Effective Emergency Management Research Articles

Covid-19 Decision Making Intelligence during Disasters Management

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads from China to neighbouring areas and beyond, increased national and international efforts are underway to contain the epidemic. Humanity is increasingly confronted with a diverse array of man-made and natural disasters. While emergency circumstances cannot be avoided, they may be managed more efficiently. Effective emergency management requires thorough planning, informed reaction, and well-coordinated actions throughout the emergency management life cycle. According to the literature, data-driven emergency management information systems that are well-integrated help in disaster management operations. Recent advances in molecular and computational techniques, as well as in information and communication technologies (ICTs), artificial intelligence (AI), and Big Data, can assist in managing the massive, unprecedented amount of data generated by public health surveillance, real-time epidemic outbreak monitoring, trend nowcasting/forecasting, routine situation briefing and updating from governmental institutions and organisms, and health facility utilisation. This study could be tailored to assist organisations in adapting to their new normal.

Push-Pull-Mooring Analysis of Massive Open Online Courses and College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) provides researchers with an analysis tool for prediction theory. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brings risks to teaching and learning, students have been forced to switch from classroom learning to online learning and most subjects have chosen massive open online courses (MOOCs) for online learning in China. This study examines whether MOOCs can replace traditional classroom education and explores the factors that influence the intentions of switching of the students from offline to online. We sequenced the PLS-SEM analysis of data with 397 students from a university in Zhejiang province of China, testing the model parameters, and discussing the push-pull-mooring (PPM) theory. Our data demonstrate that security risk is a push factor, switching costs are a mooring factor, and perceived usefulness and task–technology fit are pull factors that pull students from traditional, offline learning to MOOCs. In addition, the PPM model of the analysis results provides a more specific understanding of the importance–performance analysis of each factor. Our findings suggest that to constantly improve the switching intention to address unexpected challenges in the future, teachers should establish an effective emergency management measures, including curriculum design, to be consistent with their needs.

Addressing critical success factors for improving concurrent emergency management: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world is witnessing a difficult time trying to circumscribe the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. The situation has become even more challenging as several natural disasters and emergencies coincided with this pandemic and created a situation of concurrent emergency. Effectively managing concurrent emergencies are extremely challenging. Only by utilizing and applying the knowledge gathered while combating a real-life concurrent emergency, one can further be prepared to face such emergencies. Hence, this study intends to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) having a major role in effective management of concurrent emergencies and evaluate the indispensable links among the factors. Twelve CSFs are identified from Pareto analysis, for which feedback from 46 experts involved in the management of emergencies is utilized. In addition, the revised rough-decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (rough-DEMATEL) approach is suggested to analyze the indispensable links among the CSFs and further, these factors are ranked based on the average vector length. The recent case of concurrent emergency in Bangladesh- floods amid a pandemic is considered to establish the applicability of this method. The findings of this research reveal that to handle concurrent emergencies ‘Incremental improvement of proactive measures’, ‘Resilient supply chain and logistics network’, and ‘Government leadership and military cooperation’ are the most critical factors to concurrent emergency management (CEM). These CSFs play a major role in ensuring the effectiveness of CEM. Thus, this study can be a building block in developing an effective CEM plan for the policymakers, managers, and practitioners.

Moving Forward from COVID-19: Organizational Dimensions of Effective Hospital Emergency Management.

Federal investment in emergency preparedness has increased notably since the 9/11 attacks, yet it is unclear if and how US hospital readiness has changed in the 20 years since then. In particular, understanding effective aspects of hospital emergency management programs is essential to improve healthcare systems' readiness for future disasters. The authors of this article examined the state of US hospital emergency management, focusing on the following question: During the COVID-19 pandemic, what aspects of hospital emergency management, including program components and organizational characteristics, were most effective in supporting and improving emergency preparedness and response? We conducted semistructured interviews of emergency managers and leaders at 12 urban and rural hospitals across the country. Through qualitative analysis of content derived from examination of transcripts from our interviews, we identified 7 dimensions of effective healthcare emergency management: (1) identify capable leaders; (2) assure robust institutional support; (3) design effective, tiered communications systems; (4) embrace the hospital incident command system to delineate roles and responsibilities; (5) actively promote collaboration and team building; (6) appreciate the necessity of training and exercises; and (7) balance structure and flexibility. These dimensions represent the unique and critical intersection of organizational factors and emergency management program characteristics at the core of hospital emergency preparedness and response. Extending these findings, we provide several recommendations for hospitals to better develop and sustain what we call a response culture in supporting effective emergency management.

Automotive Ground Vehicles' Resilience to HEMP Attack: An Emergency Management Mitigation Plan

United States exposure to attack from a nuclear weapon of mass destruction (WMD) optimized to generate a high‐altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) is a concern in national security forums. Such an attack could lead to widespread damage to the electrical components of many critical infrastructures. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework to better understand the hazard risks from a HEMP attack on non‐military (non‐MIL), “electronics‐heavy” automotive ground vehicles that could inform an effective emergency management response and recovery plan. A hybrid emergency management and engineering hazards risk analysis utilizing a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) format helped visualize the critical vehicle electronics subsystems and components, and their respective potential failure modes. A design of experiments test plan was developed to quantify the risks, and to develop a pathway to validate cost‐effective mitigation countermeasures based on present‐day best practices for HEMP hardening. The proposed emergency management plan emphasized strategic implementation of HEMP mitigation countermeasures to support continuity in emergency services and delivery of community lifelines to the public. The results of this study will serve as a foundation for future HEMP projects with automotive ground vehicles that will support the FEMA National Preparedness Goal, Presidential Executive Order 13865, and the recent FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) legislation. The methodologies can also apply to other critical infrastructure segments.

Research on Emergency Management Ability Evaluation of Sudden Landslide Event

In recent years, landslides occur frequently in China, which has brought great harm to people’s life and social security. Based on the relevant literature on landslide events and emergency management ability evaluation, this study constructs a set of effective landslide emergency management ability evaluation index system. At the same time, this study also comprehensively uses quantitative analysis and qualitative research methods to construct the evaluation model of landslide emergency management ability, and takes the “7.23” Shuicheng landslide event in Guizhou as an example. The results show that our government’s ability to deal with sudden landslides still needs to be improved, and the government should strengthen and improve early warning and prediction, information management and public opinion supervision. This study has certain practical significance and guiding role for the research of emergency management of sudden landslide.

From common operational picture to common situational understanding: An analysis based on practitioner perspectives

The concepts of Situational Awareness (SA) and Common Operational Picture (COP) are closely related and well-acknowledged to be crucial factors for effective emergency management. In multi-agency operations, such as extreme weather events, the involved first responders manage the event with different mandates, objectives, and tools which can make it challenging to build a COP. Effective collaboration requires a common situational understanding, based on knowledge about each other’s responsibilities and tasks, mutual respect and trust, as well as common communication tools for emergency communication and information sharing. This paper argues that the COP serves as a basis for deciding on further action, and thus represents a first stage in the process of establishing common situational understanding among the involved actors. The empirical basis for the study includes interviews with Norwegian emergency management stakeholders, analysis of audio-logs, and review of public documents. Based on the analysis we present a framework comprising activities and processes involved in establishing a COP as a basis for common situational understanding.

Factors Associated With Individual Emergency Preparedness Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Survey Among the Public in Three Chinese Provinces.

Introduction: This study aimed to identify factors associated with individual emergency preparedness behaviors which play an important role in effective emergency response.Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in China's Heilongjiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces in 2017. Questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews, and 2,506 were valid for data analyses. A structural equation model was established to test the direct and indirect effects of the relevant factors on individual emergency preparedness behaviors.Results: Low levels of emergency preparedness were found: 28% of respondents reported being fully/partly prepared. The attitudes of the respondents toward emergency preparedness had the strongest association with emergency preparedness behaviors, with a total effect of 0.483. This was followed by self-efficacy (0.305) and training/exercise (0.295). Risk perception had the weakest effect (0.045) on emergency preparedness behaviors.Discussion: Improving attitudes of the public as well as their ability to prepare for emergency events is important for effective emergency management.

СТАН НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВОГО РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ МІЖВІДОМЧОЇ ВЗАЄМОДІЇ ОРГАНІВ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ВЛАДИ ТА МІСЦЕВОГО САМОВРЯДУВАННЯ

Аналіз небезпек і загроз техногенного та природного характеру, виникнення надзвичайних ситуацій свідчить, що за останні 10 років тенденції до їх збільшення або зменшення не спостерігається, але варто відмітити, що рівень ризиків виникнення НС природного і техногенного характеру та ризиків збитків від них залишаються практично незмінними та досить високими для більшості регіонів України. А наслідки надзвичайної ситуації, що пов’язана з розповсюдженням корона вірусу СOVID-19, непередбачувані і вимагають науково-методологічного обґрунтування методик їх прогнозування та розрахунку. Ситуація в світі з розповсюдженням корона вірусу ще раз довела, що небезпеки виникнення НС є фактором, що визначає якість життя у регіонах будь-якої країни. Це зумовлює нагальну потребу докладного перегляду організаційно-управлінських підходів щодо їх моделювання та мінімізації. Традиційні підходи до управління подоланням комплексних наслідків НС, як доводить досвід їх застосування, часто призводять до незадовільних результатів. Також серйозною проблемою організації ефективного управління за умов НС, як показала практика реагування на НС, що пов’язана з розповсюдженням корона вірусу, є реальне ускладнення або відсутність координації дій офіційних урядових, відомчих і неурядових органів управління.
 Виявлено, що законодавством України визначено основні положення щодо реалізації політики держави у сфері цивільного захисту в цілому, та означено основи побудови єдиної державної системи цивільного захисту. Доведено, що у вказаних законодавчих актах вказано структуру, функції та завдання системи управління єдиної державної системи цивільного захисту. Визначено, що проблема побудови системи управління ЄДСЦЗ на територіальному та функціональному рівні, а також удосконалення послідовності та змісту роботи органів управління у надзвичайних ситуаціях та організації взаємодії, як елементу процесу управління, потребує додаткового дослідження та наукового обґрунтування.

Geological and hydrometeorological hazards and related disasters amid COVID-19 pandemic in Greece: Post-disaster trends and factors affecting the COVID-19 evolution in affected areas

Since the first confirmed COVID-19 case in December 2019 the pandemic has severely affected humanity in various ways on all sectors of the everyday life. Natural hazards and related disasters did not stop for the novel virus. The parallel evolution of disasters and the pandemic have high potential for producing compound emergencies characterized by new unprecedented challenges. Greece was no exception. It was struck by disasters induced by geological and hydrometeorological hazards amid the pandemic. The most destructive events in terms of human and economic losses were the Mw = 5.7 Epirus and Mw = 6.9 Samos earthquakes on March 21 and October 30 respectively, the Evia flood on August 9 and the Ianos medicane in mid-September 2020. We studied the daily recorded laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in the disaster-affected areas in selected pre- and post- disaster periods. Increase of the reported COVID-19 cases in the post-disaster period has been detected only after the Ianos medicane in affected areas. No change in cases was observed after the studied earthquakes and flood. We examined various factors related to the evolving pandemic, the studied disasters and their management plan that may have contributed to the post-disaster evolution of cases. It is shown that the preexisting viral load and the infection rate in the affected areas, the intensity of the disaster effects and the measures adopted for the effective disaster management of the compound emergencies have the potential to affect the post-disaster evolution of the pandemic in the disaster affected areas.

ANALÝZA VÝJEZDOVÉ ČINNOSTI JEDNOTEK POŽÁRNÍ OCHRANY NA ÚZEMÍ OKRESU CHEB A V PŘÍHRANIČNÍ OBLASTI

The article deals with the analysis of emergency incidents of fire protection units in the district of Cheb. The first part of the article deals with the organization of fire protection units and their firefighting areas within the district of Cheb. A considerable part of the article focuses also on the cross-border cooperation with the fire protection units on the other side of the state border. The practical part of the article deals with the statistics of emergency incidents of fire protection units. These emergency incidents have been furthermore analysed in detail according to their type. The following part analyses the emergency incidents of fire protection units in the border area on both sides of the state border. The final part of the article evaluates the results of the analysis of emergency incidents of fire protection units. On the basis of these results improvements in the field of human resources, financial security or technical means for more effective emergency management have been proposed.

The Effect of a two-day Training and Refresher Program on the Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Knowledge and Skills of Health Workers in Legazpi City, Albay

Objectives. The availability of emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) services is one of the key strategies in improving maternal health and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3. Health staff knowledge and competency on these interventions are crucial to ensure the effective handling and management of obstetric and newborn emergencies. Health workers, despite having undergone formal training, require regular refresher courses to keep up with new, evidence-based information on EmONC intervention; and to ensure compliance with national and local referral guidelines. A two-day workshop was implemented to assess the knowledge and skills of healthworkers in Legazpi, Albay, regarding obstetric emergency cases and referral guidelines. Methods. A pretest was conducted on the first day to assess the knowledge of the participants. A series of lectures were given before administering a posttest at the end of these lectures. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conducted on the second day, which aimed to assess the skills of the participants. Results. The pretest findings indicated that the participants are generally knowledgeable about areas such as handwashing and prenatal care. Results of the posttest show that participants had difficulty with the category of referrals. Moreover, comparing the pretest and posttest scores, there is strong evidence that there is a difference in the median values of the pretest scores as compared to the posttest scores. The results of the OSCE also indicate the need for further training on partograph use and adherence to an EINC protocol. More than half of the participants passed all five parts of the OSCE. Conclusion. The workshop contributed to an improvement in the knowledge of health care workers in obstetric emergency cases. Skills–wise, more frequent training may need to be conducted to improve other competencies such as partograph utilization and the practice of EINC interventions.

Effectiveness of short-term resuscitation training programming among medical trainees of a peripheral medical college and practicing professionals

Background: Resuscitation in trauma and nontrauma patients (RTNTP) is essential for prompt recognition, timely prevention, and effective management of life-threatening emergencies (LTEs). Optimal knowledge and skills of health-care providers (HCPs) are most important. Structured resuscitation training programs are lacking in peripheral districts and medical colleges to the best of our knowledge. Materials and Methods: A 3-day short training program on RTNTP was conducted in the month of February 2020 at the Bihar Orthopedic Association Conference, in which trainees from the peripheral medical colleges of the districts and practitioners participated. A preformed study questionnaire consisting of 20 questions on general awareness, knowledge, and skills was used for pre- and posttest training assessment in RTNTP among 37 participants. Results: The knowledge of resuscitation among participants improved from a score of 10.8–89.1% (range: 78.3, median: 51.3 with an interquartile range [IQR] of [16.2–68.8] 52.6) to 94.5%–100%. The same for general awareness and skill improved from scores of 5.4–91.8% (range: 86.4, median: 37.8 with an IQR of [27–72.9] 45.9) to 91.8%–100% and for skills 18.9%–67.5% (range: 48.6, median: 27 with an IQR of [67.5–18.9] 48.6) to 94.5%–100%, respectively. The availability and accessibility of RTNTP trainings are critically limited in India. Conclusion: By introducing short-term training courses regularly in the academics (wherever lacking, more so in peripheries) to HCPs, their skills for effectively managing the LTEs can be enhanced and stable changes can be made for quality care in LTEs.

Policy Indications of International Experience for China’s Emergency Response Mechanism Construction

The emergency management level is an important manifestation of the governance ability of a country. An effective emergency management mechanism can increase the speed of emergency response and minimize the damage of emergencies. In today’s world, public safety emergencies frequently occur. Developed countries such as the United States, Japan, Russia, France, etc., have developed emergency management capabilities to effectively deal with emergencies after years of accumulation of experience. This research explored the practice of the emergency management system, emergency management legal system, digital emergency management technology, emergency management concept and emergency culture construction of the countries in the world to provide effective support for China’s emergency management mechanism construction and related management decision-making. Based on the practical experience of developed countries, it is suggested that, first, the Chinese government should further strengthen the construction of emergency management mechanism; second, further improve the legal infrastructure of emergency management; third, accelerate the digital transformation of emergency management system; fourth, enhance emergency response to management philosophy and cultural construction.

Hydrodynamic and Wave Responses During Storm Surges on the Southern Brazilian Coast: A Real-Time Forecast System

Coastal flooding is a global phenomenon that results in severe economic losses, threatens lives, and impacts coastal communities worldwide. While recent developments in real-time flood forecasting systems provide crucial information to support coastal communities during coastal disasters, there remains a challenge to implement such systems in data-poor regions. This study demonstrates an operational real-time coupled surge wave guidance system for the coastal areas of Southern Brazil. This system is based on the recently developed integrated flood (iFLOOD) model, which utilizes the coupled hydrodynamic and phase-averaged ADCIRC–SWAN wave numerical model, driven by astronomical tides and atmospheric forcing from the Global Forecast System (GFS). This numerical modeling framework can simulate water levels and waves with a lead time of 84 h. A version of the coupled ADCIRC–SWAN model calibrated for Brazil, i.e., iFLOOD-Brazil, was operationally implemented (i.e., twice a day) over a period of 4 months (April to September 2020) for normal daily weather validation, as well as during a recent “bomb” cyclone that strongly impacted the southern coast of the country in June 2020. The real-time water levels and waves forecasted by iFLOOD-Brazil showed promising results against observations, with root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.32 m and 0.68 m, respectively, for normal daily weather. Additionally, the RMSE values were 0.23 m for water levels and 1.55 m for waves during extreme weather, averaged over eight water level and two wave recording stations. In order to improve real-time predictions, a bias correction scheme was introduced and was shown to improve the water level and wave forecasts by removing the known systematic errors resulting from underestimation of astronomical tides and inadequate initial boundary conditions. The bias-corrected forecasts showed significant improvements in forecasted wave heights (0.47 m, 0.35 m) and water levels (0.17 m, 0.28 m) during daily and extreme weather conditions. The real-time iFLOOD-Brazil forecast system is the first step toward developing an accurate prediction model to support effective emergency management actions, storm mitigation, and planning in order to protect these economically valuable and socially vulnerable coastal areas.

A resilience-based framework for decision making based on simulation-optimization approach

The functioning of infrastructure systems and buildings in the aftermath of a disaster is critical to the modern urban center. A system study of interdependent networks response and understanding the process of post-disaster recovery is the corner stone of an effective emergency management plan. Exposure to stressors such as chaotic circumstances, budgetary restrictions, time limitations, resource constraints, high-level uncertainty and complexity in the recovery process of a community, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive decision-making framework in the aftermath of disasters. A decision-making framework in the community-level needs to puzzle out large-scale stochastic scheduling problems. These types of problems are difficult stochastic control problems with large combinatorial decision spaces.This study introduces the use of approximate dynamic programming along with heuristics for the determination of optimal recovery actions. The proposed approach prevails the curse of dimensionality and manages multi-state, large-scale infrastructure systems. Further, the proposed approach is able to consider the current recovery policies of responsible companies and improves them along with limited resources.A testbed community coarsely modeled after Gilroy, California, is presented as an illustrative example to show how the proposed approach can be implemented efficiently and accurately to find the optimal decisions. The applied approach provides optimal policies for Electrical Power Network (EPN) and Water Network (WN) of Gilroy in the aftermath of a simulated severe earthquake. The methodology is well suited for any existing infrastructure system with potential extensions to any hazard.

After Action Review of the 2019 measles outbreak in Clark County, Washington, U.S.A

Abstract Issue Clark County experienced a measles outbreak that challenged public health authorities. Description of the practice: We conducted a formal After Action Review with state and local health officials, school officials, and others to identify lessons for public health practitioners facing future outbreaks. Results Following the early identification of measles in a child who had recently arrived from Ukraine, active surveillance identified 71 confirmed cases, most in unvaccinated persons under 18 years of age. 4,138 contacts were traced and public health personnel made daily monitoring calls to 816. 53 potential exposure sites in healthcare facilities, schools and other public places were identified and communicated to the public. As a social distancing measure, unvaccinated students, teachers, and staff were excluded from schools in which exposure had occurred. Ascertaining susceptibility status was challenging. The national anti-vaccination sentiment and a parallel outbreak in a New York religious community created challenges in representing community risk while avoiding stigmatization of a community in which the first reported case was identified. Rather than respond to every false claim on social media, the health department developed talking points about emerging issues and engaged the community in dialogue. Lessons Responding to the measles outbreak required innovative approaches to surveillance and contact tracing, social distancing (school exclusions), and emergency risk communication. The response required extensive coordinated efforts of the county and state health departments, school systems, and many other organizations. Mutual aid enabled an influx of resources but managing the surge of responders proved challenging. Key messages Public health emergencies require effective emergency management practices. Carefully conducted After Action Reviews of health emergencies can help public health practitioners identify challenges and innovative practices.

OPTIMIZATION MODELS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND POST-DISASTER DELIVERY LOGISTICS: A REVIEW OF CURRENT APPROACHES

Emergency response preparedness increases disaster resilience and mitigates its possible impacts, mostly in public health emergencies. Prompt activation of these response plans and rapid optimization of delivery models and are essential for effective management of emergencies and disaster. In this paper, existing computational models and algorithms for routing deliveries and logistics during public health emergencies are identified. An overview of recent developments of optimization models and contributions, with emphasis on their applications in situations of uncertainties and unreliability, as obtainable in low-resource countries, is presented. Specific recent improvements in biologically-inspired and intelligent algorithms, genetic algorithms, and artificial immune systems techniques are surveyed. The research gaps are identified, and suggestions for potential future research concentrations are proffered.

Warrnambool Exchange Fire — Resilience and Emergency Management

Effective emergency management of a disaster at a single point of failure is vital if the effects of the disaster are to be mitigated. The immediate impacts of a disaster highlight stakeholder perspectives. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to every disaster. Nevertheless, analysing features, aftermath, impact and interim services made available after a disaster provide lessons that can be utilised to avert or mitigate the effects of similar events in the future. This paper provides lessons learnt from a fire that occurred in 2012 in the Warrnambool telephone exchange located in Victoria, Australia and proposes a strategy that provides increased network resilience and more effective emergency management once the copper-based core switching in exchanges is progressively replaced by fibre service area modules.

Visual analytical tools for multivariate higher-order information for emergency management

Higher order information of moving objects is of great importance for processing in-case scenarios in emergency management. Multivariate higher order information management is a crucial key to the success of emergency management since emergency management involves developing plans with a given set of multiple resources. Past studies focus on univariate higher order information limiting the scope of applicability and usability. This paper proposes a set of visual analytical approaches supporting multivariate higher order information for dynamically moving disasters. We introduce a robust Voronoi based data structure supporting multivariate datasets and dynamic disasters, and propose visual analytical approaches for effective emergency management. The proposed visual analytical suite facilitates interactivity and enables users to explore in-case scenarios with multivarite datasets and dynamic disasters. A case study with real datasets is given to explain the applicability, usability and practicability of the proposed system.