Emergency Response Situations Research Articles

Meta-membrane electric nanotrap enables instant and efficient water disinfection

Waterborne pathogenic diseases serve as a driving force for the development of effective water disinfection technologies to ensure safe drinking water. However, current water disinfection methods fail to simultaneously achieve instant biocide action, low energy consumption, and high throughput. Here, we design a meta-membrane electric nanotrap, assembled from Ag nanowires self-assembled within a SiO2 nanofibrous framework. By capitalizing on the synergistic effects of trapping and electroporation, this innovative nanotrap configuration enables instant and efficient sterilization. To demonstrate it, we present a disinfection unit equipped with the above membranes that exhibits a swift killing rate (over 6-log antibacterial efficacy within 0.053 s), operating at a high flux (11,200 L m−2 h−1) and an ultra-low driving voltage (1 V). This scalable and highly effective water disinfection technology possesses significant potential for application in daily life and emergency response situations.

Optimizing Virtual Health Technologies Through a Performance-based Readiness Model: Lessons From the Field Deployment of National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network.

The advancement of the Army's National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network (NETCCN) and planned evolution to an Intelligent Medical System rest on a digital transformation characterized by the application of analytic rigor anchored and machine learning.The goal is an enduring capability for telecritical care in support of the Nation's warfighters and, more broadly, for emergency response, crisis management, and mass casualty situations as the number and intensity of disasters increase nationwide. That said, technology alone is unlikely to solve the most pressing issues in operational medicine and combat casualty care. A total performance system (TPS) creates opportunities to address vulnerabilities and overcome barriers to success. As applied during the NETCCN project, the TPS captures the best performance-centric information and know-how, increasing the potential to save lives, improve readiness, and accomplish missions. The purpose of this project was to apply a performance-based readiness model to aid in the evaluation of Army telehealth technologies. Through various user-facing surveys, polls, and reporting techniques, the project aimed to measure the perceived value of telehealth technologies within a sample of the project team member population. By providing a detailed approach to the collection of lessons learned, researchers were able to determine the importance of information and methods versus a focus on technology alone. The use of an emoji-based feedback assessment indicated that most lessons learned were helpful to the project team. Through the NETCCN TPS, we have been able to address product-related measures, knowledge of product efficacy, project metrics, and many implementation considerations that can be further investigated by setting and engagement type. Through the Technology in Disaster Environments learning accelerator, it was possible to rapidly acquire, process, organize, and disseminate best practices and learnings in near real time, providing a critical feedback and improvement loop.

Designing and compiling the protocol of specialized interventions of hospital social workers in crisis situations in Iran

This article aims to explain the process of social worker interventions in emergency response situations in Iran. Content analysis techniques were used to analyze the experiences of hospital social workers (n = 40). The nominal group technique was used to design and compile the process (n = 10). Focus group discussion and the AGREE guidance critique technique were conducted in the presence of experts. In this study, the process of providing specialized interventions of hospital social workers in crisis situations, the challenges, and professional roles were identified. The principles and basis of work in crisis situations are similar, but at the same time, each one needs special consideration.

The Effect of the Performance of TNI-AU Search and Rescue Team Personnel during the Cianjur Regency Earthquake Emergency Response

Earthquakes are natural phenomena that have the potential to result in physical damage and loss of life. In an emergency like this, the performance of the TNI-AU Search and Rescue team has a direct influence on the effectiveness and efficiency of rescue efforts, as happened during the earthquake emergency response period in Cianjur Regency. A quick and precise response from the TNI-AU Search and Rescue team in emergency situations such as earthquakes can have a direct impact on the safety of victims. This study aims to evaluate the ability of personnel to deal with earthquake emergency response situations in Cianjur, West Java. The research method used is a qualitative approach that involves in-depth document analysis. In general, the TNI-AU has succeeded in achieving effectiveness and efficiency in rescue efforts during the earthquake emergency response period in Cianjur Regency, including in terms of fast and appropriate victim handling, coordination with related institutions, monitoring the latest information, and the availability of equipment and defense equipment support. The results of SAR training applied by the TNI-AU have proven to provide positive results, as can be seen from direct actions taken in a short time after the earthquake.

A Web GIS Platform to Modeling, Simulate and Analyze Flood Events: The RiverCure Portal

Flood events are becoming more severe, causing significant problems to human communities, including physical, psychological, and material damage. For both flood forecasting in emergency response situations and flood mapping, georeferencing and data curation are paramount in the context of prevention or preparedness. Hence, data display, data management, and articulation with numerical simulation results must occur on GIS platforms. Our research is motivated by recent advances in Web and GIS technologies, social sensing and high-performance computing, and an envisaged wider availability of remote sensing data. This paper presents and discusses an innovative Web GIS platform named “RiverCure Portal” or “RCP” for short. This platform combines observations and hydrodynamic modelling tools to support various stages of the flood risk management cycle, including operational response, emergency preparedness, and risk assessment. RCP is a multi-organization, multi-context digital platform with flexible configuration features to define and support multiple sensor types and modelling options, satisfying the various needs of different organizations and stakeholders. In addition, this paper discusses the RiverCure Approach, which encompasses the following tasks directly supported by the RCP platform: defining the context and involved geometries, associating sensors to the context, pre-processing and generating the context mesh, defining the simulation event, running the simulation event, and analyzing the results from the simulation event. Thus, the RCP streamlines and simplifies data analysis and simulation procedures to meet decision-makers’ needs. The novelties discussed in this paper include the design and discussion of a Web GIS platform that allows (i) to manage flood data and results of simulations at several contextual levels by different stakeholders such as domain experts, decision-makers, researchers, or students; (ii) to process and curate sensed data obtained from physical and social sensors; and (iii) update the state and values of the parameters of simulation tools through continuous data assimilation techniques for forecasting purposes. Finally, this paper supports the explanation and discussion with a running example, “Águeda 2016 flood” event, which dataset is publicly available for further study and experimentation.

Voice Based App for Police PCR Van

Abstract: The police Public Call Response (PCR) van is a crucial component of law enforcement agencies, providing rapid response and assistance to emergency situations. However, traditional communication methods between PCR vans and dispatch centres, such as radio or phone calls, can be inefficient and prone to miscommunication. In recent years, voice-based applications have gained popularity due to their ease of use and accessibility. Therefore, this abstract proposes the development of a voice-based app for police PCR vans to enhance communication, coordination, and efficiency in emergency response situations. The voice-based app will be designed as a mobile application that can be installed on smartphones or tablets used by police officers in PCR vans. The app will leverage voice recognition technology to enable officers to communicate with the dispatch centre using voice commands, eliminating the need for typing or manual input. The app will also have a text-to-speech feature that can convert dispatch centre responses into audible messages for the officers to hear. The app will include features such as real-time location tracking of PCR vans, allowing dispatch centres to accurately locate and assign tasks to the nearest available van. It will also support voice-based status updates from officers, allowing them to quickly report their current situation or request backup. To ensure secure communication, the app will have robust authentication and encryption measures to protect sensitive information. Additionally, the app will be designed to work offline in areas with poor network connectivity, with data synchronisation capabilities once network connection is restored. The proposed voice-based app for police PCR vans has the potential to significantly improve communication and coordination in emergency response situations. By leveraging voice recognition technology, officers can communicate quickly and efficiently, allowing them to focus on their primary responsibilities of ensuring public safety

The Inhibition and Variability of Two Different RT-qPCR Assays Used for Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater

Faecal shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its subsequent detection in wastewater turned the spotlight onto wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for monitoring the coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. WBE for SARS-CoV-2 has been deployed in 70 countries, providing insights into disease prevalence, forecasting and the spatiotemporal tracking and emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Wastewater, however, is a complex sample matrix containing numerous reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) inhibitors whose concentration and diversity are influenced by factors including population size, surrounding industry and agriculture and climate. Such differences in the RT-qPCR inhibitor profile are likely to impact the quality of data produced by WBE and potentially produce erroneous results.To help determine the possible impact of RT-qPCR assay on data quality, two assays employed by different laboratories within the UK’s SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring programme were assessed in the Cefas laboratory in Weymouth, UK. The assays were based on Fast Virus (FV) and qScript (qS) chemistries using the same primers and probes, but at different concentrations and under different cycling conditions. Bovine serum albumin and MgSO4 were also added to the FV assay reaction mixture. Two-hundred and eighty-six samples were analysed, and an external control RNA (EC RNA)-based method was used to measure RT-qPCR inhibition. Compared with qS, FV showed a 40.5% reduction in mean inhibition and a 57.0% reduction in inter-sample inhibition variability. A 4.1-fold increase in SARS-CoV-2 quantification was seen for FV relative to qS; partially due (1.5-fold) to differences in reverse transcription efficiency and the use of a dsDNA standard. Analytical variability was reduced by 51.2% using FV while qS increased the number of SARS-CoV-2 negative samples by 2.6-fold. This study indicates the importance of thorough method optimisation for RT-qPCR-based WBE which should be performed using a selection of samples which are representative of the physiochemical properties of wastewater. Furthermore, RT-qPCR inhibition, analytical variability and reverse transcription efficiency should be key considerations during assay optimisation. A standardised framework for the optimisation and validation of WBE procedures should be formed including concessions for emergency response situations that would allow flexibility in the process to address the difficult balance between the urgency of providing data and the availability of resources.

Information sharing behaviors in text-based communication during emergency response.

Emergency response teams consist of highly experienced professionals who must effectively communicate to respond to crisis situations characterized by high levels of uncertainty and complexity. Although the existing literatures on team collaboration and information processing are well established, research examining team information sharing through text-based communication technology facing emergency situations is limited. With the increasing complex nature of emergency response situations, emergency response organizations are likely to introduce new technologies to address such events. In this paper, we examine text-based information sharing behaviors related to team situation awareness in a simulated fire-rescue operation of 62 teams. We elaborate on different types of information sharing behaviors and identify a typology and linguistic features as well as differences between high- and low-performing teams in the occurrence of team situational information sharing behaviors. We conclude by discussing implications for emergency response teams and implications for future research avenues.

DISASTER RESPONSE MODELING BASE ON LANDSLIDE EARLY WARNING USING CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL AND NOTATION

There are a few handling steps in the emergency response to landslides that need thorough explanation. The flexibility of emergency response situations is ineffectively supported by traditional modeling methodologies because they are excessively inflexible. Companies have traditionally modeled their business processes using the Business Process Management Approach and Notation (BPMN) model. For design case management, such as the emergency reaction to a landslide disaster, BPMN modeling is unsuitable. because the BPMN modeling focuses how business processes flow inside a company. The Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN), the newest modeling approach from the Object Management Group (OMG), was launched in 2013 with the purpose of completing the BPMN modeling approach. The unstructured and adaptable CMMN claims to be able to handle urgent situations. This study's intention is to develop a CMMN model of a landslide emergency reaction scenario based on an emergency alert from an Early Warning System (EWS) sensor. In order to acquire the qualitative data for this study, the researcher first conducted a literature review. Then used the interview and observation methods to gather data, and from this data, we created the model using the CMMN modeling approach. The Yogyakarta Special Region Disaster Management Agency's (BPBD DIY) data flow of a disaster management information system, which was already operational, was analyzed by researchers. Then, the researchers used CMMN to model the data in order to find out opportunities to improve the disaster management information system already in use at BPBD DIY. Two CMMN models—the BPBD DIY disaster management information system model and the recommendation model for system improvements—were created in this study. The analysis of the current disaster management information system model resulted in the recomendation of this model. A prototype of feature recommendation is created as part of this research and given to specialists in natural disasters for model validation.

Phân tích việc áp dụng chức năng y tế công cộng thông qua văn bản chỉ đạo được ban hành nhằm ứng phó với COVID-19 trong bốn giai đoạn dịch tại Việt Nam

The Government, the National Steering Committee, and the Ministry of Health are the agencies that play an important role in deciding, leading and operating in the entire process of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. Through issued documents, these agencies showed their concerns and directions to relevant departments and sectors at all levels. Collecting and analyzing such documents will allow lessons to be learned from both successes and failures in each and all four phases of the pandemic. The analysis is mainly through a comparative comparison of these documents with the basic functions of public health, a basic theoretical framework developed by the World Health Organization experts based on fundamental principles agreed upon by member countries of the United Nations. Vietnam is one of those consensus countries. That theoretical framework is standardized in each participating country accordingly before being promulgated. In Vietnam, that stage was completed in 2001 with the approval of the Ministry of Health. The research conducted during this particular pandemic allowed the team to make initial observations on how these basic public health functions were applied in a factual and specific event. The research has shown the concept in an objective way that those public health functions are specifically understood and applied in each different epidemic wave and in emergency response situations during the pandemic. From there, the relevant lessons learned will serve as suggestions for future complete plans before similar situations may happen in the future.

Rapid Implementation of High-Frequency Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.

There have been over 507 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), resulting in 6 million deaths globally. Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a valuable tool in understanding SARS-CoV-2 burden in communities. The National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to implement a high-frequency sampling program. This report describes basic surveillance and sampling statistics as well as a comparison of SARS-CoV-2 trends between high-frequency sampling 3–5 times per week, referred to as USGS samples, and routine sampling 1–2 times per week, referred to as NWSS samples. USGS samples provided a more nuanced impression of the changes in wastewater trends, which could be important in emergency response situations. Despite the rapid implementation time frame, USGS samples had similar data quality and testing turnaround times as NWSS samples. Ensuring there is a reliable sample collection and testing plan before an emergency arises will aid in the rapid implementation of a high-frequency sampling approach. High-frequency sampling requires a constant flow of information and supplies throughout sample collection, testing, analysis, and data sharing. High-frequency sampling may be a useful approach for increased resolution of disease trends in emergency response.

Emergency Management in Urban China: Comparing the Role of Community Institutions in the Coronavirus Outbreak and in Other Disasters

To combat the coronavirus epidemic, the city at the epicentre, Wuhan, China, was placed under strict lockdown in 2020 for 76 days. Unlike past emergency response situations in China, government-organised Residents’ Committees (RC), property management companies, and other community institutions played an unusually prominent role in enforcing the lockdown, providing essential services, and maintaining public order. This article explains the role of community institutions in emergency management in China through case studies of the 2008 earthquake in Chengdu, the 2016 flood in Wuhan, and later, the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. Drawing on databases of media reports and individual accounts, I argue that the administrative and coercive power of community institutions stems from their spatiality—from being embedded in gated residential communities, maintaining contact and familiarity with residents, and having control over physical structures. During earthquakes and floods, when the physical space that give community institutions power is changed and destroyed, the role of these organisations in emergency response diminishes. However, when facing an epidemic, in which structured physical space is not only unchanged but also reinforced, community institutions take the lead.

Spatial Mapping of Landslide Susceptibility Level in Pacitan District Using Analytical Hierarchy Process and Natural Break

Pacitan district has a high potential for landslides. Landslide is a hydrometeorological disaster that causes loss of life, property loss, and environmental damage. Disaster preparedness is very necessary for the wider community in dealing with landslide emergency response situations. Applications to determine the level of vulnerability to landslides are very useful to minimize the impact and losses on the Pacitan community. This study aims to make an application for assessing the level of landslide susceptibility using the analytical hierarchy process and natural break based on the factors that cause landslides in the sub-district or village of Pacitan district. The factors that cause landslides in Pacitan district consist of weather, history of landslides, land slope, and history of earthquakes. The results of the AHP and natural break classifications are visualized in the form of a spatial map into 3 categories, namely high, medium and low vulnerability levels. The results of the AHP classification and natural break in the 2016-2020 data have a good average GVF value of 0.77. This shows that in general, the results of the 2016-2020 data classification are correct. Mobile device-based applications provide convenience for the public in accessing information as an effort to improve landslide disaster preparedness.

Rapid method for the detection of rodenticides in contaminated foods

Rodenticides are toxic chemicals used to control rodent populations and are among the most common household toxicants. Ingestion of foods contaminated with rodenticides may cause severe illness or death in humans and animals. A rapid analytical method was developed for the identification of nine common rodenticides in foods using solid–liquid extraction followed by dispersive-solid phase extraction prior to the analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and UV detection. The method validation on a variety of food matrices including cornmeal, peanut, whole wheat flour and pork liver produced average recoveries between 91.2 and 107% with relative standard deviations between 2.6 and 14% for all studied rodenticides. The method detection limits ranged from 2.7 to 8.2 μg/kg (ppb) for eight rodenticides analyzed by LC-MS/MS and between 0.10 and 0.21 mg/kg (ppm) for bromethalin which was analyzed by LC with UV detection. This method could be useful in preparedness for emergency response situations involving widespread food contamination, terrorist acts or for forensic studies.

11 LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES OF INDONESIAN NATIONAL ARMED FORCES IN NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Introduction: Natural disasters is one of the real threats which cause the loss of life, property, and refugees. Background Problems: The role of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in natural disaster management becomes an interesting thing to study when natural disasters occur in Indonesia. Novelty: This article reveals the analysis result of the implementation of TNI’s principles in disaster management, especially in the following regions: Palu, Sigi and Donggala (Pasigala), Central Sulawesi Province. Research Methods: The research was conducted using qualitative research methods. The collected data was analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. Finding/Results: Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that the role of TNI’s leadership style was very prominent to fill the vacancies of Regional Leaders in certain areas experiencing disaster. The support of TNI personnel in natural disaster management cannot be separated from the implementation of 11 TNI leadership principles, which consist of: Takwa, Ing Ngarsa Sung Tulada, Ing Madya Mangun Karsa, Tut Wuri Handayani, Waspada Purba Wisesa, Ambeg Parama Arta, Prasaja, Satya, Gemi Nastiti, Belaka, and Legawa. The application of these principles can be seen in emergency response situations, where TNI plays an important role, in which their instructions were conformed by the community. In disaster mitigations, they evacuated victims, rebuilt worship places, looked around for logistical sources for the community, were incharged for possible criminal actions, such as eradicated looting acts, arrested the perpetrators and handed them to the local Police. Thus, it can be said that the leadership of TNI has succeeded in handling natural disasters in Pasigala, Central Sulawesi. It can be then recommended that the Indonesian Government and stakeholders should improve the quality of training and education for leadership and disaster management by implementing the leadership principles of TNI, as well as synergizing with TNI in disaster management

Towards Automated 3D Search Planning for Emergency Response Missions

The ability to efficiently plan and execute automated and precise search missions using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during emergency response situations is imperative. Precise navigation between obstacles and time-efficient searching of 3D structures and buildings are essential for locating survivors and people in need in emergency response missions. In this work we address this challenging problem by proposing a unified search planning framework that automates the process of UAV-based search planning in 3D environments. Specifically, we propose a novel search planning framework which enables automated planning and execution of collision-free search trajectories in 3D by taking into account low-level mission constrains (e.g., the UAV dynamical and sensing model), mission objectives (e.g., the mission execution time and the UAV energy efficiency) and user-defined mission specifications (e.g., the 3D structures to be searched and minimum detection probability constraints). The capabilities and performance of the proposed approach are demonstrated through extensive simulated 3D search scenarios.

Improvement of the Ship Emergency Response Procedure in Case of Collision Accident Considering Crack Propagation during Salvage Period

Specialized procedures to help in the emergency response situations following ship accidents have been under development by the Classification Societies. Such procedures consider the hull-girder collapse as the most important failure mode, without the possibility of crack propagation caused by fluctuating wave loads. In the present study, the fatigue crack propagation in the main deck of the oil tanker damaged in collision during salvage is investigated. The shape and size of the damage are modelled using the realistic bow shape of the striking ship and historical data of ship accidents. The stress intensity factor (SIF) across the main deck of the struck ship is calculated numerically and by the method based on the available experimental results of the crack propagation in the stiffened panel. Fluctuating wave–induced stresses in short-term sea conditions during salvage are obtained by Monte Carlo simulation (MC) based on Rayleigh distribution. Cycle-by-cycle crack propagation is calculated using Paris law. Many salvage simulations are performed to cover different possible time-histories of the fatigue loading. Results of the analysis are presented as histogram of the crack increase during salvage. Parametric analysis is performed to investigate the influence of the sea state severity, initial crack size, and towing duration on the final crack size. The proposed procedure can be considered as a part of a software tool for emergency response action during salvage of damaged ship.

IDENTIFICATION OF MARINE EMERGENCY RESPONSE OF ELECTRONIC NAVIGATION OPERATOR

Context. The article introduces an approach for analyzing the reactions of a marine electronic navigation operator as well as automated identification of the likelihood of the negative impact of the human factors in ergatic control systems for sea transport. To meet the target algorithms for providing information referring to the results of human-machine interaction of an operator in marine emergency response situations while managing increasing complexity of navigation operations’ carrying out are put forward.
 Objective. The approach delivers conversion of the operator’s actions feature space into a logical-geometric one of p-adic systems making the level of the operator’s intellectual activity by using automated means highly likely to be identified. It is sure to contribute to its dynamic prediction for the sake of further marine emergency situations lessening.
 Method. Within the framework of the mentioned above approach attaining objective as automated identification of the segmented results of human-machine interactions a method for transforming deterministic fragments of an operator’s intellectual activity in terms of p-adic structures is proposed to be used. To cope with such principles as specification, generalization as well as transitions to different perception spaces of the navigation situation by the operator are said to be formally specified. Having been carried out of simulation modeling has turned out to confirm the feasibility of the proposed above approach causing, on the grounds of temporary identifiers, the individual structure of the operator’s reactions to be determined. As a result, the data obtained has delivered the possibility of having typical situations forecasted by using automated multicriteria methods and tools. This issue for its part is said to be spotted as identification of individual indicators of the operator’s reaction dynamics in complex man-machine interaction.
 Results. In order to have the proposed formal-algorithmic approach approved an experiment was performed using the navigation simulator Navi Trainer 5000 (NTPRO 5000). Automated analysis of experimental server and video data have furnished the means of deterministic operator actions identification in the form of metadata of the trajectory of his reactions within the space of p-adic structures. Thus, the results of modeling involving automated neural networks are sure to facilitate the time series of the intellectual activity of the electronic marine navigation operator to be identified and, therefore, to predict further reactions with a high degree of reliability.
 Conclusions. The proposed formal research approaches combined with the developed automated means as well as algorithmic and methodological suggestions brought closer to the objectives for solving the problem of automated identification of the negative impact of the human factors of the electronic navigation operator on a whole new level. The efficiency of the proposed approach is noticed to have been approved by the results of automated processing of experimental data and built forecasts.

Psychological reactions of healthcare workers deployed to Wuhan from Shanxi province and how they cope during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak

Psychological reactions of healthcare workers deployed to Wuhan from Shanxi province and how they cope during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak

Misuse of charitable giving to finance violent extremism; A futuristic actions study amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the study is to explore the shadow economy of violent extremism through charity lenses and factors associated with misuse of charitable giving in a global financial system. It reviews the emergency response situations like COVID-19 when financial needs are urgent with lacked monitoring and control over payment disbursement to vulnerable groups. It highlights several governments’ significant steps to counter the illicit finance flow through ‘public-face’ charity organizations. Descriptive research was used to gather secondary data insights using published reports, articles, news portals, and policy briefs from renowned institutions. The findings depict four factors known as economic and capacity, socio-cultural, politico-legal, and global networks support in misuse of charitable giving to finance violent extremism. This study claims not all charitable giving misused for extremism and violence. However, there is a possibility that extremist groups could take advantage of using humanitarian organizations’ face to finance violent extremism. Two possible recommendations have been made to overcome this issue by adopting digital payment mechanisms and community engagement to design and deliver the COVID-19 response recovery programs.