Civil Defense Personnel Research Articles

국방위기에 대비한 국방민간인력 활용방안

The security situation in South Korea is unstable due to the increase in North Korea's conventional military power and asymmetric threats such as nuclear and missile. For crisis management, South Korea needs a preemptive response in line with the rapid decrease in military service resources and changes in the defense environment. The urn-shaped structure centered on the cadres and the advanced science and technology army must take a leap forward. As in the case of advanced countries, it is efficient for the military and civil defense personnel to perform defense tasks together. Accordingly, it is necessary to expand the scope and expertise of the defense civil manpower, to strengthen the capabilities of military personnel, and to prepare legal and institutional support grounds to ensure mission conditions. As such, it is necessary to review active policies on the use of defense civilian manpower to efficiently perform advanced and diversified defense work and to operate economically manpower. Efficient management of defense civilian manpower will eventually become an important element of defense manpower management policy.

АВТОМАТИЗОВАНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО РОЗВ’ЯЗАННЯ ТИПОВИХ ЗАДАЧ ЦИВІЛЬНОГО ЗАХИСТУ

This paper presents a novel automated approach and describes in details developed software for problem solution of typical tasks of civil defence concerning assessment of the radiological situation, calculation of impact zone center, determination of transmission factor of multilayered inter-floor covering, determination of potential irradiation exposure of the population and civil defence personnel assets, along with determination of possible duration of people presence on contaminated ground. Developed software confers a possibility to determine borders of destruction zones, dimensions of fire areas, automatically construct a graph of nuclear destruction center, areas of destruction zones, determine excessive pressure on the territory of the object, destruction level of object elements, areas of destruction zones, in which the object is located, population number and deaths within destruction borders in accordance with standard methodology. Based on carried out research findings it was determined that developed software boosts solution of typical civil defence problems concerning assessment of the radiological situation approximately by ten times and increases computational accuracy by 10% owing to the absence of approximation during calculation conduction. Furthermore, such software can be used for simplification of students’ papers grading by lecturers during their taking a subject of Civil defence. Described software can be used not only as part of educational process of Civil defence subject, but also by corresponding dedicated government agencies in the matter of civil defence for prompt and accurate assessment of radiological situation and calculation of irradiation exposure of the population in regions.

Analysis of serious games based on pedagogical features and proposal of civil defence training game

This paper focuses on the analysis of serious games. We analysed and evaluated serious games, and particularly their training aspect, based on the classification method of Djaouti et al. 2011b. Further, we evaluated existing training games and based on the results developed a civil defence training game for Korea. The game has been designed to train professional civil defence personnel based on pedagogical features of serious games for training. This research can serve as the groundwork for future training in precautionary measures to be taken during disasters and warfare.

Introducing the Volcanic Unrest Index (VUI): a tool to quantify and communicate the intensity of volcanic unrest

Accurately observing and interpreting volcanic unrest phenomena contributes towards better forecasting of volcanic eruptions, thus potentially saving lives. Volcanic unrest is recorded by volcano observatories and may include seismic, geodetic, degassing and/or geothermal phenomena. The multivariate datasets are often complex and can contain a large amount of data in a variety of formats. Low levels of unrest are frequently recorded, causing the distinction between background activity and unrest to be blurred, despite the widespread usage of these terms in unrest literature (including probabilistic eruption-forecasting models) and in Volcanic Alert Level (VAL) systems. Frequencies and intensities of unrest episodes are not easily comparable over time or between volcanoes. Complex unrest information is difficult to communicate simply to civil defence personnel and other non-scientists. The Volcanic Unrest Index (VUI) is presented here to address these issues. The purpose of the VUI is to provide a semi-quantitative rating of unrest intensity relative to each volcano’s past level of unrest and to that of analogous volcanoes. The VUI is calculated using a worksheet of observed phenomena. Ranges for each phenomenon within the worksheet can be customised for individual volcanoes, as demonstrated in the companion paper for Taupo Volcanic Centre, New Zealand (Potter et al. 2015). The VUI can be determined retrospectively for historical episodes of unrest based on qualitative observations, as well as for recent episodes with state-of-the-art monitoring. This enables a long time series of unrest occurrence and intensity to be constructed and easily communicated to end users. The VUI can also assist with VAL decision-making. We present and discuss two approaches to the concept of unrest.

The Little India Riot: Domestic and International Law Perspectives

A riot involving hundreds of foreign labourers broke out in Little India, Singapore, on 8 December 2013. Only the second riot to occur in more than 40 years in fairly tranquil Singapore, the damage was extensive as rioters destroyed police and emergency vehicles and even injured dozens of police and civil defence personnel. The authorities only needed a few days to complete the investigations and shortly after, some of the alleged rioters were arrested and charged, while some of them were repatriated. The swiftness of the entire process prompted harsh criticism from international and local human rights groups, who claimed that the authorities had not been accountable and transparent enough, particularly with regard to the labourers who were repatriated. Specifically, they alleged a lack of due process and arbitrariness in the repatriation. The Singapore government defended its position by maintaining that everything it did was in line with Singapore law and even international standards as well. This article considers the claims from both sides by examining all of the relevant laws and concludes that while international law in the context of repatriation does uphold the supremacy of state sovereignty to a rather large extent (or at least implicitly permits repatriation without judicial process), the seemingly innocuous issuance of stern warnings by the police in the aftermath of the riot may have unintended legal and practical ramifications, in that they effectively extract pleas of guilt without the proper adjudicatory process of the courts, rendering those affected de facto ex-criminals.

Heuristics and operational research in emergency situations and civil defence education

This paper presents problem solving using heuristics and operational research in order to make appropriate decisions in emergency situations with a particular emphasis on the application of a heuristic model of team training for emergency situations. It is intended for military command and teaching personnel as well as for civil defense personnel (Department of Emergency Management) and local government authorities (administrative district chiefs and mayors - commanders). The heuristic approach to problem solving should enable adequate decision making for command staff from the local to the national level after the proclamation of emergency and a state of emergency in some regions or the whole territory of Serbia.

Bombs over Paisley – The Woodside First Aid Post DisasterBombs over Paisley – The Woodside First Aid Post Disaster

When a landmine dropped from a German plane scored a direct hit on the Woodside First Aid Post in the Scottish town of Paisley during the second world war, it claimed the lives of 92 civil defence personnel and devastated a community.

Determining optimal clothing ensembles based on weather forecasts, with particular reference to outdoor winter military activities

Military and civil defense personnel are often involved in complex activities in a variety of outdoor environments. The choice of appropriate clothing ensembles represents an important strategy to establish the success of a military mission. The main aim of this study was to compare the known clothing insulation of the garment ensembles worn by soldiers during two winter outdoor field trials (hike and guard duty) with the estimated optimal clothing thermal insulations recommended to maintain thermoneutrality, assessed by using two different biometeorological procedures. The overall aim was to assess the applicability of such biometeorological procedures to weather forecast systems, thereby developing a comprehensive biometeorological tool for military operational forecast purposes. Military trials were carried out during winter 2006 in Pokljuka (Slovenia) by Slovene Armed Forces personnel. Gastrointestinal temperature, heart rate and environmental parameters were measured with portable data acquisition systems. The thermal characteristics of the clothing ensembles worn by the soldiers, namely thermal resistance, were determined with a sweating thermal manikin. Results showed that the clothing ensemble worn by the military was appropriate during guard duty but generally inappropriate during the hike. A general under-estimation of the biometeorological forecast model in predicting the optimal clothing insulation value was observed and an additional post-processing calibration might further improve forecast accuracy. This study represents the first step in the development of a comprehensive personalized biometeorological forecast system aimed at improving recommendations regarding the optimal thermal insulation of military garment ensembles for winter activities.

The spectrum of human reactions to terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction: early management considerations.

Residents of a community who are intentionally exposed to a hazardous biological, chemical, or radiological agent (including medical first-responders and other civil defense personnel who live in that community) will exhibit a spectrum of psychological reactions that will impact the management of the incident. These reactions will range from a variety of behaviors of normal people under abnormal circumstances that either will help or hinder efforts to contain the threatening agent, deliver medical care, and reduce the morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with the disaster, to the development of new, or exacerbation of preexisting, mental disorders. Anticipating the decisions that people will make and actions they will take as the crisis develops is hindered by the limited number of previous disasters that bear crucial similarities to a terrorist attack with a weapon of mass destruction. Such actions, therefore, could serve as models to predict community reactions. One result of a study that attempted to fill in these gaps suggested that medical first-responders and their spouses/significant others may require separately crafted information and advice to reduce the potential for disharmony within the family that could affect job performance during the crisis. For those persons who exhibit emotional lability or cognitive deficits, evaluation of their psychiatric signs and symptoms may be more difficult than imagined, especially with exposure to nerve agents. Appreciation of these difficulties, and possession of the skill to sort through them, will be required of those assigned to triage stations. The allocation and utilization of mental health resources as the incident unfolds will be the responsibility of local consequence managers; these managers should be aware of the results of a recently-held workshop that attempted to reach consensus among experts in disaster mental health, based on the peer-reviewed literature, on the efficacy and safety of various approaches to early psychological interventions for victims of mass trauma and disasters. Thus, psychological factors are likely to be significant in the management of a terrorist incident that involves an agent of mass destruction. Emergency medical workers with managerial responsibilities, whether limited in scope or community-wide, should be aware of these factors, and should train to handle them through effective risk communication as part of their planning and preparation.

Radiation scientists and homeland security.

Radiation scientists represent an important resource in homeland defense. Security analysts worry that a crude but deadly radiological bomb might be fashioned from stolen nuclear material and a few sticks of dynamite. Such a device could kill dozens, hundreds, and possibly thousands and could contaminate a square mile or more. Emergency workers may call upon radiation scientists to aid the injured. Educational materials are available on the ACR, ASTRO, and RRS websites, linked to the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to provide radiation workers material that they can use to help emergency room and civil defense personnel after a terrorist attack. Radiation scientists are urged to obtain these materials and contact their local hospital and public health authorities to volunteer their services and expertise.

REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY IN THE STUDY OF SETTLEMENT ON ALLUVIAL FANS

The authors describe how remote sensing imagery may be employed in the zonation and mapping of the alluvial fans of the Fergana Basin, USSR. Settlement patterns depicted on these maps can then be analyzed by planners and civil defense personnel with a view toward minimizing risks posed by natural hazards endemic to alluvial fans: mudflows and other seismically triggered mass movements. Translated from: Geografiya i prirodnyye resursy, 1987, No. 3, pp. 50-55.

A meeting of experts

The ICRC had submitted to the XXth International Conference of the Red Cross a report on the status of civil defence personnel. Following up Resolution XXIX adopted on that subject by the Conference, the ICRC convened a meeting in Geneva from October 31 to November 3, 1967, of an advisory group of experts on the position of civil defence bodies.

A special international status for civil defence personnel

In its issue of October 1962, the International Review of the Red Cross mentioned the studies being undertaken by the ICRC with a view to strengthening the guarantees which international humanitarian law could confer on civil defence personnel. The encouragement which the International Committee has received to pursue this objective, from the International Red Cross Council of Delegates at its 1963 meeting, from National Societies of the Red Cross, and even from governments, has induced it to convene a meeting of Experts for this forthcoming autumn at which will be present, in particular, representatives from governments having declared themselves in favour of this work. The purpose of the meeting is to lay the foundation for a set of draft regulations concerning an internationally recognized status for civil defence. It is intended to submit this draft to the next International Red Cross Conference.

Can Civil Defence personnel be armed?

The International Committee of the Red Cross was asked some time ago to give its views on the problem relative to the arming of Civil Defence personnel. In view of the general interest which this question has aroused we consider it to be opportune to publish the ICRC's comments below, especially as they touch upon several points of international law and the Geneva Conventions.

Individual survival training.

With the ability of an enemy to deliver thermonuclear destruction on this nation, and because it has been estimated 50 million casualties would follow an all-out attack, it is mandatory that each person educate himself in survival techniques. To provide a shelter program, all states have now enacted civil defense legislation. However, individual survival education of the citizens is a function of local government and is entirely voluntary on the part of the citizens. Civil defense personnel have developed various educational programs for the citizenry. In Dade County, Florida, only a minority of the public volunteer students finished these courses. It was felt a shorter fact-filled course would be better received. This course was to stress the prevention of death by prompt simple treatment. Through cooperation of the Dade County Medical Association with the Dade County Civil Defense organization, a program entitled, Individual Survival Training evolved. This program was divided