Journal of Emergency Management 

About: Journal of Emergency Management is an academic journal published by Weston Medical Publishers. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Emergency management & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 1543-5865. Over the lifetime, 665 publications have been published receiving 2626 citations. The journal is also known as: Emergency management & JEM.

Social media use in emergency management.

Abstract: Objective: To identify and illustrate the range of strategies and tactics available for emergency managers using social media. Design: This study uses content analysis of more than 80 related journal articles, research reports, and government documents as well as more than 120 newspaper articles, identified through LexisNexis search queries. Results: Three strategies, information dissemination, monitoring real-time data, and engaging the public in a conversation and/or crowdsourcing, are available to emergency managers to augment communication practices via face-to-face contact and through traditional media outlets. Academic research has identified several message types disseminated during response operations. 1,2 Message types during other emergency phases have received less attention; however, news reporting and government reports provide best practices and inform this study. This article provides the foundation for a more complete typology of emergency management messages. Relatedly, despite limited attention in the academic research, monitoring social media feeds to accrue situational awareness and interacting with others to generate a conversation and/or to coordinate collective action also take place in various forms and are discussed. Conclusions: Findings integrate the fragmented body of knowledge into a more coherent whole and suggest that practitioners might maximize outcomes through a three-step process of information dissemination, data monitoring, and the direct engagement of diverse sets of actors to spur risk reduction efforts. However, these steps require time, personnel, and resources, which present obstacles for agencies operating under conditions of personnel and resource scarcity.

Emergency inventory management for disasters--a review.

Abstract: There has been a recent surge in the publication of academic literature examining various aspects of emergency inventory management for disasters. This article contains a timely literature review of these studies, beginning with an exposition of the characteristics of storage and delivery options for emergency supplies, with a particular emphasis on the differences between emergency inventories and conventional inventory management. Using a novel classification scheme and a comprehensive search of the inventory related literature, an overview of the emergency inventory management studies is also presented. Finally, based on this extensive review, a discussion is presented based on the critical issues and key findings related to the emergency inventory management field, and include suggestions for future research directions.

A whole community approach to emergency management: Strategies and best practices of seven community programs.

Abstract: Objective: In 2011, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published the Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action, outlining the need for increased individual preparedness and more widespread community engagement to enhance the overall resiliency and security of communities. However, there is limited evidence of how to build a whole community approach to emergency management that provides real-world, practical examples and applications. This article reports on the strategies and best practices gleaned from seven community programs fostering a whole community approach to emergency management. Design: The project team engaged in informal conversations with community stakeholders to learn about their programs during routine monitoring activities, site visits, and during an in-person, facilitated workshop. A total of 88 community members associated with the programs examples contributed. Qualitative analysis was conducted. Results: The findings highlighted best practices gleaned from the seven programs that other communities can leverage to build and maintain their own whole community programs. The findings from the programs also support and validate the three principles and six strategic themes outlined by FEMA. Conclusions: The findings, like the whole community document, highlight the importance of understanding the community, building relationships, empowering action, and fostering social capital to build a whole community approach.

Current emergency medical services workforce issues in the United States

Abstract: Emergency medical services (EMS) providers are a vital component of our nation’s healthcare workforce. EMS personnel care for millions of critically ill and injured patients every year, and many have recognized the need to help reduce injuries and illnesses in their communities and to provide additional care at the patient’s home. EMS personnel are some of the first responders to disasters, and they may also help prepare their communities for possible disasters. Since September 11, 2001, their responsibilities in this area have been dramatically increasing; these added responsibilities have been largely underfunded, and little effort has been made to determine how these changes will affect the EMS infrastructure. Although the nation depends on EMS as never before, the future of the workforce is at considerable risk. This paper describes the major issues currently affecting the EMS workforce in the United States. Historically, human resources have been recognized as a major area of concern for EMS. In 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored a taskforce to develop the EMS Agenda for the Future. The Agenda proposed the development of 14 EMS attributes. Human resources was one of those 14 priority areas. The Human Re sources section described six objectives, which included the need for adequate training, the importance of collaborative relationships with academic institutions, and the importance of occupational health research.