in terms of projected dose for initiating protective actions (precautionary urgent protective actions, urgent protective actions, early protective actions), operational intervention levels (OIL), Emergency planning zones and distances, protection strategy and reference levels, use of residual dose for establishing reference levels for optimization of protection strategy, criteria for termination of emergency, transition of emergency exposure situation to existing exposure situation or planned exposure situation, criteria for medical managements of exposed persons and guidance for controlling the dose of emergency workers. This paper also highlights the EALs for typical PHWR type reactors for all types of emergencies (plant, site and offsite), transition from emergency operating procedures (EOP) to accident management guidelines (AMG) to emergency response actions and proposed implementation of guidelines

Radiological emergency: Malaysian preparedness and response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yusof, M. A. W.; Ali, H. M.

2011-01-01

Planning and preparation in advance for radiological emergencies can help to minimise potential public health and environmental threats if and when an actual emergency occurs. During the planning process, emergency response organisations think through how they would respond to each type of incident and the resources that will be needed. In Malaysia, planning, preparation for and response to radiological emergencies involve many parties. In the event of a radiological emergency and if it is considered a disaster, the National Security Council, the Atomic Energy Licensing Board and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia) will work together with other federal agencies, state and local governments, first responders and international organisations to monitor the situation, contain the release, and clean up the contaminated site. Throughout the response, these agencies use their protective action guidelines. This paper discusses Malaysian preparedness for, and response to, any potential radiological emergency. (authors)

Radiological emergency preparedness arrangements in the European Commission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanner, V.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the different procedures established within the European Commission, which are relevant to radiological emergency planning and response. Although emergency preparedness is a national responsibility within the European Union, the Commission has clearly defined operational tasks in terms of emergency information exchange and community foodstuff regulations. In addition the Commission promotes research programmes and training courses in the field

Situating Preparedness Education within Public Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Kaori

2017-01-01

Both "disaster preparedness" and "public pedagogy" have been broadly defined and diversely utilised. Preparedness has been dealt with in disciplines such as civil engineering, the sociology of disasters, public health and psychology, rather than education. Recently, inquiries into the learning and teaching of preparedness have…

Ethics for pandemics beyond influenza: Ebola, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and anticipating future ethical challenges in pandemic preparedness and response.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Maxwell J; Silva, Diego S

2015-01-01

The unprecedented outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa has raised several novel ethical issues for global outbreak preparedness. It has also illustrated that familiar ethical issues in infectious disease management endure despite considerable efforts to understand and mitigate such issues in the wake of past outbreaks. To improve future global outbreak preparedness and response, we must examine these shortcomings and reflect upon the current state of ethical preparedness. To this end, we focus our efforts in this article on the examination of one substantial area: ethical guidance in pandemic plans. We argue that, due in part to their focus on considerations arising specifically in relation to pandemics of influenza origin, pandemic plans and their existing ethical guidance are ill-equipped to anticipate and facilitate the navigation of unique ethical challenges that may arise in other infectious disease pandemics. We proceed by outlining three reasons why this is so, and situate our analysis in the context of the EVD outbreak and the threat posed by drug-resistant tuberculosis: (1) different infectious diseases have distinct characteristics that challenge anticipated or existing modes of pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, (2) clear, transparent, context-specific ethical reasoning and justification within current influenza pandemic plans are lacking, and (3) current plans neglect the context of how other significant pandemics may manifest. We conclude the article with several options for reflecting upon and ultimately addressing ethical issues that may emerge with different infectious disease pandemics.

324 Building REC and HLV Tank Closure Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker-Khaleel, B.; Schlick, K.

1995-12-01

This closure plan describes the activities necessary to close the 324 Radiochemical Engineering Cells (REC) and High-Level Vault (HLV) in accordance with the Washington State Dangerous Waste regulations. To provide a complete description of the activities required, the closure plan relies on information contained in the 324 Building B-Cell Safety Cleanout Project (BCCP) plans, the 324 Building REC HLV Interim Waste Management Plan (IWMP), the Project Management Plan for Nuclear Facilities Management 300 Area Compliance Program, and the 324 High Level Vault Interim Removal Action Project (project management plan [PMP]). The IWMP addresses the management of mixed waste in accordance with state and federal hazardous waste regulations. It provides a strategy for managing high-activity mixed waste in compliance with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements or provides for an alternative management approach for the waste. The BCCP outlines the past, present, and future activities necessary for removing from B-Cell the solid waste, including mixed waste generated as a result of historical research and development (R ampersand D) activities conducted in the cell. The BCCP also includes all records and project files associated with the B-Cell cleanout. This information is referenced throughout the closure plan. The PMP sets forth the plans, organization, and systems that Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will use to direct and control the 324 High-Level Vault Interim Removal Action Project. This project will develop and implement a treatment strategy that will remove and stabilize the inventory of liquid waste from the 324 HLV tanks. The PMP also provides for flushing and sampling the flush solution

Emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

In 1996 the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (NRA SR) continued in systematic development of its activities in the field of emergency planning according to the concept adopted by the Authority and according to the concept for building Emergency headquarters (EH) adopted after establishing of Emergency Response Centre (ERC). Major efforts were focused not only on building up a quality EH, but also tasks associated with completion and incorporation of ERC into emergency planning and emergency managing. An important role in building ERC was played by international missions. Significant position among these missions was taken by missions from Great Britain, which in the past years made a significant contribution to building up ERC. These missions focused on review of newly created standard procedures, preparation and implementation of first emergency exercises of the EH. The emergency exercises in which NRA SR took place in 1996 are reviewed. In order to make the co-operation of the Authority with the selected Army units of SR more effective in solving extraordinary situations in nuclear energy, an agreement was signed between NRA SR and the Headquarters of the Army of SR, which will help significantly to the objective

Space-planning and structural solutions of low-rise buildings: Optimal selection methods

Science.gov (United States)

Gusakova, Natalya; Minaev, Nikolay; Filushina, Kristina; Dobrynina, Olga; Gusakov, Alexander

2017-11-01

The present study is devoted to elaboration of methodology used to select appropriately the space-planning and structural solutions in low-rise buildings. Objective of the study is working out the system of criteria influencing the selection of space-planning and structural solutions which are most suitable for low-rise buildings and structures. Application of the defined criteria in practice aim to enhance the efficiency of capital investments, energy and resource saving, create comfortable conditions for the population considering climatic zoning of the construction site. Developments of the project can be applied while implementing investment-construction projects of low-rise housing at different kinds of territories based on the local building materials. The system of criteria influencing the optimal selection of space-planning and structural solutions of low-rise buildings has been developed. Methodological basis has been also elaborated to assess optimal selection of space-planning and structural solutions of low-rise buildings satisfying the requirements of energy-efficiency, comfort and safety, and economical efficiency. Elaborated methodology enables to intensify the processes of low-rise construction development for different types of territories taking into account climatic zoning of the construction site. Stimulation of low-rise construction processes should be based on the system of approaches which are scientifically justified; thus it allows enhancing energy efficiency, comfort, safety and economical effectiveness of low-rise buildings.

Transit green building action plan : report to congress

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-04

The explanatory statement accompanying the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus appropriations : act1 directed the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to submit a transit facility green : building action plan to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriati...

Offshore wind power - Possibilities and shortcomings in the planning and design; Vindkraft till havs - Moejligheter och brister vid planering och projektering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andre, Daniel

2010-02-15

The purpose of this report is to examine how the planning preparedness offshore unfolds. Planning conditions of municipalities have been investigated through interviews with municipal planners and representatives of the wind power stakeholders. At the same time, the problems and deficiencies that impede the expansion of offshore wind power have been identified. In the report, based on the survey of the state of planning, as well as the shortcomings of current systems, the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning presents opportunities for improvements. With these proposals the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning opens up for an increased cooperation with the aim to facilitate a future expansion of offshore wind power. The report primarily addresses central government agencies and authorities, county councils, as well as planners or other officers of the national, regional and municipal levels

327 Building fire hazards analysis implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BARILO, N.F.

1999-01-01

In March 1998, the 327 Building Fire Hazards Analysis (FHA) (Reference 1) was approved by the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-E) for implementation by B and W Hanford Company (BWC). The purpose of the FHA was to identify gaps in compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A (Reference 2) and Richland Operations Office Implementation Directive (RLID) 5480.7 (Reference 3), especially in regard to loss limitation. The FHA identified compliance gaps in five areas and provided nine recommendations (11 items) to bring the 327 Building into compliance. A status is provided for each recommendation in this document. BWHC will use this Implementation Plan to bring the 327 Building and its operation into compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A and IUD 5480.7

Business continuity and pandemic preparedness: US health care versus non-health care agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebmann, Terri; Wang, Jing; Swick, Zachary; Reddick, David; delRosario, John Leon

2013-04-01

Only limited data are available on US business continuity activities related to biologic events. A questionnaire was administered to human resource professionals during May-July 2011 to assess business continuity related to biologic events, incentives businesses are providing to maximize worker surge capacity, and seasonal influenza vaccination policy. Linear regressions were used to describe factors associated with higher business continuity and pandemic preparedness scores. The χ(2) and Fisher exact tests compared health care versus non-health care businesses on preparedness indicators. Possible business continuity and pandemic preparedness scores ranged from 0.5 to 27 and 0 to 15, with average resulting scores among participants at 13.2 and 7.3, respectively. Determinants of business continuity and pandemic preparedness were (1) business size (larger businesses were more prepared), (2) type of business (health care more prepared), (3) having human resource professional as company disaster planning committee member, and (4) risk perception of a pandemic in the next year. Most businesses (63.3%, n = 298) encourage staff influenza vaccination; 2.1% (n = 10) mandate it. Only 10% of businesses (11.0%, n = 52) provide employee incentives, and fewer than half (41.0%, n = 193) stockpile personal protective equipment. Despite the recent H1N1 pandemic, many US businesses lack adequate pandemic plans. It is critical that businesses of all sizes and types become better prepared for a biologic event. Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

A program plan for photovoltaic buildings in Florida

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventre, Gerard G.

1999-01-01

The Florida Photovoltaic (PV) Buildings Program will conduct a variety of application experiments over the next decade to gather information that will help define the costs, value and benefits of using photovoltaics with buildings. Four main sources of revenue will support the program: a photovoltaic system buy down (from the present through December 2001), green pricing (present to 2010 and beyond), buy up by end users, and contracts, grants and other subsidies. To give the program sufficient breadth, three different application experiments are planned for each of nine target groups. The data and information from these experiments will help reduce or eliminate key barriers to the commercialisation of photovoltaic buildings. (Author)

Smart Buildings: Business Case and Action Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehrlich, Paul; Diamond, Rick

2009-04-01

General Services Administration (GSA) has been a pioneer in using Smart Building technologies but it has yet to achieve the full benefits of an integrated, enterprise-wide Smart Building strategy. In July 2008, GSA developed an initial briefing memorandum that identified five actions for a Smart Buildings feasibility study: (1) Identify and cluster the major building systems under consideration for a Smart Buildings initiative; (2) Identify GSA priorities for these clusters; (3) Plan for future adoption of Smart Building strategies by identifying compatible hardware; (4) Develop a framework for implementing and testing Smart Building strategies and converged networks; and (5) Document relevant GSA and industry initiatives in this arena. Based on this briefing memorandum, PBS and FAS retained consultants from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Noblis, and the Building Intelligence Group to evaluate the potential for Smart Buildings within GSA, and to develop this report. The project has included extensive interviews with GSA staff (See Appendix A), a review of existing GSA standards and documents, and an examination of relevant GSA and industry initiatives. Based on interviews with GSA staff and a review of GSA standards and documents, the project team focused on four goals for evaluating how Smart Building technology can benefit GSA: (1) Achieve Energy Efficiency Mandates--Use Smart Building technology as a tool to meet EISA 2007 and EO 13423 goals for energy efficiency. (2) Enhance Property Management--Deploy enterprise tools for improved Operations and Maintenance (O&M) performance and verification. (3) Implement Network as the Fourth Utility--Utilize a converged broadband network to support Smart Building systems and provide GSA clients with connectivity for voice, data and video. (4) Enhance Safety and Security--Harmonize Physical Access Control Systems (PACS) with Smart Building Systems.

Pandemic influenza preparedness and health systems challenges in Asia: results from rapid analyses in 6 Asian countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Putthasri Weerasak

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 2003, Asia-Pacific, particularly Southeast Asia, has received substantial attention because of the anticipation that it could be the epicentre of the next pandemic. There has been active investment but earlier review of pandemic preparedness plans in the region reveals that the translation of these strategic plans into operational plans is still lacking in some countries particularly those with low resources. The objective of this study is to understand the pandemic preparedness programmes, the health systems context, and challenges and constraints specific to the six Asian countries namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Taiwan, Thailand, and Viet Nam in the prepandemic phase before the start of H1N1/2009. Methods The study relied on the Systemic Rapid Assessment (SYSRA toolkit, which evaluates priority disease programmes by taking into account the programmes, the general health system, and the wider socio-cultural and political context. The components under review were: external context; stewardship and organisational arrangements; financing, resource generation and allocation; healthcare provision; and information systems. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the second half of 2008 based on a review of published data and interviews with key informants, exploring past and current patterns of health programme and pandemic response. Results The study shows that health systems in the six countries varied in regard to the epidemiological context, health care financing, and health service provision patterns. For pandemic preparation, all six countries have developed national governance on pandemic preparedness as well as national pandemic influenza preparedness plans and Avian and Human Influenza (AHI response plans. However, the governance arrangements and the nature of the plans differed. In the five developing countries, the focus was on surveillance and rapid containment of poultry related transmission

Discussion paper : proposed adjustments to the governance of Canada's marine oil spill preparedness and response regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

A series of changes have been proposed for Canada's current marine oil spill preparedness and response regimes which were established in August 1995 in an effort to develop a more integrated approach to managing oil spill preparedness and response. The proposed amendments aim to address the deficiencies of the regime through some regulatory change, a stronger accountability structure, and clear management guidelines. Some of the issues that should be addressed to strengthen the effectiveness of the regime as a whole include: (1) transparency of response organization (RO) preparedness and response fees, (2) level of wildlife contingency planning, (3) payment of Canadian Coast Guard response costs, and (4) ensuring a strong national system of preparedness and response. In terms of governance, a stronger role is recommended for the Regional Advisory Councils. The establishment of a User Committee and of a National Advisory Council are also recommended. figs

Medical Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency. Training Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

In almost all nuclear and radiological emergencies, local emergency services (e.g. local medical, law enforcement, and fire brigades) will have the most important role in the early response. Within hours, hospitals may also have an important role to play in the response at the local level. Since nuclear and radiological emergencies are rare, medical responders often have little or no experience in dealing with this type of emergency and inexperience may lead to an inadequate response. For this reason, training in medical preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency is an important aspect of preparedness and response activities. These materials are designed for use at a training course on medical preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency. They contain a wide range of lectures and supporting materials, which cover the basic topics and more specific areas of medical preparedness and response. Therefore, in planning their specific courses, organizers are encouraged to choose those lectures and supportive materials from the CD-ROM that best match their training priorities. Materials on the CD-ROM address the following areas: • Terrorism in Perspective; • Malicious Act Scenarios; • Providing Information to the Medical Community and the Public; • Medical Response to a Radiation Mass Casualty Event; • Handling of Contaminated Persons in Malicious Events; • Planning and Preparedness for Medical Response to Malicious Events with Radioactive Material; • Handling the Bodies of Decedents Contaminated with Radioactive Material; • Radiation Emergencies: Scope of the Problem; • Common Sources of Radiation; • Basic Concepts of Ionizing Radiation; • Basic Concepts of Radiation Protection; • Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation – Basic Notions; • Basics of Radiopathology; • External Radioactive Contamination; • Internal Radioactive Contamination; • Acute Radiation Syndrome; • Cutaneous Radiation

Emergency Preparedness for Disasters and Crises in the Hotel Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Rasmi AlBattat

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Safety and security are the most important issues to tourist while traveling and the first aspect they consider is to be protected from hazards. Emergency planning and preparedness for a crisis are the most significant components of dealing with disasters. Hospitality practitioners noticed a rising number of natural and man-made crises that harm the hospitality industry, regarding its vulnerability to crisis and internal and external hazards. By using secondary data, this study aims to shed some light on this issue, contributing to knowledge and awareness on emergency preparedness for the hospitality industry. Moreover, the study aims to explain the management’s commitment to adopt, develop, and update emergency plans. The results of this study explain that tourism as an international mobile industry must respond to internal and external hazards such as disease movement and terrorist attacks. Marketing safety is important to promote hotels and tourist destinations to the guests and holiday advisors. Hotels have a long history of being a soft target for terrorist attacks, as can be seen in several accidents that have shaken the hotel industry in the past few decades. Hotels invest a lot to install protective techniques, but terrorists are becoming more organized. Practitioners propose disaster management frameworks using several measurements. Recovery from crisis and learning help business retention that minimizes negative impacts and prevent losses. Finally, evaluation and feedback are very important to overcome the hazards and return to normal, as well as adopting new ideas to deal with emergencies. Single- and double-loop organizational learning should benefit proactive preparedness.

The significance of interfamilial relationships on birth preparedness and complication readiness in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghani, Usman; Crowther, Susan; Kamal, Yasir; Wahab, Muhammad

2018-03-29

In the interests of improving maternal health care and survival, the issue of birth preparedness and complication readiness has been much debated and has remained a priority for the international health community. The provision of birth preparedness and complications readiness is determined by a range of different factors. The main aim of this study is to identify and measure the influence of husbands and other family relationships on birth preparedness and complications readiness in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. This study is a cross-sectional exploratory study. Data was collected through a survey questionnaire. Logistic regression and descriptive analysis was used. Analysis indicated that the mother-in-law's role, men's and women's level of education and interfamilial relationships are still the most significant factors influencing birth preparedness and complications readiness. Of the respondents, 86% were receiving antenatal care and 76.5% were planning for the birth to take place in state-run hospitals or private obstetric and gynae clinics. The tendency to take up antenatal care in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can mainly be credited to a mutual understanding between husband and wife and a good relationship between the woman and her mother-in-law. Highlighting the significance of these relationships has implications for ensuring birth preparedness and complications readiness. Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A planning framework for transferring building energy technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farhar, B C; Brown, M A; Mohler, B L; Wilde, M; Abel, F H

1990-07-01

Accelerating the adoption of new and existing cost-effective technologies has significant potential to reduce the energy consumed in US buildings. This report presents key results of an interlaboratory technology transfer planning effort in support of the US Department of Energy's Office of Building Technologies (OBT). A guiding assumption for planning was that OBT's R D program should forge linkages with existing programs whose goals involved enhancing energy efficiency in buildings. An ad hoc Technology Transfer Advisory Group reviewed the existing analysis and technology transfer program, brainstormed technology transfer approaches, interviewed DOE program managers, identified applicable research results, and developed a framework that management could use in deciding on the best investments of technology transfer resources. Representatives of 22 organizations were interviewed on their views of the potential for transferring energy efficiency technologies through active linking with OBT. The report describes these programs and interview results; outlines OBT tools, technologies, and practices to be transferred; defines OBT audiences; identifies technology transfer functions and presents a framework devised using functions and audiences; presents some 60 example technology transfer activities; and documents the Advisory Group's recommendations. 37 refs., 3 figs., 12 tabs.

A scrutiny of tools used for assessment of hospital disaster preparedness in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Heidaranlu, Esmail; Ebadi, Abbas; Ardalan, Ali; Khankeh, Hamidreza

2015-01-01

In emergencies and disasters, hospitals are among the first and most vital organizations involved. To determine preparedness of a hospital to deal with crisis, health system requires tools compatible with the type of crisis. The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of tools used for assessment of hospitals preparedness for major emergencies and disasters in Iran. In this review study, all studies conducted on hospital preparedness to deal with disasters in Iran in the interim 2000-2015 were examined. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used to assess focus of studies for entry in this study. Of the 36 articles obtained, 28 articles that met inclusion criteria were analyzed. In accordance with the WHO standards, focus of tools used was examined in three areas (structural, nonstructural, and functional). In nonstructural area, the most focus of preparation tools was on medical gases, and the least focus on office and storeroom furnishings and equipment. In the functional area, the most focus was on operational plan, and the least on business continuity. Half of the tools in domestic studies considered structural safety as indicator of hospital preparedness. The present study showed that tools used contain a few indicators approved by the WHO, especially in the functional area. Moreover, a lack of a standard indigenous tool was evident, especially in the functional area. Thus, to assess hospital disaster preparedness, the national health system requires new tools compatible with scientific tool design principles, to enable a more accurate prediction of hospital preparedness in disasters before they occur.

Public health and terrorism preparedness: cross-border issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Debra; Leitheiser, Aggie; Atchison, Christopher; Larson, Susan; Homzik, Cassandra

2005-01-01

On December 15, 2003, the Centers for Public Health Preparedness at the University of Minnesota and the University of Iowa convened the "Public Health and Terrorism Preparedness: Cross-Border Issues Roundtable." The purpose of the roundtable was to gather public health professionals and government agency representatives at the state, provincial, and local levels to identify unmet cross-border emergency preparedness and response needs and develop strategies for addressing these needs. Representatives from six state and local public health departments and three provincial governments were invited to identify cross-border needs and issues using a nominal group process. The result of the roundtable was identification of the needs considered most important and most doable across all the focus groups. The need to collaborate on and exchange plans and protocols among agencies was identified as most important and most doable across all groups. Development of contact protocols and creation and maintenance of a contact database was also considered important and doable for a majority of groups. Other needs ranked important across the majority of groups included specific isolation and quarantine protocols for multi-state responses; a system for rapid and secure exchange of information; specific protocols for sharing human resources across borders, including emergency credentials for physicians and health care workers; and a specific protocol to coordinate Strategic National Stockpile mechanisms across border communities.

Designing and conducting tabletop exercises to assess public health preparedness for manmade and naturally occurring biological threats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dausey David J

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 2001, state and local health departments in the United States (US have accelerated efforts to prepare for high-impact public health emergencies. One component of these activities has been the development and conduct of exercise programs to assess capabilities, train staff and build relationships. This paper summarizes lessons learned from tabletop exercises about public health emergency preparedness and about the process of developing, conducting, and evaluating them. Methods We developed, conducted, and evaluated 31 tabletop exercises in partnership with state and local health departments throughout the US from 2003 to 2006. Participant self evaluations, after action reports, and tabletop exercise evaluation forms were used to identify aspects of the exercises themselves, as well as public health emergency responses that participants found more or less challenging, and to highlight lessons learned about tabletop exercise design. Results Designing the exercises involved substantial collaboration with representatives from participating health departments to assure that the scenarios were credible, focused attention on local preparedness needs and priorities, and were logistically feasible to implement. During execution of the exercises, nearly all health departments struggled with a common set of challenges relating to disease surveillance, epidemiologic investigations, communications, command and control, and health care surge capacity. In contrast, performance strengths were more varied across participating sites, reflecting specific attributes of individual health departments or communities, experience with actual public health emergencies, or the emphasis of prior preparedness efforts. Conclusion The design, conduct, and evaluation of the tabletop exercises described in this report benefited from collaborative planning that involved stakeholders from participating health departments and exercise developers and

Emergency preparedness in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koivukoski, J.

1993-01-01

Although the menace of nuclear war still persists, the focus in national emergency preparedness in Finland is presently on emergencies involving nuclear installations. The nuclear power plants, nuclear submarines and other installations in the former USSR are a major reason for this. In this article the main features and organization of emergency preparedness in Finland are described. (orig.)

Preparedness events in 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

NRPA have as Secretariat for the Crisis Committee and the nuclear preparedness organization in 2008 published several reports of incidents of radioactivity and radioactive pollution to the nuclear preparedness organization, media and the public. In addition to these events, there have been some incidents with radiation and small radioactive sources in Norway during this year. (AG)

Assessing Disaster Preparedness Among Select Children's Summer Camps in the United States and Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Megan; Sielaff, Alan; Bradin, Stuart; Walker, Kevin; Ambrose, Michael; Hashikawa, Andrew

2017-08-01

Children's summer camps are at risk for multiple pediatric casualties during a disaster. The degree to which summer camps have instituted disaster preparedness is unknown. We assessed disaster preparedness among selected camps nationally for a range of disasters. We partnered with a national, web-based electronic health records system to send camp leadership of 315 camp organizations a 14-question online survey of disaster preparedness. One response from each camp was selected in the following order of importance: owner, director, physician, nurse, medical technician, office staff, and other. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 181 camps responses were received, 169 of which were complete. Camp types were overnight (60%), day (21%), special/medical needs (14%), and other (5%). Survey respondents were directors (52%), nurses (14%), office staff (10%), physicians (5%), owners (5%), emergency medical technicians (2%), and other (12%). Almost 18% of camps were located >20 mi from a major medical center, and 36% were >5 mi from police/fire departments. Many camps were missing emergency supplies: car/booster seats for evacuation (68%), shelter (35%), vehicles for evacuation (26%), quarantine isolation areas (21%), or emergency supplies of extra water (20%) or food (17%). Plans were unavailable for the following: power outages (23%); lockdowns (15%); illness outbreaks (15%); tornadoes (11%); evacuation for fire, flood, or chemical spill (9%); and other severe weather (8%). Many camps did not have online emergency plans (53%), plans for children with special/medical needs (38%), methods to rapidly communicate information to parents (25%), or methods to identify children for evacuation/reunification with parents (40%). Respondents reported that staff participation in disaster drills varied for weather (58%), evacuations (46%), and lockdowns (36%). The majority (75%) of respondents had not collaborated with medical organizations for planning. A

Implementing Cognitive Intervention to Educate and Improve Resident's Preparedness in Landslide Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Susanto, Novie; Putranto, Thomas Triadi; Prastawa, Heru; Ulfa, Ema Amalia

2018-02-01

Semarang city has the potential landslides were quite high in almost all regions. The previous research shows that the Manyaran and Kembang Arum is classified as "not ready" with vulnerability-prone of landslide areas. Therefore, design and implementation of cognitive interventions in human are needed to educate and improve the preparedness of the residents against landslide. This study aims to implement the various cognitive interventions to the residents in landslide areas and analysis of the different interventions toward the preparedness index. The study is conducted on 40 respondents from Kembang Arum and 40 respondents from Manyaran. They are aged ≥ 17 years, illiteracy and a RT/RW/PKK cadres. The independent variables in this study are Knowledge and Attitude, Emergency Planning, Warning System, and Resources Mobilization. The dependent variable is the preparedness index. The design of cognitive interventions is generated according to the demographic characteristics of the respondent and the result of Fault Tree Analysis. The preparedness index of the residents against landslides in Kembang Arum increases about 71.71% and in Manyaran up to 90.06%. Implementation of cognitive interventions with module, video and discussion in the Manyaran is more effective than using posters, videos and discussions in Kembang Arum.

Preparedness of Iranian Hospitals Against Disasters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asefzadeh

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Context Over the past decade the number of accidents and disasters has been growing around the world. In addition to damaging communities and infrastructures, unexpected disasters also affect service providers. This study aimed to evaluate the readiness of hospitals when confronted with unexpected disasters. Evidence Acquisition The present study was a simple review article, which was conducted via searching different sites, such as: Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and PubMed, using different key words such as: Disasters, Crisis, Hospital and preparedness. The relationship between the articles found in relation to our subject was investigated through the title and abstract of articles. The relationship between the articles, which were found in relation to our subject, was investigated through the title and abstract of the articles. Our search included papers published during the period between 2007 and 2015 and we only considered studies that measured the preparedness of hospitals in critical conditions. Among the 30 articles, which were found, 17 were excluded from the study due to lack of relevant data. Hence, 15 papers, which were of proper design and robust data analysis, were included in the current study. Results Hospital preparedness in disaster was evaluated in three dimensions: structural, non-structural factors and vulnerability management performance. A total of readiness of hospitals in three dimensions was mediocre. Conclusions Overall, the results derived from these studies indicated that hospital safety levels in most of the surveyed hospitals were moderate. Although the situation in hospitals is not critical, there is a need to plan and take appropriate measures to improve the safety level of the hospitals.

324 Building fire hazards analysis implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BARILO, N.F.

1999-01-01

In March 1998, the 324 Building Fire Hazards Analysis (FHA) (Reference 1) was approved by the U S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) for implementation by B and W Hanford Company (BWHC). The purpose of the FHA was to identify gaps in compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A (Reference 2) and Richland Operations Office Implementation Directive (RLID) 5480.7 (Reference 3), especially in regard to loss limitation. The FHA identified compliance gaps in six areas and provided 20 recommendations to bring the 324 Building into compliance with DOE Order 5480 7A. Additionally, one observation was provided. A status is provided for each recommendation in this document. The actions for recommendations associated with the safety related part of the 324 Building and operation of the cells and support areas were evaluated using the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) process BWHC will use this Implementation Plan to bring the 324 Building and its operation into compliance with DOE Order 5480 7A and RLID 5480.7

ADP Security Plan, Math Building, Room 1139

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melton, R.

1985-08-27

This document provides the draft copy of an updated (ADP) Security Plan for an IBM Personal Computer to be used in the Math Building at PNL for classified data base management. Using the equipment specified in this document and implementing the administrative and physical procedures as outlined will provide the secure environment necessary for this work to proceed.

Influenza pandemic preparedness: motivation for protection among small and medium businesses in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Rochelle E; Cooke, Feonagh C; Donovan, Robert J; MacIntyre, C Raina; Itzwerth, Ralf; Plant, Aileen J

2007-07-17

Community-wide preparedness for pandemic influenza is an issue that has featured prominently in the recent news media, and is currently a priority for health authorities in many countries. The small and medium business sector is a major provider of private sector employment in Australia, yet we have little information about the preparedness of this sector for pandemic influenza. This study aimed to investigate the association between individual perceptions and preparedness for pandemic influenza among small and medium business owners and managers. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 201 small and medium business owners or managers in New South Wales and Western Australia. Eligible small or medium businesses were defined as those that had less than 200 employees. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of having considered the impact of, having a plan for, and needing help to prepare for pandemic influenza. Approximately 6 per cent of participants reported that their business had a plan for pandemic influenza, 39 per cent reported that they had not thought at all about the impact of pandemic influenza on their business, and over 60 per cent stated that they required help to prepare for a pandemic. Beliefs about the severity of pandemic influenza and the ability to respond were significant independent predictors of having a plan for pandemic influenza, and the perception of the risk of pandemic influenza was the most important predictor of both having considered the impact of, and needing help to prepare for a pandemic. Our findings suggest that small and medium businesses in Australia are not currently well prepared for pandemic influenza. We found that beliefs about the risk, severity, and the ability to respond effectively to the threat of pandemic influenza are important predictors of preparedness. Campaigns targeting small and medium businesses should emphasise the severity of the consequences to their

Visual Sample Plan (VSP) Software: Designs and Data Analyses for Sampling Contaminated Buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pulsipher, Brent A.; Wilson, John E.; Gilbert, Richard O.; Nuffer, Lisa L.; Hassig, Nancy L.

2005-01-01

A new module of the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) software has been developed to provide sampling designs and data analyses for potentially contaminated buildings. An important application is assessing levels of contamination in buildings after a terrorist attack. This new module, funded by DHS through the Combating Terrorism Technology Support Office, Technical Support Working Group, was developed to provide a tailored, user-friendly and visually-orientated buildings module within the existing VSP software toolkit, the latest version of which can be downloaded from http://dqo.pnl.gov/vsp. In case of, or when planning against, a chemical, biological, or radionuclide release within a building, the VSP module can be used to quickly and easily develop and visualize technically defensible sampling schemes for walls, floors, ceilings, and other surfaces to statistically determine if contamination is present, its magnitude and extent throughout the building and if decontamination has been effective. This paper demonstrates the features of this new VSP buildings module, which include: the ability to import building floor plans or to easily draw, manipulate, and view rooms in several ways; being able to insert doors, windows and annotations into a room; 3-D graphic room views with surfaces labeled and floor plans that show building zones that have separate air handing units. The paper will also discuss the statistical design and data analysis options available in the buildings module. Design objectives supported include comparing an average to a threshold when the data distribution is normal or unknown, and comparing measurements to a threshold to detect hotspots or to insure most of the area is uncontaminated when the data distribution is normal or unknown

Defense against terroristic hazards and risk by building planning law; Abwehr terroristischer Gefahren und Risiken durch Bauplanungsrecht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hopkins, Richard

2012-07-01

The book on defense against terroristic hazards and risk by building planning law includes the following issues: Introduction: civil engineering and safety. Risk, hazards and urban planning: historical and actual examples for the constructional danger prevention, terroristic threat and urban planning. Risk, hazards and terrorism: sociology and risk, law and risk, terrorism - risk or hazard? Answer to uncertainty - risk prevention, catastrophe law as link. Risk, hazard, terrorism and the public building and regional planning law: regional planning law as point of origin, building law and terrorism, possibility of control by the legal building regulations.

Quality assurance program plan for Building 324

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanke, J.M.

1997-01-01

This Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) provides an overview of the quality assurance program for Building 324. This plan supersedes the PNNL Nuclear Facilities Quality Management System Description, PNL-NF-QMSD, Revision 2, dated March 1996. The program applies to the facility safety structures, systems, and components and to activities that could affect safety structures, systems, and components. Adherence to the quality assurance program ensures the following: US Department of Energy missions and objectives are effectively accomplished; Products and services are safe, reliable, and meet or exceed the requirements and expectations of the user; Hazards to the public, to Hanford Site and facility workers, and to the environment are minimized. The format of this Quality Assurance Program Plan is structured to parallel that of 10 CFR 83 0.120, Quality Assurance Requirements

Chief Student Affairs Officers' Perceptions of Institutional Crisis Management, Preparedness, and Response

Science.gov (United States)

Studenberg, Heather Nicole Lancin

2017-01-01

This dissertation examined chief student affairs officers' perceptions of institutional crisis management, preparedness, and response. A goal of this study was to uncover findings that can benefit crisis management protocols or best practices regarding crisis management team training, plan communications, and emergency management personnel on…

Assessment of disaster preparedness among emergency departments in Italian hospitals: a cautious warning for disaster risk reduction and management capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Paganini, Matteo; Borrelli, Francesco; Cattani, Jonathan; Ragazzoni, Luca; Djalali, Ahmadreza; Carenzo, Luca; Della Corte, Francesco; Burkle, Frederick M Jr; Ingrassia, Pier Luigi

2016-08-15

Since the 1990s, Italian hospitals are required to comply with emergency disaster plans known as Emergency Plan for Massive Influx of Casualties. While various studies reveal that hospitals overall suffer from an insufficient preparedness level, the aim of this study was to better determine the preparedness level of Emergency Departments of Italian hospitals by assessing the knowledge-base of emergency physicians regarding basic disaster planning and procedures. A prospective observational study utilized a convenience sample of Italian Emergency Departments identified from the Italian Ministry of Health website. Anonymous telephone interviews were conducted of medical consultants in charge at the time in the respective Emergency Departments, and were structured in 3 parts: (1) general data and demographics, (2) the current disaster plan and (3) protocols and actions of the disaster plan. Eighty-five Emergency Departments met inclusion criteria, and 69 (81 %) agreed to undergo the interview. Only 45 % of participants declared to know what an Emergency Plan for Massive Influx of Casualties is, 41 % believed to know who has the authority to activate the plan, 38 % knew who is in charge of intra-hospital operations. In Part 3 physicians revealed a worrisome inconsistency in critical content knowledge of their answers. Results demonstrate a poor knowledge-base of basic hospital disaster planning concepts by Italian Emergency Department physicians-on-duty. These findings should alert authorities to enhance staff disaster preparedness education, training and follow-up to ensure that these plans are known to all who have responsibility for disaster risk reduction and management capacity.

Emergency preparedness lessons from Chernobyl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.B.

1987-09-01

Emergency preparedness at nuclear power plants in the US has been considerably enhanced since the Three Mile Island accident. The Chernobyl accident has provided valuable data that can be used to evaluate the merit of some of these enhancements and to determine the need for additional improvements. For example, the USSR intervention levels of 25 rem and 75 rem for evacuation are contrasted with US Environmental Protection Agency protective action guides. The manner in which 135,000 persons were evacuated from the 30-km zone around Chernobyl is constrasted with typical US evacuation plans. Meteorological conditions and particulate deposition patterns were studied to infer characteristics of the radioactive plume from Chernobyl. Typical plume monitoring techniques are examined in light of lessons learned by the Soviets about plume behavior. This review has indicated a need for additional improvements in utility and government emergency plans, procedures, equipment, and training. 12 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Applying Instructional Design Strategies and Behavior Theory to Household Disaster Preparedness Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Tracy N; Sobelson, Robyn K; Wigington, Corinne J; Davis, Alyson L; Harp, Victoria H; Leander-Griffith, Michelle; Cioffi, Joan P

Interventions and media campaigns promoting household disaster preparedness have produced mixed results in affecting behaviors. In large part, this is due to the limited application of instructional design strategies and behavior theory, such as the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). This study describes the development and evaluation of Ready CDC, an intervention designed to increase household disaster preparedness among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workforce. (1) Describe the instructional design strategies employed in the development of Ready CDC and (2) evaluate the intervention's impact on behavior change and factors influencing stage progression for household disaster preparedness behavior. Ready CDC was adapted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Ready campaign. Offered to CDC staff September 2013-November 2015, it consisted of a preassessment of preparedness attitudes and behaviors, an in-person training, behavioral reinforcement communications, and a 3-month follow-up postassessment. Ready CDC employed well-accepted design strategies, including presenting stimulus material and enhancing transfer of desired behavior. Excluding those in the TTM "maintenance" stage at baseline, this study determined 44% of 208 participants progressed at least 1 stage for developing a written disaster plan. Moreover, assessment of progression by stage found among participants in the "precontemplation" (n = 16), "contemplation" (n = 15), and "preparation" (n = 125) stages at baseline for assembling an emergency kit, 25%, 27%, and 43% moved beyond the "preparation" stage, respectively. Factors influencing stage movement included knowledge, attitudes, and community resiliency but varied depending on baseline stage of change. Employing instructional strategies and behavioral theories in preparedness interventions optimizes the potential for individuals to adopt preparedness behaviors. Study findings suggest that stage movement toward

Teaching case studies on earthquake preparedness efforts in the transportation sector, Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Through the development of a Harvard Kennedy School case study (intended for : use as curriculum in graduate-level and executive education programs), this project : examines earthquake preparedness and planning processes in the Los Angeles : metropol...

Radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response. How well are we prepared?; Radiologischer und nuklearer Notfallschutz. Wie gut sind wir vorbereitet?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geick, Gunther H.G. [Dataport, Altenholz (Germany); Herrmann, Andre R. [HERRMANN Consultant, Basel (Switzerland); Koch, Doris [Ministerium fuer Justiz, Gleichstellung und Integration, Kiel (Germany); Meisenberg, Oliver [Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen Deutsches Forschungszentrum fuer Gesundheit und Umwelt GmbH, Neuherberg (Germany); Rauber, Dominique [Bundesamt fuer Bevoelkerungsschutz (BABS), Zuerich (CH). Eidgenoessisches Dept. fuer Verteidigung, Bevoelkerungsschutz und Sport (VBS); Stuerm, Rolf P. [SafPro AG, Basel (Switzerland); Weiss, Wolfgang [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Salzgitter (Germany); Miska, Horst; Schoenhacker, Stefan

2011-07-01

The contributions to this topic are dealing, in a broad overview, with important aspects of Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response, like the influence of the new ICRP recommendations number 103 and number 109 on emergency preparedness and on planning for response, possible problems in installing and operating emergency care centres, experience from exercises as well as the training of response personnel in Austria and Germany. Finally, measures in emergency preparedness with regard to a dirty bomb attack are reported by means of an INEX-4-exercise in Switzerland. (orig.)

A Probabilistic Risk Assessment For Emergency Preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Joomyung; Jae, Moosung; Ahn, Kwangil

2013-01-01

The importance of nuclear power plant PSA has grown up all over the world due to this incident. The main concern of this study is to develop a methodology to carry on an emergency preparedness evaluation and to set an exclusive area, or the emergency response area boundary in order to apply it to domestic reference plants. This study also focuses on evaluating the risk parameter of major nuclides through a sensitivity analysis and a safety assessment by calculating the population dose, early fatality, and cancer fatality rates. A methodology for an emergency preparedness, which can be applied to evaluate the damage of the radioactive release as well as to assess the safety of the accident scenario of a nuclear power plant, has been developed and applied for the reference plants in Korea. By applying a source term analysis, an exclusive zone based on the radioactive dose is obtained. And the results of the health effect assessment based on the release fraction of specific nuclides to public with an effective emergency response activity have been simulated. A methodology utilizing the Level 3 PSA with the actual emergency response activities has been developed and applied to typical nuclear accident situations. The plausible standard for performing an emergency plan is suggested and the valuable information regarding emergency preparedness has been produced in this study. For further works, the sensitivity study on important parameters will be performed to simulate the actual severe accident situations such as sheltering, evacuation, and emergency response activities

Radiation emergency preparedness in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geetha, P.V.; Ramamirtham, B.; Khot, P.

2008-01-01

The purpose of planning for radiation emergency response is to ensure adequate preparedness for protection of the plant personnel and members of the public from significant radiation exposures in the unlikely event of an accident. With a number of safety features in the reactor design and sound operating procedures, the probability of a major accident resulting in the releases of large quantities of radioactivity is extremely small. However, as an abundant cautious approach a comprehensive radiation emergency response preparedness is in place in all the nuclear power plants (NPPs). Radiation Emergency in NPPs is broadly categorized into three types; plant emergency, site emergency and off-site emergency. During off site emergency conditions, based on levels of radiation in the environment, Civil Authorities may impose several counter measures such as sheltering, administering prophylaxis (stable iodine for thyroid blocking) and evacuation of people from the affected area. Environmental Survey Laboratory (ESL) carries out environmental survey extensively in the affected sector identified by the meteorological survey laboratory. To handle emergency situations, Emergency Control Centre with all communication facility and Emergency Equipment Centre having radiation measuring instruments and protective equipment are functional at all NPPs. AERB stipulates certain periodicity for conducting the exercises on plant, site and off site emergency. These exercises are conducted and deficiencies corrected for strengthening the emergency preparedness system. In the case of off site emergency exercise, observers are invited from AERB and Crisis Management Group of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The emergency exercises conducted by Nuclear Power Plant Sites have been very satisfactory. (author)

2013 Building America Research Planning Meeting Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metzger, C. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hunt, S. [Confluence Communications, Missoula, MT (united States)

2014-02-01

The Building America Research Planning Meeting was held October 28-30, 2013, in Washington, DC. This meeting provides one opportunity each year for the research teams, national laboratories and Department of Energy (DOE) managers to meet in person to share the most pertinent information and collaboration updates. This report documents the presentations, highlights key program updates, and outlines next steps for the program.

Bridging the Gap in Hospital Preparedness

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Adwell, James P

2007-01-01

.... This paper reviews personnel attitudes towards preparedness at Johns Hopkins Hospital, types of training used in disaster preparedness and their effectiveness, the use of individual and family...

Hospital capacity and management preparedness for pandemic influenza in Victoria.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewar, Ben; Barr, Ian; Robinson, Priscilla

2014-04-01

This study was designed to investigate acute hospital pandemic influenza preparedness in Victoria, Australia, particularly focussing on planning and management efforts. A prospective study was conducted by questionnaire and semi-structured interview of health managers across the Victorian hospital system from July to October 2011. Participants with responsibility for emergency management, planning and operations were selected from every hospital in Victoria with an emergency department to complete a questionnaire (response rate 22/43 = 51%). Each respondent was invited to participate in a phone-based semi-structured interview (response rate 11/22 = 50%). Rural/regional hospitals demonstrated higher levels of clinical (86%) and non-clinical (86%) staff contingency planning than metropolitan hospitals (60% and 40% respectively). Pandemic plans were not being sufficiently tested in exercises or drills, which is likely to undermine their effectiveness. All respondents reported hand hygiene and standard precautions programs in place, although only one-third (33%) of metropolitan respondents and no rural/regional respondents reported being able to meet patient needs with high levels of staff absenteeism. Almost half Victoria's healthcare workers were unvaccinated against influenza. Hospitals across Victoria demonstrated different levels of influenza pandemic preparedness and planning. If a more severe influenza pandemic than that of 2009 arose, Victorian hospitals would struggle with workforce and infrastructure problems, particularly in rural/regional areas. Staff absenteeism threatens to undermine hospital pandemic responses. Various strategies, including education and communication, should be included with in-service training to provide staff with confidence in their ability to work safely during a future pandemic. © 2014 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2014 Public Health Association of Australia.

MRP (materiel requirements planning) II education: a team-building experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Iemmolo, G R

1994-05-01

Conestoga Wood Specialties, a leader in the woodworking industry, is constantly striving for continuous improvement in manufacturing and service. Recently, the company embarked on a major MRP II education effort that served as a framework for team building. This team building concept has carried over into other aspects related to the business, such as the formalization of the sales and operations planning meeting. At Conestoga Wood, it is recognized that successful team building is necessary to achieve and maintain world-class performance.

Emergency Preparedness for Disasters and Crises in the Hotel Industry

OpenAIRE

Ahmad Rasmi AlBattat; Ahmad Puad Mat Som

2013-01-01

Safety and security are the most important issues to tourist while traveling and the first aspect they consider is to be protected from hazards. Emergency planning and preparedness for a crisis are the most significant components of dealing with disasters. Hospitality practitioners noticed a rising number of natural and man-made crises that harm the hospitality industry, regarding its vulnerability to crisis and intern...

Improved ant Colony Optimization for Virtual Teams Building in Collaborative Process Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingying Su

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Virtual teams have been adopted by organizations to gain competitive advantages in this global economy. Virtual teams are a ubiquitous part of getting work done in almost every organization. For the purpose of building virtual teams in collaborative process planning, the method based on improved ant colony algorithm (IMACO was proposed. The concept of virtual team was illustrated and the necessity of building virtual teams in collaborative process planning was analyzed. The sub tasks with certain timing relationship were described and the model of building virtual teams in collaborative process planning was established, which was solved by improved ant colony algorithm. In this paper applications of the IMACO and ACO are compared and demonstrate that the use of the IMACO algorithm performs better. An example was studied to illustrate the effectiveness of the strategy.

Planning and training in emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, T.G.

1985-01-01

Link Simulation Systems Division of the Singer Company is combining its tactical simulation and display system with state-of-the-art decision and control technology to provide a combined operations, planning, and training (COPAT) system. This system provides for the total integration of the three primary responsibilities of emergency managers: planning and training for and decision and control of an emergency. The system is intended to be a complete operations center for emergency management personnel. In the event of a natural disaster or man-made emergency, the national, state, county, and city emergency managers require a secure and reliable operations center. The COPAT system combines the decision and control capabilities with proven simulation techniques allowing for integrated planning and training. The hardware system, software, data bases, and maps used during planning and training are the same as those used during actual emergencies

Chemical or Biological Terrorist Attacks: An Analysis of the Preparedness of Hospitals for Managing Victims Affected by Chemical or Biological Weapons of Mass Destruction

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Russell L.

2006-01-01

The possibility of a terrorist attack employing the use of chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD) on American soil is no longer an empty threat, it has become a reality. A WMD is defined as any weapon with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale that its very presence in the hands of hostile forces is a grievous threat. Events of the past few years including the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 and the use of planes as guided missiles directed into the Pentagon and New York’s Twin Towers in 2001 (9/11) and the tragic incidents involving twenty-three people who were infected and five who died as a result of contact with anthrax-laced mail in the Fall of 2001, have well established that the United States can be attacked by both domestic and international terrorists without warning or provocation. In light of these actions, hospitals have been working vigorously to ensure that they would be “ready” in the event of another terrorist attack to provide appropriate medical care to victims. However, according to a recent United States General Accounting Office (GAO) nationwide survey, our nation’s hospitals still are not prepared to manage mass causalities resulting from chemical or biological WMD. Therefore, there is a clear need for information about current hospital preparedness in order to provide a foundation for systematic planning and broader discussions about relative cost, probable effectiveness, environmental impact and overall societal priorities. Hence, the aim of this research was to examine the current preparedness of hospitals in the State of Mississippi to manage victims of terrorist attacks involving chemical or biological WMD. All acute care hospitals in the State were selected for inclusion in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized for data collection and analysis. Six hypotheses were tested. Using a

Building a team through a strategic planning process.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Debra; Priganc, Dave

2014-01-01

Strategic planning is a process often left to senior hospital leadership, with limited input from unit-level, bedside patient care providers. This frequent approach to strategic planning misses the opportunity to engage a wide range of employees, build a shared sense of commitment, produce a collaborative team environment, and to generate greater acceptance of the plan. The Patient Care Services division at the University of Chicago Medicine used a strategic planning process that incorporated 360-degree input from both within the Patient Care Services division and outside of the division. The result is a strategic vision and plan that, shaped by broad-based input from both internal and external constituencies, is strengthened by the team that emerged from the process. Through the process of identifying a common understanding of the group's future direction, a shared purpose was created that transcended traditional professional boundaries and shaped a cohesive team focused on effective and efficient patient care. Now, with a focused strategic plan and a team centered on a shared purpose, the team is beginning to effectively deliver on the plan.

Disaster preparedness for technology and electricity-dependent children and youth with special health care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakashita, Kazumi; Matthews, Wallace J; Yamamoto, Loren G

2013-06-01

Children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) are complex and often dependent on electrical devices (technoelectric dependent) for life support/maintenance. Because they are reliant on electricity and electricity failure is common, the purpose of this study was to survey their preparedness for electricity failure. Parents and caregivers of technoelectric CYSHCN were asked to complete a preparedness questionnaire. We collected a convenience sample of 50 patients. These 50 patients utilized a total of 166 electrical devices. A home ventilator, oxygen concentrator, and a feeding pump were identified as the most important device for the children in 35 of the 50 patients, yet only 19 of the 35 patients could confirm that this device had a battery backup. Also, 22 of the 50 patients had a prolonged power failure preparedness plan. Technoelectric-dependent CYSHCN are poorly prepared for electrical power failure.

Guide to oil spill exercise planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC Convention) foresees a future in which all at risk states have national oil spill preparedness and response plans. The Convention also encourages the idea that national plans be developed in cooperation with oil and shipping industries. The ultimate test of any contingency plan is measured by performance in a real emergency. It is vital, therefore, that any programme for developing a national contingency plan must include an ongoing programme to test the plan through realistic exercises. An exercise programme must progressively prepare the Oil Spill Energy Response Team to perform effectively in realistic representations of the risks that the contingency plan has been designed to meet. This report has been designed to guide all those in government or industry who are faced with the responsibility of developing and managing oil spill response exercises at all levels. It carries with it the authority that derives from peer review by many centres of oil spill response excellence around the world. It is well-illustrated with brief case histories of exercises that have been carried out by many IPIECA member companies. Each of those companies has indicated its preparedness to share more information by providing contact name and address details within this report. (author)

2013 Building America Research Planning Meeting Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metzger, Cheryn E. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hunt, Stacy [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2014-02-01

The Building America (BA) Research Planning Meeting was held October 28-30, 2013, in Washington, DC. This meeting provides one opportunity each year for the research teams, national laboratories and Department of Energy (DOE) managers to meet in person to share the most pertinent information and collaboration updates. This report documents the presentations, highlights key program updates, and outlines next steps for the program.

Morphologic analysis of the SKI preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenstroem, Maria

2003-08-01

The Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) is an independent government agency responsible for technical assessments and information concerning accidents involving nuclear facilities at home and abroad. With the events of September 11 in New York and Washington D.C., circumstances have also changed for Swedish government agencies. Increased focus had been placed on a broadened threat spectrum, especially as concerns terrorism and the use of non-conventional weapons and methods. This means that SKI must develop adequate preparedness for new types of threats and events. What types of threats, and how SKI's preparedness planning should be developed, are questions which were addressed in a study by a working group from SKI and FOI -the Swedish National Defence Research Agency. The purpose of the study was to identify serious threats and events, which would require SKI's involvement, and to analyze what resources and competencies would by needed in order for SKI to fulfill it responsibilities. Investigating a broadened threat spectrum involves defining and analyzing a multi-dimensional problem complex, which is both difficult to quantify and involves very complicated internal relationships. Morphological analysis is a method for structuring and analyzing such problem complexes, and for developing models based on natural language concepts. The working group developed and studied ten different scenarios, which defined the parameter space for a broadened threat spectrum for SKI. On the basis of these scenarios, a morphological model was developed which describes the demands that these scenarios place on SKI as an organization. On the basis of this, a further morphological model was developed, in order to systematically dimension the resources that would be needed in the face of these demands. Through this analysis, a clearer picture of the demands and required resources for future threats has emerged. The information and insights generated will serve to better develop

Improving Data Access for Climate Preparedness Through Public-Private Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Satkowski, L.; Tewksbury, J.

2017-12-01

With increasing exposure to extreme hurricane and flooding events, a growing number of communities, companies, and civil society organizations around the world are looking to assess climate impacts and vulnerability, and to develop resilience plans. Currently, efforts to turn data into actionable plans are constrained by limited access to robust, actionable data and information. The Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness (PREP), public-private collaboration that seeks to empower a data-driven approach to building climate resilience, aims to facilitate the process for planners, investors, resource managers, and others to routinely incorporate climate risks into their decisions, by enhancing access to relevant data and facilitating collective learning. Together, this peer-to-peer initiative of approximately 30 government, NGO, and business partners built PREPdata, an intuitive, open map-based platform that enables users to visualize, download and layer data to inform adaptation decision-making. The platform also connects practitioners to data providers, closing the feedback loop between them and enhancing the climate data ecosystem. In this session participants will learn how public-private partnerships can reduce barriers to discovering, accessing climate data and will be given an interactive tutorial on PREPdata, specific to the Gulf of Mexico and hurricane and flooding events. Participants will discover ways to incorporate local data with national and global data, learn about PREPdata application case studies, and how PREPdata can be used to analyze risk in hurricane vulnerable geographies.

Preparedness for emerging infectious diseases: pathways from anticipation to action.

Science.gov (United States)

Brookes, V J; Hernández-Jover, M; Black, P F; Ward, M P

2015-07-01

Emerging and re-emerging infectious disease (EID) events can have devastating human, animal and environmental health impacts. The emergence of EIDs has been associated with interconnected economic, social and environmental changes. Understanding these changes is crucial for EID preparedness and subsequent prevention and control of EID events. The aim of this review is to describe tools currently available for identification, prioritization and investigation of EIDs impacting human and animal health, and how these might be integrated into a systematic approach for directing EID preparedness. Environmental scanning, foresight programmes, horizon scanning and surveillance are used to collect and assess information for rapidly responding to EIDs and to anticipate drivers of emergence for mitigating future EID impacts. Prioritization of EIDs - using transparent and repeatable methods - based on disease impacts and the importance of those impacts to decision-makers can then be used for more efficient resource allocation for prevention and control. Risk assessment and simulation modelling methods assess the likelihood of EIDs occurring, define impact and identify mitigation strategies. Each of these tools has a role to play individually; however, we propose integration of these tools into a framework that enhances the development of tactical and strategic plans for emerging risk preparedness.

A walk through the planned CS building. M.S. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Khorramabadi, Delnaz

1991-01-01

Using the architectural plan views of our future computer science building as test objects, we have completed the first stage of a Building walkthrough system. The inputs to our system are AutoCAD files. An AutoCAD converter translates the geometrical information in these files into a format suitable for 3D rendering. Major model errors, such as incorrect polygon intersections and random face orientations, are detected and fixed automatically. Interactive viewing and editing tools are provided to view the results, to modify and clean the model and to change surface attributes. Our display system provides a simple-to-use user interface for interactive exploration of buildings. Using only the mouse buttons, the user can move inside and outside the building and change floors. Several viewing and rendering options are provided, such as restricting the viewing frustum, avoiding wall collisions, and selecting different rendering algorithms. A plan view of the current floor, with the position of the eye point and viewing direction on it, is displayed at all times. The scene illumination can be manipulated, by interactively controlling intensity values for 5 light sources.

Building Performance Simulation tools for planning of energy efficiency retrofits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mondrup, Thomas Fænø; Karlshøj, Jan; Vestergaard, Flemming

2014-01-01

Designing energy efficiency retrofits for existing buildings will bring environmental, economic, social, and health benefits. However, selecting specific retrofit strategies is complex and requires careful planning. In this study, we describe a methodology for adopting Building Performance...... to energy efficiency retrofits in social housing. To generate energy savings, we focus on optimizing the building envelope. We evaluate alternative building envelope actions using procedural solar radiation and daylight simulations. In addition, we identify the digital information flow and the information...... Simulation (BPS) tools as energy and environmentally conscious decision-making aids. The methodology has been developed to screen buildings for potential improvements and to support the development of retrofit strategies. We present a case study of a Danish renovation project, implementing BPS approaches...

Emergency response planning for transport accidents involving radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-03-01

The document presents a basic discussion of the various aspects and philosophies of emergency planning and preparedness along with a consideration of the problems which might be encountered in a transportation accident involving a release of radioactive materials. Readers who are responsible for preparing emergency plans and procedures will have to decide on how best to apply this guidance to their own organizational structures and will also have to decide on an emergency planning and preparedness philosophy suitable to their own situations

Innovative Strategies for Building Community Resilience: Lessons from the Frontlines of Climate Change Capacity-Building

Science.gov (United States)

Abrash Walton, A.

2017-12-01

There is broad scientific consensus that climate change is occurring; however, there is limited implementation of measures to create resilient local communities (Abrash Walton, Simpson, Rhoades, & Daniels, 2016; Adger, Arnell, & Tompkins, 2005; Glavovic & Smith, 2014; Moser & Ekstrom, 2010; Picketts, Déry, & Curry, 2014). Communities that are considered climate leaders in the United States may have adopted climate change plans, yet few have actually implemented the policies, projects and recommendations in those plans. A range of innovative, education strategies have proven effective in building the capacity of local decision makers to strengthen community resilience. This presentation draws on the results of two years of original research regarding the information and support local decision makers require for effective action. Findings are based on information from four datasets, with more than 600 respondents from 48 U.S. states and 19 other countries working on local adaptation in a range of capacities. These research results can inform priority setting for public policy, budget setting, and action as well as private sector funding and investment. The presentation will focus, in particular, on methods and results of a pioneering Facilitated Community of Practice model (FCoP) for building climate preparedness and community resilience capacity, among local-level decision makers. The FCoP process includes group formation and shared capacity building experience. The process can also support collective objective setting and creation of structures and processes for ongoing sustainable collaboration. Results from two FCoPs - one fully online and the other hybrid - suggest that participants viewed the interpersonal and technical assistance elements of the FCoP as highly valuable. These findings suggest that there is an important need for facilitated networking and other relational aspects of building capacity among those advancing resilience at the local level.

Radiation protection issues on preparedness and response for a severe nuclear accident: experiences of the Fukushima accident.

Science.gov (United States)

Homma, T; Takahara, S; Kimura, M; Kinase, S

2015-06-01

Radiation protection issues on preparedness and response for a severe nuclear accident are discussed in this paper based on the experiences following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The criteria for use in nuclear emergencies in the Japanese emergency preparedness guide were based on the recommendations of International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publications 60 and 63. Although the decision-making process for implementing protective actions relied heavily on computer-based predictive models prior to the accident, urgent protective actions, such as evacuation and sheltering, were implemented effectively based on the plant conditions. As there were no recommendations and criteria for long-term protective actions in the emergency preparedness guide, the recommendations of ICRP Publications 103, 109, and 111 were taken into consideration in determining the temporary relocation of inhabitants of heavily contaminated areas. These recommendations were very useful in deciding the emergency protective actions to take in the early stages of the Fukushima accident. However, some suggestions have been made for improving emergency preparedness and response in the early stages of a severe nuclear accident. © The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers 2014.

Before the Emergency: A Framework for Evaluating Emergency Preparedness Alternatives at Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

Assessment, and Management. While insightful, the approaches presented in this book require an extensive understanding of mathematics and engineering...use actuarial data to make this type of a calculation, but it seems unlikely that a university decision maker will make a decision about pursing a...proposed preparedness or mitigation strategy using actuarial data. Building a disaster resistant university in accordance with the guidelines

Nuclear regulatory policy concept on safety, security, safeguards and emergency preparedness (3S+EP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilyas, Zurias

2009-01-01

Regulatory Policy is formulated in regulations that stipulate the assurance of workers and public safety and environmental protection. Legislation and regulations on nuclear energy should consider nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as nuclear emergency preparedness (3S+EP) and liability for nuclear damage. Specific requirements stipulated in international conventions and agreements should also be taken into account. Regulatory Policy is formulated in regulations that stipulate the assurance of workers and public safety and environmental protection. Legislation and regulations on nuclear energy should consider nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as nuclear emergency preparedness (3S+EP) and liability for nuclear damage. Specific requirements stipulated in international conventions and agreements should also be taken into account. By undertaking proper regulatory oversight on Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness (3S+EP) as an integrated and comprehensive system, safe and secure use of nuclear energy can be assured. Licence requirements and conditions should fulfil regulatory requirements pertaining to 3S+EP for nuclear installation as an integrated system. An effective emergency capacity that can be immediately mobilized is important. The capacity in protecting the personnel before, during and after the disaster should also be planned. Thus, proper emergency preparedness should be supported by adequate resources. The interface between safety, security, safeguards and emergency preparedness has to be set forth in nuclear regulations, such as regulatory requirements; 3S+EP; components, systems and structures of nuclear installations and human resources. Licensing regulations should stipulate, among others, DIQ, installations security system, safety analysis report, emergency preparedness requirements and necessary human resources that meet the 3S+EP requirements.

Perceptions of disaster preparedness among older people in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Myoungran; Lee, Mijung; Tullmann, Dorothy

2016-03-01

Older people are a major vulnerable population. During disasters, given their physical frailty, lower social status, loss of medications and medical care, the vulnerability of older people increases. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of older people in Korea on various aspects of disaster preparedness to better understand their special needs and to facilitate appropriate disaster planning. The study was qualitative and used focus group interviews with 12 older people in one major city and one rural area of South Korea. Four themes were identified by the analysis of the interviews: defenceless state, reality of accepting limitations, strong will to live, importance of disaster preparedness governmental efforts for the older people. Findings indicated that preparation of shelters and transportation was critical to help older people survive in times of disasters and suggested that there should be active involvement of the government in terms of disaster planning, managing and preparing older people for disasters. In addition, healthy older people can be assets to disaster relief efforts by providing practical and emotional support for the most fragile older people. Older people can also provide knowledge of their special needs to the government to improve their disaster response policy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Energy efficient buildings : a plan for BC : creating a legacy of energy efficient buildings in British Columbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-10-01

A plan to conserve energy and improve energy efficiency in homes and buildings in British Columbia was presented. Benefits of the plan included savings for consumers throughout BC; an increase in the value of homes and buildings; a return on investment after an average of 5 years; improved comfort and indoor air quality in buildings; creation of equipment manufacturing, building design, development and trades jobs across the province; and reduced environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas (GHG) and smog-creating air emissions. An outline of cost-effective energy efficiency targets was presented to complement ongoing local, provincial and federal programs. A number of market challenges were reviewed, such as the lack of information available to consumers on energy efficiency, the increased initial cost of energy efficient buildings, and the fact that opportunities to reduce energy consumption after construction are limited and expensive. It was suggested that energy consumers are not often aware of the environmental and social costs of over-consumption of energy. Details of existing programs that support energy efficiency were presented, as well as information concerning sales tax exemptions for high efficiency heating equipment and other materials used to conserve energy. Various provincial policies and incentives supporting energy conservation were outlined. Cost-effective targets for energy efficiency for new and existing buildings were presented, as well as details of rebates for homeowners. Capital costs for new construction standards were presented, as well as details of incentives and provincial sales tax exemptions

Influenza pandemic preparedness: motivation for protection among small and medium businesses in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MacIntyre C Raina

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Community-wide preparedness for pandemic influenza is an issue that has featured prominently in the recent news media, and is currently a priority for health authorities in many countries. The small and medium business sector is a major provider of private sector employment in Australia, yet we have little information about the preparedness of this sector for pandemic influenza. This study aimed to investigate the association between individual perceptions and preparedness for pandemic influenza among small and medium business owners and managers. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 201 small and medium business owners or managers in New South Wales and Western Australia. Eligible small or medium businesses were defined as those that had less than 200 employees. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of having considered the impact of, having a plan for, and needing help to prepare for pandemic influenza. Results Approximately 6 per cent of participants reported that their business had a plan for pandemic influenza, 39 per cent reported that they had not thought at all about the impact of pandemic influenza on their business, and over 60 per cent stated that they required help to prepare for a pandemic. Beliefs about the severity of pandemic influenza and the ability to respond were significant independent predictors of having a plan for pandemic influenza, and the perception of the risk of pandemic influenza was the most important predictor of both having considered the impact of, and needing help to prepare for a pandemic. Conclusion Our findings suggest that small and medium businesses in Australia are not currently well prepared for pandemic influenza. We found that beliefs about the risk, severity, and the ability to respond effectively to the threat of pandemic influenza are important predictors of preparedness. Campaigns targeting small and medium

Social capital and disaster preparedness among low income Mexican Americans in a disaster prone area.

Science.gov (United States)

Reininger, Belinda M; Rahbar, Mohammad H; Lee, Minjae; Chen, Zhongxue; Alam, Sartaj R; Pope, Jennifer; Adams, Barbara

2013-04-01

Examination of social capital and its relationship to disaster preparedness has grown in prominence partially due to world-wide need to effectively respond to terrorist attacks, viral epidemics, or natural disasters. Recent studies suggested that social capital may be related to a community's ability to plan for and respond to such disasters. Few studies, however, have examined social capital constructs among low income populations living in disaster prone areas and accounted for the influence of social capital at the individual and community level. We examined social capital as measured by perceived fairness, perceived civic trust, perceived reciprocity and group membership. We undertook a multistage random cluster survey in three coastal counties in Texas (U.S.) noted for their high levels of poverty. Individuals from 3088 households provided data on social capital, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and self-reported level of preparedness for a hurricane. We used multivariable logistic regression to test potential associations between social capital measures and disaster preparedness. After adjusting for age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, education, employment, household income, acculturation, self-reported health, special needs persons in household, household size, and distance to the shore we found a higher prevalence of preparedness among individuals who reported the highest perception of fairness [AOR = 3.12, 95% CI: (1.86, 5.21)] compared to those individuals who reported lowest perceptions of fairness. We also found a higher prevalence of preparedness [AOR = 2.06; 95% CI: (1.17, 3.62)] among individuals who reported highest perceptions of trust compared to individuals who reported lowest perceptions of trust. Perceived reciprocity and group membership were not associated with preparedness. These results extend previous findings on social capital and disaster preparedness and further characterize social capital's presence among a low

Safety and emergency preparedness considerations for geotechnical field operations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wemple, R.P.

1989-04-01

The GEO Energy Technology Department at Sandia National Laboratories is involved in several remote-site drilling and/or experimental operations each year. In 1987, the Geothermal Research Division of the Department developed a general set of Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) that could be applied to a variety of projects. This general set is supplemented by site-specific SOPs as needed. Effective field operations require: integration of safety and emergency preparedness planning with overall project planning, training of field personnel and inventorying of local emergency support resources, and, developing a clear line of responsibility and authority to enforce the safety requirements. Copies of SOPs used in recent operations are included as examples of working documents for the reader.

324 Building liquid waste handling and removal system project plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, J.E.

1998-07-29

This report evaluates the modification options for handling radiological liquid waste generated during decontamination and cleanout of the 324 Building. Recent discussions indicate that the Hanford site railroad system will be closed by the end of FY 1998 necessitating the need for an alternate transfer method. The issue of handling of Radioactive Liquid Waste (RLW) from the 324 Building (assuming the 340 Facility is not available to accept the RLW) has been examined in at least two earlier engineering studies (Parsons 1997a and Hobart 1997). Each study identified a similar preferred alternative that included modifying the 324 Building RLWS to allow load-out of wastewater to a truck tanker, while making maximum use of existing piping, tanks, instrumentation, controls and other features to minimize costs and physical changes to the building. This alternative is accepted as the basis for further discussion presented in this study. The goal of this engineering study is to verify the path forward presented in the previous studies and assure that the selected alternative satisfies the 324 Building deactivation goals and objectives as currently described in the project management plan. This study will also evaluate options available to implement the preferred alternative and select the preferred option for implementation of the entire system. Items requiring further examination will also be identified. Finally, the study will provide a conceptual design, schedule and cost estimate for the required modifications to the 324 Building to allow removal of RLW. Attachment 5 is an excerpt from the project baseline schedule found in the Project Management Plan.

76 FR 72431 - Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-23

... national preparedness terms and concepts found in the National Incident Management System (NIMS)/ Incident... many of the REP Program's operative guidance and policy documents into one location, and [[Page 72432... for alert and notification systems. In addition, Supplement 4 revises and adds evaluation criteria and...

1993 International oil spill conference: Prevention, preparedness, response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

This book contains the proceedings of the 1993 International Oil Spill Conference which took place March 29 - April 1 in Tampa, Florida. It was jointly sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute, the US Coast Guard, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Topics discussed included all aspects of spill prevention and preparedness, including planning, training, and research and development. Response issues, including fate and effects of spilled oil, cleanup, bioremediation, and in situ burning were also discussed. Legal and economic issues were also analyzed in the form of case studies

A new preparedness policy for EMS logistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seokcheon

2017-03-01

Response time in emergency medical services (EMS) is defined as the interval for an ambulance to arrive the scene after receipt of a 911 call. When several ambulances are available upon the receipt of a new call, a decision of selecting an ambulance has to be made in an effort to reduce response time. Dispatching the closest unit available is commonly used in practice; however, recently the Preparedness policy was designed that is in a simplistic form yet being capable of securing a long-term efficiency. This research aims to improve the Preparedness policy, resolving several critical issues inherent in the current form of the policy. The new Preparedness policy incorporates a new metric of preparedness based on the notion of centrality and involves a tuning parameter, weight on preparedness, which has to be appropriately chosen according to operational scenario. Computational experiment shows that the new policy significantly improves the former policy robustly in various scenarios.

STRATEGIC PLANNING IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSE-BUILDING ENTERPRISES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. A. Kadyrov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The system of the shaping strategic plan developments house-building enterprises is offered in sloppy condition market. The considered problems and methodical bases of the shaping adaptive strategic plan and tree of the sub goal to main strategic purpose of the development house-buildingenterprises.

Enablers and Barriers to Community Engagement in Public Health Emergency Preparedness: A Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsbottom, Anna; O'Brien, Eleanor; Ciotti, Lucrezio; Takacs, Judit

2018-04-01

Public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) all too often focusses only on institutional capabilities, including their technical expertise and political influence, while overlooking community capabilities. However, the success of institutional emergency preparedness plans depends upon communities and institutions working together to ensure successful anticipation, response and recovery. Broader community engagement is therefore recommended worldwide. This literature review was carried out to identify enablers and barriers to community and institutional synergies in emergency preparedness. Searches were undertaken across bibliographic databases and grey literature sources. The literature identified was qualitative in nature. A qualitative, 'best fit' framework approach using a pre-existing framework was used to analyse the literature, whereby themes were added and changed as analysis progressed. A working definition of community was identified, based on a 'whole community' approach, inclusive of the whole multitude of stakeholders including community residents and emergency management staff. Given the diversity in community make-up, the types of emergencies that could be faced, the socio-economic, environmental and political range of communities, there are no set practices that will be effective for all communities. The most effective way of engaging communities in emergency preparedness is context-dependent and the review did draw out some important key messages for institutions to consider.

Building Technologies Program Multi-Year Program Plan Technology Validation and Market Introduction 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2008-01-01

Building Technologies Program Multi-Year Program Plan 2008 for technology validation and market introduction, including ENERGY STAR, building energy codes, technology transfer application centers, commercial lighting initiative, EnergySmart Schools, EnergySmar

Striking the Right Note: The Cultural Preparedness Approach to Developing Resonant Career Guidance Programmes

Science.gov (United States)

Arulmani, G.

2011-01-01

Cultural preparedness is presented as a conceptual framework that could guide the development of culture-resonant interventions. The "Jiva" careers programme is presented as a case study to illustrate a method of career and livelihood planning based upon Indian epistemology and cultural practices. Social cognitive environments and career beliefs…

Integrated technique of planning the capital repair of residential buildings and objects of transport infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Dement'eva, Marina

2017-10-01

The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of two fundamentally different methods for planning capital repairs of objects of transport infrastructure and residential development. The first method was based on perspective long-term plans. Normative service life were the basis for planning the periodicity of repairs. The second method was based on the performance of repairs in fact of the onset of the malfunction. Problems of financing repair work, of the uneven aging of constructs and engineering systems, different wear mechanism in different conditions of exploitation, absence of methods of planning repairs of administrative and production buildings (depots, stations, etc.) justify the need to optimize methods of planning the repair and the relevance of this paper. The aim of the study was to develop the main provisions of an integrated technique for planning the capital repair of buildings of any functional purpose, which combines the advantages of each of the discussed planning methods. For this purpose, the consequences of technical and economic risk were analyzed of the buildings, including stations, depots, transport transfer hubs, administrative buildings, etc when choosing different planning methods. One of the significant results of the study is the possibility of justifying the optimal period of capital repairs on the basis of the proposed technical and economic criteria. The adjustment of the planned repair schedule is carried out taking into account the reliability and cost-effectiveness of the exploitation process.

Emergency preparedness: a comprehensive plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, R.H.

1975-01-01

The Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company (ARHCO) has developed comprehensive plans for coping with emergencies ranging from criticality to civil disturbance. A unique notification system provides for immediate contact with key personnel by using a central communications center, crash alarm warning networks, and a continuing telephone cascade notification system. There is also the capability of immediately contacting other contractor key personnel. Certain jobs have been predetermined as necessary for coping with an emergency. An emergency staff consisting of responsible management, with alternates, has been preselected to automatically fill these jobs when notified. Control centers for headquarters and ''field'' are established with telephone and radio communication capabilities and are also supplied with some source materials to assist initiating plans for containing an emergency for recovery. A comprehensive emergency procedures manual has been developed, which contains information of company-wide application and procedures for specific facilities covering almost all accident situations

Medical students' preparedness for professional activities in early clerkships.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosch, Josefin; Maaz, Asja; Hitzblech, Tanja; Holzhausen, Ylva; Peters, Harm

2017-08-22

Sufficient preparedness is important for transitions to workplace participation and learning in clinical settings. This study aims to analyse medical students' preparedness for early clerkships using a three-dimensional, socio-cognitive, theory-based model of preparedness anchored in specific professional activities and their supervision level. Medical students from a competency-based undergraduate curriculum were surveyed about preparedness for 21 professional activities and level of perceived supervision during their early clerkships via an online questionnaire. Preparedness was operationalized by the three dimensions of confidence to carry out clerkship activities, being prepared through university teaching and coping with failure by seeking support. Factors influencing preparedness and perceived stress as outcomes were analysed through step-wise regression. Professional activities carried out by the students (n = 147; 19.0%) and their supervision levels varied. While most students reported high confidence to perform the tasks, the activity-specific analysis revealed important gaps in preparation through university teaching. Students regularly searched for support in case of difficulty. One quarter of the variance of each preparedness dimension was explained by self-efficacy, supervision quality, amount of prior clerkship experience and nature of professional activities. Preparedness contributed to predicting perceived stress. The applied three-dimensional concept of preparedness and the task-specific approach provided a detailed and meaningful view on medical students' workplace participation and experiences in early clerkships.

PERCC Tools: Public Health Preparedness for Clinicians

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2011-08-29

CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response funds Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs) to examine components of the public health system. This podcast is an overview of mental and behavioral health tools developed by the Johns Hopkins PERRC.  Created: 8/29/2011 by Emergency Risk Communication Branch (ERCB)/Joint Information Center (JIC); Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR).   Date Released: 8/30/2011.

Notification: EPA's Preparedness and Response Efforts to the 2017 Hurricanes in EPA Regions 2, 4 and 6

Science.gov (United States)

Project #OPE-FY18-0005, December 13, 2017. The EPA OIG plans to begin preliminary research on the EPA’s preparedness and response efforts to the 2017 hurricanes that impacted EPA Regions 2, 4 and 6.

Emergency preparedness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, J. [Key Safety and Blowout Control Corp., Sylvan Lake, AB (Canada)

2001-07-01

This presentation included several slides depicting well control and emergency preparedness. It provided information to help in pre-emergency planning for potential well control situations. Key Safety and Blowout Control Corp has gained experience in the Canadian and International well control industry as well as from the fires of Kuwait. The president of the company lectures on the complications and concerns of managers, wellsite supervisors, service companies, the public sector, land owners, government agencies and the media. The slides presented scenarios based on actual blowout recovery assignments and described what types of resources are needed by a well control team. The presentation addressed issues such as the responsibility of a well control team and what they can be expected to do. The issue of how government agencies become involved was also discussed. The presentation combines important information and descriptive images of personal experiences in fire fighting and well control. The emergency situations presented here demonstrate the need for a thorough understanding of preplanning for emergencies and what to expect when a typical day in the oil patch turns into a high stress, volatile situation. tabs., figs.

Building Energy Benchmarking in India: an Action Plan for Advancing the State-of-the-Art

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarraf, Saket [Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) Univ., Ahmedabad (India); Anand, Shilpi [Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) Univ., Ahmedabad (India); Shukla, Yash [Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) Univ., Ahmedabad (India); Mathew, Paul [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Singh, Reshma [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-06-01

This document describes an action plan for advancing the state of the art of commercial building energy benchmarking in the Indian context. The document is primarily intended for two audiences: (a) Research and development (R&D) sponsors and researchers can use the action plan to frame, plan, prioritize and scope new energy benchmarking R&D in order to ensure that their research is market relevant; (b) Policy makers and program implementers engaged in the deployment of benchmarking and building efficiency rating programmes can use the action plan for policy formulation and enforcement .

Assessment of state- and territorial-level preparedness capacity for serving deaf and hard-of-hearing populations in disasters.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivey, Susan L; Tseng, Winston; Dahrouge, Donna; Engelman, Alina; Neuhauser, Linda; Huang, Debbie; Gurung, Sidhanta

2014-01-01

Substantial evidence exists that emergency preparedness and response efforts are not effectively reaching populations with functional and access needs, especially barriers related to literacy, language, culture, or disabilities. More than 36 million Americans are Deaf or hard of hearing (Deaf/HH). These groups experienced higher risks of injury, death, and property loss in recent disasters than the general public. We conducted a participatory research study to examine national recommendations on preparedness communication for the Deaf/HH. We assessed whether previous recommendations regarding the Deaf/HH have been incorporated into state- and territorial-level emergency operations plans (EOPs), interviewed state- and territorial-level preparedness directors about capacity to serve the Deaf/HH, and proposed strategies to benefit Deaf/HH populations during emergencies. We analyzed 55 EOPs and 50 key informant (KI) interviews with state directors. Fifty-five percent of EOPs mentioned vulnerable populations; however, only 31% specifically mentioned Deaf/HH populations in their plan. Study findings indicated significant relationships among the following factors: a state-level KI's familiarity with communication issues for the Deaf/HH, making relay calls (i.e., calls to services to relay communication between Deaf and hearing people), and whether the KI's department provides trainings about serving Deaf/HH populations in emergencies. We found significant associations between a state's percentage of Deaf/HH individuals and a KI's familiarity with Deaf/HH communication issues and provision by government of any disability services to Deaf/HH populations in emergencies. Further, we found significant relationships between KIs attending training on serving the Deaf/HH and familiarity with Deaf/HH communication issues, including how to make relay calls. This study provides new knowledge that can help emergency agencies improve their preparedness training, planning, and capacity

Community's Emergency Preparedness for Flood Hazards in Dire-dawa Town, Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ejeta, Luche Tadesse

2018-02-21

houses to temporarily protect the flooding; establishment of communication channels between communities to alarm each other in the event of flood disaster; and reforestation of the already deforested mountainous areas surrounding the town. However, concerns were raised by study participants about strengths of the constructed flood protection dams. Furthermore, the non-structural emergency preparedness measures identified by this study were not comprehensive; for example, residents were not trained in first aid, first aid kits were not provided, there was no linkage being established between communities and health facilities so as to provide emergency medical care to victims in the event of flood disaster. The findings of this study concur with some of the previous quantitative studies' results in that the past direct and indirect disaster experiences invoke preparedness intention and actual preparedness for flood hazards at individuals, communities and organizations levels. The only one quantitative and behavioral based study conducted thus far in Dire Dawa town reported the strong association of past flood disaster experience with household emergency preparedness. Among the residents there was a tendency to rely on the dams to be constructed with "good quality" and "higher strength" than making preparedness efforts on their own at their households. Structural measures such as building of dams, dikes, levees, and channel improvements could be means of mitigation measures; however, solely relying on these measures could have far reaching consequences. To mitigate flood hazards, dams were built and in addition, in Kebele-05 where an NGO was operating, some non-structural emergency preparedness measures were undertaken. In the course of construction of flood protection dams, ensuring communities ' involvement is needed ; and at the same time undertaking comprehensive non-structural emergency preparedness measures in all Kebeles is highly recommended. Emergency, Preparedness

Emergency Response and Long Term Planning: Two sides of the Coin for Managing Water Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Metchis, K.; Beller-Simms, N.

2014-12-01

As projected by the US National Climate Assessment and the IPCC, extreme climate and weather events are occurring more frequently and with more intensity across the nation. Communities - and the water resource managers that serve them - are facing difficult choices to increase emergency preparedness, recover from costly impacts, and increase long term resilience. The presentation is based on a recent set of case studies about what happened in six communities that experienced one or more extreme events, focusing on water resource management. Two of the case studies will be presented, revealing that building climate resilience is not just about long term planning - it is also about taking the steps to be prepared for - and to be able to recover from - emergency events. The results of this study have implications for educating local officials on ways to think about resilience to balance both long-term and short-term preparedness.

Building Technologies Program Multi-Year Program Plan Research and Development 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2008-01-01

Building Technologies Program Multi-Year Program Plan 2008 for research and development, including residential and commercial integration, lighting, HVAC and water heating, envelope, windows, and analysis tools.

327 Building fire hazards analysis implementation plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggen, C.D.

1998-01-01

In March 1998, the 327 Building Fire Hazards Analysis (FRA) (Reference 1) was approved by the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) for implementation by B and W Hanford Company (B and WHC). The purpose of the FHA was to identify gaps in compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A (Reference 2) and Richland Operations Office Implementation Directive (RLID) 5480.7 (Reference 3), especially in regard to loss limitation. The FHA identified compliance gaps in five areas and provided nine recommendations (11 items) to bring the 327 Building into compliance. To date, actions for five of the 11 items have been completed. Exemption requests will be transmitted to DOE-RL for two of the items. Corrective actions have been identified for the remaining four items. The completed actions address combustible loading requirements associated with the operation of the cells and support areas. The status of the recommendations and actions was confirmed during the July 1998 Fire Protection Assessment. B and WHC will use this Implementation Plan to bring the 327 Building and its operation into compliance with DOE Order 5480.7A and RLID 5480.7

40 CFR 300.205 - Planning and coordination structure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Planning and coordination structure. 300.205 Section 300.205 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Planning and Preparedness § 300.205 Planning and coordination structure. (a...

Regulatory aspects of emergency planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamgochian, M.T.

1986-01-01

The paper discusses the advances that have been made in the USA in the field of emergency planning over the past several years and considers regulatory changes that may be on the horizon. The paper examines the importance of severe accident source terms and their relationship to emergency preparedness, recent research results of work on source terms, and the experience gained from evaluation of licensee performance during annual emergency preparedness exercises. (author)

Efficient utilization of energy in office buildings. Planning manual; Effiziente Energienutzung in Buerogebaeuden. Planungsleitfaden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-15

Regarding to the energy efficiency of office buildings, a high standard is set to architects: Office buildings need more energy for the cooling in the summer than for the heating in the winter. Additionally, there is an energy consumption for lighting, ventilation and operation of office equipment. Under this aspect, in the planning manual under consideration ten demands for an efficient energy utilization at office buildings are described: (a) Integral concept for the minimization of the entire power demand; (b) Compact building method and very good structural thermal protection; (c) Adapted glass areas and quality of vitrifications; (d) Integrals ventilation planning; (e) Efficient ventilation systems; (f) Efficient room climate concept and minimization of internal and outside heat loads; (g) Utilization of daylight with adapted architectural draft; (h) Efficient artificial lighting; (i) Supply of warmth and coldness with minimum characteristic values for primary energy; (j) Energy monitoring and optimization of operation. This manual also is valid for other buildings such as schools, administration buildings or swimming pools.

Regulation of the State Office of Nuclear Safety No. 318/2002 of 13 June 2002 specifying details to ensure emergency preparedness of nuclear facilities and workplaces handling ionizing radiation sources, and requirements for the contents of internal emergency plans and emergency rules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The Regulation addresses the following issues: definition of a radiological event and interventions to be accomplished if a radiological event takes place; emergency preparedness; establishing a radiological event; assessment of a radiological event; warnings, notifications and alarms during a radiological event; intervention - management, procedures, instructions; radiological situation monitoring programme; provisions to restrict human exposure; health care provisions; documentation; informing the State Office of Nuclear Safety; personnel instructions and training; emergency preparedness inspection; internal emergency plan; emergency rules; and related issues. This Regulation supersedes Regulation No. 219/1997. (P.A.)

Creation of a Collaborative Disaster Preparedness Video for Daycare Providers: Use of the Delphi Model for the Creation of a Comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Video for Daycare Providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mar, Pamela; Spears, Robert; Reeb, Jeffrey; Thompson, Sarah B; Myers, Paul; Burke, Rita V

2018-02-22

Eight million American children under the age of 5 attend daycare and more than another 50 million American children are in school or daycare settings. Emergency planning requirements for daycare licensing vary by state. Expert opinions were used to create a disaster preparedness video designed for daycare providers to cover a broad spectrum of scenarios. Various stakeholders (17) devised the outline for an educational pre-disaster video for child daycare providers using the Delphi technique. Fleiss κ values were obtained for consensus data. A 20-minute video was created, addressing the physical, psychological, and legal needs of children during and after a disaster. Viewers completed an anonymous survey to evaluate topic comprehension. A consensus was attempted on all topics, ranging from elements for inclusion to presentation format. The Fleiss κ value of 0.07 was obtained. Fifty-seven of the total 168 video viewers completed the 10-question survey, with comprehension scores ranging from 72% to 100%. Evaluation of caregivers that viewed our video supports understanding of video contents. Ultimately, the technique used to create and disseminate the resources may serve as a template for others providing pre-disaster planning education. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;page 1 of 5).

Operational Planning of Low-Energy District Heating Systems Connected to Existing Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tol, Hakan; Svendsen, Svend

2012-01-01

. The response of the radiator heating systems at different levels of supply temperature was used to form the operational planning of the low-energy DH system, which determined the design parameters of the low-energy DH network in terms of overall mass flow requirement and the return temperature from...... the buildings. Since the existing buildings were considered to be renovated to low-energy class, the operational planning was simultaneously modelled for both present high-demand and future low-demand situations of the same case area.......This article focuses on low-energy District Heating (DH) systems operating in low-temperatures such as 55°C in terms of supply and 25°C in terms of return in connection with existing buildings. Since the heat loss from the network has a significant impact in case of supplying heat to low...

Updated preparedness and response framework for influenza pandemics.

Science.gov (United States)

Holloway, Rachel; Rasmussen, Sonja A; Zaza, Stephanie; Cox, Nancy J; Jernigan, Daniel B

2014-09-26

The complexities of planning for and responding to the emergence of novel influenza viruses emphasize the need for systematic frameworks to describe the progression of the event; weigh the risk of emergence and potential public health impact; evaluate transmissibility, antiviral resistance, and severity; and make decisions about interventions. On the basis of experience from recent influenza responses, CDC has updated its framework to describe influenza pandemic progression using six intervals (two prepandemic and four pandemic intervals) and eight domains. This updated framework can be used for influenza pandemic planning and serves as recommendations for risk assessment, decision-making, and action in the United States. The updated framework replaces the U.S. federal government stages from the 2006 implementation plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza (US Homeland Security Council. National strategy for pandemic influenza: implementation plan. Washington, DC: US Homeland Security Council; 2006. Available at http://www.flu.gov/planning-preparedness/federal/pandemic-influenza-implementation.pdf). The six intervals of the updated framework are as follows: 1) investigation of cases of novel influenza, 2) recognition of increased potential for ongoing transmission, 3) initiation of a pandemic wave, 4) acceleration of a pandemic wave, 5) deceleration of a pandemic wave, and 6) preparation for future pandemic waves. The following eight domains are used to organize response efforts within each interval: incident management, surveillance and epidemiology, laboratory, community mitigation, medical care and countermeasures, vaccine, risk communications, and state/local coordination. Compared with the previous U.S. government stages, this updated framework provides greater detail and clarity regarding the potential timing of key decisions and actions aimed at slowing the spread and mitigating the impact of an emerging pandemic. Use of this updated framework is

Analysis Methods for Extracting Knowledge from Large-Scale WiFi Monitoring to Inform Building Facility Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruiz-Ruiz, Antonio; Blunck, Henrik; Prentow, Thor Siiger

2014-01-01

realistic data to inform facility planning. In this paper, we propose analysis methods to extract knowledge from large sets of network collected WiFi traces to better inform facility management and planning in large building complexes. The analysis methods, which build on a rich set of temporal and spatial......The optimization of logistics in large building com- plexes with many resources, such as hospitals, require realistic facility management and planning. Current planning practices rely foremost on manual observations or coarse unverified as- sumptions and therefore do not properly scale or provide....... Spatio-temporal visualization tools built on top of these methods enable planners to inspect and explore extracted information to inform facility-planning activities. To evaluate the methods, we present results for a large hospital complex covering more than 10 hectares. The evaluation is based on Wi...

Exploring the Predictors of Organizational Preparedness for Natural Disasters.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadiq, Abdul-Akeem; Graham, John D

2016-05-01

There is an extensive body of research on the determinants of disaster preparedness at the individual and household levels. The same cannot be said for the organizational level. Hence, the purpose of this study is to shed light on the predictors of organizational preparedness for natural disasters. Since leaders of organizations have an incentive to overstate their level of preparedness and because surveys of organizational leaders suffer from selection bias and low response rates, we take the novel approach of interviewing employees about the organizations that employ them. Using an online survey, we collected information from a national sample of 2,008 U.S. employees and estimated the predictors of preparedness at the organizational level. We find, among other results, that organization size (facility level) is a consistent predictor of preparedness at the organizational level. We conclude with policy recommendations and outline an agenda for future research on organizational preparedness for natural disasters. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

e-Health preparedness assessment in the context of an influenza pandemic: a qualitative study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junhua; Seale, Holly; Ray, Pradeep; Wang, Quanyi; Yang, Peng; Li, Shuang; Zhang, Yi; Macintyre, C Raina

2013-03-13

health records, prescription errors, unavailability of software tools to assist physicians in answering patient questions, physicians' concerns about the reliability of ICT and the high monetary cost of e-health implementation and uncertainty over return on investment, and their dissatisfaction with the software in use. Prior to the implementation of e-Health, planning must be undertaken to ensure the smooth introduction of the system. The assessment of organisational preparedness is an important step in this planning process. On the basis of a case study, deficient areas of organisational preparedness were identified for the prospective implementation of electronic health records. Accordingly, we suggested possible solutions for the areas in need of improvement to facilitate e-Health implementation's success.

78 FR 54743 - National Preparedness Month, 2013

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-06

... like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods to shootings, cyber incidents, and even acts of terrorism. While... Preparedness Month. I encourage all Americans to recognize the importance of preparedness and work together to enhance our national security, resilience, and readiness. [[Page 54744

Career Preparedness and School Achievement of Portuguese Children: Longitudinal Trend Articulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Céu Taveira

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Social Cognitive Career Theory suggests that students' preparedness for the school-to-work transition is a developmental process. Middle school children explore various careers, obtain feedback about their academic progress, and develop career self-efficacy and outcome expectations. These processes advance provisional educational/occupational goals. The literature has suggested articulations between career and academic development and how both vary across demographic characteristics, but longitudinal studies linking these processes are scarce. This study tested articulations between career preparedness and academic achievement during middle school years and employed gender and geographical location as potential moderators affecting the linkage between career and school domains. Participants included 429 children (47.8% girls from northern (69.5% and central Portugal (30.5% followed across four occasions of measurement (MageWave1 = 10.23, SD = 0.50. Data was collected with school records, the Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy, Career Exploratory Outcome Expectations Scale, Childhood Career Exploration Inventory and Childhood Career Development Scale. Average and orthnormalized linear, quadratic and cubic trends were computed. Pearson correlation coefficients suggested positive and statistically significant associations between career exploratory outcome expectations and academic achievement average trends. Career planning and self-efficacy expectations were negatively associated with academic achievement quadratic trends. Multiple linear regression models suggested that career exploratory outcome expectations and career planning were respectively statistically significant predictors of the average and quadratic trends of academic achievement. Gender moderated the association between the career variables and academic achievement linear trends as well as the relation of career planning and self-efficacy with academic achievement

Work plan addendum for David Witherspoon, Inc., 901 Site Building Characterization, Knoxville, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This building characterization plan was developed as an addendum to the existing site characterization work plan documents, which are in Appendix B of the David Witherspoon, Inc., (DWI) preliminary remedial investigation (RI)/feasibility study (FS). All building characterization activities will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the Hazardous Substance Remedial Action Program under the direction of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Superfund (TN Rules 1200-1-3) and its implementing regulations. Additional rules of the state of Tennessee, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance were consulted during development of this plan. Activities at the DWI site were concerned with scrap metal processing and scrap metal resale

Nuclear power plant emergency preparedness: results from an evaluation of Michigan's potassium iodide distribution program.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwolinski, Laura R; Stanbury, Martha; Manente, Susan

2012-10-01

In 2009, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) made potassium iodide (KI), a nonprescription radio-protective drug, available by mailing vouchers redeemable at local pharmacies for KI tablets, at no cost to residents living within 10 miles of Michigan's 3 nuclear power plants (NPPs). MDCH conducted an evaluation of this program to determine Michigan's KI coverage and to assess general emergency preparedness among residents living near the NPPs. KI coverage was estimated based on redeemed voucher counts and the 2010 Census. Telephone surveys were administered to a random sample (N = 153) of residents living near Michigan's NPPs to evaluate general emergency preparedness, reasons for voucher use or nonuse, and KI knowledge. Only 5.3% of eligible residences redeemed KI vouchers. Most surveyed residents (76.5%) were aware of living near an NPP, yet 42.5% reported doing "nothing" to plan for an emergency. Almost half of surveyed voucher users did not know when to take KI or which body part KI protects. Among voucher nonusers, 48.0% were either unaware of the program or did not remember receiving a voucher. Additional efforts are needed to ensure that all residents are aware of the availability of KI and that recipients of the drug understand when and why it should be taken. Minimal emergency planning among residents living near Michigan's NPPs emphasizes the need for increased emergency preparedness and awareness. Findings are particularly salient given the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant emergency in Japan.

Summary of Prioritized Research Opportunities. Building America Planning Meeting, November 2-4, 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2011-02-01

This report outlines the results of brainstorming sessions conducted at the Building America Fall 2010 planning meeting, in which research teams and national laboratories identified key research priorities to incorporate into multi-year planning, team research agendas, expert meetings, and technical standing committees.

Specific application for Oak Ridge National Laboratory dismantlement of Building 3004. Appendix A - Quality assurance plan; Appendix B - Records management plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-03-01

This quality assurance (QA) plan defines the QA requirements for the dismantlement and removal of Building 3004 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The building is a four-story wooden trained structure with wooden siding, which resides approximately 150 ft west of the Bulk Shielding Reactor, and only several feet away from the visitors entrance to the Graphite Reactor museum. Complete descriptions and sketches are in the Performance Specification document for this project. This project is being conducted as a non-CERCLA maintenance action. This plan is an appendix to the QA plan for the ORNL Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. ORNL/ER-225, which is the source of the project QA requirements, tailors those QA requirements to the specific needs of this project as defined in ORNL/ER-225. Project-specific description and organization are also provided in this plan. Appendix B, Records Management Plan, is included

PERCC Tools: Public Health Preparedness for Clinicians

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response funds Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs) to examine components of the public health system. This podcast is an overview of mental and behavioral health tools developed by the Johns Hopkins PERRC.

Environmental issues in planning building energy efficiency R and D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farhar, B.C.

1990-01-01

The US Department of Energy's Office of Building Technologies (OBT) has initiated analyses on the relationship and impact of buildings energy conservation on the environment. A plethora of activities involving DOE, its national laboratories and other organizations are addressing various aspects of global climate change, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, and indoor air quality. Elements of the current task include (1) a literature review of buildings' contribution to these problems; (2) inventories of OBT studies directly and indirectly related to these environmental problems, and other germane DOE and non-DOE projects; (3) identifying OBT projects that should be done; and (4) analyzing differential impacts on the environment of alternative OBT planning strategies and varying National Energy Strategy scenarios. The success of this project relies, at least in part, on suggestions from the buildings research community on information sources, literature, and ideas that OBT should consider

Assessment of Emergency Preparedness of Households in Israel for War--Current Status.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodas, Moran; Siman-Tov, Maya; Kreitler, Shulamith; Peleg, Kobi

2015-08-01

In recent decades, many efforts have been made, both globally and locally, to enhance household preparedness for emergencies. In the State of Israel in particular, substantial investment has been made throughout the years in preparing the population for one of the major threats to the civilian population--a rapidly deteriorating regional conflict that involves high-trajectory weapons (ie, rocket and missile fire) launched at the home front. The purpose of this study was to examine the current preparedness level of the Israeli public for this threat and determine the correlates of such preparedness with known factors. A telephone-based, random sampling of 503 households representative of the Israeli population was carried out during October 2013. The questionnaire examined the level of household preparedness as well as attitudes towards threat perception, responsibility, willingness to search for information, and sense of preparedness. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the level of preparedness in the general population and to find correlates to this preparedness in attitudes and demographic variables. More than half of the sample reported complying with 50% or fewer of the actions recommended by the Israeli Home Front Command. Having an increased sense of preparedness and willingness to search for related information were positively correlated with actual household preparedness, and the latter was also found to be the most predictive variable of household preparedness. Although the overall household preparedness reported is mediocre, the level of preparedness found in this study suggests better preparedness of the population in Israel for its primary threat. The findings suggest that in order to promote preparedness of the Israeli public for war, emphasis should be put on increasing the public demand for information and encouraging people to evaluate their sense of preparedness.

Evaluation of a Tabletop Emergency Preparedness Exercise for Pharmacy Students

OpenAIRE

Pate, Adam; Bratberg, Jeffrey P.; Robertson, Courtney; Smith, Gregory

2016-01-01

Objective. To describe the implementation and effect of an emergency preparedness laboratory activity on student knowledge, willingness to participate in emergency preparedness training, current level of preparedness, and the importance of a pharmacist’s role in disaster response.

Severe accidents risk assessment as a basis for emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinka, D.; Mikulicic, V.

2000-01-01

The paper demonstrates, by example of the Republic of Croatia, the possibilities of implementing risk assessment as basis for nuclear accident emergency preparedness development. Individual risks of severe accidents for citizens of the biggest Croatian population centers, as well as collective risk for entire population have been assessed using the PRONEL method. The assessment covered 90 power reactors located at a distance up to 1.000 km. The conducted assessment shows the risks for various regions of the Republic of Croatia, and comparison between them. If risk would be taken as basic criterion in nuclear emergency planning, the results of assessment would directly indicate the necessary preparation level for each region. Furthermore, the assessment of risks from individual power plants and power plant types indicates to which facilities the greatest attention should be paid in nuclear accidents preparedness development. Risks from groups of power plants formed in accordance with their respective distance from exposure location shows what kind of tools for determining consequences and protective actions during a nuclear accident should be made available. (author)

Computer-based Monitoring for Decision Support Systems and Disaster Preparedness in Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan Vinh

2009-04-01

Full Text Available The operation of modern buildings can support a vast amount of static and real-time data. Static information such as building schematics is vital for security and rescue purposes. There is a need for building managers and for first responders to be notified of designated building alerts in real-time so that actions can be performed promptly. The capability to monitor building devices and to keep the first responder community updated with the latest building information during emergency situations, as well as the ability to remotely control certain building devices and processes, can be realized today. This paper describes the various challenges encountered in the research area of building interoperability and proposes methods and insights for developing a standards framework to enable communication between building information systems and first responder information systems. Having a standards framework in place will assist in the development and deployment of commercial products in support of building interoperability.

Study of dynamics of level of physical preparedness of students.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Коvalenko Y.A.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The dynamics of level of physical preparedness of students is studied in the article. A tendency is marked to the decline of level of physical preparedness of students of 1-3 courses. Methodical recommendations are presented on the improvement of the system of organization of physical education of students of the Zaporizhzhya national university. The dynamics of indexes of physical preparedness of students 1, 2, 3 courses of different years of teaching is studied. Principal reasons of decline of level of physical preparedness of students are certain. There are recommendations the department of physical education in relation to physical preparedness of students.

National Energy Audit Tool for Multifamily Buildings Development Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malhotra, Mini [ORNL; MacDonald, Michael [Sentech, Inc.; Accawi, Gina K [ORNL; New, Joshua Ryan [ORNL; Im, Piljae [ORNL

2012-03-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to reduce their energy costs by providing funds to make their homes more energy efficient. In addition, the program funds Weatherization Training and Technical Assistance (T and TA) activities to support a range of program operations. These activities include measuring and documenting performance, monitoring programs, promoting advanced techniques and collaborations to further improve program effectiveness, and training, including developing tools and information resources. The T and TA plan outlines the tasks, activities, and milestones to support the weatherization network with the program implementation ramp up efforts. Weatherization of multifamily buildings has been recognized as an effective way to ramp up weatherization efforts. To support this effort, the 2009 National Weatherization T and TA plan includes the task of expanding the functionality of the Weatherization Assistant, a DOE-sponsored family of energy audit computer programs, to perform audits for large and small multifamily buildings This report describes the planning effort for a new multifamily energy audit tool for DOE's WAP. The functionality of the Weatherization Assistant is being expanded to also perform energy audits of small multifamily and large multifamily buildings. The process covers an assessment of needs that includes input from national experts during two national Web conferences. The assessment of needs is then translated into capability and performance descriptions for the proposed new multifamily energy audit, with some description of what might or should be provided in the new tool. The assessment of needs is combined with our best judgment to lay out a strategy for development of the multifamily tool that proceeds in stages, with features of an initial tool (version 1) and a more capable version 2 handled with currently available resources. Additional

Global agenda, local health: including concepts of health security in preparedness programs at the jurisdictional level.

Science.gov (United States)

Eby, Chas

2014-01-01

The Global Health Security Agenda's objectives contain components that could help health departments address emerging public health challenges that threaten the population. As part of the agenda, partner countries with advanced public health systems will support the development of infrastructure in stakeholder health departments. To facilitate this process and augment local programs, state and local health departments may want to include concepts of health security in their public health preparedness offices in order to simultaneously build capacity. Health security programs developed by public health departments should complete projects that are closely aligned with the objectives outlined in the global agenda and that facilitate the completion of current preparedness grant requirements. This article identifies objectives and proposes tactical local projects that run parallel to the 9 primary objectives of the Global Health Security Agenda. Executing concurrent projects at the international and local levels in preparedness offices will accelerate the completion of these objectives and help prevent disease epidemics, detect health threats, and respond to public health emergencies. Additionally, future funding tied or related to health security may become more accessible to state and local health departments that have achieved these objectives.

Finnish experience on emergency preparedness co-operation work and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovijarvi, Jukka

2014-01-01

Document available in abstract form only. According to the 'Security Strategy for Society' the responsibilities are shared across society and the normal division of duties shall be maintained unchanged as far as possible in all situations. While the competent authority is always in charge of making decisions other administrative sectors may be cooperation partners. This applies to the representatives of business community and organization as well. The first regional co-operation group for NPP emergency preparedness consisting of the representatives of regional rescue service, NPP licensee and STUK was established in 2008 to develop the external rescue plan, arrange training etc. Today co-operation groups are working for both Finnish emergency planning zones. Examples of the co-operation results are discussed in the presentation. (author)

Isolation plan for the southern end of the 313 Metal Fabrication Building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.S.

1997-02-01

The 313 Metal Fabrication Building was originally constructed as part of the Manhattan Project and underwent major remodeling and expansion in 1954. The building is divided into two sections that were separated by a fire wall. The first characterization of the 313(S) Building was conducted in 1995 to identify radiological, chemical, and other hazardous substances that may be encountered during the isolation activities. The intent of the isolation plan is to identify all known issues and reasonable solutions to these issues. Some issues will be solved during the building isolation activity, and other issues will remain unsolved until the actual demolition activity occurs

Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan — Fiscal Year 2016

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None, None

2016-01-01

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, the prime contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL), provides this Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan (ERAP) for Fiscal Year 2016 in accordance with DOE O 151.1C, “Comprehensive Emergency Management System.” The ERAP documents the readiness of the INL Emergency Management Program using emergency response planning and preparedness activities as the basis. It describes emergency response planning and preparedness activities, and where applicable, summarizes and/or provides supporting information in tabular form for easy access to data. The ERAP also provides budget, personnel, and planning forecasts for Fiscal Year 2017. Specifically, the ERAP assures the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office that stated emergency capabilities at INL are sufficient to implement PLN 114, “INL Emergency Plan/RCRA Contingency Plan.”

Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan — Fiscal Year 2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bush, Shane [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-09-01

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, the prime contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL), provides this Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan (ERAP) for Fiscal Year 2014 in accordance with DOE O 151.1C, “Comprehensive Emergency Management System.” The ERAP documents the readiness of the INL Emergency Management Program using emergency response planning and preparedness activities as the basis. It describes emergency response planning and preparedness activities, and where applicable, summarizes and/or provides supporting information in tabular form for easy access to data. The ERAP also provides budget, personnel, and planning forecasts for Fiscal Year 2015. Specifically, the ERAP assures the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office that stated emergency capabilities at INL are sufficient to implement PLN-114, “INL Emergency Plan/RCRA Contingency Plan.”

Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan — Fiscal Year 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2016-09-13

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, the prime contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL), provides this Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan (ERAP) for Fiscal Year 2016 in accordance with DOE O 151.1C, “Comprehensive Emergency Management System.” The ERAP documents the readiness of the INL Emergency Management Program using emergency response planning and preparedness activities as the basis. It describes emergency response planning and preparedness activities, and where applicable, summarizes and/or provides supporting information in tabular form for easy access to data. The ERAP also provides budget, personnel, and planning forecasts for Fiscal Year 2017. Specifically, the ERAP assures the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office that stated emergency capabilities at INL are sufficient to implement PLN 114, “INL Emergency Plan/RCRA Contingency Plan.”

Quality assurance and assessment of preparedness at DAE-ERCs for handling radiological emergencies in public domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, R.; Murali, S.; Singh, Rajvir; Pradeepkumar, K.S.

2014-01-01

The radiological emergencies are very rare in occurrence the mechanism to improve the preparedness can be ensured through conducting mock exercises/drills. Emergency kit comprises of adequate number of radiation monitoring equipments and PPEs required for response is kept in readiness at ERC. There is a need of training modules on radiological emergencies for all stake holders e.g. district officials, Local Police, Medical professionals and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to improve the knowledge and response capability. The adaptability to situations is important for ERTs based on the lessons learned from emergency at Mayapuri, Delhi. The role and responsibility of different agencies have been identified and drafted in the preparedness plan to meet the challenges during response

Emergency Preparedness Education for Nurses: Core Competency Familiarity Measured Utilizing an Adapted Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgino, Madeline M; Kress, Terri; Alexander, Sheila; Beach, Michael

2015-01-01

The purpose of this project was to measure trauma nurse improvement in familiarity with emergency preparedness and disaster response core competencies as originally defined by the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire after a focused educational program. An adapted version of the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire was utilized to measure familiarity of nurses with core competencies pertinent to first responder capabilities. This project utilized a pre- and postsurvey descriptive design and integrated education sessions into the preexisting, mandatory "Trauma Nurse Course" at large, level I trauma center. A total of 63 nurses completed the intervention during May and September 2014 sessions. Overall, all 8 competencies demonstrated significant (P < .001; 98% confidence interval) improvements in familiarity. In conclusion, this pilot quality improvement project demonstrated a unique approach to educating nurses to be more ready and comfortable when treating victims of a disaster.

Off-site relations and emergency planning or the importance of being earnest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunkle, M.K.

1987-01-01

Emergency planning is and will continue to be a vulnerable spot for the nuclear industry. Emergency planning issues can be reopened at any time during the life of the plant and this represents a threat that continues for the life of the plant. The area of planning in which utilities find themselves most vulnerable is off-site relations with the state and local government officials, the public, and even the news media. Utilities face two very basic challenges in developing and maintaining good off-site relations for emergency preparedness: (1) utility managers must understand and be capable of working with the myriad of personalities and dynamics in the emergency preparedness arena. (2) Emergency preparedness is an emotional issue and a technical subject not well understood by the average citizen. The public looks to well-founded emergency plans and strong leaders to effect them. With these, a sound communications strategy, and a good plant record, a utility stands a chance of achieving the real key to success, credibility

Estimation of functional preparedness of young handballers in setup time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Favoritоv V.N.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The dynamics of level of functional preparedness of young handballers in setup time is shown. It was foreseen to make alteration in educational-training process with the purpose of optimization of their functional preparedness. 11 youths were plugged in research, calendar age 14 - 15 years. For determination of level of their functional preparedness the computer program "SVSM" was applied. It is set that at the beginning of setup time of 18,18% of all respondent functional preparedness is characterized by a "middle" level, 27,27% - below the "average", 54,54% - "above" the average. At the end of setup time among sportsmen representatives prevailed with the level of functional preparedness "above" average - 63,63%, with level "high" - 27,27%, sportsmen with level below the average were not observed. Efficiency of the offered system of trainings employments for optimization of functional preparedness of young handballers is well-proven.

Civil emergency preparedness at the Ignalina nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

Workshop was held in the frame of Lithuania's cooperation with NATO on disasters management subject and was concentrated on the preparation of management of nuclear accident at Ignalina NPP. The following topics were covered: emergency preparedness inside Ignalina NPP, preparedness for nuclear accidents at national level, experience in Nordic countries and IAEA activities in harmonization of nuclear emergency preparedness in different countries

Emergency river storage in the Ooij polder - A bridge too far? Forms of participation in flood preparedness policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Warner, J.F.

2008-01-01

Disaster policy tends to be in the domain of top-down security governance. However, international organizations are calling for more 'horizontal', participatory forms of planning for flood preparedness together with local stakeholders. But what modality of public involvement do they mean? A case

Feasibility study for a computerized emergency preparedness simulation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerhardstein, L.H.; Schroeder, J.O.; Sandusky, W.F.

1979-11-01

This report details the feasibility of a computerized Emergency Preparedness Simulation Facility (EPSF) for use by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The proposed facility would be designed to provide the NRC and other federal, state, and local government agencies with a capability to formulate, test, and evaluate the Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) which local and state agencies have/will establish for use during nuclear emergencies. In cases of any state emergency (including a nuclear emergency), high level state government officials will direct emergency procedures and insure that state and local emergency teams carry out tasks which have been established in their EPP. When an emergency exists, rapid mobilization of emergency teams, efficient communication, and effective coordination of individual team efforts is essential to safety, preservation of property, and overall public welfare. Current EPP evaluation procedures are qualitative in nature and while they do compare emergency drill performance with the EPP, the nature of the drills often does not provide enough realism to actual emergency conditions. Automated simulation of real emergency conditions using modern computer equipment and programming techniques will provide the NRC emergency evaluation teams a simulated environment which closely approximates conditions which would actually exist during a real emergency. In addition, the computer can be used to collect and log performance and event data which will aid the evaluation team in making assessments of the state or local area's EPP and their Emergency Preparedness Teams performance during emergency drills. Overall, a computerized EPSF can improve drill testing and evaluation efficiency, provide approximate emergency condition realism, and improve public awareness of local emergency procedures

24 Command Fire Improvement Action Program Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GRIFFIN, G.B.

2000-01-01

Fluor Hanford (FH) is responsible for providing support to the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (RL) in the implementation of the Hanford Emergency Preparedness (EP) program. During fiscal year 2000, a number of program improvements were identified from various sources including a major range fire (24 Command Fire). Evaluations of the emergency preparedness program have confirmed that it currently meets all requirements and that performance of personnel involved is good, however the desire to effect continuous improvement resulted in the development of this improvement program plan. This program plan defines the activities that will be performed in order to achieve the desired performance improvements

What Do We Fix First? A Step-by-Step Plan for an Inhouse Maintenance Audit of School Buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Mutter, Davida W.; Nichols, W. Randolph

1987-01-01

Describes a planning process designed to (1) establish building maintenance priorities in a systematic and equitable manner, (2) include all knowledgable school system personnel in the process, and (3) develop a five-year building renewal plan. (MLF)

Building capacity for energy and electricity planning for sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-09-01

The IAEA, through its Planning and Economic Studies Section (PESS), assists Member States to build their capacities to perform analyses for developing alternative strategies for sustainable energy development, evaluate the energy-economic-environmental implications and assess the potential contribution of nuclear energy in securing affordable and clean supplies of energy

Development of whole-building energy design targets for commercial buildings: Phase 1, Planning: Volume 2, Technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crawley, D.B.; Briggs, R.S.; Jones, J.W.; Seaton, W.W.; Kaufman, J.E.; Deringer, J.J.; Kennett, E.W.

1987-08-01

This is the second volume of the Phase 1 report and discusses the 10 tasks performed in Phase 1. The objective of this research is to develop a methodology for setting energy design targets to provide voluntary guidelines for the buildings industry. The whole-building energy targets project is being conducted at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage the construction of energy-efficient buildings by informing designers and owners about cost-effective goals for energy use in new commercial buildings. The outcome of this research will be a flexible methodology for setting such targets. The tasks are listed and discussed in this report as follows: Task 1 - Develop Detailed Project Goals and Objectives; Task 2 - Establish Buildings-Industry Liaison; Task 3 - Develop Approaches to the Energy Targets Model, Building Operations, and Climate; Task 4 - Develop an Approach for Treating Economic Considerations; Task 5 - Develop an Approach for Treating Energy Sources; Task 6 - Collect Energy-Use Data; Task 7 - Survey Energy Expert Opinion; Task 8 - Evaluation Procedure Specification and Integration; Task 9 - Phase 1 Report Development; and Task 10 - Phase 1 Review Planning.

Disaster Preparedness Among University Students in Guangzhou, China: Assessment of Status and Demand for Disaster Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yibing; Liao, Xiaolan; Su, Haihao; Li, Chun; Xiang, Jiagen; Dong, Zhaoyang

2017-06-01

This study had 2 aims. First, we evaluated the current levels of disaster preparedness among university students in southern China. Second, we assessed students' demands for future disaster education. In addition, we examined the influence of demographic factors on current disaster preparedness status and demand. A cross-sectional design was used. The data were collected from 1893 students in 10 universities in the Guangzhou Higher Education Mega (GHEM) center. A self-administered questionnaire developed for this study was administered to assess the current status and demand for disaster education. The results are based on 1764 valid questionnaires. Among the participants, 77.8% reported having had disaster education experiences before, 85.5% indicated their desire for a systematic disaster course, and 75.4% expressed their willingness to take such a course upon its availability. The total mean score for demand for disaster course content (5-point Likert scale) was 4.17±0.84, with items relating to rescue skills given the highest scores. These results suggested that students had high desires for disaster preparedness knowledge, especially knowledge concerning rescue skills. We observed significant differences in disaster education experiences between male and female students and across programs, school years, and home locations. Furthermore, we observed significant differences in demand for disaster course content between male and female students and across universities, student programs, years of school, and students' majors. A systematic disaster course focused on rescue skills is needed by all types of universities. To improve the disaster education system in universities, disaster drills should be performed on a semester basis as a refresher and to enhance disaster preparedness. The government and universities should support building a simulated disaster rescue center and recruit faculty from the emergency department, especially those who have had disaster

Relative risk perception for terrorism: implications for preparedness and risk communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Caponecchia, Carlo

2012-09-01

Terrorism presents a significant risk that is often approached at public policy, infrastructure, or emergency management level. Public perceptions of the likelihood of terrorist events, and how this may relate to individual preparedness, are not always extensively examined. The tendency to think that negative events are less likely to happen to oneself than to the average person is known as optimism bias. Optimism bias is relevant to perceptions of terrorism, because it is thought to be related to a reduction in precaution use. Using an online survey of 164 participants, this study aimed to determine whether Sydney residents thought they had a lower likelihood of experiencing terrorist events than other Australians. Significant optimism bias was observed for witnessing terrorist events, but not for personally experiencing terrorist events. In addition, Sydney residents tended to think that terrorist attacks were more likely to occur in Sydney than another major Australian city in the next five years. At the same time, household and workplace preparedness for terrorism was quite low, as was awareness of emergency strategies in the central business district. Perceptions of high likelihood of terrorism happening in one's own city, yet low preparedness present a challenge for risk communication and emergency management strategies. The diversity of possible terrorist targets, and the simple plans that can moderate the effects of a disaster may need to be emphasized in future anti-terrorism initiatives. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Programmatic changes due to TMI-2 [Three Mile Island Unit 2]: Accident planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wingert, V.L.

1988-01-01

The focus of the paper is lessons learned for emergency planning and preparedness form the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident. The lessons learned are examined from two perspectives: (a) lessons learned that have resulted in programmatic changes, and (b) lessons learned that have not been adequately addressed. There is no doubt that the TMI-2 accident is the pivotal event that caused a major rethinking of the pre-TMI emergency preparedness posture and led to a fundamentally different approach to emergency preparedness for commercial nuclear power plant accidents. While this new approach has evolved into a comprehensive, systematic, and even prototypical national program, it has also generated new problems: escalating costs for state and local governments and leveraging of the federal licensing process by state and local governments who do not want specific nuclear power plants to operate. A discussion of the primary lessons learned on emergency preparedness is presented under the following topics: beyond defense-in-depth, predetermined action, mandatory emergency planning and preparedness, and federal coordination

Measuring disaster preparedness of local emergency medical services agencies

OpenAIRE

Elliott, Ross W.

2010-01-01

CHDS State/Local Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Emergency Medical Services (EMS) plays a key role in disaster response. Yet, determining how much preparedness is enough to achieve an acceptable level of preparedness is challenging. After conducting an extensive literature review, it is evident no nationally accepted method exists to evaluate an EMS system's level of disaster preparedness systematically. Research was conducted to define the skills and equipmen...

Training programmes and experiences of medical emergency preparedness for radiation accident in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki-Yasumoto, M

1982-01-01

Our policy of training programmes for medical radiation emergency preparedness is described. We found it is necessary to have two approaches to the training of relevant personnel. The first approach was to conduct adequate basic training of nurses and health physics personnel in large nuclear installations for medical radiation emergency preparedness. We found it was necessary to have courses for basic knowledge of nuclear radiation and industrial activities, radiation monitoring procedures, radiation injuries, human counters and wound monitors, first aid practices, and radiation medical emergency procedures including practices. The second approach was to make a simple and introductory training program on the subject using lectures and visual presentations in the vicinity of big nuclear installations for personnel relating to the nuclear industrial activities and for concerned local personnel, including medical doctors and nurses. These two training courses and approaches were planned and have been conducted. 2 refs. (DT)

Funding and organisation of emergency preparedness in telecommunications and electrical power supply systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

#Latin Capital Letter O With Stroke#stby, Eirik; Hagen, Janne Merete; Nystuen, Kjell Olav

2000-01-15

A series of two joint projects between the Directorate for Civil Defence and Emergency Planning and FFI have as main objectives to identify critical vulnerabilities in the national Telecommunications and Electrical Power Supply infrastructures. These objectives include to clarify consequences of service outages, and to evaluate various efforts to reduce the vulnerabilities and the consequences. This report presents the results of a study on the following subjects with respect to emergency preparedness within the two sectors: Legislation and organisation, Historical funding, Discussion of future models for funding. The study concludes that fundings for emergency preparedness have been reduced during the last years. This is worrying in relation to the fact that these infrastructures are increasing vulnerable, and are natural targets for incidents in peacetime as well as in war. The funding models ought to be reviewed in accordance to the ongoing transitions in market and technical developments. (author)

Building Management Information Systems to Coordinate Citywide Afterschool Programs: A Toolkit for Cities. Executive Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsley, Chris

2012-01-01

This executive summary describes highlights from the report, "Building Management Information Systems to Coordinate Citywide Afterschool Programs: A Toolkit for Cities." City-led efforts to build coordinated systems of afterschool programming are an important strategy for improving the health, safety and academic preparedness of children…

Report to Congress on status of emergency response planning for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-03-01

This report responds to a request (Public Law 96-295, Section 109) for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to report to Congress on the status of emergency response planning in support of nuclear power reactors. The report includes information on the status of this planning as well as on the Commission actions relating to emergency preparedness. These actions include a summary of the new regulatory requirements and the preliminary results of two comprehensive Evacuation Time Estimate studies; one requested by the NRC including 50 nuclear power plant sites and one conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for 12 high population density sites. FEMA provided the information in this report on the status of State and local planning, including projected schedules for joint State/county/licensee emergency preparedness exercises. Included as Appendicies are the NRC Emergency Planning Final Regulations, 10 CFR Part 50 (45 FR 55402), the FEMA Proposed Rule, 'Review and Approval of State and Local Radiological Emergency Plans and Preparedness', 44 CFR Part 350 (45 FR 42341) and the NRC/FEMA Memorandums of Understanding

Continual Online Evolutionary Planning for In-Game Build Order Adaptation in StarCraft

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Niels Orsleff; Risi, Sebastian

2017-01-01

able to switch between predefined strategies, which makes it hard to adapt to new situations. This paper introduces an evolutionary-based method to overcome this challenge, called Continual Online Evolutionary Planning (COEP), which is able to perform in-game adaptive build-order planning. COEP......The real-time strategy game StarCraft has become an important benchmark for AI research as it poses a complex environment with numerous challenges. An important strategic aspect in this game is to decide what buildings and units to produce. StarCraft bots playing in AI competitions today are only...... was added to an open source StarCraft bot called UAlbertaBot and is able to outperform the built-in bots in the game as well as being competitive against a number of scripted opening strategies. The COEP augmented bot can change its build order dynamically and quickly adapt to the opponent’s strategy....

Opportunities for international cooperation in nuclear accident preparedness and management: Procedural and organizational measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lathrop, J.

1989-01-01

In this paper we address a difficult problem: How can we create and maintain preparedness for nuclear accidents? Our research has shown that this can be broken down into two questions: (1) How can we maintain the resources and expertise necessary to manage an accident once it occurs? and (2) How can we develop plans that will help in actually managing an accident once it occurs? It is apparently beyond the means of ordinary human organizations to maintain the capability to respond to a rare event. (A rare event is defined as something like an accident that only happens once every five years or so, somewhere in the world.) Other more immediate pressures tend to capture the resources that should, in a cost/benefit sense, be devoted to maintaining the capability. This paper demonstrates that some of the important factors behind that phenomenon can be mitigated by an international body that promotes and enforces preparedness. Therefore this problem provides a unique opportunity for international cooperation: an international organization promoting and enforcing preparedness could help save us from our own organizational failings. Developing useful accident management plans can be viewed as a human performance problem. It can be restated: how can we support and off-load the accident managers so that their tasks are more feasible? This question reveals the decision analytic perspective of this paper. That is, we look at the problem managing a nuclear accident by focusing on the decision makers, the accident managers: how do we create a decision frame for the accident managers to best help them manage? The decision frame is outlined and discussed. 9 refs

Quality assurance program plan for 324 Building B-Cell safety cleanout project (BCCP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanke, J.M.

1997-01-01

This Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) provides information on how the Quality Assurance Program is implemented for the 324 Building B-Cell Safety Cleanout Project (BCCP). This QAPP is responsive to the Westinghouse Hanford Company Quality Assurance Program and Implementation Plan, WHC-SP-1131, for 10 CFR 830.120, Nuclear Safety Management, Quality Assurance Requirements; and DOE Order 5700.6C, Quality Assurance. This QAPP supersedes PNNL PNL-MA-70 QAP Quality Assurance Plan No. WTC-050 Rev. 2, issue date May 3, 1996. This QAPP has been developed specifically for the BCCP. It applies to those items and tasks which affect the completion of activities identified in the work breakdown structure of the Project Management Plan (PMP). These activities include all aspects of decontaminating B-Cell and project related operations within the 324 Building as it relates to the specific activities of this project. General facility activities (i.e. 324 Building Operations) are covered in the Building 324 QAPP. In addition, this QAPP supports the related quality assurance activities addressed in CM-2-14, Hazardous Material Packaging and Shipping, and HSRCM-1, Hanford Site Radiological Control Manual, The 324 Building is currently transitioning from being a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) managed facility to a B and W Hanford Company (BWHC) managed facility. During this transition process existing, PNNL procedures and documents will be utilized until replaced by BWHC procedures and documents. These documents conform to the requirements found in PNL-MA-70, Quality Assurance Manual and PNL-MA-8 1, Hazardous Materials Shipping Manual. The Quality Assurance Program Index (QAPI) contained in Table 1 provides a matrix which shows how project activities relate to 10 CFR 83 0.120 and 5700.6C criteria. Quality Assurance program requirements will be addressed separate from the requirements specified in this document. Other Hanford Site organizations/companies may be

Public Health Crisis Preparedness and Response in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hye-Young; Oh, Mi-Na; Park, Yong-Shik; Chu, Chaeshin; Son, Tae-Jong

2013-01-01

Since the 2006 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan according to the World Health Organization’s recommendation, the Republic of Korea has prepared and periodically evaluated the plan to respond to various public health crises including pandemic influenza. Korea has stockpiled 13,000,000 doses of antiviral drugs covering 26% of the Korean population and runs 519 isolated beds in 16 medical institutions. The division of public health crisis response in Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in charge of responding to public health crises caused by emerging infectious diseases including severe acute respiratory syndrome, avian influenza human infection, and pandemic influenza. Its job description includes preparing for emerging infectious diseases, securing medical resources during a crisis, activating the emergency response during the crisis, and fortification of capabilities of public health personnel. It could evolve into a comprehensive national agency to deal with public health crisis based on the experience of previous national emerging infectious diseases. PMID:24298444

Emergency Preparedness and Response at Nuclear Power Plants in Pakistan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, L. A.; Qamar, M. A.; Liaquat, M.R., E-mail: samasl@yahoo.com [Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Islamabad (Pakistan)

2014-10-15

Emergency preparedness and response arrangements at Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in Pakistan have been reevaluated in the light of Fukushima Daiichi accident. Appropriate measures have been taken to strengthen and effectively implement the on-site and off-site emergency plans. Verification of these plans is conducted through regulatory review and by witnessing periodic emergency drills and exercises conducted by the NPPs in the fulfilment of the regulatory requirements. Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs) have been revised at NPPs. A multi discipline reserve force has been formed for assistance during severe accidents. Nuclear Emergency Management System (NEMS) has been established at the national level in order to make necessary arrangements for responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies. Training programs for first responders and medical professionals have been launched. Emergencies coordination centres have been established at national and corporate levels. Public awareness program has been initiated to ensure that the surrounding population is provided with appropriate information on emergency planning and response. To share national and international operational experience, Pakistan has arranged various workshops and developed a strong link with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (author)

OEM Emergency Preparedness Information

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Office of Emergency Management compiles a wide variety of information in support of Emergency Preparedness, including certain elements of the System for Risk...

Ebola virus disease: radiology preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Bluemke, David A; Meltzer, Carolyn C

2015-02-01

At present, there is a major emphasis on Ebola virus disease (EVD) preparedness training at medical facilities throughout the United States. Failure to have proper EVD procedures in place was cited as a major reason for infection of medical personnel in the United States. Medical imaging does not provide diagnosis of EVD, but patient assessment in the emergency department and treatment isolation care unit is likely to require imaging services. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of relevant aspects of EVD disease and preparedness relevant to the radiologic community. © RSNA, 2014.

Emergency Preparedness and Response: A Safety Net

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aaltonen, H., E-mail: hannele.aaltonen@stuk.fi [Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Helsinki (Finland)

2014-10-15

Full text: The objective of nuclear regulatory work is to prevent accidents. Nevertheless, possibility of a severe accident cannot be totally excluded, which makes a safety net, efficient emergency preparedness and response, necessary. Should the possibility of accidents be rejected, the result would be in the worst case inadequate protection of population, functions of society, and environment from harmful effects of radiation. Adequate resources for maintenance and development of emergency arrangement are crucial. However, they need to be balanced taking into account risks assessments, justified expectations of society, and international requirements. To successfully respond to an emergency, effective emergency preparedness, such as up-to-date plans and procedures, robust arrangements and knowledgeable and regularly trained staff are required. These, however, are not enough without willingness and proactive attitude to • communicate in a timely manner; • co-operate and coordinate actions; • provide and receive assistance; and • evaluate and improve emergency arrangements. In the establishment and development of emergency arrangements, redundant and diverse means or tools used are needed in, for example, communication and assessment of hazard. Any severe nuclear emergency would affect all countries either directly or indirectly. Thus, national emergency arrangements have to be compatible to the extent practicable with international emergency arrangements. It is important to all countries that the safety nets of emergency arrangements are reliable - and operate efficiently in a coordinated manner when needed - on national, regional and international level. (author)

75 FR 60773 - Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...] Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program AGENCY: Federal Emergency... concerns in the Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program (PS-Prep...-53 (the 9/11 Act) mandated DHS to establish a voluntary private sector preparedness accreditation and...

Improvement vnutrifirmennogo planning social - an economic development of the building company

OpenAIRE

Idrisova, S.; Emirbekova, D.

2009-01-01

They Are Offered efficient ways of the decision of the main problems of the development внутрифирменного planning social-economic development of the building company in changing, underdetermined condition market.

Effective nuclear and radiation emergency planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grlicarev, I.

2000-01-01

The paper describes how to develop a balanced emergency plan, which realistically reflect the interfaces with various emergency organizations. The use of resources should be optimized with focusing on the most likely accidents. The pitfalls of writing an emergency plan without ''big picture'' in mind should be avoided. It is absolutely essential to have a clear definition of responsibilities and to have proper understanding of the tasks in between all counterparts in the emergency preparedness. Special attention should be paid to off-site part of the nuclear emergency preparedness, because the people involved in it usually receive less training than the on-site personnel and they are not specialized for nuclear emergencies but deal with all sorts of emergencies. (author)

Radiation emergency medical preparedness and assistance network in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Xu

2008-01-01

Full text: Rapid economic growth in demand has given rise to power shortage in China. The installed capacity of nuclear power has been scheduled to reach 36-40 GW in preliminary plans, which is about 4% of China's energy supply by 2020. On the other hand, the number of radiation facilities rises 7% annually, while this figure for medical accelerators and CT is 15%. With the application of radiation sources increasing, the possibility of accidents exposure is growing. The radiation emergency medical preparedness is increasingly practically challenging. CCMRRE (Chinese Center for Medical Response to Radiation Emergency), which functions as a national and professional institute with departments for clinic, monitoring and evaluating and technical supporting, was established in 1992. Clinic departments of haematological and surgical centres, and specialists in the radiation diagnosis and therapy, is responsible for the medical assistance in radiation accidents. The monitoring and evaluating department with bio-dosimetry, physical dosimetry and radiation monitoring laboratory, concentrates in radiation monitoring, dose estimating of accident exposure. Technical support department with advisors and experts in exposure dose estimating, radiation protecting and injury treating, provides technical instruction in case of nuclear and radiological accidents. In addition, around whole country, local organization providing first assistance, regional clinic treatment and radiation protection in nuclear accidents has been established. To strengthen the capability of radiation emergency medical response and to improve the cooperation with local organization, the managers and involved staffs were trained in skill frequently. The medical preparedness exercise, which mimics the nuclear accidents condition, was organized by CCMRRE and performed in 2007. The performances demonstrated that the radiation emergency medical preparedness and assistance system is prompt, functional and

Prototyping and validating requirements of radiation and nuclear emergency plan simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamid, AHA., E-mail: amyhamijah@nm.gov.my [Malaysian Nuclear Agency (NM), Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia); Rozan, MZA.; Ibrahim, R.; Deris, S.; Selamat, A. [Faculty of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor (Malaysia)

2015-04-29

Organizational incapability in developing unrealistic, impractical, inadequate and ambiguous mechanisms of radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan (EPR) causing emergency plan disorder and severe disasters. These situations resulting from 65.6% of poor definition and unidentified roles and duties of the disaster coordinator. Those unexpected conditions brought huge aftermath to the first responders, operators, workers, patients and community at large. Hence, in this report, we discuss prototyping and validating of Malaysia radiation and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan simulation model (EPRM). A prototyping technique was required to formalize the simulation model requirements. Prototyping as systems requirements validation was carried on to endorse the correctness of the model itself against the stakeholder’s intensions in resolving those organizational incapability. We have made assumptions for the proposed emergency preparedness and response model (EPRM) through the simulation software. Those assumptions provided a twofold of expected mechanisms, planning and handling of the respective emergency plan as well as in bringing off the hazard involved. This model called RANEPF (Radiation and Nuclear Emergency Planning Framework) simulator demonstrated the training emergency response perquisites rather than the intervention principles alone. The demonstrations involved the determination of the casualties’ absorbed dose range screening and the coordination of the capacity planning of the expected trauma triage. Through user-centred design and sociotechnical approach, RANEPF simulator was strategized and simplified, though certainly it is equally complex.

Prototyping and validating requirements of radiation and nuclear emergency plan simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Hamid, AHA.; Rozan, MZA.; Ibrahim, R.; Deris, S.; Selamat, A.

2015-04-01

Organizational incapability in developing unrealistic, impractical, inadequate and ambiguous mechanisms of radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan (EPR) causing emergency plan disorder and severe disasters. These situations resulting from 65.6% of poor definition and unidentified roles and duties of the disaster coordinator. Those unexpected conditions brought huge aftermath to the first responders, operators, workers, patients and community at large. Hence, in this report, we discuss prototyping and validating of Malaysia radiation and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan simulation model (EPRM). A prototyping technique was required to formalize the simulation model requirements. Prototyping as systems requirements validation was carried on to endorse the correctness of the model itself against the stakeholder's intensions in resolving those organizational incapability. We have made assumptions for the proposed emergency preparedness and response model (EPRM) through the simulation software. Those assumptions provided a twofold of expected mechanisms, planning and handling of the respective emergency plan as well as in bringing off the hazard involved. This model called RANEPF (Radiation and Nuclear Emergency Planning Framework) simulator demonstrated the training emergency response perquisites rather than the intervention principles alone. The demonstrations involved the determination of the casualties' absorbed dose range screening and the coordination of the capacity planning of the expected trauma triage. Through user-centred design and sociotechnical approach, RANEPF simulator was strategized and simplified, though certainly it is equally complex.

Prototyping and validating requirements of radiation and nuclear emergency plan simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamid, AHA.; Rozan, MZA.; Ibrahim, R.; Deris, S.; Selamat, A.

2015-01-01

Organizational incapability in developing unrealistic, impractical, inadequate and ambiguous mechanisms of radiological and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan (EPR) causing emergency plan disorder and severe disasters. These situations resulting from 65.6% of poor definition and unidentified roles and duties of the disaster coordinator. Those unexpected conditions brought huge aftermath to the first responders, operators, workers, patients and community at large. Hence, in this report, we discuss prototyping and validating of Malaysia radiation and nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan simulation model (EPRM). A prototyping technique was required to formalize the simulation model requirements. Prototyping as systems requirements validation was carried on to endorse the correctness of the model itself against the stakeholder’s intensions in resolving those organizational incapability. We have made assumptions for the proposed emergency preparedness and response model (EPRM) through the simulation software. Those assumptions provided a twofold of expected mechanisms, planning and handling of the respective emergency plan as well as in bringing off the hazard involved. This model called RANEPF (Radiation and Nuclear Emergency Planning Framework) simulator demonstrated the training emergency response perquisites rather than the intervention principles alone. The demonstrations involved the determination of the casualties’ absorbed dose range screening and the coordination of the capacity planning of the expected trauma triage. Through user-centred design and sociotechnical approach, RANEPF simulator was strategized and simplified, though certainly it is equally complex

The zombie thermographer apocalypse preparedness 101: zombie thermographer pandemic

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, Fred

2013-05-01

Fact: The U.S Government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, rather remarkably has dedicated part of their web site to" Zombie Preparedness". See: http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm for more information. This is a tongue-incheek campaign with messages to engage audiences with the hazards of unpreparedness. The CDC director, U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Ali S. Khan (RET), MD, MPH notes, "If you are generally well equipped to deal with a zombie apocalypse you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack. Make a plan, and be prepared!" (CDC Website, April 26th, 2013). Today we can make an easy comparison between the humor that the CDC is bringing to light, and what is actually happening in the Thermographic Industry. It must be acknowledge there are "Zombie Thermographers" out there. At times, it can be observed from the sidelines as a pandemic apocalypse attacking the credibility and legitimacy of the science and the industry that so many have been working to advance for over 30 years. This paper outlines and explores the trends currently taking place, the very real risks to facility plant, property, and human life as a result, and the strategies to overcome these problems.

Y2K medical disaster preparedness in New York City: confidence of emergency department directors in their ability to respond.

Science.gov (United States)

Silber, S H; Oster, N; Simmons, B; Garrett, C

2001-01-01

To study the preparedness New York City for large scale medical disasters using the Year 2000 (Y2K) New Years Eve weekend as a model. Surveys were sent to the directors of 51 of the 9-1-1-receiving hospitals in New York City before and after the Y2K weekend. Inquiries were made regarding hospital activities, contingencies, protocols, and confidence levels in the ability to manage critical incidents, including weapons of mass destruction (WMD) events. Additional information was collected from New York City governmental agencies regarding their coordination and preparedness. The pre-Y2K survey identified that 97.8% had contingencies for loss of essential services, 87.0% instituted their disaster plan in advance, 90.0% utilized an Incident Command System, and 73.9% had a live, mock Y2K drill. Potential terrorism influenced Y2K preparedness in 84.8%. The post-Y2K survey indicated that the threat of terrorism influenced future preparedness in 73.3%; 73.3% had specific protocols for chemical; 62.2% for biological events; 51.1% were not or only slightly confident in their ability to manage any potential WMD incidents; and 62.2% felt very or moderately confident in their ability to manage victims of a chemical event, but only 35.6% felt similarly about victims of a biological incident. Moreover, 80% felt there should be government standards for hospital preparedness for events involving WMD, and 84% felt there should be government standards for personal protective and DECON equipment. In addition, 82.2% would require a moderate to significant amount of funding to effect the standards. Citywide disaster management was coordinated through the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management. Although hospitals were on a heightened state of alert, emergency department directors were not confident in their ability to evaluate and manage victims of WMD incidents, especially biological exposures. The New York City experience is an example for the rest of the nation to underscore the need

Preparedness of emergency departments in northwest England for managing chemical incidents: a structured interview survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Darren

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of significant chemical incidents occur in the UK each year and may require Emergency Departments (EDs to receive and manage contaminated casualties. Previously UK EDs have been found to be under-prepared for this, but since October 2005 acute hospital Trusts have had a statutory responsibility to maintain decontamination capacity. We aimed to evaluate the level of preparedness of Emergency Departments in North West England for managing chemical incidents. Methods A face-to-face semi-structured interview was carried out with the Nurse Manager or a nominated deputy in all 18 Emergency Departments in the Region. Results 16/18 departments had a written chemical incident plan but only 7 had the plan available at interview. All had a designated decontamination area but only 11 felt that they were adequately equipped. 12/18 had a current training programme for chemical incident management and 3 had no staff trained in decontamination. 13/18 could contain contaminated water from casualty decontamination and 6 could provide shelter for casualties before decontamination. Conclusion We have identified major inconsistencies in the preparedness of North West Emergency Departments for managing chemical incidents. Nationally recognized standards on incident planning, facilities, equipment and procedures need to be agreed and implemented with adequate resources. Issues of environmental safety and patient dignity and comfort should also be addressed.

Off-site preparedness and nuclear-power-plant licensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perry, S.W.

1983-01-01

The first year and a half in which off-site emergency preparedness issues have been litigated before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards of the NRC have surfaced unique problems of proof for the applicant as well as the staff. These problems seem to be abating as the boards and the parties become more comfortable with the field and its issues, and as FEMA-NRC emergency management expertise gains credibility. Emergency preparedness presentations have also improved as the parties have become more sensitive to the seasonality of the preparedness case, and have increasingly attempted to raise it at a time when a fully developed set of facts is available for the record. Off-site preparedness issues are only now beginning to be raised on appeal to the NRC appeals board, the full commission, and the courts. Helpful guidance on what constitutes an adequate record in this area will undoubtedly be forthcoming in decisions handed down by these bodies in the months ahead

Contingency planning: preparation of contingency plans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westergaard, J M

2008-01-01

. The risk of introducing disease pathogens into a country and the spread of the agent within a country depends on a number of factors including import controls, movement of animals and animal products and the biosecurity applied by livestock producers. An adequate contingency plan is an important instrument...... in the preparation for and the handling of an epidemic. The legislation of the European Union requires that all Member States draw up a contingency plan which specifies the national measures required to maintain a high level of awareness and preparedness and is to be implemented in the event of disease outbreak...

Manual for first responders to a radiological emergency. Emergency preparedness and response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Under Article 5.a(ii) of the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention), one function of the IAEA is to collect and disseminate to States Parties and Member States information concerning methodologies, techniques and results of research relating to response to nuclear or radiological emergencies. As stated in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GS-R-2 'Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency', which establishes the requirements for an adequate level of preparedness for and response to a nuclear or radiological emergency in any State, 'first responders shall take all practicable and appropriate actions to minimize the consequences of a nuclear or radiological emergency'. The IAEA General Conference, in resolution GC(49)/RES/9, continues to encourage Member States 'to adopt the relevant Agency standards, procedures and practical tools' and underlines 'the need for first responders to have appropriate training for dealing with ionizing radiation during nuclear and radiological emergencies'. This publication is intended to assist in meeting these requirements and to fulfil Article 5 of the Assistance Convention. Its aim is to provide practical guidance for those who will respond during the first few hours to a radiological emergency (referred to here as 'first responders') and for national officials who would support this early response. It provides guidance in the form of action guides, instructions, and supporting data that can be easily applied by a State to build a basic capability to respond to a radiological emergency. This guidance should be adapted to fit the user State's organizational arrangements, language, terminology, concept of operation and capabilities. This report, published as part of the IAEA Emergency Preparedness and Response Series, replaces and builds on IAEA-TECDOC-1162 in the area of early response and first responders' actions. It takes account of the

Translating Volcano Hazards Research in the Cascades Into Community Preparedness

Science.gov (United States)

Ewert, J. W.; Driedger, C. L.

2015-12-01

Research by the science community into volcanic histories and physical processes at Cascade volcanoes in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California has been ongoing for over a century. Eruptions in the 20th century at Lassen Peak and Mount St. Helen demonstrated the active nature of Cascade volcanoes; the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was a defining moment in modern volcanology. The first modern volcano hazards assessments were produced by the USGS for some Cascade volcanoes in the 1960s. A rich scientific literature exists, much of which addresses hazards at these active volcanoes. That said community awareness, planning, and preparation for eruptions generally do not occur as a result of a hazard analyses published in scientific papers, but by direct communication with scientists. Relative to other natural hazards, volcanic eruptions (or large earthquakes, or tsunami) are outside common experience, and the public and many public officials are often surprised to learn of the impacts volcanic eruptions could have on their communities. In the 1980s, the USGS recognized that effective hazard communication and preparedness is a multi-faceted, long-term undertaking and began working with federal, state, and local stakeholders to build awareness and foster community action about volcano hazards. Activities included forming volcano-specific workgroups to develop coordination plans for volcano emergencies; a concerted public outreach campaign; curriculum development and teacher training; technical training for emergency managers and first responders; and development of hazard information that is accessible to non-specialists. Outcomes include broader ownership of volcano hazards as evidenced by bi-national exchanges of emergency managers, community planners, and first responders; development by stakeholders of websites focused on volcano hazards mitigation; and execution of table-top and functional exercises, including evacuation drills by local communities.

Disaster Preparedness, Adaptive Politics and Lifelong Learning: A Case of Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Kaori

2016-01-01

Preparedness for disaster scenarios is progressively becoming an educational agenda for governments because of diversifying risks and threats worldwide. In disaster-prone Japan, disaster preparedness has been a prioritised national agenda, and preparedness education has been undertaken in both formal schooling and lifelong learning settings. This…

Strengthening flood warning systems: the benefits of encouraging social preparedness

Science.gov (United States)

Girons Lopez, Marc; Di Baldassarre, Giuliano; Seibert, Jan

2017-04-01

Flood warning and response have normally been focused on the technical aspects and disregarded the connections and feedbacks between the hydrological and social dimensions. An increasing body of research, however, points at the importance of considering socio-hydrological aspects to improve flood damage mitigation. One of the key factors is the preparedness of the public and first responders during flood situations, which is influenced by many behavioural traits such as perceived benefits, risk awareness, or denial. In this study, we investigate the impact of social preparedness on the efficiency of flood early warning systems by using the recency of flood experience as a proxy for social preparedness. To this end, we developed a stylised model and a synthetic data-set to perform a hypothetical analysis. The main findings point to the importance of social preparedness for flood loss mitigation, especially when the technical forecasting and warning capabilities are limited. More specifically, efforts to promote and preserve social preparedness may help to reduce disaster-induced losses by almost one half. The findings from this study provide insights into the importance of considering social preparedness in decision-making for disaster risk reduction.

Importance of International Cooperation for Emergency Preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregoric, M.; Grlicarev, I.

1998-01-01

The paper contains a brief review of reactor accidents and their consequences. The bilateral, regional and interregional agreements on early exchange of information and mutual assistance in case of a nuclear and radiological accident are presented in a table and discussed. The international projects in emergency preparedness are briefly outlined and the situation in the field of emergency preparedness in Slovenia is given for the comparison. (author)

On some problems concerning the national emergency planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Angelov, V [Civil Defence Administration, Sofia (Bulgaria); Bonchev, Ts [Sofia Univ. (Bulgaria). Fizicheski Fakultet; Andonov, S [Civil Defence Administration, Sofia (Bulgaria); Semova, T [Sofia Univ. (Bulgaria). Fizicheski Fakultet; Ganchev, N [Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes, Sofia (Bulgaria); Georgiev, V [Energoproekt, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1996-12-31

The basic principles of national emergency planning and preparedness in case of severe nuclear accident are discussed. Recommendations concerning the participating authorities in Bulgaria and their cooperation are given. The need to synchronize the plan with the NPP Kozloduy emergency plan is pointed out. The introduction of new legislation outlining the necessity of national emergency planning is stressed. 13 refs.

On some problems concerning the national emergency planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelov, V.; Bonchev, Ts.; Semova, T.; Georgiev, V.

1995-01-01

The basic principles of national emergency planning and preparedness in case of severe nuclear accident are discussed. Recommendations concerning the participating authorities in Bulgaria and their cooperation are given. The need to synchronize the plan with the NPP Kozloduy emergency plan is pointed out. The introduction of new legislation outlining the necessity of national emergency planning is stressed. 13 refs

Assessing Households Preparedness for Earthquakes: An Exploratory Study in the Development of a Valid and Reliable Persian-version Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Ardalan, Ali; Sohrabizadeh, Sanaz

2016-02-25

Iran is placed among countries suffering from the highest number of earthquake casualties. Household preparedness, as one component of risk reduction efforts, is often supported in quake-prone areas. In Iran, lack of a valid and reliable household preparedness tool was reported by previous disaster studies. This study is aimed to fill this gap by developing a valid and reliable tool for assessing household preparedness in the event of an earthquake.  This survey was conducted through three phases including literature review and focus group discussions with the participation of eight key informants, validity measurements and reliability measurements. Field investigation was completed with the participation of 450 households within three provinces of Iran. Content validity, construct validity, the use of factor analysis; internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and test-retest reliability were carried out to develop the tool.  Based on the CVIs, ranging from 0.80 to 0.100, and exploratory factor analysis with factor loading of more than 0.5, all items were valid. The amount of Cronbach's alpha (0.7) and test-retest examination by Spearman correlations indicated that the scale was also reliable. The final instrument consisted of six categories and 18 questions including actions at the time of earthquakes, nonstructural safety, structural safety, hazard map, communications, drill, and safety skills.  Using a Persian-version tool that is adjusted to the socio-cultural determinants and native language may result in more trustful information on earthquake preparedness. It is suggested that disaster managers and researchers apply this tool in their future household preparedness projects. Further research is needed to make effective policies and plans for transforming preparedness knowledge into behavior.

MAppERS experience: natural processes and preparedness in the societal context

Science.gov (United States)

Frigerio, Simone; Schenato, Luca; Bossi, Giulia; Mantovani, Matteo; Marcato, Gianluca; Pasuto, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Within natural processes responsibilities from central authorities to local levels as first actors of civil protection is a changing pattern. Prevention and preparedness in natural hazards are long-term goals based on capacities of professional volunteers, and improving the awareness of the citizens as local inhabitants. Local people have impacts on their lives but training and involvement towards specific techniques change their role within risk communication and emergency preparedness. A collaborative user environment is useful for emergency response and support in the wake of disasters, feeding updated information on the ground directly to on-site responders. MAppERS (Mobile Application for Emergency Response and Support) is a funded project (2013-2015 Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, ECHO A5) based on human role as "crowd-sourced mappers" through smart phone application able to share GPS-localised and detailed parameters. The feedback from testing and the training courses aim to raising public awareness and participation in a networked disaster response. The project implies design and test of smart phone linked with a real-time dashboard platform for rescue services citizens and volunteers of civil protection. Two pilot sites, including trainings on modules functioning control usability and quality of the product. The synchronized platform offers the activity of cloud data collection with a central data dashboard. Information is collected in a context of floods processes, with crowdsourcing action from local population, for proper awareness with own personal flood plan and long-term preparedness. A second context tested pre-emergency actions on field with rescue team, collecting state-of-art and condition of hazards.

Building 9401-2 Plating Shop Surveillance and Maintenance Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

This document provides a plan for implementing surveillance and maintenance (S and M) activities to ensure that Building 9401-2 Plating Shop is maintained in a cost effective and environmentally secure configuration until subsequent closure during the final disposition phase of decommissioning. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) G430.1A-2, Surveillance and Maintenance During Facility Disposition (1997), was used as guidance in the development of this plan. The S and M Plan incorporates DOE O 430.1A, Life Cycle Asset Management (LCAM) (1998a) direction to provide for conducting surveillance and maintenance activities required to maintain the facility and remaining hazardous and radioactive materials, wastes, and contamination in a stable and known condition pending facility disposition. Recommendations in the S and M plan have been made that may not be requirement-based but would reduce the cost and frequency of surveillance and maintenance activities. During the course of S and M activities, the facility's condition may change so as to present an immediate or developing hazard or unsatisfactory condition. Corrective action should be coordinated with the appropriate support organizations using the requirements and guidance stated in procedure Y10-202, Rev. 1, Integrated Safety Management Program, (Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (LMES), 1998a) implemented at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant and the methodology of the Nuclear Operations Conduct of Operations Manual (LMES, 1999) for the Depleted Uranium Operations (DUO) organization. The key S and M objectives applicable to the Plating Shop are to: Ensure adequate containment of remaining residual material in exhaust stacks and outside process piping, stored chemicals awaiting offsite shipment, and items located in the Radioactive Material Area (RMA); Provide access control into the facility and physical safety to S and M personnel; Maintain the facility in a manner that will protect the public, the environment, and the S

Analysis of the area in which arrangements for emergency preparedness and response should be intensively made

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-15

In Japan, the local governments have been developing introduction of new concept for the emergency planning zone, in which arrangements for emergency preparedness and response should be intensively made, such as Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) and Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone (UPZ). This study was planned in order to prepare the reference data for the local governments to determine the zone distances. In this study, examination of the methods for estimating the distance used as reference of these zones in the case where a severe accident would occur in a nuclear power plant was performed, and the calculated results under typical conditions were shown. (author)

Weaving latino cultural concepts into Preparedness Core Competency training.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley-Jacome, Mary; Parker, Blanca Angelica Gonzalez; Waltz, Edward C

2014-01-01

The New York • New Jersey Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center (NY•NJ PERLC) is one of 14 Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed to address the preparedness and response training and education needs of the public health workforce. One of the important niches, or focus areas for the Center, is training to improve the capacity of public health workers to respond with competence to the needs of vulnerable populations. During every phase of a disaster, racial and ethnic minorities, including Latinos, suffer worse outcomes than the general population. Communities with diverse cultural origins and limited English speakers often present more complex issues during public health emergencies. Training that incorporates cultural concepts into the Preparedness Core Competencies may improve the ability of public health workers to engage the Latino community in preparedness activities and ultimately improve outcomes during disasters. This article describes initiatives undertaken by the NY•NJ PERLC to improve the capacity of the public health workforce to respond competently to the needs of Latino populations. In 2012, the Center collaborated with national, state, and local partners to develop a nationwide broadcast founded on the Preparedness Core Competencies, Latinos During Emergencies: Cultural Considerations Impacting Disaster Preparedness. The widely viewed broadcast (497 sites in 47 states and 13 nations) highlighted the commonalities and differences within Latino culture that can impact emergency preparedness and response and outlined practical strategies to enhance participation. The success of the broadcast spurred a number of partner requests for training and technical assistance. Lessons learned from these experiences, including our "undercover" work at local Points of Dispensing, are incorporated into subsequent interactive trainings to improve the competency of public health workers. Participants recommended

Plan to build lab in mine aims to strike scientific gold

CERN Multimedia

Mercer, B

2004-01-01

Article describing plans to build a neutrino research laboratory in the Homestake gold mine in South Dakota. Assuming that the funding comes through, the timetable calls for construction work inside the mine to start in 2006, with the first detector equipment for experiments installed from 2007 to 2009 (1 page).

Vulnerability Assessment and Resiliency Planning: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Process and Best Practices; May 23, 2014 - June 5, 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogel, J. [Abt Environmental Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Renfrow, S. [Abt Environmental Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

2016-02-19

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research laboratory that employs more than 2,500 people. The laboratory focuses on renewable energy and energy-efficiency research and has two campuses along the Front Range of Colorado. In 2014, NREL worked with Abt Environmental Research (then called Stratus Consulting Inc.) to develop a vulnerability assessment and resiliency action plan as part of NREL's Climate Change Resiliency and Preparedness (CCRP) project. This guide describes the process that NREL undertook during this project. NREL used a participatory approach to vulnerability assessment and resiliency planning that emphasized organizational context, building internal capacity, and the application of climate science in a practical and actionable manner.

Planning the medical response to radiological accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Radioactive substances and other sources of ionizing radiation are used to assist in diagnosing and treating diseases, improving agricultural yields, producing electricity and expanding scientific knowledge. The application of sources of radiation is growing daily, and consequently the need to plan for radiological accidents is growing. While the risk of such accidents cannot be entirely eliminated, experience shows that most of the rare cases that have occurred could have been prevented, as they are often caused by human error. Recent radiological accidents such as those at Chernobyl (Ukraine 1986), Goiania (Brazil 1987), San Salvador (El Salvador 1989), Sor-Van (Israel 1990), Hanoi (Viet Nam 1992) and Tammiku (Estonia 1994) have demonstrated the importance of adequate preparation for dealing with such emergencies. Medical preparedness for radiological accidents must be considered an integral part of general emergency planning and preparedness and established within the national framework for radiation protection and safety. An IAEA Technical Committee meeting held in Istanbul in 1988 produced some initial guidance on the subject, which was subsequently developed, reviewed and updated by groups of consultants in 1989, 1992 and 1996. Special comments were provided by WHO, as co-sponsor of this publication, in 1997. This Safety Report outlines the roles and tasks of health authorities and hospital administrators in emergency preparedness for radiological accidents. Health authorities may use this document as the basis for their medical management in a radiological emergency, bearing in mind that adaptations will almost certainly be necessary to take into account the local conditions. This publication also provides information relevant to the integration of medical preparedness into emergency plans

A national survey on health department capacity for community engagement in emergency preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoch-Spana, Monica; Selck, Frederic W; Goldberg, Lisa A

2015-01-01

Limited systematic knowledge exists about how public health practitioners and policy makers can best strengthen community engagement in public health emergency preparedness ("CE-PHEP"), a top priority for US national health security. To investigate local health department (LHD) adoption of federally recommended participatory approaches to PHEP and to identify LHD organizational characteristics associated with more intense CE-PHEP. National survey in 2012 of LHDs using a self-administered Web-based questionnaire regarding LHD practices and resources for CE-PHEP ("The Community Engagement for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Survey"). Differences in survey responses were examined, and a multivariate analysis was used to test whether LHD organizational characteristics were associated with differences in CE-PHEP intensity. A randomized sample of 754 LHDs drawn from the 2565 LHDs that had been invited to participate in the 2010 National Profile of LHDs. Sample selection was stratified by the size of population served and geographic location. Emergency preparedness coordinators reporting on their respective LHDs. CE-PHEP intensity as measured with a scoring system that rated specific CE-PHEP practices by LHD according to the relative degrees of public participation and community capacity they represented. Survey response rate was 61%. The most common reported CE-PHEP activity was disseminating personal preparedness materials (90%); the least common was convening public forums on PHEP planning (22%). LHD characteristics most strongly associated with more intense CE-PHEP were having a formal CE-PHEP policy, allocating funds for CE-PHEP, having strong support from community-based organizations, and employing a coordinator with prior CE experience. Promising ways to engage community partners more fully in the PHEP enterprise are institutionalizing CE-PHEP objectives, employing sufficient and skilled staff, leveraging current community-based organization support, and

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act industrial site environmental restoration site characterization plan: Area 23, Building 650 Leachfield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-03-01

This plan presents the strategy for the characterization of Corrective Action Unit 94, Area 23, Building 650 Leachfield. It is a land disposal unit, located southeast of Building 650, that was in operation from 1965 to October 1992, with an estimated annual discharge rate of less than 984 liters from designated sinks, floor drains, and emergency decontamination showers in Building 650. The objectives of the planned activities are to: obtain sufficient sample analytical data from which further assessment, remediation, and/or closure strategies may be developed for the site: and obtain sufficient sample analytical data for management of investigation-derived waste (IDW). All references to regulations in this plan are to the versions of the regulations that are current at the time of publication of this plan. The scope of the characterization will include subsurface soil boring (i.e., drilling), in situ sampling of the soil within subsurface soil borings, and sample analysis for both site characterization and waste management purposes

A taxonomy of state public health preparedness units: an empirical examination of organizational structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Menachemi, Nir; Yeager, Valerie A; Duncan, W Jack; Katholi, Charles R; Ginter, Peter M

2012-01-01

State public health preparedness units (SPHPUs) were developed in response to federal funding to improve response to disasters: a responsibility that had not traditionally been within the purview of public health. The SPHPUs were created within the existing public health organizational structure, and their placement may have implications for how the unit functions, how communication takes place, and ultimately how well the key responsibilities are performed. This study empirically identifies a taxonomy of similarly structured SPHPUs and examines whether this structure is associated with state geographic, demographic, and threat-vulnerability characteristics. Data representing each SPHPU were extracted from publically available sources, including organizational charts and emergency preparedness plans for 2009. A cross-sectional segmentation analysis was conducted of variables representing structural attributes. Fifty state public health departments. Variables representing "span of control" and "hierarchal levels" were extracted from organizational charts. Structural "complexity" and "centralization" were extracted from state emergency preparedness documents and other secondary sources. On average, 6.6 people report to the same manager as the SPHPU director; 2.1 levels separate the SPHPU director from the state health officer; and a mean of 13.5 agencies collaborate with SPHPU during a disaster. Despite considerable variability in how SPHPUs had been structured, results of the cluster and principal component analysis identified 7 similarly structured groups. Neither the taxonomic groups nor the individual variables representing structure were found to be associated with state characteristics, including threat vulnerabilities. Our finding supports the hypothesis that SPHPUs are seemingly inadvertently (eg, not strategically) organized. This taxonomy provides the basis for which future research can examine how SPHPU structure relates to performance measures and

Emergency preparedness and response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, M.

1996-01-01

After the Chernobyl accident, it became painfully obvious to the international community that there was an urgent need to establish a system for the coordination of international disaster assistance. It became the task of the United Nations Office for Disaster Relief (UNDRO) to develop such a system. The former UNDRO was subsumed into the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA), established in January 1992 on the basis of UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 adopted in December 1991, and the disaster relief system presently found in DHA is a further evolution of the system established by UNDRO. One particular importance in relation to nuclear accidents is the fact that UNDRO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding defining their respective responsibilities and the need for cooperation in case of accidents involving the unintentional release of nuclear radiation. In essence, the MOU makes it clear that the responsibilities of the IAEA, in connection with accidents at Nuclear Power Plants, related to the technical and radiological aspects, in particular to accident prevention, to the on-site preparedness, and to remedial measures within the 30-km zone outside the NPP. DHA's responsibilities, on the other hand, relate to the general preparedness and the rescue efforts outside the 30 km zone. In this respect, the preparedness and emergency response system is no different from the system employed in any other type of sudden-onset emergency

A culture of tsunami preparedness and applying knowledge from recent tsunamis affecting California

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, K. M.; Wilson, R. I.

2012-12-01

It is the mission of the California Tsunami Program to ensure public safety by protecting lives and property before, during, and after a potentially destructive or damaging tsunami. In order to achieve this goal, the state has sought first to use finite funding resources to identify and quantify the tsunami hazard using the best available scientific expertise, modeling, data, mapping, and methods at its disposal. Secondly, it has been vital to accurately inform the emergency response community of the nature of the threat by defining inundation zones prior to a tsunami event and leveraging technical expertise during ongoing tsunami alert notifications (specifically incoming wave heights, arrival times, and the dangers of strong currents). State scientists and emergency managers have been able to learn and apply both scientific and emergency response lessons from recent, distant-source tsunamis affecting coastal California (from Samoa in 2009, Chile in 2010, and Japan in 2011). Emergency managers must understand and plan in advance for specific actions and protocols for each alert notification level provided by the NOAA/NWS West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. Finally the state program has provided education and outreach information via a multitude of delivery methods, activities, and end products while keeping the message simple, consistent, and focused. The goal is a culture of preparedness and understanding of what to do in the face of a tsunami by residents, visitors, and responsible government officials. We provide an update of results and findings made by the state program with support of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program through important collaboration with other U.S. States, Territories and agencies. In 2009 the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) and the California Geological Survey (CGS) completed tsunami inundation modeling and mapping for all low-lying, populated coastal areas of California to assist local jurisdictions on

From preparedness to risk: from the singular risk of nuclear war to the plurality of all hazards.

Science.gov (United States)

Deville, Joe; Guggenheim, Michael

2017-08-17

Debates on risk have largely assumed risk to be the outcome of calculative practices. There is a related assumption that risk objects come only in one form, and that the reason not everything can be transformed into a risk is because of the difficulties in calculating and creating universal quantitative comparisons. In this article, building on recent studies of preparedness that have broadened understandings of risk, we provide an analysis of how preparedness measures might themselves produce risk, in particular through risk's durable instantiation, or what we call 'concretization'. Our empirical focus is on how government agencies in two countries shifted their attention from the risk of nuclear attack during the Cold War to an all hazards approach to preparedness. Comparing the mid- to late-twentieth century histories of the UK and Switzerland, we show that both countries shifted from focusing from a single risk to plural risks. This shift cannot be explained by a change in prevailing calculative practices, or by the fact that the risks changed historically. Instead, it is driven by historically specific changes in how risks are produced and reproduced in relation to how materializations of risk operate over time. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

The Components of Community Awareness and Preparedness; its Effects on the Reduction of Tsunami Vulnerability and Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Tufekci, Duygu; Lutfi Suzen, Mehmet; Cevdet Yalciner, Ahmet

2017-04-01

The resilience of coastal communities against tsunamis are dependent on preparedness of the communities. Preparedness covers social and structural components which increases with the awareness in the community against tsunamis. Therefore, proper evaluation of all components of preparedness will help communities to reduce the adverse effects of tsunamis and increase the overall resilience of communities. On the other hand, the complexity of the metropolitan life with its social and structural components necessitates explicit vulnerability assessments for proper determination of tsunami risk, and development of proper mitigation strategies and recovery plans. Assessing the vulnerability and resilience level of a region against tsunamis and efforts for reducing the tsunami risk are the key components of disaster management. Since increasing the awareness of coastal communities against tsunamis is one of the main objectives of disaster management, then it should be considered as one of the parameter in tsunami risk analysis. In the method named MetHuVA (METU - Metropolitan Human Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment) proposed by Cankaya et al., (2016) and Tufekci et al., (2016), the awareness and preparedness level of the community is revealed to be an indispensable parameter with a great effect on tsunami risk. According to the results obtained from those studies, it becomes important that the awareness and preparedness parameter (n) must be analyzed by considering their interaction and all related components. While increasing awareness can be achieved, vulnerability and risk will be reduced. In this study the components of awareness and preparedness parameter (n) is analyzed in different categories by considering administrative, social, educational, economic and structural preparedness of the coastal communities. Hence the proposed awareness and preparedness parameter can properly be analyzed and further improvements can be achieved in vulnerability and risk analysis

The challenge of measuring emergency preparedness: integrating component metrics to build system-level measures for strategic national stockpile operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Brian A; Faith, Kay Sullivan

2013-02-01

Although significant progress has been made in measuring public health emergency preparedness, system-level performance measures are lacking. This report examines a potential approach to such measures for Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) operations. We adapted an engineering analytic technique used to assess the reliability of technological systems-failure mode and effects analysis-to assess preparedness. That technique, which includes systematic mapping of the response system and identification of possible breakdowns that affect performance, provides a path to use data from existing SNS assessment tools to estimate likely future performance of the system overall. Systems models of SNS operations were constructed and failure mode analyses were performed for each component. Linking data from existing assessments, including the technical assistance review and functional drills, to reliability assessment was demonstrated using publicly available information. The use of failure mode and effects estimates to assess overall response system reliability was demonstrated with a simple simulation example. Reliability analysis appears an attractive way to integrate information from the substantial investment in detailed assessments for stockpile delivery and dispensing to provide a view of likely future response performance.

Nuclear threats and emergency preparedness in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustonen, R.; Aaltonen, H.; Laaksonen, J.; Lahtinen, J.; Rantavaara, A.; Reponen, H.; Rytoemaa, T.; Suomela, M.; Toivonen, H.; Varjoranta, T.

1995-10-01

The political and economic upheavals which have taken place in Eastern Europe have had an impact on radiation and nuclear safety throughout Europe. Emergency preparedness systems for unexpected nuclear events have been developed further in all European countries, and prosperous western nations have invested in improving the safety of East European nuclear power plants. The economic crisis facing countries of the former Soviet Union has also promoted illicit trade in nuclear materials; this has made it necessary for various border guards and police authorities to intensify their collaboration and to tighten border controls. On 3-4 October 1995, Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) arranged a seminar on nuclear threats and emergency preparedness in Finland. In addition to STUK experts, a wide range of rescue and civil defence authorities, environmental health specialists and other persons engaged in emergency preparedness attended the seminar. The publication contains a compilation of reports presented at the seminar. The reports cover a broad spectrum of nuclear threats analyzed at STUK, the impacts of radioactive fallout on human beings and on the environment, and preparedness systems by which the harmful effects of radiation or nuclear accidents can, if necessary, be minimized. (33 figs., 5 tabs.)

The 324 building radiochemical engineering scales and high-level vault cells plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prignano, A.L.

1997-01-01

This closure plan incorporates the requirements and decisions made during a Data Quality Objectives process held in 1996 by the State of Washington Department of Ecology, US Department of Energy Richland Operations Office, and contractors associated with closure of the 324 Building

Site Characterization Plan for decontamination and decommissioning of Buildings 3506 and 3515 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

Buildings 3506, the Waste Evaporator Facility, and 3515, the Fission Product Pilot Plant, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), are scheduled for decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). This Site Characterization Plan (SCP) presents the strategy and techniques to be used to characterize Buildings 3506/3515 for the purpose of planning D and D activities. The elements of the site characterization for Buildings 3506/3515 are planning and preparation, field investigation, and characterization reporting. Other level of effort activities will include management and oversight, project controls, meetings, and progress reporting. The objective of the site characterization is to determine the nature and extent of radioactive and hazardous materials and other industrial hazards in and around the buildings. This information will be used in subsequent planning to develop a detailed approach for final decommissioning of the facilities: (1) to evaluate decommissioning alternatives and design the most cost-effective D and D approach; (2) to determine the level and type of protection necessary for D and D workers; and (3) to estimate the types and volumes of wastes generated during D and D activities. The current D and D characterization scope includes the entire building, including the foundation and equipment or materials within the building. To estimate potential worker exposure from the soil during D and D, some subfoundation soil sample collection is planned. Buildings 3506/3515 are located in the ORNL main plant area, to the west and east, respectively, of the South Tank Farm. Building 3506 was built in 1949 to house a liquid waste evaporator and was subsequently used for an incinerator experiment. Partial D and D was done prior to abandonment, and most equipment has been removed. Building 3515 was built in 1948 to house fission product separation equipment. In about 1960, all entrances were sealed with concrete block and mortar. Building 3515 is expected to be

Sampling and analysis plan for the 107-N Basin recirculation building liquid/sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, W.S.

1997-02-01

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) defines the strategy and the field and laboratory methods that will be used to characterize the liquids and sediment within the following four 100-N buildings/areas: 1310-N valve pit area inside the Radioactive Chemical Waste Treatment Pump House (silo); 1314-N Waste Pump (Overflow) Tank at the Liquid Waste Disposal Station; 105-N Lift Station pump well and valve pit areas inside the 105-N Reactor Building; and 107-N Basin Recirculation Building. This characterization activity is being performed in support of the work scope identified in the N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan and the sampling strategy in the DQO. The characterization data will be used for comparison to decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) endpoint acceptance criteria in preparation for turnover of the above-listed facilities to the D and D project. The data will also be used for waste acceptance criteria evaluation in the selection of the appropriate disposition option for liquid and sediment currently contained in the facilities

Increasing tsunami preparedness through educator professional development in coastal Cascadia communities

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Butler, R. F.; Hunter, N.; Lillie, R. J.; Magura, B.; Groom, R.; Johnson, J. A.; Coe, M.

2016-12-01

Increasing society's ability to mitigate risks is one of the major goals of geohazard research. Therefore part of tsunami science research must be finding effective ways to communicate scientific findings to the public to be used in community preparedness plans. The "Cascadia EarthScope Earthquake and Tsunami Education Program" (CEETEP; ceetep.oregonstate.edu) has worked to bridge the gap between scientific researchers and the public by providing professional development workshops for educators from coastal communities in Oregon, Washington, and northern California. CEETEP translates cutting edge EarthScope and other geoscience research into educational resources appropriate for K-12 teachers, park and museum interpreters, and emergency management outreach educators and their learners. Local educators have the potential to reach a wide segment of coastal residents. The tsunami generated by the next Great Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake will arrive only 10-30 minutes after shaking, making mitigation and community-wide education an imperative. An essential component of CEETEP is collaboration with experts in science, pedagogy, and emergency preparedness. CEETEP provided two 4-day workshops and a follow-up Share-a-thon each year for three years (2013-2015). 151 educators participated in the program. Results from CEETEP are very encouraging. Participant content knowledge improved from 49% to 82% over the course of the workshop. Similarly, confidence in teaching about workshop topics increased from an average of 3.0 to 5.3 on a 6-point scale. Participant optimism about the efficacy and tractability of community-level planning also increased from 6.1 to 7.8 on a 9-point scale. Nearly 90% of participants continued to be active with the program through their March Share-a-thon and presented on a wide range of activities that they and their learners undertook related to earthquake and tsunami science and preparedness. Participants were also quite favorable about the

Elaboration of technology organizational models of constructing high-rise buildings in plans of construction organization

Science.gov (United States)

Osipenkova, Irina; Simankina, Tatyana; Syrygina, Taisiia; Lukinov, Vitaliy

2018-03-01

This article represents features of the elaboration of technology organizational models of high-rise building construction in technology organizational documentation on the example of the plan of construction organization. Some examples of enhancing the effectiveness of high-rise building construction based on developments of several options of the organizational and technological plan are examined. Qualitative technology organizational documentation allows to increase the competitiveness of construction companies and provides prime cost of construction and assembly works reductions. Emphasis is placed on the necessity to comply with the principle of comprehensiveness of engineering, scientific and research works, development activities and scientific and technical support.

Impact of social preparedness on flood early warning systems

Science.gov (United States)

Girons Lopez, M.; Di Baldassarre, G.; Seibert, J.

2017-01-01

Flood early warning systems play a major role in the disaster risk reduction paradigm as cost-effective methods to mitigate flood disaster damage. The connections and feedbacks between the hydrological and social spheres of early warning systems are increasingly being considered as key aspects for successful flood mitigation. The behavior of the public and first responders during flood situations, determined by their preparedness, is heavily influenced by many behavioral traits such as perceived benefits, risk awareness, or even denial. In this study, we use the recency of flood experiences as a proxy for social preparedness to assess its impact on the efficiency of flood early warning systems through a simple stylized model and implemented this model using a simple mathematical description. The main findings, which are based on synthetic data, point to the importance of social preparedness for flood loss mitigation, especially in circumstances where the technical forecasting and warning capabilities are limited. Furthermore, we found that efforts to promote and preserve social preparedness may help to reduce disaster-induced losses by almost one half. The findings provide important insights into the role of social preparedness that may help guide decision-making in the field of flood early warning systems.

Evaluation and planning for lightning rod grounding of PSTA cyclotron building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suyamto; Taufik; Idrus Abdul Kudus

2015-01-01

Lightning rod connected with the ground resistance is an equipment protection against hazards of lightning strikes building. Lightning strike to the building may result in damage to the building and destroy all the equipment inside it. The need for a lightning rod of a building is regulated in PUIPP expressed with risk factors (FR). The amount of FR is the sum of the value of the index of five (5 ) components of the building i.e building functions, construction, the height and the situation of the building and and the number of yearly lightning days in that places. At this time 05 PSTA building has undergone changes in the function of the building's mechanical workshop into a cyclotron building so that safety criteria also change into vital building with lightning rods resistance have to < 1 Ω. From measurements of grounding resistant which exist at present known that average Rp is 1.26 Ω so it is necessary to install new additional grounding resistance to reduce being less than 1 Ω. To fulfil this and taking into consideration the cost and ease of installation, planned addition of a grounding using electrodes solid rods of copper, a diameter of 16 mm and a length of 4 m , planted the soil water depth of 12 m, as well as clay covering, with a water content of about 30 %. Under these conditions and taking into the cost and ease of installation are expected to obtain optimal results i.e. soil resistivity 18.35 Ω-m and its resistance of Rx 4.82 Ω. When coupled with existing grounding final resistant Rp 0.99 Ω obtained is thus fulfilling the requirements of PUIPP that is less than 1 Ω. (author)

Public Health Preparedness Funding: Key Programs and Trends From 2001 to 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Crystal R; Watson, Matthew; Sell, Tara Kirk

2017-09-01

To evaluate trends in funding over the past 16 years for key federal public health preparedness and response programs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, to improve understanding of federal funding history in this area, and to provide context for future resource allocation decisions for public health preparedness. In this 2017 analysis, we examined the funding history of key federal programs critical to public health preparedness by reviewing program budget data collected for our annual examination of federal funding for biodefense and health security programs since fiscal year (FY) 2001. State and local preparedness at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially received $940 million in FY2002 and resulted in significant preparedness gains, but funding levels have since decreased by 31%. Similarly, the Hospital Preparedness Program within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response was funded at a high of $515 million in FY2003, but funding was reduced by 50%. Investments in medical countermeasure development and stockpiling remained relatively stable. The United States has made significant progress in preparing for disasters and advancing public health infrastructure. To enable continued advancement, federal funding commitments must be sustained.

Preparedness and planning for nuclear accidents at national level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiukshta, A.

1998-01-01

National plan for the protection of population in the case in nuclear accident at Ignalina NPP is presented. The plan was elaborated and approved in 1995, tested in a number of training and practical operations and positively evaluated by experts. The plan provides for measures of protection, their scope, schedule, executive officers and organizations and procedure of implementation

[The Hospital Emergency Plan: Important Tool for Disaster Preparedness].

Science.gov (United States)

Wurmb, Thomas; Scholtes, Katja; Kolibay, Felix; Rechenbach, Peer; Vogel, Ulrich; Kowalzik, Barbara

2017-09-01

Hospitals need to be prepared for any kind of disaster. The terrorist attacks and mass shootings that took place in Europe in recent years impressively demonstrated the capability of hospitals to manage such challenging and disastrous events. To be adequately prepared, the hospital emergency plan is a very important tool. In this article we describe the entire process of drafting the emergency plan. We discuss the theoretical background as well as different models of disaster planning and we give important practical hints and tips for those in charge of the hospital disaster planning. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Cross-sectional Survey of Long-Term Care Facilities in the Rockaway Peninsula: Preparedness and Response During Hurricane Sandy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Lynn; Tedeschi, Christopher; Subaiya, Saleena

2018-04-01

Few studies have described the challenges experienced by long-term care facilities (LTCFs) following Hurricane Sandy. This study examined LTCF preparedness and experiences during and after the storm. A cross-sectional survey was conducted 2 years after Hurricane Sandy to assess LTCF demographics, preparation, and post-storm resources. Surveys were conducted at LTCFs located on the Rockaway Peninsula of New York City. All LTCFs located in a heavily affected area were approached. Of 29 facilities, 1 had closed, 5 did not respond, 9 declined to participate, and 14 participated, yielding a response rate of 50% for open facilities. Twenty-one percent of the facilities had preparations specifically for hurricanes. More than 70% of the facilities had lost electricity, heat, and telephone service, and one-half had evacuated. Twenty-one percent of the facilities reported not receiving any assistance and over one-half reported that relief resources did not meet their needs. Many LTCFs lacked plans specific to such a large-scale event. Since nearly all of the LTCFs in the region were affected, preexisting transportation and housing plans may have been inadequate. Future preparation could include hazard-specific planning and reliance on resources from a wider geographic area. Access to electricity emerged as a top priority. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:194-200).

A review of critical care nursing and disease outbreak preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Makamure, Miranda; Makamure, Muriel; Mendiola, Williane; Renteria, Daisy; Repp, Melissa; Willden, Azshwee

2013-01-01

The impact of disease outbreaks continues to increase globally. As frontline staff, critical care nurses (CCNs) are more likely to be confronted with the need to care for affected patients. With different pathological diseases emerging, CCNs play an integral role in disease outbreaks. The advanced skill set of CCNs is pivotal in the management and care of patients during an outbreak. Lack of planning and preparation before disease outbreaks leads to detrimental patient outcomes. Panic, chaos, and fear for personal safety cause stress and anxiety for unprepared nurses. However, this problem can be resolved. Comprehensive planning, training, and education can better prepare intensive care unit nurses for disease outbreaks. This article reviews some of the current literature on intensive care unit nurse preparedness for disease outbreaks in the United States. This article also offers strategies that may be used to better prepare CCNs for disease outbreaks.

At the Ready: Planning for Business Continuity

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Linda

2011-01-01

School system leaders never know when disaster may strike. Having a plan in place to protect vital data and systems is crucial. School system leaders need to be actively involved in crisis preparedness, planned response, and recovery to ensure student and staff safety and to make certain that all important operations, services, processes, and…

Assessment of Environmental Literacy, Concern and Disaster Preparedness Among College Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Rosario Clarabel C. Contreras

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Climate change adversely brings about uncontrollable, unpredictable natural calamities. Municipality of Calinog, strategically located at the center of Panay Island, has its share of environmental hazard nightmares. Thus, it is deemed necessary to assess students’ environmental knowledge, concern and disaster preparedness. Participants were 293 students of West Visayas State University Calinog for AY 2012-13. Modified, partly adapted instrument attempted to collect information from respondents. Statistical tools used- Mean; Standard Deviation; t-test; One-Way ANOVA; and Pearson’s r. Respondents’ level of environmental literacy and concern are “knowledgeable” and “very concerned” respectively. Level of disaster preparedness was “most often prepared” in all variables except to course. Significant relationships between the environmental literacy and concern; and between environmental literacy and disaster preparedness have been observed. Generally, students are environmentally literate, concerned, prepared during disasters occurrence. Significant variations occur in environmental literacy, concern, and disaster preparedness among respondents categorized according to course while no variations occurred among others. Environmental literacy is associated with environmental concern and disaster preparedness while environmental concern not associated with disaster preparedness. Hence, educational institutions must do their share.

Preparedness for natural disasters among older US adults: a nationwide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Rousan, Tala M; Rubenstein, Linda M; Wallace, Robert B

2015-10-01

We sought to determine natural disaster preparedness levels among older US adults and assess factors that may adversely affect health and safety during such incidents. We sampled adults aged 50 years or older (n = 1304) from the 2010 interview survey of the Health and Retirement Study. The survey gathered data on general demographic characteristics, disability status or functional limitations, and preparedness-related factors and behaviors. We calculated a general disaster preparedness score by using individual indicators to assess overall preparedness. Participant (n = 1304) mean age was 70 years (SD = 9.3). Only 34.3% reported participating in an educational program or reading materials about disaster preparation. Nearly 15% reported using electrically powered medical devices that might be at risk in a power outage. The preparedness score indicated that increasing age, physical disability, and lower educational attainment and income were independently and significantly associated with worse overall preparedness. Despite both greater vulnerability to disasters and continuous growth in the number of older US adults, many of the substantial problems discovered are remediable and require attention in the clinical, public health, and emergency management sectors of society.

[Preparedness for natural disasters among older US adults: a nationwide survery].

Science.gov (United States)

Al-rousan, Tala M; Rubenstein, Linda M; Wallace, Robert B

2014-12-01

We sought to determine natural disaster preparedness levels among older US adults and assess factors that may adversely affect health and safety during such incidents. We sampled adults aged 50 years or older (n = 1 304) from the 2010 interview survey of the Health and Retirement Study. The survey gathered data on general demographic characteristics, disability status or functional limitations, and preparedness-related factors and behaviors. We calculated a general disaster preparedness score by using individual indicators to assess overall preparedness. Participant (n = 1 304) mean age was 70 years (SD = 9.3). Only 34.3% reported participating in an educational program or reading materials about disaster preparation. Nearly 15% reported using electrically powered medical devices that might be at risk in a power outage. The preparedness score indicated that increasing age, physical disability, and lower educational attainment and income were independently and significantly associated with worse overall preparedness. Despite both greater vulnerability to disasters and continuous growth in the number of older US adults, many of the substantial problems discovered are remediable and require attention in the clinical, public health, and emergency management sectors of society.

Salient Public Beliefs Underlying Disaster Preparedness Behaviors: A Theory-Based Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Najafi, Mehdi; Ardalan, Ali; Akbarisari, Ali; Noorbala, Ahmad Ali; Elmi, Helen

2017-04-01

Introduction Given the increasing importance of disaster preparedness in Tehran, the capital of Iran, interventions encouraging disaster preparedness behavior (DPB) are needed. This study was conducted to show how an elicitation method can be used to identify salient consequences, referents, and circumstances about DPB and provide recommendations for interventions and quantitative research. A theory-based qualitative study using a semi-structured elicitation questionnaire was conducted with 132 heads of households from 22 districts in Tehran, Iran. Following the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), six open-ended questions were used to record the opinion of people about DPB: advantages of engaging in DPB; disadvantages of doing so; people who approve; people who disapprove; things that make it easy; and things that make it difficult. Content analysis showed the categories of salient consequences, reference groups, and circumstances. The three most frequently mentioned advantages obtained from inhabitants of Tehran were health outcomes (eg, it helps us to save our lives, it provides basic needs, and it protects us until relief workers arrive); other salient advantages were mentioned (eg, helps family reunification). The main disadvantage was preparedness anxiety. Family members were the most frequently mentioned social referent when people were asked who might approve or disapprove of their DPB. The two main circumstances perceived to obstruct DPB included not having enough knowledge or enough time. The results of this qualitative study suggest that interventions to encourage DPB among Tehran inhabitants should address: perceived consequences of DPB on health and other factors beyond health; barriers of not having enough knowledge and time perceived to hinder DPB; and social approval. More accurate research on salient beliefs with close-ended items developed from these open-ended data and with larger sample sizes of Tehran inhabitants is necessary. Research with other

Technological considerations in emergency instrument preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selby, J.M.

1976-01-01

Emergency preparedness has been emphasized during the development of the nuclear industry. Existing instrumentation technology has been effectively applied to minimizing the probability of accidents. Radiological instrumentation provided for the measurement of ambient radiation levels or routine releases of radioactive material is usually adequate to provide an early warning that an accident is occurring. In contrast, radiological instrumentation capable of providing a reasonable measure of the source term which could be involved in a severe accident has not received enough attention. In emergency planning the capability should be established for identifying as promptly as possible the need for evasive action out in the plant environs and for minimizing the consequences of an accident in terms of resultant human exposure. Therefore instrumentation is required to measure the source term no matter where the point of release might be, together with instrumentation for obtaining meteorological data sufficient to establish the path of the release in the environment

Emergency preparedness at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skipper, M.N.

1990-03-01

Emergency preparedness for industry was commonly believed to be an essential responsibility on the part of management. Therefore, this study was conducted to research and accumulate information and data on emergency preparedness at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The objective of this study was to conduct a thorough evaluation of emergency preparedness knowledge among employees to determine if they were properly informed or if they needed more training. Also, this study was conducted to provide insight to management as to what their responsibility was concerning this training. To assess employee emergency preparedness knowledge, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 100 employees at ORNL. The data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages of response and was displayed through the use of graphs within the report. 22 refs., 22 figs

Engineering simulator applications to emergency preparedness at DOE reactor sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beelman, R.J.

1990-01-01

This paper reports that since 1984 the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has conducted twenty-seven comprehensive emergency preparedness exercises at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Headquarters Operations Center and Regional Incident Response Centers using the NRC's Nuclear Plant Analyzer (NPA), developed at the INEL, as an engineering simulator. The objective of these exercises has been to assist the NRC in upgrading its preparedness to provide technical support backup and oversight to U.S. commercial nuclear plant licensees during emergencies. With the current focus on Department of Energy (DOE) reactor operational safety and emergency preparedness, this capability is envisioned as a means of upgrading emergency preparedness at DOE production and test reactor sites such as the K-Reactor at Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) and the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at INEL

Emergency preparedness at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skipper, M.N.

1990-03-01

Emergency preparedness for industry was commonly believed to be an essential responsibility on the part of management. Therefore, this study was conducted to research and accumulate information and data on emergency preparedness at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The objective of this study was to conduct a thorough evaluation of emergency preparedness knowledge among employees to determine if they were properly informed or if they needed more training. Also, this study was conducted to provide insight to management as to what their responsibility was concerning this training. To assess employee emergency preparedness knowledge, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 100 employees at ORNL. The data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages of response and was displayed through the use of graphs within the report. 22 refs., 22 figs.

The process of learning from emergency preparedness cooperation in international schools

OpenAIRE

Pham, Hanh

2014-01-01

Master's thesis in Risk management and societal safety The cooperation between schools and organizations can encourage schools to learn about safety procedures and preparation for emergencies to improve the school emergency preparedness. In the international schools in Stavanger, learning from emergency preparedness cooperation can be optimized when knowledge creation contributes to improve the school capability and update or change the school emergency preparedness activities. However, de...

Disaster preparedness in an Australian urban trauma center: staff knowledge and perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrigan, Ellen; Samrasinghe, Iromi

2012-10-01

A substantial barrier to improving disaster preparedness in Australia is a lack of prescriptive national guidelines based on individual hospital capabilities. A recent literature review revealed that only one Australian hospital has published data regarding its current preparedness level. To establish baseline levels of disaster knowledge, preparedness, and willingness to respond to a disaster among one hospital's staff, and thus enable the implementation of national disaster preparedness guidelines based on realistic capabilities of individual hospitals. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to individuals and departments that play key roles in the hospital's external disaster response. Questions concerned prior education and experience specific to disasters, general preparedness knowledge, perceived preparedness of themselves and their department, and willingness to respond to a disaster from a conventional and/or chemical, biological, or radiological incident. Responses were received from 140 individuals representing nine hospital departments. Eighty-three participants (59.3%) had previously received disaster education; 53 (37.9%) had attended a disaster simulation drill, and 18 (12.9%) had responded to an actual disaster. The average disaster preparedness knowledge score was 3.57 out of 10. The majority of respondents rated themselves as "not really" prepared and were "unsure" of their respective departments' level of preparedness. Most respondents indicated a willingness to participate in both a conventional incident involving burns and/or physical trauma, and an incident involving chemical, biological or radiological (CBR) weapons. Australian hospital staff are under-prepared to respond to a disaster because of a lack of education, insufficient simulation exercises, and limited disaster experience. The absence of specific national standards and guidelines through which individual hospitals can develop their capabilities further compounds the poverty in

Monitoring plan for characterization of the Building 3019 leak site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-06-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has established a Remedial Action Program to provide comprehensive management of areas where past research, development, and waste management activities have resulted in residual contamination of facilities or the environment. In the winter of 1985, elevated levels of strontium-90 were detected in White Oak Creek and the ORNL sewage treatment plant. A leak was subsequently identified in a low-level waste transfer line north of Building 3019. The period of leakage and the exact chemical composition of the effluent are unknown. Two dye tests conducted at the leak site have identified several possible pathways for contaminant migration. The discovery of a solution cavity in the Chickamauga bedrock underlying the leak site and the rapid appearance of dye in the sump at Building 3042 indicate the extension of the cavity system along strike to the east. This report outlines the available published and unpublished background information pertaining to the site and proposes a monitoring plan consisting of soil sample collection and monitor well installation to provide a preliminary assessment of the types and extent of contamination at the leak site. The plan is also designed to provide additional geologic and hydrologic data for evaluating possible contaminant migration pathways. 6 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab

Planning for spontaneous evacuation during a radiological emergency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.H. Jr.

1984-01-01

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) radiological emergency preparedness program ignores the potential problem of spontaneous evacuation during a nuclear reactor accident. To show the importance of incorporating the emergency spatial behaviors of the population at risk in radiological emergency preparedness and response plans, this article presents empirical evidence that demonstrates the potential magnitude and geographic extent of spontaneous evacuation in the event of an accident at the Long Island Lighting Company's Shoreham Nuclear Power Station. The results indicate that, on the average, 39% of the population of Long Island is likely to evacuate spontaneously and thus to cast an evacuation shadow extending at least 25 miles beyond the plant. On the basis of these findings, necessary revisions to FEMA's radiological emergency preparedness program are outlined

Maintenance of buildings: Italian examples of deviations between planned and incurred costs

Science.gov (United States)

Rebaudengo, Manuela; Piantanida, Paolo

2018-05-01

In recent years, drawing up the maintenance plan for a building has proved to be a theoretical practice, which has been expressed in the indication of a multiplicity of interventions more for caution reasons than for real needs. In this way, the document (mandatory by the Italian law both for public and private works) has been interpreted as a formal requirement: it must be part of the project, without any particular operational interest. So, the maintenance plans are more often "standard plans", not directing the user towards a specific maintenance strategy and thus consolidating the common thesis that reality is different. The paper compares, with reference to two xxx of study (offices and residence), the planned maintenance actions and those carried out, with an indication of the difference between expected and incurred costs.

Assessment of Closed Point-of-Dispensing (POD) Preparedness in St. Louis County, Missouri, 2012-2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebmann, Terri; Anthony, John; Loux, Travis M; Mulroy, Julia; Sitzes, Rikki

Little is known about closed point-of-dispensing (POD) site preparedness-especially how these entities progress in their preparedness efforts over time. The purpose of this study was to assess the preparedness of a closed POD network. Between 2012 and 2016, 30% to 50% of POD entities in the St. Louis County region were assessed each year, for a total of 138 site evaluations from 62 entities. The assessment tool included 41 components of closed POD preparedness, each scored either 0 = not met or 1 = met. POD preparedness scores could range from 0 to 41. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare the percentage of entities that had each preparedness indicator. A multilevel linear model with a random intercept for each agency was used to model longitudinal changes in closed POD preparedness. POD preparedness scores were higher in 2016 than in 2012 (31.5 vs. 26.5, t = 14.3, p trend in preparedness, and, on average, entities met only 65.4% of the preparedness indicators. Only a third of entities reported hosting a POD exercise at least once every 2 years (32.3%, n = 20). From the multilevel regression, determinants of better POD preparedness include having been assessed more often, employing a business continuity expert, and not being a long-term care agency. Closed POD entities should continue to work toward better preparedness, to better ensure successful deployment. Findings from this study indicate that more frequent assessments likely enhance preparedness at closed POD entities.

Terrorism threats and preparedness in Canada: the perspective of the Canadian public.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Stacey; Lemyre, Louise; Clément, Mélanie; Markon, Marie-Pierre L; Lee, Jennifer E C

2007-06-01

Although Canada has not experienced a major terrorist attack, an increased global pending threat has put preparedness at the top of the Canadian government's agenda. Given its strong multicultural community and close proximity to the recently targeted United States, the Canadian experience is unique. However, minimal research exists on the public's reactions to terrorism threats and related preparedness strategies. In order for response initiatives to be optimally effective, it is important that the public's opinions regarding terrorism and preparedness be considered. This qualitative study examined perceptions of terrorism threats among Canadians living in Central and Eastern Canada (N = 75) in the fall of 2004. Conceptualizations of terrorism threat, psychosocial impacts, and sense of preparedness were explored in a series of qualitative interviews. Findings revealed that the majority of Canadians did not feel overly threatened by terrorist attacks, due in part to a perception of terrorist threats as related to global sociopolitical events and a positive Canadian identity. In addition, while most respondents did not feel they were individually affected by the threat of terrorism, there was some concern regarding larger societal impacts, such as increased paranoia, discrimination, and threats to civil liberties. Participants' views on preparedness focused largely on the utility of emergency preparedness strategies and the factors that could mitigate or inhibit preparedness at the individual and institutional levels, with a specific focus on education. Finally, the significant relevance of these findings in shaping terrorism preparedness, both in Canada and generally, is discussed.

Building-Related Symptoms, Energy, and Thermal Control in the Workplace: Personal and Open Plan Offices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sally S. Shahzad

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study compared building-related symptoms in personal and open plan offices, where high and low levels of control over the thermal environment were provided, respectively. The individualized approach in Norway provided every user with a personal office, where they had control over an openable window, door, blinds, and thermostat. In contrast, the open plan case studies in the United Kingdom provided control over openable windows and blinds only for limited occupants seated around the perimeter of the building, with users seated away from the windows having no means of environmental control. Air conditioning was deployed in the Norwegian case study buildings, while displacement ventilation and natural ventilation were utilized in the British examples. Field studies of thermal comfort were applied with questionnaires, environmental measurements, and interviews. Users’ health was better in the Norwegian model (28%, while the British model was much more energy efficient (up to 10 times. The follow-up interviews confirmed the effect of lack of thermal control on users’ health. A balanced appraisal was made of energy performance and users’ health between the two buildings.

Design of the national health security preparedness index.

Science.gov (United States)

Uzun Jacobson, Evin; Inglesby, Tom; Khan, Ali S; Rajotte, James C; Burhans, Robert L; Slemp, Catherine C; Links, Jonathan M

2014-01-01

The importance of health security in the United States has been highlighted by recent emergencies such as the H1N1 influenza pandemic, Superstorm Sandy, and the Boston Marathon bombing. The nation's health security remains a high priority today, with federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local governments, as well as nongovernment organizations and the private sector, engaging in activities that prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from health threats. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR), led an effort to create an annual measure of health security preparedness at the national level. The collaborative released the National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI(™)) in December 2013 and provided composite results for the 50 states and for the nation as a whole. The Index results represent current levels of health security preparedness in a consistent format and provide actionable information to drive decision making for continuous improvement of the nation's health security. The overall 2013 National Index result was 7.2 on the reported base-10 scale, with areas of greater strength in the domains of health surveillance, incident and information management, and countermeasure management. The strength of the Index relies on the interdependencies of the many elements in health security preparedness, making the sum greater than its parts. Moving forward, additional health security-related disciplines and measures will be included alongside continued validation efforts.

Building hospital capacity planning mechanisms in Poland: The impact of 2016/2017 regulatory changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubas-Jakóbczyk, Katarzyna; Sowada, Christoph; Domagała, Alicja; Więckowska, Barbara

2018-02-07

Capacity planning is a crucial component of modern health care governance. The aim of this paper is to analyze the requirements that need to be met to build effective hospital capacity planning mechanisms in Poland. In this context, the recent regulatory changes strongly influencing hospital sector functioning, including introduction of health care needs maps, capital investment assessment, and hospital network regulations, are analyzed. Some possible ways forward, based on review of international experiences in hospital capacity planning, are discussed. Applied methods include literature review and analysis of statistical data as well as desk analysis of key national regulations related to hospital sector. Results indicate that at the system level, the process of capacity planning involves 4 elements: capital investment in facilities, equipment, and technology; service delivery; allocation of staff; and financial resources. For hospital capacity planning to be effective, the strategic decision at the macrolevel must be complemented by appropriate management of individual hospitals. The major challenge of building hospital capacity planning mechanism in Poland is imbedding it into the overall health system strategy. Because of the lack of such a strategy, the practical implementation of the ad hoc changes, which have been introduced, shows some inconsistencies. The regulations implemented between 2016 and 2017 provided a basis for hospital capacity planning, yet still need evaluation and adjustments. Also, including a mechanism for human resources planning is of crucial importance. The regulations should provide incentives for reducing oversized hospital infrastructure with simultaneous development of the long-term and coordinated care models. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Overview of the NEES-Soft Experimental Program for Seismic Risk Reduction of Soft-Story Woodframe Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

John W. van de Lindt; Pouria Bahmani; Steven E. Pryor; Gary Mochizuki; Mikhail Gershfeld; Weichiang Pang; Ershad Ziaei; Elaina N. Jennings; Michael D. Symans; Xiaoyun Shao; Jingjing Tian; Doug Rammer

2014-01-01

The existence of thousands of soft-story woodframe buildings in California has been recognized as a disaster preparedness problem resulting in mitigation efforts throughout the state. The considerable presence of these large multi-family buildings in San Francisco prompted the city to mandate their retrofitting over the next seven years. The NEES-Soft project, whose...

The Study to Improve Tsunami Preparedness Education in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, Mayumi; Tanırcan, Gülüm; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki; Puskulcu, Seyhun; Kumamoto, Kunihiko

2016-04-01

Compared to its long history on disastrous earthquakes, disaster education history in Turkey is rather short. It has just started with an initiative of Disaster Preparedness Education Unit of Bogazici University (BU/DPEU) after 1999 Kocaeli Earthquake. Training modules and materials on disaster preparedness were prepared both for students, teachers and community. Regarding to the school education, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) reformed their education plan in 2003, and disaster education became one of eight focused components for primary-middle education. In 2011-2014 MoNE had conducted "School-based Disaster Education Project" in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The majority of the school education materials focus more on earthquake and there are very few education programs on tsunami. Within the MarDiM (Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Mitigation in the Marmara Region and Disaster Education in Turkey) project between Turkey and Japan a multidisciplinary engineering research as well as development of disaster education, tsunami education booklet and video were newly developed in 2015. In order to investigate students' knowledge natural disasters and disaster preparedness with focus on tsunami, a questionnaire based survey was conducted. The survey aims to clarify following questions: 1) how students obtain natural disaster information, 2) how students prepare for natural disaster, 3) knowledge on tsunami (hazard mechanism, evacuation behavior, historical disaster). The study was conducted by BU/DPEU in 2015 and 375 students answered the questionnaire. Results showed that students have more interest on earthquake, flood, tsunami and landslide followed it. Most students have heard about tsunami and the school is a key resource of their information. They know relatively well about tsunami mechanism, however, they have less knowledge on tsunami evacuation behavior and tsunami history in Turkey. In order to let students have

Quarterly Performance/Technical Report of the National Marrow Donor Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Setterholm, Michelle

2009-01-01

.... Contingency Preparedness: Collect information from transplant centers, build awareness of the Transplant Center Contingency Planning Committee and educate the transplant community about the critical importance of establishing...

Back-to-School Preparedness

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2014-07-28

CDC provides direction, support, and coordination to help the public be prepared. This podcast discusses how parents and students can be prepared at school.  Created: 7/28/2014 by Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR).   Date Released: 7/31/2014.

Removal Action Work Plan for 105-DR and 105-F Building Interim Safe Storage Projects and Ancillary Buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morton, M.R.

2000-01-01

This document contains the removal action work plan for the 105-DR and 105-F Reactor buildings and ancillary facilities. These buildings and facilities are located in the 100-D/DR and 100-F Areas of the Hanford Site, which is owned and operated by the US Department of Energy (DOE), in Benton County, Washington. The 100 Areas (including the 100-D/DR and 100-F Areas) of the Hanford Site were placed on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) National Priorities List under the ''Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980'' (CERCLA). The DOE has determined that hazardous substances in the 105-DR and 105-F Reactor buildings and four ancillary facilities present a potential threat to human health or the environment. The DOE has also determined that a non-time critical removal action is warranted at these facilities. Alternatives for conducting a non-time critical removal action were evaluated in the ''Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis for the 105-DR and 105-F Reactor Facilities and Ancillary Facilities'' (DOE-RL 1998a). The engineering evaluation/cost analysis (EE/CA) resulted in the recommendation to decontaminate and demolish the contaminated reactor buildings (except for the reactor blocks) and the ancillary facilities and to construct a safe storage enclosure (SSE) over the reactor blocks. The recommendation was approved in an action memorandum (Ecology et al. 1998) signed by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), EPA, and DOE. The DOE is the agency responsible for implementing the removal actions in the 105-D/DR and 105-F Areas. Ecology is the lead regulatory agency for facilities in the 100-D/DR Area, and EPA is the lead regulatory agency for facilities in the 100-F Area. The term ''lead regulator agency'' hereinafter, refers to these authorities. This removal action work plan supports implementation of the non-time critical removal action

Hungarian system for nuclear emergency preparedness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borsi, Laszlo; Szabo, Laszlo; Ronaky, Jozsef

2000-01-01

The Hungarian Government had established in 1989 on the basis of national and international experience the National System for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness (NSNEP). Its guidance is ad-ministered by the Governmental Commission for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness (GCNEP). The work of the Governmental Commission is designated to be assisted by the Secretariat, the Operational Staff and by the Technical Scientific Council. The leading and guiding duties of the relevant ministries and national agencies are performed by the Sectional Organisations for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness (SONEP), together with those of the Metropolitan Agencies and of the county agencies by the Metropolitan Local Committee (MLCNEP) and by County Local Committees. The chairman of the Governmental Commission is the Minister of the Interior whose authority covers the guidance of the NSNEP's activities. The Secretariat of the Governmental Commission (SGC) co-ordinates the activities of the bodies of the Governmental Commission, the sectional organisations, the local committees for nuclear emergency preparedness and those of the other bodies responsible for implementing action. The Emergency Information Centre (EIC) of GCNEP as the central body of the National Radiation Monitoring, Warning and Surveillance System provides the information needed for preparing decisions at Governmental Commission level. The technical-scientific establishment of the governmental decisions in preparation for nuclear emergency situations and the elimination of their consequences are tasks of the Technical-Scientific Council. The Centre for Emergency Response, Training and Analysis (CERTA) of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) may be treated as a body of the Governmental Commission as well. The National Radiation Monitoring, Warning and Surveillance System (NRMWSS) is integral part of the NSNEP. The NRMWSS consists of the elements operated by the ministries and the operation of nation-wide measuring network in

Layout Optimization Model for the Production Planning of Precast Concrete Building Components

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Wang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Precast concrete comprises the basic components of modular buildings. The efficiency of precast concrete building component production directly impacts the construction time and cost. In the processes of precast component production, mold setting has a significant influence on the production efficiency and cost, as well as reducing the resource consumption. However, the development of mold setting plans is left to the experience of production staff, with outcomes dependent on the quality of human skill and experience available. This can result in sub-optimal production efficiencies and resource wastage. Accordingly, in order to improve the efficiency of precast component production, this paper proposes an optimization model able to maximize the average utilization rate of pallets used during the molding process. The constraints considered were the order demand, the size of the pallet, layout methods, and the positional relationship of components. A heuristic algorithm was used to identify optimization solutions provided by the model. Through empirical analysis, and as exemplified in the case study, this research is significant in offering a prefabrication production planning model which improves pallet utilization rates, shortens component production time, reduces production costs, and improves the resource utilization. The results clearly demonstrate that the proposed method can facilitate the precast production plan providing strong practical implications for production planners.

Participatory public health systems research: value of community involvement in a study series in mental health emergency preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, O Lee; Marum, Felicity; Semon, Natalie; Mosley, Adrian; Gwon, Howard; Perry, Charlene; Moore, Suzanne Straub; Links, Jonathan M

2012-01-01

Concerns have arisen over recent years about the absence of empirically derived evidence on which to base policy and practice in the public health system, in general, and to meet the challenge of public health emergency preparedness, in particular. Related issues include the challenge of disaster-caused, behavioral health surge, and the frequent exclusion of populations from studies that the research is meant to aid. To characterize the contributions of nonacademic collaborators to a series of projects validating a set of interventions to enhance capacity and competency of public mental health preparedness planning and response. Urban, suburban, and rural communities of the state of Maryland and rural communities of the state of Iowa. Study partners and participants (both of this project and the studies examined) were representatives of academic health centers (AHCs), local health departments (LHDs), and faith-based organizations (FBOs) and their communities. A multiple-project, case study analysis was conducted, that is, four research projects implemented by the authors from 2005 through 2011 to determine the types and impact of contributions made by nonacademic collaborators to those projects. The analysis involved reviewing research records, conceptualizing contributions (and providing examples) for government, faith, and (nonacademic) institutional collaborators. Ten areas were identified where partners made valuable contributions to the study series; these "value-areas" were as follows: 1) leadership and management of the projects; 2) formulation and refinement of research topics, aims, etc; 3) recruitment and retention of participants; 4) design and enhancement of interventions; 5) delivery of interventions; 6) collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; 7) dissemination of findings; 8) ensuring sustainability of faith/government preparedness planning relationships; 9) optimizing scalability and portability of the model; and 10) facilitating

Radiation Emergency Preparedness Tools: Psychological First Aid

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2010-12-30

This podcast is an overview of the Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call: Practical Tools for Radiation Emergency Preparedness. A specialist working with CDC's Radiation Studies Branch describes Psychological First Aid and a newly developed multimedia training program, entitled "Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters.".  Created: 12/30/2010 by National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) Radiation Studies Branch and Emergency Risk Communication Branch (ERCB)/Joint Information Center (JIC); Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR).   Date Released: 1/13/2011.

Survey of Hospital Employees' Personal Preparedness and Willingness to Work Following a Disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Brice, Jane H; Gregg, David; Sawyer, Dalton; Cyr, Julianne M

2017-08-01

Little is known about the personal readiness of hospital staff for disasters. As many as 30% of hospital staff say that they plan not to report for work during a large-scale disaster. We sought to understand the personal disaster preparedness for hospital staff. Surveys were distributed to the staff of a large academic tertiary-care hospital by either a paper-based version distributed through the departmental safety coordinators or a Web-based version distributed through employee e-mail services, depending on employee familiarity with and access to computer services. Surveys assessed the demographic variables and characteristics of personal readiness for disaster. Of the individuals who accessed the survey, 1334 (95.9%) enrolled in it. Women made up 75% of the respondents, with a mean age of 43 years. Respondents had worked at the hospital an average of 9 years, with the majority (90%) being full-time employees. Most households (93%) reported ≤4 members, 6% supported a person with special medical needs, and 17% were headed by a single parent. A small number (24%) of respondents reported an established meeting place for reuniting households during a disaster. Many reported stockpiling a 3-day supply of food (86%) and a 3-day supply of water (51%). Eighteen percent of respondents were not aware of workplace evacuation plans. Most respondents were willing to report to work for natural disasters (eg, tornado, snowstorm; all categories >65%), but fewer respondents were willing to report during events such as an influenza epidemic (54%), a biological outbreak (41%), a chemical exposure, (40%), or a radiation exposure (39%). Multivariate analysis revealed being female, having a child in the household younger than 6 years old, and having a child in school lowered the likelihood of being willing to report to work in two or more event types, whereas pet ownership, being a clinical healthcare worker, and being familiar with the work emergency plan increased the likelihood

Radiological incident preparedness for community hospitals: a demonstration project.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Mary Ellen

2010-08-01

In November 2007, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health Hospital Disaster Preparedness Program State Expert Panel on Radiation Emergencies issued a report titled The Management of Patients in a Radiological Incident. Gundersen Lutheran Health System was selected to conduct a demonstration project to implement the recommendations in that report. A comprehensive radiological incident response plan was developed and implemented in the hospital's Trauma and Emergency Center, including the purchase and installation of radiation detection and identification equipment, staff education and training, a tabletop exercise, and three mock incident test exercises. The project demonstrated that the State Expert Panel report provides a flexible template that can be implemented at community hospitals using existing staff for an approximate cost of $25,000.

Assessing hospital disaster preparedness: a comparison of an on-site survey, directly observed drill performance, and video analysis of teamwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaji, Amy H; Langford, Vinette; Lewis, Roger J

2008-09-01

There is currently no validated method for assessing hospital disaster preparedness. We determine the degree of correlation between the results of 3 methods for assessing hospital disaster preparedness: administration of an on-site survey, drill observation using a structured evaluation tool, and video analysis of team performance in the hospital incident command center. This was a prospective, observational study conducted during a regional disaster drill, comparing the results from an on-site survey, a structured disaster drill evaluation tool, and a video analysis of teamwork, performed at 6 911-receiving hospitals in Los Angeles County, CA. The on-site survey was conducted separately from the drill and assessed hospital disaster plan structure, vendor agreements, modes of communication, medical and surgical supplies, involvement of law enforcement, mutual aid agreements with other facilities, drills and training, surge capacity, decontamination capability, and pharmaceutical stockpiles. The drill evaluation tool, developed by Johns Hopkins University under contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, was used to assess various aspects of drill performance, such as the availability of the hospital disaster plan, the geographic configuration of the incident command center, whether drill participants were identifiable, whether the noise level interfered with effective communication, and how often key information (eg, number of available staffed floor, intensive care, and isolation beds; number of arriving victims; expected triage level of victims; number of potential discharges) was received by the incident command center. Teamwork behaviors in the incident command center were quantitatively assessed, using the MedTeams analysis of the video recordings obtained during the disaster drill. Spearman rank correlations of the results between pair-wise groupings of the 3 assessment methods were calculated. The 3 evaluation methods demonstrated

Indoor air quality and occupant satisfaction in five mechanically and four naturally ventilated open-plan office buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hummelgaard, J.; Juhl, P.; Saebjornsson, K.O.

2007-01-01

Occupant responses and indoor environment characteristics were recorded and compared in five mechanically and four naturally ventilated open-plan office buildings by using a simple approach that enabled us to survey many buildings simultaneously. All occupant responses were obtained during one...

Challenge of hospital emergency preparedness: analysis and recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbera, Joseph A; Yeatts, Dale J; Macintyre, Anthony G

2009-06-01

In the United States, recent large-scale emergencies and disasters display some element of organized medical emergency response, and hospitals have played prominent roles in many of these incidents. These and other well-publicized incidents have captured the attention of government authorities, regulators, and the public. Health care has assumed a more prominent role as an integral component of any community emergency response. This has resulted in increased funding for hospital preparedness, along with a plethora of new preparedness guidance.Methods to objectively measure the results of these initiatives are only now being developed. It is clear that hospital readiness remains uneven across the United States. Without significant disaster experience, many hospitals remain unprepared for natural disasters. They may be even less ready to accept and care for patient surge from chemical or biological attacks, conventional or nuclear explosive detonations, unusual natural disasters, or novel infectious disease outbreaks.This article explores potential reasons for inconsistent emergency preparedness across the hospital industry. It identifies and discusses potential motivational factors that encourage effective emergency management and the obstacles that may impede it. Strategies are proposed to promote consistent, reproducible, and objectively measured preparedness across the US health care industry. The article also identifies issues requiring research.

Toward a collaborative model of pandemic preparedness and response: Taiwan's changing approach to pandemics.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Jonathan; Yen, Muh-Yong

2017-04-01

Over time, as newly emerging infectious diseases have become increasingly common and more easily spread, it has become clear that traditional response mechanisms have proven inadequate to the task of prevention and control. To explore whether enhanced cooperation with local government and community institutions can effectively supplement traditional state-centric public health epidemic responses. Drawing on Taiwan as a case study, we assess the role of the whole-of-society approach to epidemic response as arises from the collaborative governance literature. The approach calls for enhanced cooperation, trust building, resource sharing and consensus-oriented decision making among multiple levels of government, business, non-profits, and the public in general. The Taiwan case illustrates the benefits of the whole-of-society approach. Enhanced cooperation between state, local government and non-state institutions, particularly neighborhood committees, has resulted in a strengthened, holistic epidemic preparedness and response infrastructure. The Taiwan case provides evidence that by implementing the whole-of-society approach to pandemic preparedness and response governments can enhance their ability to manage future outbreaks. We recommend that governments beyond Taiwan's borders seriously consider adopting this approach. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

‘Prevention is better than cure’: Assessing Ghana’s preparedness (capacity for disaster management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Oteng-Ababio

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This article examines and contributes to the debate on Ghana’s capacity and preparedness to respond to disasters and build safer communities. Having witnessed a series of catastrophic events in recent times, many have questioned the capacity of the National Disaster Management Organisation, an institution mandated to manage disasters in Ghana and whose operations have historically been shaped by external pressures, particularly the populist tendencies of the Provisional National Defense Council government in the 1980s. Analysing the results from the fieldwork and placing them in the context of contemporary disaster management strategies, this article gives an overview of Ghana’s preparedness for emergencies in the face of increasing urbanisation. It finds that the organisation is fixated on a top-down approach with low cooperation, collaboration and coordination with stakeholders, leading to situations where devastation and destruction occur before action is taken. Today, the consensus is that practitioners wean themselves from managing disasters and take to managing risk. Such a redirection of attention calls for the adoption of an appropriate institutional framework: an approach that unites the putative nation beyond competing loyalties to ethnicity, tribe and political entity.

The Effect of Risk Reduction Intervention on Earthquake Disaster Preparedness of the Elderly People

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kian Nourozi

2016-01-01

Conclusion: Preparedness programs for disaster risk reduction has a positive effect on the elders’ preparedness. Thus, similar multimodal preparedness programs should be used more frequently for this vulnerable community citizens.

The effects of the April 2011 tornado outbreak on personal preparedness in Jefferson County, Alabama.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Lisa C; Pevear, Jesse; Rucks, Andrew C; Ginter, Peter M

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tornado disaster on the personal preparedness of local residents to determine (1) to what extent the tornado outbreak experience had altered preparedness awareness, willingness to act, and levels of personal preparedness of residents as measured by possession of a preparedness kit; and (2) what effect this experience had on the variables associated with having a complete disaster preparedness kit. Two random digit-dialed surveys were completed following the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System protocols. The pre-tornado survey was conducted between October and December 2010 and the post-tornado survey was conducted between January and March 2012. After the April 2011 tornado outbreak, 86.08% of the respondents (n = 1364) reported that they had thought more about personal or family preparedness and 59.65% (n = 907) reported that they had taken actions to increase their level of preparedness. Overall, general awareness of preparedness media campaigns increased significantly (almost 24%; P < .0001), as did the percentage of those having a complete disaster preparedness kit (a 66% increase, not quite doubled from 2010 to 2012; P < .0001). Findings of the study indicate that the disaster had a significant impact on the local residents' (1) awareness of preparedness campaigns, (2) awareness of the need to be prepared, (3) willingness to become better prepared, and (4) possession of a disaster and emergency preparedness kit and its associated items.

Project Management Plan/Progress Report UT/GTKS Training Program Development for Commercial Building Operators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2013-03-31

Universidad del Turabo (UT), in a collaborative effort with Global Turn Key Services, Inc. (GTKS), proposed to develop a training program and a commercialization plan for the development of Commercial Building Operators (CBOs). The CBOs will operate energy efficient buildings to help maintain existing buildings up to their optimal energy performance level, and ensure that net-zero-energy buildings continuously operate at design specifications, thus helping achieve progress towards meeting BTP Strategic Goals of creating technologies and design approaches that enable net-zero-energy buildings at low incremental costs by 2025. The proposed objectives were then: (1) Develop a Commercial Building Operator (CBO) training program and accreditation that will in turn provide a certification to participants recognized by Accreditation Boards such as the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) and Leadership in Energy & Environmental Designs (LEED). (2) Develop and implement a commercialization and sustainability plan that details marketing, deployment, financial characterization, job placement, and other goals required for long-term sustainability of the project after the funding period. (3) After program development and deployment, provide potential candidates with the knowledge and skill sets to obtain employment in the commercial building green energy (net-zero-energy building) job market. The developed CBO training program will focus on providing skills for participants, such as displaced and unemployed workers, to enter the commercial building green energy (net-zeroenergy building) job market. This course was designed to allow a participant with minimal to no experience in commercial building green technology to obtain the required skill sets to enter the job market in as little as 12 weeks of intensive multi-faceted learning. After completion of the course, the CBO staff concluded the participant will meet minimum established accreditation

Generic procedures for medical response during a nuclear or radiological emergency. Emergency preparedness and response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-04-01

The aim of this publication is to serve as a practical resource for planning the medical response to a nuclear or radiological emergency. It fulfils in part functions assigned to the IAEA under Article 5.a(ii) of the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (Assistance Convention), namely, to collect and disseminate to States Parties and Member States information concerning methodologies, techniques and available results of research relating to such emergencies. Effective medical response is a necessary component of the overall response to nuclear or radiological (radiation) emergencies. In general, the medical response may represent a difficult challenge for the authorities due to the complexity of the situation, often requiring specialized expertise, and special organizational arrangements and materials. To be effective, adequate planning and preparedness are needed. This manual, if implemented, should help to contribute to coherent international response. The manual provides the practical tools and generic procedures for use by emergency medical personnel during an emergency situation. It also provides guidance to be used at the stage of preparedness for development of medical response capabilities. The manual also addresses mass casualty emergencies resulting from malicious acts involving radioactive material. This part was supported by the Nuclear Security Fund. The manual was developed based on a number of assumptions about national and local capabilities. Therefore, it must be reviewed and revised as part of the planning process to match the potential accidents, threats, local conditions and other unique characteristics of the facility where it may be used

The preparedness of private dental offices and polyclinics for medical emergencies

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Sebaei, Maisa O.; Alkayyal, Moayyad A.; Alsulimani, Abdulelah H.; Alsulaimani, Othman S.; Habib, Weam T.

2015-01-01

Objectives: To assess preparedness for medical emergencies in private dental offices in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a survey was distributed to 70 dental offices and polyclinics in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between October 2013 and January 2014. The questionnaire gathered information on the prevention of medical emergencies, the preparedness of the office personnel, and availability of emergency drugs and equipment. Results: For prevention, 92% (n=65) of the offices reported that they obtain a thorough medical history prior to treatment; however, only 11% (n=8) obtain vital signs for each visit. Using a preparedness percent score (0 to 100), the mean level of preparedness of the office personnel in all surveyed dental offices was 55.2±20. The availability of emergency drugs was 35±35, and equipment was 19±22. Conclusion: We found a deficiency in personnel training, availability of drugs, and emergency equipment in the surveyed dental clinics. More stringent rules and regulations for emergency preparedness must be reinforced to avoid disasters in these clinics. PMID:25737177

Experiment for Integrating Dutch 3d Spatial Planning and Bim for Checking Building Permits

Science.gov (United States)

van Berlo, L.; Dijkmans, T.; Stoter, J.

2013-09-01

This paper presents a research project in The Netherlands in which several SMEs collaborated to create a 3D model of the National spatial planning information. This 2D information system described in the IMRO data standard holds implicit 3D information that can be used to generate an explicit 3D model. The project realized a proof of concept to generate a 3D spatial planning model. The team used the model to integrate it with several 3D Building Information Models (BIMs) described in the open data standard Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). Goal of the project was (1) to generate a 3D BIM model from spatial planning information to be used by the architect during the early design phase, and (2) allow 3D checking of building permits. The team used several technologies like CityGML, BIM clash detection and GeoBIM to explore the potential of this innovation. Within the project a showcase was created with a part of the spatial plan from the city of The Hague. Several BIM models were integrated in the 3D spatial plan of this area. A workflow has been described that demonstrates the benefits of collaboration between the spatial domain and the AEC industry in 3D. The research results in a showcase with conclusions and considerations for both national and international practice.

Experimental seismic behavior of a full-scale four-story soft-story wood-frame building with retrofits I: building design, retrofit methodology, and numerical validation

Science.gov (United States)

Pouria Bahmani; John W. van de Lindt; Mikhail Gershfeld; Gary L. Mochizuki; Steven E. Pryor; Douglas Rammer

2016-01-01

Soft-story wood-frame buildings have been recognized as a disaster preparedness problem for decades. There are tens of thousands of these multifamily three- and four-story structures throughout California and other parts of the United States. The majority were constructed between 1920 and 1970 and are prevalent in regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area in...

Evaluation of Pre-disaster Planning of Bengawan Solo River Flood Bojonegoro Regency Year 2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enov Sayu Mimanggar Mirahesti

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Early year of 2014 flood was ranked first in the natural disasters with 69 incidences. Bengawan Solo floods is an annual natural disastersin Bojonegoro. Study’s results in 2011 showed that RHA activities was not maximum that pre-disaster activities should be evaluated. Based on management functions, planning is the very first step. Evaluation of pre-disaster planning is the earliest thing to do to minimize the disasters impact. This study aimed to evaluate activities of floods pre-disaster planning in Bojonegoro year 2014. Data were collected by interview anddocument study. Data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that based on input components, SOP and facilities had met the standard, while the staff, the type of data, and funds had’nt metthe standard yet. Based on process component, contingency planning had been done according to the standard. Both geomedic mapping and identification of social and economic in the process of activities planning of prevention, mitigation, and disaster response preparedness actions didn’t conduct. Based on the output component, the health department already had a contingency plan, but didn’t have geomedic maps and prevention, mitigation, and disaster response preparedness actions plan. This study concluded that pre-disaster planning activities of Bojonegoro Regency Health Office wasn’t good. The suggestion given are control SOP, increase the staff amount, complete thedata types, allocate funds, make budgettaryplanning, provide vehicles, conduct identification of social and economic, give training to staffs, and make outline of the geomedicmap and prevention, mitigation, and disaster response preparedness actions plan. Keywords: planning, pre-disaster, floods