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Responding to a healthcare crisis such as COVID-19 requires a practiced, nimble incident command structure. Our medical center is in one of the areas in the US that was hardest hit by the initial wave. Effective leadership of incident command was critical in our response.

South Korea established the National Construction Standards Center to efficiently manage the national construction standards and orchestrate various efforts such as the development and export of the unified code system, and the conduction of code reform research for securing safety and ever increasing disaster prevention of buildings and infrastructure. Significant national budgets must be put in place to develop, promote, and continually improve the unified construction code system. In order to confirm the appropriateness of this continuous investment, this article intends to estimate the socioeconomic ripple effect of the coordinated efforts over the next 30 years by developing a hybrid method that combines an analytical hierarchical process and system dynamics (SD). In this article, the interacting behavior of the developed SD model is illustrated parametrically. We found that the center's integrative codification efforts including the development and diffusion of the unified code system has the effect of offsetting the decreasing national construction budget. We also found that the Monte Carlo multivariate simulation-based uncertainty analysis on the developed SD model is well-suited for effectively quantifying and integrating various benefits to empower decision makers; in particular, providing information both on the mean and the most conservative socioeconomic ripple effects over the long term.

Objectives Information on knowledge of public health professionals about health aspects of the human–animal interface, referred to as One Health, is limited. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with animal welfare attitudes, practices, and One Health awareness among US Public Health Service (USPHS) officers to assess preparedness for public health response. Methods USPHS officers participated in an online, self-administered survey from February 15 through March 2, 2018. A total of 1133 of 6474 (17.5%) USPHS officers responded. We collected information on officers’ demographic characteristics, animal welfare attitudes and practices, volunteer and work exposure to animals, and One Health knowledge. We compared (1) One Health knowledge and animal work exposure (deployment, regular assignment, or none) and (2) animal welfare importance and animal work exposure. To adjust for demographic characteristics associated with One Health knowledge, we used multivariable logistic regression. Results One-third of nonveterinary officers reported encountering animals during deployment, and 65% reported that animal welfare was very or extremely important. We found no difference in One Health knowledge between nonveterinary officers who participated in deployments involving animals and nonveterinary officers who had no work exposure to animals (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.71-1.75). Nonveterinary officers who participated in animal-related public health activities during regular assignment were more likely to have One Health knowledge than nonveterinary officers who had no work exposure to animals (aOR = 7.88; 95% CI, 5.36-11.59). Conclusions One Health knowledge and awareness should be further explored in the current US public health workforce to identify training needs for emergency preparedness and other collaborative opportunities.

The occurrence of a sudden, calamitous, and unfortunate event requires a quick response that can reduce damage and save lives, fulfilling the basic humanitarian needs of the affected population. National or international organizations and agencies may be initiated to provide assistance but local agencies need to act as soon as possible, because they are familiar with the geographical location as well as the local conditions of the affected areas. Effective coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly when resources are limited in the local agencies and the demands are more. In such conditions, it becomes a challenging job for the agencies to distribute resources so that the resources are optimally used. This article is initiated to address the challenging fact by introducing the concept of priority measure for demands. In this regard, ranking of the affected areas based on resource requirement for a disaster scenario is evaluated through a multicriteria decision-making process. A formula is developed to find the numerical value of priority factor collecting the responses of requirement of relief materials using information crowdsourcing. To this contingent, a three-echelon emergency solid transportation problem is formulated, in which the demand with the most priority is fulfilled by the local agencies in echelon-I, and the remaining demand is fulfilled by the other national or international agencies in echelon-II along with a restoration of local agencies in echelon-III. A numerical example is presented for the sake of model performance and to test the convergence using LINGO and CPLEX optimization solvers. The model is also designed using a genetic algorithm to obtain the optimal solution. Moreover, a brief analysis of the model is presented by considering 11 different numerical instances to enhance the efficacy of the model in real-life applications.

Big data provided by social media has been increasingly used in various fields of research including disaster studies and emergency management. Effective data visualization plays a central role in generating meaningful insight from big data. However, big data visualization has been a challenge due to the high complexity and high dimensionality of it. The purpose of this study is to examine how the number and spatial distribution of tweets changed on the day Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Houston, Texas. For this purpose, this study analyzed the change in tweeting activity between the Friday of Hurricane Harvey and a typical Friday before the event.

Introduction: Estrogen deficiency is the main risk factor of articular cartilage degeneration, leading to postmenopausal osteoarthritis. Moreover, there were imperfect estrogen-responsive elements that did exist in the 5’-untranslated region of Notch1 and Jagged1. So, our aim was exploring the relationship between estrogen deficiency and the Notch signaling in postmenopausal osteoarthritis. Methods: These rats were divided into four groups as follows1. bilateral ovariectomy and intra-articular injection of collagenase, 2. bilateral ovariectomy, 3. intra-articular injection of collagenase, 4. intra-articular injection of normal saline. Histological and immunohistochemical staining of joint cartilage were used to evaluate the osteoarthritis model, including the morphological changes of articular cartilage and the relative expression of osteoarthritic biomarkers (IL-1β, MMP-1, and type II collagen). The Notch signaling expression (Notch2) were detected using immunohistochemical staining. In addition, the correlation between the osteoarthritic biomarkers and the Notch2 was also investigated. Results: The expression level of Notch signaling were significantly decreased in the postmenopausal osteoarthritic joint, comparing with other groups. No significant differences were observed in all noncollagenase induced joint, regardless of whether being undergone ovariectomy. The expression of Notch2 was negatively correlated to IL-1β and MMP-1 in osteoarthritisoppositely, it was positively correlated to type II collagen. Conclusion: the results hinted that estrogen deficiency reduced the expression of Notch signaling in osteoarthritic joint. Thus, the Notch signaling could be a potential target for treating postmenopausal osteoarthritis.

PSA visual risk analysis of community-oriented policing. To get the message across. Collaborative justice and community-policing deprive the rights of the accused andinterfere with critical state emergency management systemsresponse and reporting requirements. 1. Please do not encourage arbitrary law enforcement. 2. Please do not pass government encroachment off to third-party middlemen. 3. Please do not fund the unjust enrichment of interests that favor displacement and nonfeasance in criminal law enforcement. 4. Please respect the privacy and rights of the accused. We are a constitutional nation. There is no place for "alternative justice." Without rights and process of the law, I am no longer citizen. I am chattel. &nbsp

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated an acute blood shortage for medical transfusions, exacerbating an already tenuous blood supply system in the United States, contributing to the public health crisis, and raising deeper questions regarding emergency preparedness planning for ensuring blood availability. However, these issues around blood availability during the pandemic are related primarily to the decline in supply caused by reduced donations during the pandemic rather than increased demand for transfusion of patients with COVID-19. The challenges to ensure a safe blood supply during the pandemic will continue until a vaccine is developed, effective treatments are available, or the virus goes away. If this virus or a similar virus were capable of transmission through blood, it would have a catastrophic impact on the health care system, causing a future public health emergency that would jeopardize the national blood supply. In this article, we identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood supply adequacy, discuss the public health implications, propose recovery strategies, and present recommendations for preparing for the next disruption in blood supply driven by a public health emergency.

Relief demand forecasting is vital to the success of disaster relief operations, but it is associated with challenges including insufficient training samples, incomplete and imprecise inputs, and inaccurate demands. This paper presents a co-evolutionary fuzzy deep transfer learning (CoFDTL) method for relief demand forecasting where different types of disasters (e.g., earthquake, typhoon, and flood) are considered as different tasks. CoFDTL consists of three stages. First, a deep fuzzy learning model is used to learn latent representation of the shared inputs of all tasks. Second, a co-evolutionary algorithm is used to simultaneously learn task-specific features and the shared regressor. Third, the shared regressor is re-trained based on the best solutions obtained for different tasks in the second stage. Experiments demonstrate that CoFDTL exhibits significant performance improvements over the selected popular fuzzy learning, deep learning, and transfer learning models. This paper also reports the application of CoFDTL to two real-world disasters in China, 2018. The proposed CoFDTL that integrates fuzzy deep learning, transfer learning, and co-evolutionary learning can be used for many other complex multi-task transfer learning problems with insufficient samples and uncertain information.

PurposeMost of the existing studies on the evolution of emergency topics in social media focused on the emergency information demand of fixed user type in emergency while ignoring the changing roles of stakeholders during the emergency. Thus in this study, a three-dimensional dynamic topic evolution model is proposed, in which fine grained division of time, dynamic identification of stakeholders in the emergency, and emergency topic evolution based on both timeline and stakeholder's type are all considered.Design/methodology/approachParticularly the relevance between the tweets posted and the topic of emergency, the influence on the social network, and the attention of emergency topic are as well taken into account to quantitatively calculate the weight and ranking of stakeholders at different stages of the emergency. To verify the proposed model, an experimental demonstration was carried out under an emergency event posted on social media.FindingsThe results show that (1) based on the three-dimensional dynamic topic evolution model, the composition and ranking of stakeholders have obvious differences at different stages; (2) the emergency information needs and the sharing behavior of stakeholders on emergency information also indicate different preferences where the topic concerns of stakeholders at different stages have a strong relationship with their weight ranking; (3) the emergency topic evolution considering both the dynamics of emergency stakeholders and emergency information demand could more accurately reflect the changing regularity of social media users' attention to information in emergency events.Originality/valueThis study is one of first to investigate the emergency topic evaluation on social media by considering the dynamic changes of various stakeholders in emergency. It could not only theoretically provide more accurate method to understand how users share and search emergency information in social media, but also practically signify an information recommendation way in social media for emergency tracking.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2021-0098.

In the aftermath of large-scale disasters, the exploitation of often up to thousands of spontaneous volunteers is crucial to meet the need for surge capacity which cannot be met by official responders. However, the coordination of spontaneous volunteers differs in several regards from that of professional and paid relief workers. Based on empirical requirements identified in interviews with the manager of a professional fire department, we suggest a multi-objective mixed-integer linear optimization problem with lexicographically ordered objective functions, which we refer to as spontaneous volunteer coordination problem (SVCP). Acknowledging that disaster situations are unavoidably linked to uncertainty, we consider uncertainty with a sequence of (deterministic) SVCP instances, where each instance depends on the solutions of previous SVCP instances. We conduct comprehensive computational experiments based on real-world data of a flood disaster that the fire department faced. From our computational results, we derive detailed implications for the fire department on how to use our decision support model. We also derive recommendations for all relief organizations which aim at adopting or adapting our model for the coordination of spontaneous volunteers in a broad set of disasters. Our implications include several recommendations for relief organizations in terms of performing extensive computational tests in order to parameterize and instantiate the generic model before its use during the disaster response phase; thereby we also address tasks to be executed during the preparedness phase of a disaster.

The Sustainable Development Goals have included cultural heritage in the development agenda. However, natural hazards threaten the existence of several historic districts, like Intramuros in Manila, Philippines. Pre-disaster recovery planning has gained ground as a promising approach to improve disaster preparedness and recovery, although it has yet to be widely utilised for cultural heritage preservation. The authors organised a pre-disaster recovery planning workshop, which helped observe the existing system of disaster management for cultural heritage in Intramuros. Heritage Values and Vulnerability Assessments, which were presented to heritage experts, disaster managers, and the local community at the workshop, were conducted. As disaster risk management for cultural heritage is largely unexplored, the workshop generated much interest among stakeholders, as this was the first time that contact had been facilitated among them. It successfully demonstrated the benefits of pre-disaster recovery planning to provide inclusive and better recovery outcomes for historic districts.تقدمًا باعتباره نهجًا واعدًا لتحسين التأهب للكوارث والإنعاش، وإن كان لا يزال يتعين استخدامه على نطاق واسع لحفظ التراث الثقافي. ونظم المؤلفون حلقة عمل للتخطيط للتعافي قبل الكوارث حيث ساعد ذلك على مراقبة النظام القائم لإدارة الكوارث للتراث الثقافي في انتراموروس. وأجريت في حلقة العمل، تقييمات قيم التراث والضعف، التي قُدمت إلي خبراء التراث ومديري الكوارث والمجتمع المحلي. وبما أن إدارة مخاطر الكوارث من أجل التراث الثقافي غير مستكشفة إلى حدٍ كبير، فقد أثارت ورشة العمل اهتمامًا كبيرًا بين أصحاب المصلحة، حيث كانت هذه هي المرة الأولى التي يتم فيها تيسير الاتصال فيما بينهم. وقد أثبتت بنجاح فوائد التخطيط للإنعاش قبل الكوارث لتوفير نتائج شاملة وأفضل للإنعاش في المقاطعات التاريخية. الكلمات الدليلية:b الكوارث، التراث، انترامورويس، ما قبل الكوارث، تخطيط التعافي.可持续发展目标已将文化遗产纳入发展议程。然而，自然灾害正对马尼拉王城区等古城区构成威胁。灾前恢复规划用于改善备灾和恢复，尽管尚未广泛运用于文化遗产保护中，但却很有前景。作者组织了一次灾前恢复规划研讨会，以研究王城区文化遗产的现有灾害管理系统。研讨会上，遗产专家、灾害管理人员和当地社区对遗产的价值和脆弱性进行了评估。由于文化遗产的灾害风险管理是一个很少人涉足的领域，且研讨会可以为研究提供便利，参与者对本场研讨会兴趣极大。该研讨会成功地展示了灾前恢复规划的好处，可以为古城区提供更好更完善的恢复措施。 关键词：灾难、遗产、马尼拉王城区、灾前、恢复计划.

Embeddings of textual data containing location names (e.g., social media posts) have essential applications in various contexts such as marketing and disaster management. In these downstream implementations, social biases behind location names are highly prone to introduce unfair results through their embeddings; for example, emergent text messages with swapped location names might result in varied rescue responses. Hence, it is critical to address social biases encoded in location names and to seek its mitigation. Prevalent works addressing biases in embeddings mainly focus on individual attributes like gender or ethnicity. Yet, a large number of social attributes behind location names (e.g., income level and population density) makes it challenging to originate the source of biases. Existing mitigation methods based on finding attribute subspaces cannot be simply applied to address social biases. Moreover, bias mitigation tends to simultaneously remove necessary semantics from embeddings, making it difficult to achieve a balance between mitigation performance and semantics retention. In this article, we first employ the concept of counterfactual fairness to investigate the social biases encoded in training data. Then, we quantify the biases in the contextual embeddings (BERT and ELMo). We report a high correlation between biases in the training data and embeddings. Next, we introduce a novel bias mitigation algorithm that customizes bias representations for any location names. The method yields debiased location name vectors for various social attributes simultaneously. The proposed algorithm achieves a better mitigation performance on overall attributes compared with a prevalent postprocessing method, while maintaining correctness by retaining semantic information.

For a rapid dissemination of information during crisis events, official agencies and disaster relief organizations have been utilizing social media platforms, which are susceptible to rumor propagation. To minimize the impact of rumors with limited time and resources, the agencies and social media companies not only need to wisely choose the cases to clarify amongst the numerous cases, but they should also make an informed decision on the timing of clarification. Reacting fast can be misjudged as an obvious best policy as partial/imprecise information may fail to contain the impact of the rumors. On the other hand, investment in terms of time, effort, and money to clarify with more complete information also allows the rumors to spread with their full force during the learning phase, thereby making the process of decision-making very challenging. The objective of this paper is to determine the optimal strategies for the official agencies and social media companies by developing two novel sequential game-theoretic models, namely “Rumor Selection for Clarification” and “Learning for Rumor Clarification”, that can help decide which rumor to clarify and when to clarify, respectively. Results from this study indicate that posting verified information on social media reduces the uncertainties involved in rumor transmission, thereby enabling social media users to make informed decisions on whether to support or oppose the rumor being circulated. This verification needs to be obtained within reasonable limits of time and cost to keep the learning process worthwhile.

Thunderstorm asthma refers to the increase in acute asthma symptoms during or immediately after severe storm activity, especially during certain seasons. Epidemic thunderstorm asthma occurs when large numbers of patients are affected by thunderstorm activity. These thunderstorm asthma cases can be anywhere from mild to severe symptoms and requiring serious medical attention. Epidemic thunderstorm asthma events emphasize the importance of preventative and ongoing asthma and allergic rhinitis identification and management along with community education and awareness. This review highlights the significant impact on the emergency medical system and the need for risk assessments, asthma action plans, and overall advanced emergency preparedness.

There is growing expectation that local volunteers will play a more integrated role in disaster response, yet emergent volunteer groups are often 'outsiders' to crisis management. Questions have been raised, therefore, about how emergent groups can forge relationships with established response agencies. This paper analyses how the Student Volunteer Army, as an emergent group, gained 'authority to operate' after the earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2010-11. It traces how the volunteers accrued authority through multiple sources of permission and credibility and demonstrates the possibility for established response agencies and emergent groups to generate impactful and mutually supportive relationships. However, the analysis also points to two interrelated tensions that can arise, regarding the terms by which emergent groups are recognised, and the 'distance' considered necessary between the two parties. The discussion considers the implications for inclusiveness, risk, and responsibility of further integrations of emergent volunteers in disaster response.هناك توقعمتزايد بأنيلعب المتطوعونالمحليوندورًا أكثرتكاملاً في الاستجابةللكوارث، ومعذلك غالبًا ماتكون المجموعاتالناشئة"خارجة" عنإدارة الأزمات،مما يبعث علىالتساؤل حولالظروفوالعملياتالتي يمكنلهذهالمجموعات منخلالها إقامةعلاقات معوكالاتالاستجابةالقائمة، والتوتراتالتي يمكن أنتنشأ تلكالتفاعلات. يحلل هذه المقالكيف اكتسبالطلابالمتطوعون،كمجموعة ناشئة،"سلطة العمل"في أعقابزلازل 2010-2011 فيكانتربري،نيوزيلندا. توضح دراستناكيف يمكن لوكالاتالاستجابةالراسخةوالمجموعاتالناشئةتشكيل علاقاتذات تأثيركبير وداعمة لبعضهاالبعض. ومعذلك، يشيرتحليلناأيضًا إلىنوعين منالتوتراتالمترابطةالتي يمكن أنتنشأ، فيمايتعلقبالشروط التييتم من خلالهاالتعرف علىالمجموعاتالناشئة، و"المسافة"التي تعتبرضرورية بينالمجموعاتالناشئةووكالاتالاستجابةالقائمة. يبحثنقاشنا في آثارالشموليةوالمخاطروالمسؤوليةإذا أريد دمجالمتطوعينالناشئينأكثر فيالاستجابةللكوارث. الكلماتالمفتاحية : متطوعونناشئون؛السلطة؛إدارةالكوارث؛ زلازلكانتربري.人们越来越期待当地志愿者在灾难应对中发挥更综合的作用，然而，新兴群体往往是危机管理的“局外人”，这促使人们质疑这些群体与既定应对机构建立关系的条件和过程，以及这些互动可能产生的紧张关系。本文分析了在2010-2011年新西兰坎特伯雷地震发生后，学生主导的志愿者们作为一个新兴群体是如何获得“履行职责的权力”的。我们的研究阐述了已建立的反应机构和应急小组如何形成巨大影响和相互支持的关系。。不过，我们的分析也指出了两种可能出现的相互关联的紧张关系，即对新兴群体的认可条件，以及新兴群体与既有响应机构之间被认为必要的 “距离”。论述中考虑了如果要将新兴志愿者进一步融入到救灾工作中，在包容性、风险和责任方面的影响。 关键词：新兴志愿者；权力；灾害管理；坎特伯雷地震.

Bridge scour is a leading cause of failure for bridges over waterways and is notoriously difficult to detect with accuracy. Dynamic Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of bridges for scour has gained traction in recent years as monitoring systems have improved and the reliability of measurements increased. Due to the large number of bridges on typical networks and the limited financial resources within asset management agencies, decision-makers must prioritize certain structures when it comes to management in the event of flooding. The decision to install a dynamic SHM system on a bridge must be balanced by the financial benefit of doing so, as limited resources often need to be carefully rationed. In this paper, a methodology is proposed to evaluate such benefit based on the Value of Information (VoI) from Bayesian decision analysis. A case study is presented whereby a dynamic SHM system is considered to be installed on a typical bridge with the aim to support emergency management operations during flooding. The proposed methodology allows computation of the financial benefit of installing a dynamic SHM system over a certain reference period, thus accounting for multiple flood events and scenarios. The various elements of the procedure are discussed in detail.

In spring 2020 we faced a completely new type of world crisis due to the spread, all around the world, of a pandemic disease due to a new type of coronavirus. Basically all the countries in the world are having to deal with the need to offer medical aid to the people with symptoms, and the particular type of medical treatments is causing serious problems to the hospitals, basically blocking also or slowing the capability to assist other pathologies or diseases or needs. In all those situations what is basically needed is the capability to fulfill the request of: a quick help, the transport of materials for med aids, the transport of mechanized tools for police missions and/or support to populations. A ship capable to move quickly to a port to increase local hospital capacity could be an important help. Countries like the USA already have a large experience in hospital ships or support ships, in Italy a solution has been arranged converting a ferry into a hospital ship to support less dangerous causes or other needs. Starting from these considerations the authors have investigated the possibility to realize a refitting of an existing unit to realize a ship capable to give a partial assistance in those situations. Key of the project is the interactivity between re-design and use of an existing ship to obtain a result in short time. Examining the main characteristics suitable for a ship with this aim, the authors made a critical examination of the state of the art of the ships for support and assistance, considering the various available solutions, and then made a study of the customization of a ship summarizing all those aspects, with an operational speed of above 35 knots if required, with an interactive approach at new design between naval architecture and medical/support aspects.

Background Innovation and human adaptation in the face of unfolding catastrophe is the cornerstone of an effective systemwide response. Capturing, analysing, and disseminating this is fundamental in developing resilience for future events. The aim of this study was to understand the characteristics of adaptations to practice early in a paediatric major trauma centre during a mass casualty incident. Methods A qualitative interview study of 40 healthcare staff at a paediatric major trauma centre in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist bombing was conducted. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used, followed by a deductive analysis of the identified adaptations informed by constructs of resilience engineering. Results Five themes of adaptations to practice that enhanced the resilient performance of the hospital were identified: teamworking; psychologically supporting patients, families, and staff; reconfiguring infrastructure; working around the hospital electronic systems; and maintaining hospital safety. Examples of resilience potential in terms of respond, monitor, anticipate, and learn are presented. Conclusions Our study shows how adaptations to practice sustained the resilient performance of a paediatric major trauma centre during a mass casualty incident. Rapid, early capture of these data during a mass casualty incident provides key insights into enhancing future emergency preparedness, response, and resilience planning.

Social networks can serve as a valuable communication channel for calls for help, offering assistance, and coordinating rescue activities in disaster. Social networks such as Twitter allow users to continuously update relevant information, which is especially useful during a crisis, where the rapidly changing conditions make it crucial to be able to access accurate information promptly. Social media helps those directly affected to inform others of conditions on the ground in real time and thus enables rescue workers to coordinate their efforts more effectively, better meeting the survivors' need. This paper presents a new sequence to sequence based framework for forecasting people's needs during disasters using social media and weather data. It consists of two Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, one of which encodes input sequences of weather information and the other plays as a conditional decoder that decodes the encoded vector and forecasts the survivors' needs. Case studies utilizing data collected during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in 2017 were analyzed and the results compared with those obtained using a statistical language model n-gram and an LSTM generative model. Our proposed sequence to sequence method forecast people's needs more successfully than either of the other models. This new approach shows great promise for enhancing disaster management activities such as evacuation planning and commodity flow management.

In addition to revealing the cracks in global health care, emergency preparedness, and response systems, COVID-19 also exposed the lack of capacity to run chemical plants safely under such conditions. On 7th May 2020, self-polymerization runaway reaction from an atmospheric storage tank in a polymer facility triggered the release of styrene to the atmosphere, resulting in 12 fatalities and hospitalization of more than 1000 individuals. A similar incident had happened 35 years back at Bhopal involving the release of methyl isocyanate resulting in one of the deadliest process safety incidents to date. Therefore, it is very important to understand the causal factors so that such high-risk incidents can be prevented in future. This paper presents a comprehensive investigative study of styrene gas leak at Vizag with special emphasis on probabilistic risk analysis of the loss of containment. Hazard perception study was performed to understand the possible hazardous scenarios in bulk styrene storage facilities for preventing such catastrophic recurrences. Energy barrier analysis was performed to study the inadequacy of pro-active and reactive barriers with respect to the accident case study. The analysis also considers the escalation factors resulting from extremities of COVID-19 lockdown. The self-polymerization reaction that resulted in toxic styrene dispersion was preventable owing to the advancements in safety engineering and loss prevention since Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984). Based on the investigative analysis, it can be pointed out that this accident would have occurred even in the absence of COVID-19 restrictions, mainly due to negligence and complacency shown towards safety by the company’s management.

Summary Exercising for mass casualty incidents is mandated by governing organisations with the aim of maintaining readiness within the healthcare sector for the many challenges these incidents bring. This readiness is delivered through a combination of discussion-based and operation-based exercises that are targeted to the needs of both the individuals delivering care and the needs of the overall system of patient flow and treatment. Although exercising for disaster preparedness is resource intensive, it is the repetitive, iterative nature that allows for wide staff capture and exposure along with continual improvement of plans. Having been recently involved in exercising is also likely to increase the confidence of staff and makes them feel better prepared. Exercising should be tailored to the needs and likely challenges of each healthcare system. A cycle of design, challenge, and redesign should target areas of greatest need and greatest benefit. The conventional advice, when introducing exercising, is to start small and build up over time with repeated exercises that demonstrate increasing response capability. However, some organisations would benefit from an exercise that lays bare shortcomings and acts to galvanise change.

This paper describes the rapid conversion of a face-to-face interprofessional (IP) disaster simulation to an online format in response to COVID-19 campus closures. The online disaster simulation utilized internet-based tools allowing real-time collaboration between IP students. Team exercises involved disaster triage, disease outbreak investigation, and disaster response. Surveys measuring self-assessment of various IP skills and simulation learning outcomes (SLOs) were compared with responses from previous face-to-face simulations. Results indicated mean scores for IP skills were higher for online students when compared with in-person simulations, and all SLOs were met. The online disaster simulation provided an effective, innovative IP educational opportunity.

PurposeThis study describes preparedness of emergency physicians and general practitioners following chemical, radiological and nuclear incidents.Design/methodology/approachFive emergency physicians and six general practitioners were interviewed individually, and data was analysed using qualitative content analysis.FindingsThe study results showed that physicians' preparedness for chemical, radiological and nuclear incidents is linked to one main category: to be an expert and to seek expertise and two categories: preparations before receiving CRN patients, and physical examination and treatment of CRN patients with subcategories.Research limitations/implicationsThe results have implications for further research on the complexity of generalist vs specialist competence and knowledge when responding to chemical, radiological and nuclear incidents.Originality/valueThis study provides insights regarding chemical, radiological and nuclear preparedness among physicians at emergency departments and primary healthcare centres.

Objective:The aim of this study was to examine emergency preparedness behaviors among women with a recent live birth in Hawaii.Methods:Using the 2016 Hawaii Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, we estimated weighted prevalence of 8 preparedness behaviors.Results:Among 1010 respondents (weighted response rate, 56.3%), 79.3% reported at least 1 preparedness behavior, and 11.2% performed all 8 behaviors. The prevalence of women with a recent live birth in Hawaii reporting preparedness behaviors includes: 63.0% (95% CI: 58.7-67.1%) having enough supplies at home for at least 7 days, 41.3% (95% CI: 37.1-45.6%) having an evacuation plan for their child(ren), 38.7% (95% CI: 34.5-43.0%) having methods to keep in touch, 37.8% (95% CI: 33.7-42.1%) having an emergency meeting place, 36.6% (95% CI: 32.6-40.9%) having an evacuation plan to leave home, 34.9% (95% CI: 30.9-39.2%) having emergency supplies to take with them if they have to leave quickly, 31.8% (95% CI: 27.9-36.0%) having copies of important documents, and 31.6% (95% CI: 27.7-35.8%) having practiced what to do during a disaster.Conclusions:One in 10 women practiced all 8 behaviors, indicating more awareness efforts are needed among this population in Hawaii. The impact of preparedness interventions implemented in Hawaii can be tracked with this question over time.

Поява сучасної апаратури, нових технологій при наданні допомоги на догоспітальному етапі, високий темп розвитку науково-технічного прогресу в медицині змінили вимоги до професійного рівня лікарів невідкладних станів та середнього медичного персоналу, а також парамедиків. Актуальним є питання підвищення рівня володіння практичними навичками під час надання невідкладної та екстреної допомоги. Особлива увага приділяється практичному відпрацюванню алгоритмів проведення серцево-легеневої реанімації, надання екстреної медичної допомоги при політравмі, бойовій травмі та інших невідкладних станах для медичних працівників бригад екстреної (швидкої) медичної допомоги. Симуляційна форма навчання бригад екстреної (швидкої) медичної допомоги, що передбачає навчання в спеціальному штучно створеному імітованому середовищі з використанням манекенів, є найбільш прийнятною. У ДЗ «ЗМАПО МОЗ України» впроваджені різні форми симуляційного навчання: бригадні заняття, спільне навчання, майстер-класи, семінари-тренінги, змагання, що мають свої особливості та переваги.

BACKGROUND Craniocerebral injuries encompass brain injuries, skull fractures, cranial soft tissue injuries, and similar injuries. Recently, the incidence of craniocerebral injuries has increased dramatically due to the increased numbers of traffic accidents and aerial work injuries, threatening the physical and mental health of patients. AIM To investigate the impact of failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA)-based emergency management on craniocerebral injury treatment effectiveness. METHODS Eighty-four patients with craniocerebral injuries, treated at our hospital from November 2019 to March 2021, were selected and assigned, using the random number table method, to study (n = 42) and control (n = 42) groups. Patients in the control group received conventional management while those in the study group received FMEA theory-based emergency management, based on the control group. Pre- and post-interventions, details regarding the emergency situation; levels of inflammatory stress indicators [Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT)]; incidence of complications; prognoses; and satisfaction regarding patient care were evaluated for both groups. RESULTS For the study group, the assessed parameters [pre-hospital emergency response time (9.13 ± 2.37 min), time to receive a consultation (2.39 ± 0.44 min), time needed to report imaging findings (1.15 ± 4.44 min), and test reporting time (32.19 ± 6.23 min)] were shorter than those for the control group (12.78 ± 4.06 min, 3.58 ± 0.71 min, 33.49 ± 5.51 min, 50.41 ± 11.45 min, respectively; P < 0.05). Pre-intervention serum levels of IL-6 (78.71 ± 27.59 pg/mL), CRP (19.80 ± 6.77 mg/L), and PCT (3.66 ± 1.82 ng/mL) in the study group patients were not significantly different from those in the control group patients (81.31 ± 32.11 pg/mL, 21.29 ± 8.02 mg/L, and 3.95 ± 2.11 ng/mL respectively; P > 0.05); post-intervention serum indicator levels were lower in both groups than pre-intervention levels. Further, serum levels of IL-6 (17.35 ± 5.33 pg/mL), CRP (2.27 ± 0.56 mg/L), and PCT (0.22 ± 0.07 ng/mL) were lower in the study group than in the control group (30.15 ± 12.38 pg/mL, 3.13 ± 0.77 mg/L, 0.38 ± 0.12 ng/mL, respectively; P < 0.05). The complication rate observed in the study group (9.52%) was lower than that in the control group (26.19%, P < 0.05). The prognoses for the study group patients were better than those for the control patients (P < 0.05). Patient care satisfaction was higher in the study group (95.24%) than in the control group (78.57%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION FMEA-based craniocerebral injury management effectively shortens the time spent on emergency care, reduces inflammatory stress and complication risk levels, and helps improve patient prognoses, while achieving high patient care satisfaction levels.

Understanding the runout of slope failures is important for hazard identification, risk assessments, and disaster prevention. This study evaluates the accuracy of three runout software packages, DAN3D, Anura3D, and FLO-2D, for modeling the runout of the 2014 Oso landslide and investigates the viability of predicting the runout of other landslides and slope failures under similar conditions. The Oso landslide runout analyses using Anura3D and FLO-2D conducted for this study adopt the geotechnical conditions and failure mechanism reported by Stark and his colleagues in 2017. Together with DAN3D and Anura3D modeling reviewed from previous studies, the accuracy and applicability of these runout models are assessed using field observations. These analyses show the importance of (i) using a digital terrain model in the runout analysis, (ii) modeling field representative shear strength properties and failure mechanisms, and (iii) predicting runout distance, splash height, and duration for risk assessments and to improve public safety for this and other slopes.

Tropical cyclones represent one of India's toughest natural threats. This paper lists the challenges and mitigation efforts to resolve significant disasters in the coastal areas of eastern India in particular. Humans must learn to counter and live with the effects of such natural disasters as they are unavoidable . The construction of natural hazard structures has always been supported by various national and international disaster mitigation organisations. New building design standards are proposed, as planning and growth to reduce the possibility of potential structural damage. Damage is caused to the roof, walls, openings, and foundation of a building due to the use of non-disaster proof construction practices. A brief introduction on the damaging effects of noteworthy cyclones is provided. It has been highlighted the increasing frequency of cyclones since the start of the 21st century due to climate change. A focus is maintained on the challenges faced by rural regions of India for the eastern coastline especially in the housing sector. Climate change and further cyclones have caused the loss of crops and thus livelihood, which is the main concern for the rural people. A section on the challenges to the housing reconstruction provisions for the rural community, as provided by the Government of India is depicted. Lastly, the paper provides various solutions for a cyclone-resistant structure and disaster prevention as per the challenges faced by the rural community.

Emergency action plans (EAPs) are considered best practice for the preparation of catastrophic events in sports and, when adequate, can effectively improve patient outcomes. The EAPs should include a collaboration of all personnel involved in the sporting activities, with high school coaches being well-positioned to implement these plans. Therefore, coaches can have a direct influence on the health and safety of their athletes through their involvement in an emergency response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the understanding and adoption of EAPs as reported by coaches. A web-based questionnaire assessed adoption of an EAP; decisional stages for adoption of components of an EAP; and various characteristics (e.g., access to an athletic trainer facilitators and barriers). A total of 720 responses were included in this study. Nearly 25% of coaches reported being unaware if their school had an EAP, and coaches were more likely to adopt a comprehensive EAP if their school had access to an athletic trainer. A majority of coaches perceived financial assistance as a facilitator and financial limitations as a barrier for EAP implementation. The findings of this investigation illustrate the need for improved coaches’ educational awareness of emergency preparedness strategies within the high school setting.

With the increasing number of catastrophic weather events and resulting disruption in the energy supply to essential loads, the distribution grid operators’ focus has shifted from reliability to resiliency against high impact, low-frequency events. Given the enhanced automation to enable the smarter grid, there are several assets/resources at the disposal of electric utilities to enhances resiliency. However, with a lack of comprehensive resilience tools for informed operational decisions and planning, utilities face a challenge in investing and prioritizing operational control actions for resiliency. The distribution system resilience is also highly dependent on system attributes, including network, control, generating resources, location of loads and resources, as well as the progression of an extreme event. In this work, we present a novel multi-stage resilience measure called the Anticipate-Withstand-Recover (AWR) metrics. The AWR metrics are based on integrating relevant ‘system characteristics based factors’, before, during, and after the extreme event. The developed methodology utilizes a pragmatic and flexible approach by adopting concepts from the national emergency preparedness paradigm, proactive and reactive controls of grid assets, graph theory with system and component constraints, and multi-criteria decision-making process. The proposed metrics are applied to provide decision support for a) the operational resilience and b) planning investments, and validated for a real system in Alaska during the entirety of the event progression.

During disasters and displacement, affected families often receive humanitarian aid from governmental and nongovernmental organizations and donor agencies. Little information is available on the effects of humanitarian aid on the breastfeeding practices of mothers affected by disaster and displacement.The aim of this study was to explore the effects of humanitarian aid on the breastfeeding practices of displaced mothers affected by natural disasters in Chitral, Pakistan.This was qualitative study of residents of four villages of Chitral who had experienced a recent flood and later an earthquake. Data were collected through field observations, analysis of various documents (e.g. aid-agency documents, published reports and newspaper articles) and in-depth interviews with 18 internally displaced mothers living in disaster relief camps in Chitral.Three main themes developed from the data: humanitarian aid as a life saver, insufficient humanitarian aid affecting breastfeeding, and systemic injustices in the distribution of humanitarian aid.Although humanitarian aid facilitated the survival, health and well-being of the displaced mothers and their family members, there were various problems with the humanitarian aid that increased the vulnerability of the displaced mothers and negatively affected their breastfeeding practices. Humanitarian aid must be gender-sensitive, thoughtful, timely, needs-based, equitable and context-specific. A systematic process of aid allocation and restricted donation of formula milk or any other form of breast-milk substitute is recommended during disasters.المساعدات الإنسانية وممارسات الرضاعة الطبيعية لدى الأمهات النازحات: دراسة كيفية في مخيمات الإغاثة في حالات الكوارث.شيلا هيراني، سولينا ريختر، بوكولا سلامي.غالبًا ما تتلقى الأُسر المتضررة من الكوارث والنزوح مساعدات إنسانية من المنظمات الحكومية وغير الحكومية والوكالات المانحة. ولا تتوفر سوى معلومات قليلة عن آثار المساعدات الإنسانية على ممارسات الرضاعة الطبيعية لدى الأمهات المتضررات من الكوارث والنزوح.هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى استكشاف آثار المساعدات الإنسانية على ممارسات الرضاعة الطبيعية لدى الأمهات النازحات المتضررات من الكوارث الطبيعية في شيترال، باكستان.طُرق البحث: أُجريت هذه الدراسة الكيفية على سكان أربع قرى في شيترال، كانوا قد تعرضوا لفيضان حدث مؤخرًا ثم تبعه زلزال. وجُعت البيانات من خلال الملاحظات الميدانية، وتحليل مختلف الوثائق (مثل الوثائق الصادرة عن وكالات تقديم المساعدات، والتقارير المنشورة ومقالات الصحف)، وإجراء مقابلات متعمقة مع 18 من الأمهات النازحات داخليًا اللاتي يعشن في مخيمات الإغاثة في حالات الكوارث في شيترال.أبرزت البيانات ثلاثة مواضيع رئيسية، هي: المساعدات الإنسانية بوصفها منقذة للحياة، وتأثير عدم كفاية المساعدات الإنسانية على الرضاعة الطبيعية، والإجحافات المنهجية في توزيع المساعدات الإنسانية.على الرغم من أن المساعدات الإنسانية يسَّت فرص بقاء الأمهات النازحات وأفراد أسرهن على قيد الحياة والحفاظ على صحتهم وعافيتهم، فإن هناك مشاكل عديدة تتعلق بالمساعدات الإنسانية تزيد من ضعف الأمهات النازحات وتؤثر سلبًا على ممارساتهن في الرضاعة الطبيعية. ويجب أن تكون المساعدات الإنسانية مراعية للاعتبارات الجنسانية، ومدروسة، وملائمة من حيث التوقيت، وقائمة على الاحتياجات، ومنصفة، ومحددة السياق. ويوصى أثناء الكوارث باتباع أسلوب منهجي في تخصيص المساعدات والحد من التبرع بمستحضرات الحليب أو بأي شكل آخر من بدائل لبن الأم.Aide humanitaire et pratiques d'allaitement au sein des mères déplacées : une étude qualitative dans les camps de secours en cas de catastrophe.Lors des catastrophes et des déplacements de populations, les familles touchées reçoivent souvent une aide humanitaire de la part d'organisations gouvernementales et non gouvernementales ainsi que d'organismes donateurs. Peu d'informations sont disponibles en ce qui concerne les effets de l'aide humanitaire sur les pratiques d'allaitement au sein des mères touchées par des catastrophes et déplacées.L'objectif de la présente étude était d'examiner les effets de l'aide humanitaire sur les pratiques d'allaitement au sein des mères déplacées touchées par des catastrophes naturelles dans le district de Chitral (Pakistan).Il s'agissait d'une étude qualitative menée auprès de résidents de quatre villages du district de Chitral qui avaient récemment subi une inondation, puis un tremblement de terre. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais d'observations sur le terrain, de l'analyse de divers documents (par exemple des documents des organismes d'aide, des rapports publiés et des articles de journaux) et d'entretiens approfondis avec 18 mères déplacées internes vivant dans des camps de secours en cas de catastrophe dans le district de Chitral.Trois thèmes principaux sont ressortis des données : l'aide humanitaire en tant que moyen de préserver des vies, l'impact de l'insuffisance de l'aide humanitaire concernant l'allaitement au sein, et les injustices systémiques dans la distribution de l'aide.Même si l'aide humanitaire a facilité la survie, et favorisé la santé et le bien-être des mères déplacées et des membres de leurs familles, divers problèmes liés à cette aide ont augmenté la vulnérabilité des mères déplacées et ont eu un impact négatif sur leurs pratiques d'allaitement au sein. L'aide humanitaire doit intégrer les questions de genre, être judicieuse, accordée en temps utile, fondée sur les besoins, équitable et adaptée au contexte. Un processus systématique d'allocation d'aide et de don restreint de lait maternisé ou de toute autre forme de substitut du lait maternel est recommandé pendant les catastrophes.

Can we reduce the damage from climate change by investing in seawalls, stilts, or other forms of adaptation? Focusing on the case of severe storms in the US, I develop a macro heterogeneous-agent model to quantify the interactions between adaptation, federal disaster policy, and climate change. The model departs from the standard climate damage function and incorporates the damage from storms as the realization of idiosyncratic shocks. Using the calibrated model, I infer that adaptation capital comprises approximately 1$\%$ of the US capital stock. I find that while the moral hazard effects from disaster aid reduce adaptation in the US economy, federal subsidies for investment in adaptation more than correct for the moral hazard. I introduce climate change into the model as a permanent increase in either or both the severity or probability of storms. Adaptation reduces the damage from this climate change by approximately one-third. Finally, I show that modelling the idiosyncratic risk component of climate damage has quantitatively important implications for adaptation and for the welfare cost of climate change.

In the environment we live in, a large number of events occur that negatively affect the lives of people and communities. These events may be caused by the environment or nature, or may be caused by people or the products or services they produce. When looking at the studies and explanations made about disasters in the historical process; First of all, the events that caused the deaths of people were treated as disasters. Later, events that cause physical or social losses, events that affect people and cause property damage, and eventually the concept of disaster; were associated with the concepts of environment, development and sustainability. The aim of this study is to; evaluates the titles and topics necessary for interagency coordination in disaster management. This study is a review article created using qualitative method. Currently, the discipline of disaster management has produced various studies in many national and international institutions. In particular, efforts to combat climate change, sustainable development goals and Disaster Risk Reduction have become central to disaster management. Incident Command System, collaboration, communication, information and resource sharing, common purpose and teamwork, flexibility and authority, and use of social media are at the heart of interagency coordination in disaster management decisively. In order for disaster and emergency situations to be managed in coordination, qualified works should be carried out in the above headings. As a result, interagency coordination in disaster management consists of the topics mentioned above., Yaşadığımız çevrede insanların ve toplumların hayatını olumsuz yönde etkileyen çok sayıda olay meydana gelmektedir. Bu olaylar çevreden veya doğadan kaynaklı olabildiği gibi insanlardan veya ortaya çıkardığı ürün veya hizmetlerden kaynaklı da meydana gelebilmektedir. Tarihsel süreçte afetler ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalara ve açıklamalara bakıldığında; öncelikle insanların ölümüne sebep olan olaylar afet olarak ele alınmıştır. Daha sonra fiziksel veya sosyal kayıplar meydana getiren olaylar, insanları etkileyen ve maddi hasar meydana getiren olaylar ve en sonunda afet kavramı; çevre, kalkınma ve sürdürülebilirlik kavramları ile ilişkilendirilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı; afet yönetiminde kurumlar arası koordinasyon için gerekli olan başlıkları ortaya koymak ve değerlendirmektedir. Bu çalışma, nitel yöntem kullanılarak oluşturulan bir derleme makale niteliğindedir. Günümüzde afet yönetimi disiplininin, birçok ulusal ve uluslararası kurum içerisinde çeşitli çalışmalar ürettiği görülmektedir. Özellikle iklim değişikliği ile mücadele, sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefleri ve afet risk azaltımı çalışmaları, afet yönetiminin merkezinde yer alan çalışmalar haline gelmiştir. Afet yönetiminde kurumlar arası koordinasyonun temelinde; olay komuta sistemi, iş birliği, haberleşme, bilgi ve kaynak paylaşımı, ortak amaç ve takım çalışması, esneklik ve otorite ve sosyal medya kullanımı bulunmaktadır. Afet ve acil durumların, koordinasyon içerisinde yönetilebilmesi için yukarıda ki başlıklarda nitelikli çalışmalar yürütülmesi gerekmektedir. Sonuç olarak afet yönetiminde kurumlar arası koordinasyon yukarıda söz edilen başlıklardan oluşmaktadır.

Complexity academic level The blast at Beirut Port on the 4th of August was the cherry on the cake in a series of disastrous governmental failures manifested in the of lack of trust, an unprecedented economic crisis, hyperinflation, financial fallout, political bottle necks, toxic environmental situation and a vertical cleavage between the government and the people. The blast resulted in billions of dollars in losses both at the port and the surrounding Beirut area, destroyed more than 300,000 housing units, displaced their residents, ruined many artifacts of cultural heritage, injured thousands of people and killed hundreds. Definitely, it was a case of negligence in the storage of the Ammonium Nitrate, corruption, irresponsible leadership or all of these together. However, investigations are still underway to pinpoint the responsible individuals and to bring them to justice. This case looks at potential ways that could have prevented the blast, by questioning the reasons behind the non-voicing out of objections against the nature of the material stored unsafely for several years in Container 12 at the Port. Through the lens of Hadi Karim, a fictional character, the authors lead the readers to consider the disaster’s characterization, as well as applicable disaster management frameworks. The case also emphasizes the role of public leadership and leads the readers to consider measures and processes that could have been abided by to prevent the disaster. Case overview Against the backdrop of the recent Beirut Port explosion, this case examines how events unfolded leading up to the tragedy, highlighting how it could have been avoided, as well as the managerial and ethical dimensions involved. Leaning objectives At the end of the case, students will be able to: 1. Characterize the disaster in terms of type and nature. 2. Analyze the blast by referring to the relevant disaster management frameworks. 3. Analyze the critical role of ethical and transformational leaders pre and post disaster. 4. Reflect on the role of employees in preventing disasters mainly through whistleblowing. Social implications Shedding the light on an avoidable disaster, drawing lessons to avoid the occurrence of such events in the future, and raising awareness on disaster management and on whistleblowing as a tool in the ethical leader’s toolbox. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 10: Public Sector Management.

Pandemic preparedness is a key function of any health care facility. Activities pertaining to pandemic preparedness should be developed and maintained within a broader emergency management plan. The use of a Hospital Incident Command System can centralize coordination of the response and facilitate internal and external communication. This review addresses several components of pandemic preparedness, including incident management, health care personnel safety, strategies to support ongoing clinical activities, and organizational communication during a pandemic. Preparations addressing potential ethical challenges and the psychological impact associated with pandemic response are also reviewed.

Introduction Care of pediatric cancer patients is increasingly being provided by physicians in community settings, including general emergency departments. Guidelines based on current evidence have standardized the care of children undergoing chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) presenting with fever and neutropenia (FN). Objective This narrative review evaluates the management of pediatric patients with cancer and neutropenic fever and provides comparison with the care of the adult with neutropenic fever in the emergency department. Discussion When children with cancer and FN first present for care, stratification of risk is based on a thorough history and physical examination, baseline laboratory and radiologic studies and the clinical condition of the patient, much like that for the adult patient. Prompt evaluation and initiation of intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics after cultures are drawn but before other studies are resulted is critically important and may represent a practice difference for some emergency physicians when compared with standardized adult care. Unlike adults, all high-risk and most low-risk children with FN undergoing chemotherapy require admission for parenteral antibiotics and monitoring. Oral antibiotic therapy with close, structured outpatient monitoring may be considered only for certain low-risk patients at pediatric centers equipped to pursue this treatment strategy. Conclusions Although there are many similarities between the emergency approach to FN in children and adults with cancer, there are differences that every emergency physician should know. This review provides strategies to optimize the care of FN in children with cancer in all emergency practice settings.

Every year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is exposed to different natural hazards. However, flash floods have been the most common hazard during the previous few decades. Between 2000 and 2020, over 1,000 people lost their lives from flash floods, resulting in an economic loss amounting to billions of US dollars. By focusing on flash floods, a systematic review of the extracted data was conducted. They were analyzed based on the suitability of their content and data for emergency planning requirements and disaster management challenges in the KSA. A total of 104 articles, papers, and plans were reviewed, of which only 18 complete papers met the inclusion criteria, including one plan and the General Directorate of Civil Defense (GDCD) website. The author has concluded that: 1) the essential requirements for emergency planning in the KSA include: conducting studies that show potential natural hazards, their locations, and their implications, and taking appropriate measures that reduce the possible causes of natural hazards; 2) The challenges facing the disaster management in the KSA are: lack of policies; the ambiguity of legislation and plans; poor coordination between stakeholders; lack of databases. This is the first investigation into emergency planning requirements and challenges of disaster management in the KSA. Furthermore, a scientific consensus predicts an increase in the frequency and magnitude of flash floods in the KSA. Therefore, the gaps need to be addressed in order to reduce the impact on inhabitants and infrastructure.

Disasters are becoming more frequent and destructive while the consequences for incarcerated persons have grown increasingly visible. Simultaneously, scholars, individuals, and communities are grap...

Climate change presents challenges for road infrastructure asset managers, with uncertainty about the impacts of increasingly frequent and intense disasters on asset functionality and lifespan. Budgeting for disaster response and recovery is improving; however, there are calls for more evidence to support budget allocations. This exploratory study aimed to create a systematic approach for integrating climate-related disaster risks within road asset evaluation, towards improving the evidence-base for capital works and maintenance budgets. It involved a systematic literature review of 63 research papers about resilient road infrastructure, followed by sense-checking key findings through eight semi-structured interviews with road asset management experts from the Australian government and industry. The authors present a set of 15 parameters for evaluating road infrastructure resilience, within four commonly used asset management categories: robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness and rapidity. These are placed within a disaster management planning framework for resilient road infrastructure outcomes, with the key parameters matched to the commonly used disaster management phases of ‘Prevent, Prepare, Respond, Recover’. The parameters and the framework have immediate use for road infrastructure asset managers, providing clear decision-support regarding what data are important to collect and analyse and at what time, to inform capital works and maintenance budgets.

Emergency management of coal mines requires enhanced synergy among departments, institutions, and enterprises, which means overall efficiency in management. Their synergy can effectively lower the cost of emergency management, improve the effectiveness of it, and build a strong joint force for the prevention and control of emergencies. Accordingly, this study established a synergy system for regional coal mine emergency management and analyzed the interest relationship among key stakeholders in the system. Then, it established differential game models of the management synergy, explored the selection process of the behavior strategy of each stakeholder under different situations, and provided important tools for quantitative analysis on emergency management synergy practice. Furthermore, numerical simulation was carried out to analyze the influencing factors of their decision behaviors. The research results are of great significance for the comprehension of the evolution mechanism for the emergency management synergy of coal mines, the assistance for the government in determining the optimal method in emergency management synergy, the mobilization of the stakeholders, and the improvement of the current situation of emergency management synergy of coal mines in China.