Showing papers on "Emergency management published in 2012"

Disaster relief routing: Integrating research and practice

Abstract: Disaster relief presents many unique logistics challenges, with problems including damaged trans- portation infrastructure, limited communication, and coordination of multiple agents. Central to disaster relief logistics is the distribution of life-saving commodities to beneficiaries. Operations research models have potential to help relief agencies save lives and money, maintain standards of humanitarianism and fairness and maximize the use of limited resources amid post-disaster chaos. Through interviews with aid organizations, reviews of their publications, and a literature review of operations research models in transportation of relief goods, this paper provides an analysis of the use of such models from the perspective of both practitioners and academics. With the complexity of disaster relief distribution and the relatively small number of journal articles written on it, this is an area with potential for helping relief organizations and for tremendous growth in operations research.

Emergency situation awareness from twitter for crisis management

Abstract: This paper describes ongoing work with the Australian Government to detect, assess, summarise, and report messages of interest for crisis coordination published by Twitter. The developed platform and client tools, collectively termed the Emergency Situation Awareness - Automated Web Text Mining (ESA-AWTM) system, demonstrate how relevant Twitter messages can be identified and utilised to inform the situation awareness of an emergency incident as it unfolds.A description of the ESA-AWTM platform is presented detailing how it may be used for real life emergency management scenarios. These scenarios are focused on general use cases to provide: evidence of pre-incident activity; near-real-time notification of an incident occurring; first-hand reports of incident impacts; and gauging the community response to an emergency warning. Our tools have recently been deployed in a trial for use by crisis coordinators.

Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Supply Chains: A Matter of Life and Death

Abstract: With an increasing number of disasters disrupting commerce and community life around the world, it is timely to position humanitarian and disaster relief supply chains (HDRSC) within the broad field of supply chain management. This article presents a framework to that end. It distinguishes attributes of the environment that illustrate the difficulties encountered in supply chain management. Although considerable research has been conducted in logistics issues affecting HDRSCs, very little management research speaks to the complicating attributes. Thus, this article describes activities such as demand determination, supply chain coordination, recognizing when to move along the life cycle and post-disaster reconstruction that differentiates supply chain concerns from logistics concerns. From this backdrop, some of the areas where research into HDRSCs can inform supply chain management in general are presented. The article concludes by discussing critical areas of research need as identified by experienced practitioners. Research in these areas will provide insights for supply chain managers facing similar issues in other environments.

Exploring Social-Historical Ties on Location-Based Social Networks

Abstract: Location-based social networks (LBSNs) have become a popular form of social media in recent years. They provide location related services that allow users to “check-in” at geographical locations and share such experiences with their friends. Millions of “check-in” records in LBSNs contain rich information of social and geographical context and provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study user’s social behavior from a spatial-temporal aspect, which in turn enables a variety of services including place advertisement, traffic forecasting, and disaster relief. In this paper, we propose a social-historical model to explore user’s check-in behavior on LBSNs. Our model integrates the social and historical effects and assesses the role of social correlation in user’s check-in behavior. In particular, our model captures the property of user’s check-in history in forms of power-law distribution and short-term effect, and helps in explaining user’s check-in behavior. The experimental results on a real world LBSN demonstrate that our approach properly models user’s checkins and shows how social and historical ties can help location prediction.

Weather-Related Power Outages and Electric System Resiliency

Abstract: This report focuses on the impacts of sustained power outages as might result from the result of seasonal storms, and whether there is a role for the federal government in hastening the restoration of power from weather-related outages.

The Evolving Role of the Public Information Officer: An Examination of Social Media in Emergency Management

Abstract: Abstract This work examines how the introduction of social media has affected the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO)—the public relations component of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Through analysis of 25 PIO interviews, we examine the work practice of PIOs and find that social media expand not only the scope and type of PIO work activity, but also the “information pathways” that exist between PIOs, the media, and members of the public. We model these changes and examine how the presence of social media challenges previous conceptualizations of PIO work. Lastly, we present a view of how PIO work could be better imagined for the future of emergency management organizations.

Household Emergency Preparedness: A Literature Review

Abstract: Global policies on disaster risk reduction have highlighted individual and community responsibilities and roles in reducing risk and promoting coping capacity. Strengthening local preparedness is viewed as an essential element in effective response and recovery. This paper presents a synthesis of available literature on household preparedness published over the past 15 years. It emphasizes the complexity of preparedness, involving personal and contextual factors such as health status, self-efficacy, community support, and the nature of the emergency. In addition, people require sufficient knowledge, motivation and resources to engage in preparedness activities. Social networks have been identified as one such resource which contributes to resilience. A predominant gap in the literature is the need for evidence-informed strategies to overcome the identified challenges to household preparedness. In particular, the construct of social capital and how it can be used to foster individual and community capacity in emergency situations requires further study.

Personal disaster preparedness: an integrative review of the literature.

Abstract: Experts generally agree that individuals will require partial or complete self-sufficiency for at least the first 72 hours following a disaster. In the face of pervasive environmental and weather hazards, emerging biological threats, and growing population densities in urban areas, personal preparedness is critical. However, disaster planners and policymakers require further information to create meaningful improvements to this aspect of disaster preparedness. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the state of evidence concerning personal disaster preparedness. The purpose of this integrative review is to describe and analyze the professional literature as an intended basis for advancing the field of disaster management research and practice. Included in the review were 36 studies that met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The current evidence indicates that factors influencing preparedness attitudes and behaviors are complex and multifaceted, including demographic characteristics, trust in government efforts, previous exposure to a disaster, and number of dependents in a household. Furthermore, certain population groups, households, and individuals have different disaster preparedness needs and vulnerabilities. This constellation of findings has significant implications for community and national emergency planning and policymaking.

Mapping social vulnerability to enhance housing and neighborhood resilience

Abstract: Social factors influence the ability of coastal communities and their populations to anticipate, respond, resist, and recover from disasters. Galveston, TX, offers aunique opportunity to test the efficacy of social vulnerability mapping to identify inequalities in the ways that different parts of the community may react to a disaster. We describe spatial patterns of social vulnerability prior to 2008's Hurricane Ike and compare them to outcomes related to response, impact, recovery resources, and early stages of the rebuilding. Households and neighborhoods identified using vulnerability mapping experienced negative outcomes: later evacuation, a greater degree of damage sustained, fewer private and public resources for recovery, and slower and lower volumes of repair and rebuilding activity. Findings support using community vulnerability mapping as a tool for emergency management, hazard mitigation, and disaster recovery planning, helping communities to reduce losses and enhance response and recovery, ther...

Using social media to build community disaster resilience

Abstract: Several emergency management researchers and practitioners have suggested that the use of social media can help build community disaster resilience. This article develops a strategic framework for the social aspects of disaster resilience-building based on the Australian National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. It then investigates the current and potential use of social media related to the strategic framework. The article concludes by discussing the possible implications for emergency managers of using social media within such a framework.

From practice to theory: emerging lessons from Asia for building urban climate change resilience:

Abstract: This paper aims to capture and analyze emerging experiences, lessons and tensions evident from several years of work underway through the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network, a network of secondary cities in South and Southeast Asia that have engaged in a process to analyze vulnerabilities and plan and implement measures to address them. With the support of the Rockefeller Foundation and numerous partners, these cities have identified more than 59 specific resilience-building measures, of which 23 are being implemented. Through this work we see 10 critical urban climate change resilience action areas that cities must consider in order to strengthen their ability to anticipate, prepare for and respond to the types of sudden and slow onset impacts. These are: climate sensitive land use and urban planning; institutional coordination mechanisms and capacity support; drainage, flood and solid waste management; water demand and conservation systems; emergency management and early warning systems; res...

Emergency Preparedness and Public Health: The Lessons of Hurricane Sandy

Abstract: When Hurricane Sandy hit downtown Manhattan, three neighboring hospitals each made different decisions about when to evacuate. Across the metro region, more than five hospitals and over 20 nursing and assisted living facilities were evacuated, making this the central public health challenge of this calamitous event. It is a familiar story — a super storm comes ashore, infrastructure is overwhelmed, and healthcare facilities evacuate patients, with major delays in returning to normal functioning. Afterwards, policy makers evaluate lessons learned for the next disaster, but similar missteps are often repeated.Although not identical, it is instructive to compare Hurricane Katrina with the still unfolding events of Sandy. Unlike in Katrina, New York hospitals had more detailed emergency plans. What seemed to be missing, however, were clear and consistent criteria to guide evacuation decisions. Evacuation decisions are complex — a decision to evacuate prematurely places patients at risk, while waiting too long can have devastating consequences. Public officials, in collaboration with facilities, should decide whether to shelter in place or risk transfer of fragile patients. Governors should consider early emergency declarations, including request for a formal “public health emergency declaration”, to reduce legal concerns and regulatory constraints. Federal, state, and municipal authorities can better prepare for the next disaster and have a duty to do so.

Large scale simulation for human evacuation and rescue

Abstract: This paper surveys recent research on the use of sensor networks, communications and computer systems to enhance the human outcome of emergency situations. Areas covered include sensing, communication with evacuees and emergency personnel, path finding algorithms for safe evacuation, simulation and prediction, and decision tools. The systems being considered are a special instance of real-time cyber-physical-human systems that have become a crucial component of all large scale physical infrastructures such as buildings, campuses, sports and entertainment venues, and transportation hubs.

Communication Gaps in Disaster Management: Perceptions by Experts from Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations

Abstract: The complexity of current disasters creates a challenge for crisis communication. This paper aims at identifying gaps in communication in disaster management experienced in practice in order to facilitate learning from those situations. The research was conducted using a qualitative online open-ended questionnaire. It shows that despite the developments in the discipline, communication as an integral part of decision making in disaster management needs to be further developed. The paper provides a practical-oriented overview of the communication constraints in complex crisis situations, which has not been provided so far. This research is part of an international project developing performance indicators for a quality measurement system for crisis communication. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Multiple-resource and multiple-depot emergency response problem considering secondary disasters

Abstract: Optimal allocation of emergency resources is a crucial content of emergency management. It is a key step in emergency rescue and assistance. Multiple resources and potential secondary disasters are often neglected in the existing methods, which desperately need to be improved. In this paper, we formulate the emergency resource allocation problem with constraints of multiple resources and possible secondary disasters, and model the multiple resources and multiple emergency response depots problem considering multiple secondary disasters by an integer mathematical programming. For the complexity, a heuristic algorithm is designed to efficiently solve it based on linear programming and network optimization. The algorithm modifies the solutions of the linear programming by setting a priority of preference for each location where the secondary disasters will take place with certain possibilities. The numerical simulation provides evidence for its effectiveness and efficiency. Our method and algorithm can also be implemented in the practical applications with large-scale scenario.

Emergency Management Research and Practice in Public Administration: Emergence, Evolution, Expansion, and Future Directions

Abstract: In 1984, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) collaborated to foster a community of scholars focused on research and professional practice in emergency management. The intent was to build a community of researchers and professional practitioners who would support improved performance for an increasingly challenging set of problems confronting emergency managers at all levels of jurisdiction. The financial investment was small, but the NASPAA/FEMA initiative led to the evolution of a community of scholars engaged in emergency management research and professional practice. The authors review changes in FEMA since the 1984 workshop and the impact of the NASPAA/FEMA fellows on research and practice in emergency management, placing this initiative in the wider context of public administration.

Evaluating emergency response capacity by fuzzy AHP and 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic approach

Abstract: Emergency management (EM) is a very important issue with various kinds of emergency events frequently taking place. One of the most important components of EM is to evaluate the emergency response capacity (ERC) of emergency department or emergency alternative. Because of time pressure, lack of experience and data, experts often evaluate the importance and the ratings of qualitative criteria in the form of linguistic variable. This paper presents a hybrid fuzzy method consisting fuzzy AHP and 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic approach to evaluate emergency response capacity. This study has been done in three stages. In the first stage we present a hierarchy of the evaluation index system for emergency response capacity. In the second stage we use fuzzy AHP to analyze the structure of the emergency response capacity evaluation problem. Using linguistic variables, pairwise comparisons for the evaluation criteria and sub-criteria are made to determine the weights of the criteria and sub-criteria. In the third stage, the ratings of sub-criteria are assessed in linguistic values represented by triangular fuzzy numbers to express the qualitative evaluation of experts' subjective opinions, and the linguistic values are transformed into 2-tuples. Use the 2-tuple linguistic weighted average operator (LWAO) to compute the aggregated ratings of criteria and the overall emergency response capacity (OERC) of the emergency alternative. Finally, we demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the proposed hybrid fuzzy approach by means of comparing the emergency response capacity of three emergency alternatives.

Utilization of Social Media in the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and its Effectiveness

Abstract: During the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, newly popular social media such as Twitter and Facebook served as a lifeline for directly affected individuals, a means of information sharing, and a way for people inside and outside Japan to volunteer and to provide information-based support to affected individuals. Social media was used to perform vital relief functions such as safety identification, displaced-persons locating, damage information provision, support for disabled individuals, volunteer organization, fund-raising, and moral support systems. This study discusses the potential for public, civil society, and government organizations to utilize social media in disaster preparedness and response.

Climate Change, Disaster Risk, and the Urban Poor: Cities Building Resilience for a Changing World

Abstract: Poor people living in slums are at particularly high risk from the impacts of climate change and natural hazards. They live on the most vulnerable land within cities, typically areas deemed undesirable by others and thus affordable. This study analyzes the key challenges facing the urban poor, given the risks associated with climate change and disasters, particularly with regard to the delivery of basic services, and identifies strategies and financing opportunities for addressing these risks. The main audience for this study includes mayors and other city managers, national governments, donors, and practitioners in the fields of climate change, disaster-risk management, and urban development. The work is part of a broader program under the Mayor's task force on climate change, disaster risk and the urban poor. The study is organized in four chapters covering: 1) a broad look at climate change and disaster risk in cities of the developing world, with particular implications for the urban poor; 2) analysis of the vulnerability of the urban poor; 3) discussion of recommended approaches for building resilience for the urban poor; and 4) review of the financing opportunities for covering investments in basic services and other needs associated with climate and disaster risk.

Automatic sub-event detection in emergency management using social media

Abstract: Emergency management is about assessing critical situations, followed by decision making as a key step. Clearly, information is crucial in this two-step process. The technology of social (multi)media turns out to be an interesting source for collecting information about an emergency situation. In particular, situational information can be captured in form of pictures, videos, or text messages. The present paper investigates the application of multimedia metadata to identify the set of sub-events related to an emergency situation. The used metadata is compiled from Flickr and YouTube during an emergency situation, where the identification of the events relies on clustering. Initial results presented in this paper show how social media data can be used to detect different sub-events in a critical situation.

A generalized simulation model of an integrated emergency post

Abstract: This paper discusses the development of a discrete-event simulation model for an integrated emergency post. This post is a collaboration between a general practitioners post and an emergency department within a hospital. We present a generalized and flexible simulation model, which can easily be adapted to several emergency departments as well as to other departments within the hospital, as we demonstrate with our application to the integrated emergency post. Here, generalization relates to the way we model patient flow, patient prioritization, resource allocation, and process handling. After presenting the modeling approach, we shortly describe the implemented and validated model of the integrated emergency post, and describe how it is currently being used by health care managers to analyze the effects of organizational interventions.

The role of Twitter during a natural disaster: Case study of 2011 Thai Flood

Abstract: With the emergence of Web 2.0, social media became a key platform that allowed people to interact and share information. Unlike traditional internet media, the Web 2.0 platform facilitates not only users' ability to access information; but also their ability to comment on information already existing in the web sphere, and to publish or republish information. Over the last few years, users of social media have played an increasing role in the dissemination of emergency and disaster information. In this paper, we conduct a case study exploring how Thai people used social media such as Twitter in response to one of the country's worst disasters in recent history: the 2011 Thai Flood. By analyzing these user-generated messages we may assist local communities in obtaining up-to-date information; emergency rescuers in providing assistance according to the needs of the populace in a timely manner or government agencies in analyzing and developing methods to use similar information to better centralize, coordinate, manage and plan disaster relief both during and after the event.

Emergency alternative evaluation under group decision makers: A method of incorporating DS/AHP with extended TOPSIS

Abstract: How to select suitable emergency alternative is critical to emergency management and has attracted much attention for both researchers and practitioners. In the process of evaluating emergency alternative problems, there usually exists incomplete and uncertain information, and the decision makers can not easily express their judgments on the candiates with exact and crisp values. The Dempster-Shafer theory (DST) is well suited for dealing with such problems and can generate comprehensive assessments for different alternatives. In this paper, the DS/AHP method and extended TOPSIS method are incorporated to solve group multi-criteria decision making (GMCDM) problems with incomplete information. The proposed method involves three steps: (1) Identify the focal elements of each decision maker according to the group decision matrix. (2) Construct the group weighted normalized belief interval decision matrix using Dempster's rule of combination. (3) Propose the Extended TOPSIS approach for group interval data to rank the emergency alternatives. In this method, the positive ideal solution vector is defined as the maximum plausibility of all emergency alternatives with respect to each criterion, and the negative ideal solution vector is defined as the minimum belief of all emergency alternatives with respect to each criterion. An emergency alternative evaluation selection problem is taken as an illustrative example to demonstrate the feasibility and practicability of the proposed methods for group decision making in emergency management.