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Showing papers on "Emergency management published in 2014"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The widespread adoption and use of social media by members of the public throughout the world heralds a new age in which it is imperative that emergency managers adapt their working practices to the challenge and potential of this development, but they must heed the ethical warnings and ensure that social media are not abused or misused when crises and emergencies occur.
Abstract: This paper reviews the actual and potential use of social media in emergency, disaster and crisis situations. This is a field that has generated intense interest. It is characterised by a burgeoning but small and very recent literature. In the emergencies field, social media (blogs, messaging, sites such as Facebook, wikis and so on) are used in seven different ways: listening to public debate, monitoring situations, extending emergency response and management, crowd-sourcing and collaborative development, creating social cohesion, furthering causes (including charitable donation) and enhancing research. Appreciation of the positive side of social media is balanced by their potential for negative developments, such as disseminating rumours, undermining authority and promoting terrorist acts. This leads to an examination of the ethics of social media usage in crisis situations. Despite some clearly identifiable risks, for example regarding the violation of privacy, it appears that public consensus on ethics will tend to override unscrupulous attempts to subvert the media. Moreover, social media are a robust means of exposing corruption and malpractice. In synthesis, the widespread adoption and use of social media by members of the public throughout the world heralds a new age in which it is imperative that emergency managers adapt their working practices to the challenge and potential of this development. At the same time, they must heed the ethical warnings and ensure that social media are not abused or misused when crises and emergencies occur.

435 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors combine theory and practice to develop an integrated supply chain resilience framework by investigating the interdependencies between the strategic literature based concept of supply-chain resilience and operational practitioner-based disaster management processes.
Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to combine theory and practice to develop an integrated supply chain resilience framework by investigating the inter-dependencies between the strategic literature based concept of supply chain resilience and operational practitioner based disaster management processes. Design/methodology/approach – Utilising an in-depth qualitative case of a collaborative agency, this study identifies best practices within disaster management for insights on the operationalisation of supply chain resilience. Findings – The empirical data leads to the development of an integrated supply chain resilience framework capturing the interplay of disaster management processes and capabilities required to build supply chain resilience. The critical importance of mitigation processes in building supply chain resilience is highlighted. Practical implications – The generic supply chain resilience framework represents a valuable guide for managers when directing resources and planning for building the capabil...

362 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The concept of multihop D2D communication network systems that are applicable to many different wireless technologies, and clarify requirements along with introducing open issues in such systems are proposed.
Abstract: The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami drastically changed Japanese society, and the requirements for ICT was completely redefined. After the disaster, it was impossible for disaster victims to utilize their communication devices, such as cellular phones, tablet computers, or laptop computers, to notify their families and friends of their safety and confirm the safety of their loved ones since the communication infrastructures were physically damaged or lacked the energy necessary to operate. Due to this drastic event, we have come to realize the importance of device-to-device communications. With the recent increase in popularity of D2D communications, many research works are focusing their attention on a centralized network operated by network operators and neglect the importance of decentralized infrastructureless multihop communication, which is essential for disaster relief applications. In this article, we propose the concept of multihop D2D communication network systems that are applicable to many different wireless technologies, and clarify requirements along with introducing open issues in such systems. The first generation prototype of relay by smartphone can deliver messages using only users' mobile devices, allowing us to send out emergency messages from disconnected areas as well as information sharing among people gathered in evacuation centers. The success of field experiments demonstrates steady advancement toward realizing user-driven networking powered by communication devices independent of operator networks.

350 citations


Proceedings ArticleDOI
26 Apr 2014
TL;DR: It is proposed that flexibility is important in considering future emergency online communication policy, and design recommendations for making online communication media more "listenable" for both emergency managers and members of the public are proposed.
Abstract: Social media and other online communication tools are a subject of great interest in mass emergency response. Members of the public are turning to these solutions to seek and offer emergency information. Emergency responders are working to determine what social media policies should be in terms of their "public information" functions. We report on the online communications from all the coastal fire and police departments within a 100 mile radius of Hurricane Sandy's US landfall. Across four types of online communication media, we collected data from 840 fire and police departments. Findings indicate that few departments used these online channels in their Sandy response efforts, and that communications differed between fire and police departments and across media type. However, among the highly engaged departments, there is evidence that they bend and adapt policies about what constitutes appropriate public communication in the face of emergency demands; therefore, we propose that flexibility is important in considering future emergency online communication policy. We conclude with design recommendations for making online communication media more "listenable" for both emergency managers and members of the public.

256 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a summary literature review and overview framework to help communities systematically consider the factors and linkages that would influence consequences of a potential oil spill, focusing on spills from oil tanker accidents.
Abstract: As oil transportation worldwide continues to increase, many communities are at risk of oil spill disasters and must anticipate and prepare for them. Factors that influence oil spill consequences are myriad and range from the biophysical to the social. We provide a summary literature review and overview framework to help communities systematically consider the factors and linkages that would influence consequences of a potential oil spill. The focus is on spills from oil tanker accidents. Drawing primarily on empirical studies of previous oil spill disasters, we focused on several main domains of interest: the oil spill itself, disaster management, the physical marine environment, marine biology, human health, economy, and policy. Key variables that influence the severity of consequences are identified, and significant interactions between variables are delineated. The framework can be used to clarify the complexity of oil spill impacts, identify lessons that may be transferable from other oil spill disasters, develop scenarios for planning, and inform risk analysis and policy debates in localities that are seeking to understand and reduce their vulnerability to potential spill disasters. As a case study, the framework is used to consider potential oil spills and consequences in Vancouver, Canada. Major increases in oil tanker traffic are anticipated in this region, creating urgent new demands for risk information, disaster management planning, and policy responses. The case study identifies particular conditions that distinguish the Vancouver context from other historic events; in particular, proximity to a densely populated urban area, the type of oil being transported, financial compensation schemes, and local economic structure. Drawing lessons from other oil spill disasters is important but should be undertaken with recognition of these key differences. Some types of impacts that have been relatively inconsequential in previous events may be very significant in a Vancouver case.

218 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A systematic review of contributions on relief distribution networks in response to disasters focusing on the logistics aspects of the problem, which despite the number of previous reviews has been overlooked in the past is presented.
Abstract: In the last 20 years, Emergency Management has received increasing attention from the scientific community. Meanwhile, the study of relief distribution networks has become one of the most popular topics within the Emergency Management field. In fact, the number and variety of contributions devoted to the design or the management of relief distribution networks has exploded in the recent years, motivating the need for a structured and systematic analysis of the works on this specific topic. To this end, this paper presents a systematic review of contributions on relief distribution networks in response to disasters. Through a systematic and scientific methodology, it gathers and consolidates the published research works in a transparent and objective way. It pursues three goals. First, to conduct an up-to-date survey of the research in relief distribution networks focusing on the logistics aspects of the problem, which despite the number of previous reviews has been overlooked in the past. Second, to highlight the trends and the most promising challenges in the modeling and resolution approaches and, finally, to identify future research perspectives that need to be explored.

208 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a complex adaptive supply network (CASN) lens is used to frame what existing literature has uncovered regarding disaster relief efforts, showing how important differences in the flows of resource, money, and information are identified.
Abstract: The frequency and intensity of disasters continue to increase. Following large-scale and catastrophic disasters, local organisations integrate with other responding organisations to form hastily disaster relief supply chain networks. Such supply networks are infrequently activated in a single location, generate unparalleled uncertainty, change quickly, and are driven by the urgency of saving lives and restoring livelihoods. Unfortunately, even where sound supply chain management practices are used, supply networks have encountered diverse levels of resilience and adequate disaster relief performance has remained elusive. In this paper, several unique characteristics that disaster relief efforts exhibit are examined as compared with demand-driven, steady-state supply chains. Important differences in the flows of resource, money, and information are identified. A complex adaptive supply network (CASN) lens is used to frame what existing literature has uncovered regarding disaster relief efforts, showing how...

184 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a bi-level, three-stage Stochastic Mathematical Program with Equilibrium Constraints (SMPEC) is proposed for quantifying and optimizing travel time resilience in roadway networks under non-recurring natural or human-induced disaster events.
Abstract: A bi-level, three-stage Stochastic Mathematical Program with Equilibrium Constraints (SMPEC) is proposed for quantifying and optimizing travel time resilience in roadway networks under non-recurring natural or human-induced disaster events. At the upper-level, a sequence of optimal preparedness and response decisions is taken over pre-event mitigation and preparedness and post-event response stages of the disaster management life cycle. Assuming semi-adaptive user behavior exists shortly after the disaster and after the implementation of immediate response actions, the lower-level problem is formulated as a Partial User Equilibrium, where only affected users are likely to rethink their routing decisions. An exact Progressive Hedging Algorithm is presented for solution of a single-level equivalent, linear approximation of the SMPEC. A recently proposed technique from the literature that uses Schur’s decomposition with SOS1 variables in creating a linear equivalent to complementarity constraints is employed. Similarly, recent advances in piecewise linearization are exploited in addressing nonseparable link travel time functions. The formulation and solution methodology are demonstrated on an illustrative example.

179 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results of the field tests and the simulation studies show that the proposed system can be successfully used in case of disasters to establish an emergency communications system.

172 citations


Proceedings ArticleDOI
24 Aug 2014
TL;DR: A model of human behavior is developed that takes into account social relationship, intensity of disaster, damage level, government appointed shelters, news reporting, large population flow and etc. for accurately predicting human emergency behavior and their mobility following large-scale disaster.
Abstract: The frequency and intensity of natural disasters has significantly increased over the past decades and this trend is predicted to continue. Facing these possible and unexpected disasters, accurately predicting human emergency behavior and their mobility will become the critical issue for planning effective humanitarian relief, disaster management, and long-term societal reconstruction. In this paper, we build up a large human mobility database (GPS records of 1.6 million users over one year) and several different datasets to capture and analyze human emergency behavior and their mobility following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident. Based on our empirical analysis through these data, we find that human behavior and their mobility following large-scale disaster sometimes correlate with their mobility patterns during normal times, and are also highly impacted by their social relationship, intensity of disaster, damage level, government appointed shelters, news reporting, large population flow and etc. On the basis of these findings, we develop a model of human behavior that takes into account these factors for accurately predicting human emergency behavior and their mobility following large-scale disaster. The experimental results and validations demonstrate the efficiency of our behavior model, and suggest that human behavior and their movements during disasters may be significantly more predictable than previously thought.

169 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A prototype of a computer simulation and decision support system that uses agent-based modeling to simulate crowd evacuation in the presence of a fire disaster and provides for testing of multiple disaster scenarios at virtually no cost is presented.
Abstract: A key activity in emergency management is planning and preparation for disaster. If the right safety measures are implemented beforehand, harmful effects can be significantly mitigated. However, evaluation and selection of effective measures is difficult due to the numerous scenarios that exist in most emergency environments coupled with the high associated cost of testing such scenarios. An agent-based system employs a computational model of autonomous interacting agents in an environment with the purpose of assessing the emergent behavior of the group. This paper presents a prototype of a computer simulation and decision support system that uses agent-based modeling to simulate crowd evacuation in the presence of a fire disaster and provides for testing of multiple disaster scenarios at virtually no cost. The prototype is unique in the current literature as it is specifically designed to simulate a concert venue setting such as a stadium or auditorium and is highly configurable allowing for user definition of concert venues with any arrangement of seats, pathways, stages, exits, and people as well as the definition of multiple fires with fire and smoke dynamics included.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work demonstrates how to improve investigation by analyzing the extracted public behavior responses from social media before, during and after natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the performance of different preparedness scenarios and found that the best performance can be achieved when combining both preparedness strategies, allocating part of the available funding to disaster management capabilities and part to pre-positioning inventory.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Oct 2014-Chest
TL;DR: Suggestions are presented pertaining to surge capacity mass critical care, including requirements for equipment, supplies, and pharmaceuticals; staff preparation and organization; methods of mitigating overwhelming patient loads; the role of deployable critical care services; and the use of transportation assets to support the surge response.

MonographDOI
24 Jun 2014
TL;DR: In this article, the authors summarized the lessons learned from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and provided guidance to other disaster-prone countries for mainstreaming disaster risk management in their development policies.
Abstract: On March 11, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan's Tohoku region. The Great East Japan Earthquake was the first disaster ever recorded that included an earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear power plant accident, a power supply failure, and a large-scale disruption of supply chains. This report consolidates the set of 36 Knowledge Notes, research results of the joint study undertaken by the Government of Japan and the World Bank. It summarizes the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and provides guidance to other disaster-prone countries for mainstreaming disaster risk management in their development policies. It is clear that financial resources alone are not sufficient to deal with disasters and to spur development. Technical assistance and capacity building are equally important. In Japan's case, the project learned how communities can play a critical role in preparing for and coping with natural disasters. Communities can help prevent damage from spreading, maintain social order, and provide support to the vulnerable. Only through technical cooperation can such know-how be passed on to other countries and be adapted to their local circumstances. The chapters that make up the main body of this report are built around the disciplines employed in the traditional disaster risk management cycle. Grouped into seven thematic clusters that track that cycle, the chapters treat structural measures (part 1) and nonstructural measures (part 2) as preventive options. Also covered is the emergency responses put in place after March 11 (part 3) and described the planning behind the reconstruction process (part 4). The handling of risk assessment and communication before and after the disaster are the subject of part 5. Part 6 deals with risk financing, insurance, and fiscal and financial management; part 7 with the progress of recovery and relocation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A clustering-procedure-based approach to the design of a system that integrates cellular and ad hoc operation modes depending on the availability of infrastructure nodes is proposed, and system simulations demonstrate the viability of the proposed design.
Abstract: Device-to-device (D2D) communications have been proposed as an underlay to long-term evolution (LTE) networks as a means of harvesting the proximity, reuse, and hop gains. However, D2D communications can also serve as a technology component for providing public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) and national security and public safety (NSPS) services. In the United States, for example, spectrum has been reserved in the 700-MHz band for an LTE-based public safety network. The key requirement for the evolving broadband PPDR and NSPS services capable systems is to provide access to cellular services when the infrastructure is available and to efficiently support local services even if a subset or all of the network nodes become dysfunctional due to public disaster or emergency situations. This paper reviews some of the key requirements, technology challenges, and solution approaches that must be in place in order to enable LTE networks and, in particular, D2D communications, to meet PPDR and NSPS-related requirements. In particular, we propose a clustering-procedure-based approach to the design of a system that integrates cellular and ad hoc operation modes depending on the availability of infrastructure nodes. System simulations demonstrate the viability of the proposed design. The proposed scheme is currently considered as a technology component of the evolving 5G concept developed by the European 5G research project METIS.

Journal ArticleDOI
25 Aug 2014-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: A standard operating procedure should be developed to enable multiple responders to monitor, synchronize and integrate their social media feeds during emergencies, providing clear guidelines for communications and a hierarchy for dispersing information to the public and among responding organizations.
Abstract: On September 2013 an attack on the Westgate mall in Kenya led to a four day siege, resulting in 67 fatalities and 175 wounded. During the crisis, Twitter became a crucial channel of communication between the government, emergency responders and the public, facilitating the emergency management of the event. The objectives of this paper are to present the main activities, use patterns and lessons learned from the use of the social media in the crisis. Using TwitterMate, a system developed to collect, store and analyze tweets, the main hashtags generated by the crowd and specific Twitter accounts of individuals, emergency responders and NGOs, were followed throughout the four day siege. A total of 67,849 tweets were collected and analyzed. Four main categories of hashtags were identified: geographical locations, terror attack, social support and organizations. The abundance of Twitter accounts providing official information made it difficult to synchronize and follow the flow of information. Many organizations posted simultaneously, by their manager and by the organization itself. Creating situational awareness was facilitated by information tweeted by the public. Threat assessment was updated through the information posted on social media. Security breaches led to the relay of sensitive data. At times, misinformation was only corrected after two days. Social media offer an accessible, widely available means for a bi-directional flow of information between the public and the authorities. In the crisis, all emergency responders used and leveraged social media networks for communicating both with the public and among themselves. A standard operating procedure should be developed to enable multiple responders to monitor, synchronize and integrate their social media feeds during emergencies. This will lead to better utilization and optimization of social media resources during crises, providing clear guidelines for communications and a hierarchy for dispersing information to the public and among responding organizations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a new multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model is developed for preparation planning phase of disaster management, inspired from a real case study of an urban district in Iran, which considers both humanitarian and cost-based objectives in a goal-programming approach.
Abstract: Thousands of victims and millions of affected people are consequences of natural disasters, every year. Therefore, it is essential to prepare a proper response program that considers early activities of disaster management. In urban areas, local organizations and municipal authorities are responsible for disaster-related operations such as providing emergency shelters, proper equipment, and relief supplies in order to reduce sufferings of survivors. In this paper, a new multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model is developed for preparation planning phase of disaster management. The proposed model is inspired from a real case study of an urban district in Iran, which considers both humanitarian- and cost-based objectives in a goal-programming approach. Proactive damage estimation result of Risk Assessment tool for Diagnosis of Urban Areas against Seismic Disaster software is used as an input in order to allocate affected people to local emergency management facilities that should be established. The location allocation model is solved for both current municipal subregional zoning and a virtual zoning approach that creates auxiliary cells. Mathematical results show that the second approach can reduce logistic costs and increase total coverage simultaneously. In other words, using virtual zones would help the authorities create a better collaboration between neighboring local areas and as a result, efficiency of the decisions improves.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Sep 2014
TL;DR: By optimizing the five CSFs, the effectiveness and efficiency of the whole emergency management could be greatly promoted, according to the fact that performance of emergency management is affected by many factors.
Abstract: As the result of the warmer climate and the worse environment, human beings are facing with more serious natural disasters. It is urgent to improve emergency management. Due to the fact that performance of emergency management is affected by many factors, it is difficult to improve all of them in limited resources. Thus, a feasible way is to figure out some important and urgent ones to optimize. For this purpose, a new method identifying the critical success factors (CSF) is proposed in this paper. In this method, the evaluations of influencing factors in the form of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs) are converted into basic probability assignments (BPAs). Then Dempster-Shafer theory is adopted to combine group decision. By doing so, there is no need for defuzzification of IFNs, and DEMATEL is applied on each fused BPA to seek for a final result from different aspects. Finally, five CSFs are found out. By optimizing the five CSFs, the effectiveness and efficiency of the whole emergency management could be greatly promoted.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that rational actors will invest more in trying to prevent and mitigate damage the larger a country's propensity to experience frequent and strong natural hazards, and they employ quantile regression analysis in a global sample to test these predictions, focusing on the three disaster types causing the vast majority of damage worldwide.
Abstract: Economic damage from natural hazards can sometimes be prevented and always mitigated. However, private individuals tend to underinvest in such measures due to problems of collective action, information asymmetry and myopic behavior. Governments, which can in principle correct these market failures, themselves face incentives to underinvest in costly disaster prevention policies and damage mitigation regulations. Yet, disaster damage varies greatly across countries. We argue that rational actors will invest more in trying to prevent and mitigate damage the larger a country's propensity to experience frequent and strong natural hazards. Accordingly, economic loss from an actually occurring disaster will be smaller the larger a country's disaster propensity - holding everything else equal, such as hazard magnitude, the country's total wealth and per capita income. At the same time, damage is not entirely preventable and smaller losses tend to be random. Disaster propensity will therefore have a larger marginal effect on larger predicted damages than on smaller ones. We employ quantile regression analysis in a global sample to test these predictions, focusing on the three disaster types causing the vast majority of damage worldwide: earthquakes, floods and tropical cyclones.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the research conducted on material convergence, which is one of the most important and, ironically, oneof the most understudied disaster phenomena, and provide policy suggestions regarding the use of appropriate material convergence management and control strategies.
Abstract: This paper reports the research conducted on material convergence, which is one of the most important and, ironically, one of the most understudied disaster phenomena. This spontaneous flow of supplies, equipment, and general donations to the impacted area brings much-needed relief and major complications to the operations. The paper reviews empirical evidence from disaster literature and complements it with lessons learned from fieldwork to identify the problems created by the nonpriority component of the material convergence. The paper ends with policy suggestions regarding the use of appropriate material convergence management and control strategies.

Journal ArticleDOI
Bin Wang1, Haijiang Li1, Yacine Rezgui1, Alex Bradley1, Hoang N. Ong1 
TL;DR: A BIM based virtual environment supported by virtual reality (VR) and a serious game engine to address several key issues for building emergency management, for example, timely two-way information updating and better emergency awareness training.
Abstract: Recent building emergency management research has highlighted the need for the effective utilization of dynamically changing building information. BIM (building information modelling) can play a significant role in this process due to its comprehensive and standardized data format and integrated process. This paper introduces a BIM based virtual environment supported by virtual reality (VR) and a serious game engine to address several key issues for building emergency management, for example, timely two-way information updating and better emergency awareness training. The focus of this paper lies on how to utilize BIM as a comprehensive building information provider to work with virtual reality technologies to build an adaptable immersive serious game environment to provide real-time fire evacuation guidance. The innovation lies on the seamless integration between BIM and a serious game based virtual reality (VR) environment aiming at practical problem solving by leveraging state-of-the-art computing technologies. The system has been tested for its robustness and functionality against the development requirements, and the results showed promising potential to support more effective emergency management.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that resilience operates through an affective economy of fear, hope, and confidence that enacts an immunitary biopolitics, and they propose a new ethical and political imperatives in disaster management that value adaptive capacity as the vital force of new socioecological futures, rather than as an object of governmental intervention and control.
Abstract: Resilience has become a foundational component within disaster management policy frameworks concerned with building �cultures of safety� among vulnerable populations. These attempts at social engineering are justified through a discourse of agency and empowerment, in which resilience programming is said to enable marginalized groups to become self-sufficient and manage their own vulnerabilities. This paper seeks to destabilize this political imaginary through a critical analysis of participatory disaster resilience programming in Jamaica. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted with Jamaica�s national disaster management agency, I argue that resilience operates through an affective economy of fear, hope, and confidence that enacts an immunitary biopolitics. The object of this biopolitics is excess adaptive capacity that results from affective relations between participants and their socioecological milieu. Participatory techniques such as transect walks, focus groups, and education programs attempt to encode and manipulate these affective relations in order to construct an artificial and depoliticized form of adaptive capacity that does not threaten neoliberal order. Recognizing the immunological logic at the heart of disaster resilience opens up new ethical and political imperatives in disaster management that value adaptive capacity as the vital force of new socioecological futures, rather than as an object of governmental intervention and control

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results show that the southwestern and central parts of the study area possess higher risk, while the northwestern and southeastern parts possess lower risk, and the assessment model fits the area of historical flood data.
Abstract: This study presents the methodology and procedure for risk assessment of flood disasters in central Liaoning Province, which was supported by geographical information systems (GIS) and technology of natural disaster risk assessment. On the basis of the standard formulation of natural disaster risk and flood disaster risk index, of which weights were developed using combined weights of entropy, the relative membership degree functions of variable fuzzy set (VFS) theory were calculated using improved set pair analysis, while level values were calculated using VFSs, including hazard levels, exposure levels, vulnerability levels and restorability levels, and the flood risk level for each assessment unit was obtained using the natural disaster index method. Consequently, integrated flood risk map was carried out by GIS spatial analysis technique. The results show that the southwestern and central parts of the study area possess higher risk, while the northwestern and southeastern parts possess lower risk. The results got by the assessment model fits the area of historical flood data; this study offer new insights and possibility to carry out an efficient way for flood disaster prevention and mitigation. The study also provides scientific reference in flood risk management for local and national governmental agencies.

01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: This paper presents a meta-analysis of an Australian nursing partnership to improve disaster response capacity and concludes that the partnership should be extended to include medical professionals from outside Australia.
Abstract: To cite this document:Marion Lucy Mitchell Benjamin Mackie Leanne M Aitken Loretta McKinnon , (2014),"Evaluation of an Australian nursingpartnership to improve disaster response capacity", Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, Vol. 23Iss 5 pp. -Permanent link to this document:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/DPM-04-2014-0069Downloaded on: 06 October 2014, At: 19:42 (PT)References: this document contains references to 0 other documents.To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.comThe fulltext of this document has been downloaded 10 times since 2014*

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, vehicle supply chains (VSCs) in support of humanitarian field operations are modeled to examine the effects of earmarked funding on disaster response programs in a decentralized setting.
Abstract: The work of international humanitarian organizations (IHOs) frequently involves operating in remote locations, decentralized decision-making, and the simultaneous implementation of development and disaster response programs. A large proportion of this work is funded by �earmarked� donations, since donors often exhibit a preference for the programs they are willing to fund. From extensive research involving qualitative descriptions and quantitative data, and applying system dynamics methodology, we model vehicle supply chains (VSCs) in support of humanitarian field operations. Our efforts encompass the often-overlooked decentralized environment by incorporating the three different VSC structures that IHOs operate, as well as examining the entire mix of development and disaster response programs, and the specific (and virtually unexplored) effects of earmarked funding. Our results suggest that earmarked funding causes a real�and negative�operational impact on humanitarian disaster response programs in a decentralized setting.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results reveal that both attitude and perceived usefulness demonstrate a good prediction power of behavioural intention and the role of trust as the most influential determinant of individual perception of the usefulness of the services.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the effectiveness of interorganizational coordination and collaboration in response to the Boston Marathon bombings by applying a social network analysis to compare the disaster response networks embodied in formal disaster preparedness plans with the actual response networks.
Abstract: In light of recent disasters, it is evident that more research is needed to understand how organizations can effectively coordinate disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. This research assesses the effectiveness of interorganizational coordination and collaboration in response to the Boston Marathon bombings. After reviewing the major changes in federal emergency management policies and frameworks since September 11, 2001, this article applies a social network analysis to compare the disaster response networks embodied in formal disaster preparedness plans with the actual response networks. Data come from content analyses of the Boston Emergency Operations Plan, national and local newspaper articles, after-action reports, and situation reports. The timely response to the bombings is attributable to long-term institutionalized planning efforts; multiple platforms established for frequent interorganizational interactions through formal plans, training, and exercises prior to disasters; and an integrated communication system.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is indicated that the extent to which a model is useful not only depends on the type and quality of its output, but also on how fast and flexible a model can be.
Abstract: Flood simulation models can provide practitioners of Flood Disaster Management with sophisticated estimates of floods. Despite the advantages that flood simulation modeling may provide, experiences have proven that these models are of limited use. Until now, this problem has mainly been investigated by evaluations of which information is demanded by decision-makers versus what models can actually offer. However, the goal of this study is to investigate how model information is exchanged among participants in flood disaster organizations and how this exchange affects the use of modeling information. Our findings indicate that the extent to which a model is useful not only depends on the type and quality of its output, but also on how fast and flexible a model can be. In addition, methods of model use are required that support a fast exchange of model information between participants in the flood disaster organization. Decisions during flood disasters are little supported by information from flood models.The practical process of decision-making is not well acknowledged in existing evaluations about the limited use of models.Decisions happen in a dynamic network of participants, exchanging information and knowledge.Social Network Analysis provides insight in how model information flows through this network.Delays, caused by technical and organizational limitations, are the main barrier for model use.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The concept of multihop D2D communication network systems that are applicable to many different wireless technologies, and clarify requirements along with introducing open issues in such systems are proposed.
Abstract: The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami drastically changed Japanese society, and the requirements for ICT was completely redefined. After the disaster, it was impossible for disaster victims to utilize their communication devices, such as cellular phones, tablet computers, or laptop computers, to notify their families and friends of their safety and confirm the safety of their loved ones since the communication infrastructures were physically damaged or lacked the energy necessary to operate. Due to this drastic event, we have come to realize the importance of device-to-device communications. With the recent increase in popularity of D2D communications, many research works are focusing their attention on a centralized network operated by network operators and neglect the importance of decentralized infrastructureless multihop communication, which is essential for disaster relief applications. In this article, we propose the concept of multihop D2D communication network systems that are applicable to many different wireless technologies, and clarify requirements along with introducing open issues in such systems. The first generation prototype of relay by smartphone can deliver messages using only users' mobile devices, allowing us to send out emergency messages from disconnected areas as well as information sharing among people gathered in evacuation centers. The success of field experiments demonstrates steady advancement toward realizing user-driven networking powered by communication devices independent of operator networks.