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Absenteeism of first responders during emergency events is considered a significant issue in disaster response, which is caused by two primary reasons: inability or unwillingness to report to work. This study provides a review of literature related to emergency responders' willingness to respond (WTR) to a disaster. In this review, the history of the genesis, myth and reality periods of WTR research was described. A compilation and analysis of 14 perception studies involving 33,849 respondents on emergency responder WTR was conducted. Weighted averages method was used to perform descriptive statistical analysis of the compiled surveys. Results showed that, on average, 72.1% of the emergency responders sorted by disaster and 75.1% sorted by role reported they are willing to respond to a disaster. Negative consequences, including concern of home damage, concern for family, and risk to self are the primary barriers to WTR. In contrast, preparedness and a sense of professional duty act as facilitators to WTR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for the material property improvement through the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in composite materials is often limited due to CNT agglomeration. In this work, Disperse Orange 3 (DO3) was investigated to determine its effectiveness in dispersing CNTs in a poly (lactic acid) (PLA) matrix. First, adsorption studies of DO3 onto CNTs were performed to determine the appropriate amount of DO3 to add so that the CNT surface will be nearly saturated with DO3 while limiting the excess DO3 dissolved in the polymer. The resultant improvements in the mechanical properties were determined via nanoindentation. Highly stable dispersion of CNTs in tetrahydrofuran with DO3 was observed 72 hours after sonication. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that DO3‐functionalized CNTs were able to separate and disperse well inside of the PLA matrix. Addition of DO3 to the nanocomposite resulted in an increase in the glass transition temperature and crystallinity of the composite due to the more effective dispersion of the nanofiller which serves as a nucleation agent. The CNTs treated with DO3 also increased the elastic modulus and hardness of the composite compared to neat PLA and untreated PLA‐CNT composites. From this study, DO3 was demonstrated to be an effective dispersing agent in the solvent and the PLA matrix which allowed for enhanced crystallization and improved nanomechanical properties in the resultant composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]